With apologies to Grant, I thought I would bridge off of his recent thread about using a suppressed SBR for home defense. I live in a state that is SBR-friendly (yea!), but suppressor-unfriendly (boo!), so this is why I am seeking your input on this topic.
After reading the thread Grant started, and thinking about all the replies, I can say the following: 1) I am not overly concerned about appearances if I use an NFA weapon for self-defense; and, 2) If my family survives the events calling for such use, and I lose the gun in a black hole for evidentiary purposes, I will not cry over lost funds.
Currently, I have a DD M4 set up with an Aimpoint H-1, BFG Vickers sling, and Surefire X300 as my home defense long gun. However, the first gun I’d likely grab is my M&P9 with X300, because if something went “bump” in the night, I would need a free hand to grab my two children and get them back to the master bedroom (while wife calls 911). Once there, my family would hunker down and wait for the cavalry, so I could deploy a long gun at that time.
I know some folks who replied to the earlier thread have unsuppressed SBRs for this use, and I’d like to hear why they chose that platform for that role. I would also like to hear from you who think a gun with a 16" barrel is a a better choice for my circumstances. I know the longer gun will be more cumbersome for home defense, but is it so much so that I should rule it out?
I have actually purchased a BCM lower from G&R with the intent of making an 11.5" SBR (or a 16" middy :D), so I am leaning that way as I see the maneuverability of the SBR as being an asset in that role, but is that mitigated by any potential cons to the system?
IMO An 16in Midlength would be the better of the two choices for one main reason. A 10.5 will destroy your hearing in an enclosed room or hallway. The 16in gun will by no means be quiet but nothing like the SBR. I already have some hearing loss/ringing in my ears that I deal with and would prefer to not have any more. Just my take on it. I would go with a suppressed SBR any day of the week but since that wasn’t your question I would stick with the midlength.
They’re very loud, with an emphasis on the loud part. Since grabbing a gun to protect home and hearth probably means no hearing protection, and verbal communication is how most people try to verify if someone (like their family) is okay, this could be problematic. Training can only mitigate this to some degree; human physiology is what it is, and high-decibel sounds suck. I would not use a short-barreled AR if I could not also use a suppressor.
Caveat: my only experiences with short-barreled ARs have been at indoor shooting ranges, and I’m well aware that sound will echo and travel differently in a house than in a shooting range. How much so… dunno.
If you fire a rifle in a bedroom with your wife and children, they are going to suffer permanent hearing damage. BUY HEARING PROTECTION FOR EVERY MEMBER OF YOUR FAMILY FIRST! Sound reflection off hard surfaces is going to be significant and nothing like what you experience in an open field.
Protect your hearing and the hearing of those you love. Once it’s lost, it is never regained.
Finally, shoot a 10.5" AR-15 before you go with an SBR option. If, like myself, you are buying a Colt 6921 then go ahead. However, for most people the $200 NFA tax isn’t worth it for 1.5 inches in reduced length.
Since you are in a protected defensive position and you are not doing CQB drills clearing your house, a 20" AR-15 or Remington 870 would work well. I actually have a “social” Remington 1187 in my bedroom for this situation loaded with heavy buckshot. I have plenty of NFA toys to choose from but, a heavy load of buckshot from a well protected defensive position is the best option I have personally found. And, some of those NFA “toys” are suppressed full-auto’s however, I don’t want to be a hazard to my neighbors and anyone else that may be on the other side of an exterior wall to my house (I don’t expect to be a perfect shot and I would expect some rifle rounds to pass completely through a bad guy if it ever came to that).