So someone breaks into your house in the middle of the night and you have your AR and your pistol close by. Which one do you go to and why?
I have both close by and am thinking that I would grab the AR. Just because I feel like it would be easier to control to make lethal shots under stress, theres more magazine capacity, and a 5.56 round packs a mean punch compared to a pistol caliber round.
Discuss…
AR I want my 28 rounds of rock in roll.
Just rember with the 5.56 , the round will most likely go through the target and could possably hit someone sleeping a couple houses down the street.
Just…no. If you use the proper ammo, 5.56 has less of a chance of over penetrating the target than your average pistol caliber.
I’d want to use the most powerful weapon I had access to, the AR, because honestly, it’s a threat, someone broke into an occupied house.
I’d probably need to use a pistol though, I have neighbor’s homes within probably 20-30 yards in each direction.
Missing with a projectile traveling around 2,800-3,000 FPS could have some real bad collateral damage.
I’d probably need to use a pistol or shotgun with Buck Shot.
I HOPE this statement is sarcasm. I’d grab my g19 and surefire backup.
negative… the 5.56 has less wall penetration risk than even buckshot. the topic’s been covered here pretty extensively, i’d suggest checking out some TB stickies
Okay let me rephrase what I said. If using the wrong ammunition or you miss the round has a chance of overpenetrating and hitting someone in a nearby house. Where I live there are houses as close as 10 yards to my house
Banned to ARFcom you should be with that nonsense!:rolleyes:
AR all the way. I don’t even keep my pistol close by, and the AR has the LIGHT on it anyway!
I’d wait for the booby traps to get him. If that didn’t work M&P9 w/ x300 attached.
Assuming both the AR and the pistol are 100%, I’d use the AR. I am more confident in my skills with a rifle and it hits harder. Since my plan, if my home is invaded at night, is to hole up in my room with my wife & dial 911, a short rifle fits the scenario perfectly. Bad guy is gonna have to take his chances coming to look for me
is this less so for a pistol?
I grab my search carbine and read the first sticky in Tactics and Training:
So someone breaks into your house in the middle of the night and you have your AR and your pistol close by.
AR , with my Home defense mag , Hornady 75 grn.Hollow Point , LC 08 Green Tip’s alternated in mag . If I have to shoot rifle plate’s or any type of soft armor , I want to hit hard and HOPEFULLY put a hole or two in it .
The back up shotty is loaded slug/4 buck/slug/4 buck …see the pattern ??
If I had enough 308 API I would load that and 175 grn SMK in the FAL , I only have 5 left .
Not necessarly. But however in theory if both were using the same type of round, say a Hornady TAP round, the faster smaller 5.56 should penetrate more than say a .45 acp.
Id grab my suppressed 9mm ar with a 5.5" barrel, x300, and 147grain hydrashocks. No need to wake the neighbors 
I live in a 3 story apartment building, 16 units in just this building alone. There are probably about 30 other buildings all round. So basically my most immediate neighbors are just on the otherside of the drywall 
and many others in adjacent structures well within 100 yards all round.
With that said I have weighed in very carefully on what would be the best HD/SD combo of long or handgun and ammo to use in my situation.
I’ve decided to keep a Mossberg 12 guage close by with #1 buck shells good to go in the tube. See the signature, I think you will see what my course of action would be.
I’m afraid using any of my rifles would be a potential nightmare in my situation. Just too much potential to possibly hit someone else in this unit or a nearby one.
The #1 buck is a good alternative IMHO. Reasonable wound channel assuming shot placement is correct, yes you have to aim a shotgun even though you will hear a ton of folks saying you don’t. At this potential engagement distance I’m looking at utilizing it the pattern would be tight being very close range in here. Ultimately though, it would have less chance to overpenetrate through a potental home invader assuming I do my part and hit the attacker center mass. I’m afraid any of my other long guns being all rifles would just be way too much caliber to not worry about the bad guy and whatever else it hits past the exit wound.
Thats the reason why I’ve chosen to leave my AR and everything else in the safe and only my Mossberg witht the #1 buck gets left near my bedside at night.
YMMV as usual.
OK I’ll rember…:rolleyes:
If was awake when the break in occured…AR all day long…however, if I were awakened during a nighttime sleep…I will be honest and say that I am almost always going to reach 2ft. over and grab the SK in the .357sig w. the streamlight x2 mounted on it…if I am suddenly awoken, I want something in my hand FAST!!!
To the OP…great debate question…got me doing something I rarely do…THINK:)
This thread reminds me, my wife and I should really start locking our doors at night.