They're accurate, they're customizable and they're fun to shoot. Why you're going to see more AR-style rifles in the woods this fall.
Jul 2, 2007
Yes, But What Do You DO With One?
ARs (and other black rifles) are increasingly seen as an important part of not just the law-enforcement battery, but the civilian self-defense arsenal as well. I will readily admit I was a little skeptical of this trend. I had become, after all, a pistol guy. I taught self-defense with a handgun and carried one on a daily basis; I competed with handguns. I even hunted with a handgun.
What turned me around was taking a Gunsite carbine course, in which I learned just how efficient the carbine was in close quarters. The advantage of having a weapon in long use by military special forces and police special teams is that the top tactical minds of our generation have figured out the best ways to use AR-platform guns in all sorts of scenarios. In its usual 161⁄2-inch barrel configuration, the AR is almost as handy as a handgun, but with a huge increase in firepower. I know what you're thinking-those little .22-inch-diameter bullets zipping right through walls-but ammunition technology has kept pace with the evolution of firearms. There are a host of low-penetration 5.56mm/.223 rounds for law-enforcement use and civilian self-defense, including my own choice, Hornady 55-grain TAPs.
"The AR is also adaptable to a wide variety of applications," says Dave Lauck, the 20-20-20 man, a former law-enforcement officer and a long-distance marksman. "It can be short and light with a fast-action optic and backup iron sights,‑for close-quarters battle (CQB) or home-defense applications. The AR can also be customized into a precision rifle, capable of‑accuracy out to a thousand yards,‑with correct barrel twist rates and sleek long-range heavy bullets. Competition, combat or home-defense, the AR platform can be set up to suit the need."
If you're uncomfortable with the .223/5.56, you can get carbines in 9mm or .45 ACP, no problem.
The more I've worked with the carbine, the more I've found myself "defaulting" to the AR for a self-defense role. There's an AR in the bedroom closet now, a Smith & Wesson M&P15A-yes, S&W makes ARs!-fitted with an Aimpoint red-dot sight and a SureFire light and loaded with 29 rounds of Hornady TAPs. I now find myself thinking that the function of my SIG 226 beside my bed is to "buy" me the six steps to the AR. Jimmy Q would laugh, I suspect.
Oh, the most popular classes at shooting schools and training academies across the country? Carbine classes.
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