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What is your favorite brand of AR-15

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I am not a tactical guy by any stretch of the imagination. I however got the thumbs up from the wife to get a carbine length AR for home defense and range fun. I don't want to spend over a grand for the gun itself. I have really no idea what the good brands are and the AR talk forums are way too technical for my blood. I am looking at a bushmaster minimalist right now for about 800 bucks. I currently own a rock river arms AR for coyotes, but its a longer length barrel and has a big scope on it (not manageable for home defense). Anyone know good or bad about bushmaster? Any comments are more than welcome. Thanks for your time to comment.

Jess
 
Why not buy another rock river? Just asking because I'm wondering if your unhappy with the one you have now?
 
In my opinion, after using M16/M4 for my whole military career, both just on ranges and in combat.... I don't think an AR is a very good choice for home defense. There are too many moving parts, and that leads to the possibilities of failure when the time comes. Also, you need to place well placed shots after being woke up in the middle of the night and being groggy. My home defense weapon is a Mossberg 20 guage, 18 inch barrel with a pistol grip and no stock. As where an AR15 is awkward and unwieldy while going through rooms and hallways, the short length of the shotgun isn't. I use 00 buckshot, so I don't have to make a perfect shot all groggy and possibly having a gun turned on me. I have a strobe light clamped on to the side of the barrel as well, so the intruder is blinded but I'm not. My set up is pretty 'keep it simple', but I am happy with it and it is easy and damned near failproof.
 
JohnCushman said:
In my opinion, after using M16/M4 for my whole military career, both just on ranges and in combat.... I don't think an AR is a very good choice for home defense. There are too many moving parts, and that leads to the possibilities of failure when the time comes. Also, you need to place well placed shots after being woke up in the middle of the night and being groggy. My home defense weapon is a Mossberg 20 guage, 18 inch barrel with a pistol grip and no stock. As where an AR15 is awkward and unwieldy while going through rooms and hallways, the short length of the shotgun isn't. I use 00 buckshot, so I don't have to make a perfect shot all groggy and possibly having a gun turned on me. I have a strobe light clamped on to the side of the barrel as well, so the intruder is blinded but I'm not. My set up is pretty 'keep it simple', but I am happy with it and it is easy and damned near failproof.
Click to expand...

Hearing a pump shotgun slide is scary enough. Being on the good end of one is really scary for the bad guy. mtmuley
 
mtmuley said:
Hearing a pump shotgun slide is scary enough. Being on the good end of one is really scary for the bad guy. mtmuley
Click to expand...

X2... I'm right there with John and Mtmuley. After using ARs so much I chuckle a little when I see them advertised for home defense. They were never intended for that. A good short shotgun or pistol will work in a house way better. Self defense shots are very often close range.
 
X3 on the shotgun idea. and stay away from buckshot in your house, it will still over-penetrate walls birdshot at 15-20 ft does some serious damage and will get caught in a wall.

If you are committed to an AR, shoot super light varmint bullets to minimize the danger to everyone around you.
 
Bushmasters are fine. Make sure you go through the break in at the range. Make sure your extractor works properly and use top quality magazines. As mentioned before I recommend varmint bullets to minimize pass through. Unless you're running a pistol grip shotgun it will be close to the same length of an ar carbine anyways.
 
nick87 said:
Why not buy another rock river? Just asking because I'm wondering if your unhappy with the one you have now?
Click to expand...

I bought the rock river in an establishment that kept them in stock. That business is now out. You have to order them and I won't buy a gun sight unseen. Just a policy of mine.
 
This is a funny thread. I can't comment on a 20 gauge without a stock, but a 12 would be an absolute terrible idea in my book. Shotguns have some serious kick, especially if it's a pump. A shotgun without a butt stock is a recipe for high muzzle blast and not much control if you ask me. All my shotguns are semi auto and they are all min. 26 inch barrels. I could use my trap gun, but with a 90/10 POI, I would probably shoot right over the top of the intruder's head.
 
Jess said:
This is a funny thread. I can't comment on a 20 gauge without a stock, but a 12 would be an absolute terrible idea in my book. Shotguns have some serious kick, especially if it's a pump. A shotgun without a butt stock is a recipe for high muzzle blast and not much control if you ask me. All my shotguns are semi auto and they are all min. 26 inch barrels. I could use my trap gun, but with a 90/10 POI, I would probably shoot right over the top of the intruder's head.
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Some of us aren't sissies and train with our weapons :cool: I used a Mossberg 500 12 guage in Iraq with a pistol grip with no issues clearing buildings or anything else that I required it to do.
 
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JohnCushman said:
Some of us aren't sissies and train with our weapons :cool: I used a Mossberg 500 12 guage in Iraq with a pistol grip with no issues clearing buildings or anything else that I required it to do.
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You know dang well that weapon is only intended for breaching.
 
12 ga Mossberg pump shotty with a light for the castle. Been eyeballing the new mossy shockwave for the truck..hoping they offer it in a 20 later on.
 
Jess said:
This is a funny thread. I can't comment on a 20 gauge without a stock, but a 12 would be an absolute terrible idea in my book. Shotguns have some serious kick, especially if it's a pump. A shotgun without a butt stock is a recipe for high muzzle blast and not much control if you ask me. All my shotguns are semi auto and they are all min. 26 inch barrels. I could use my trap gun, but with a 90/10 POI, I would probably shoot right over the top of the intruder's head.
Click to expand...

Why start a thread asking for advice if you think the advice from guys with a combined 30+ years training with the weapon system you are asking about is funny? John and I have both deployed, we have both had to spend many training hours clearing houses with ARs. We both have gotten in and out of vechiles with them more times than we ever cared to. We use them in the Military because we have to shoot more than 21 feet. 95% of the time. If your reason is self defense and you are forced to shoot someone further than that, you are not in a house or a car. Home defense is under 21 feet 99.99999% of the time.
 
Addicting said:
Why start a thread asking for advice if you think the advice from guys with a combined 30+ years training with the weapon system you are asking about is funny? John and I have both deployed, we have both had to spend many training hours clearing houses with ARs. We both have gotten in and out of vechiles with them more times than we ever cared to. We use them in the Military because we have to shoot more than 21 feet. 95% of the time. If your reason is self defense and you are forced to shoot someone further than that, you are not in a house or a car. Home defense is under 21 feet 99.99999% of the time.
Click to expand...

If you go back to the original question, it was what AR brands do you like. I didn't ask for 20 vs 12 gauge opinions, what shot to use in my shotgun, what weapon was best for self defense, who was deployed, etc.

So if I would have said what 9 mm to get for self defense, somebody would have said get a 40 or a 45. If I would have said what 12 gauge would be best for home defense, somebody would have said get a 20. If I would have said, which 1911 do you like for self defense, somebody would say get a high capacity polymer handgun. I guess that's what I should expect from a talk forum, everyone has an opinion.

My brother served 3 tours right after 9/11. His job was to clear al Qaeda caves. He was a heavy machine gunner complete with an ammo bearer and another guy carrying the tripod. When he cleared caves, they didn't give him a shotgun for that. If I wanted a shotgun, I would have bought one. The funny comment was meant just to show the irony of different opinions.
 
I hear ya on the AR forums....I get good info from some good peps here via pm

Found this online..titled mall ninja;)


Mall-Ninja-AR-15.png
 
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