I haven't read through the entire thread, but let me toss in a few opinions.
I view the AR15 as a General Purpose rifle. It does very few things well enough to outperform specialty firearms. The shotgun, for example, is not my personal choice for home defense. I may have to carry a grandchild to a safe room. . .a shotgun would be problematic. I may have to use the phone. . .same situation. God forbid that I have to drag a wounded family member to cover. A handgun capable of being used one-handed (in other situations, as well, such as opening or closing a door) is my preferred weapon for this.
An AR Pistol will work here, as well. No, even in shortened form it's not a convenient as a 1911 or Glock, but it can hold a 60-rd magazine and with the right ammo chosen to reduce penetration through the walls. . .? Hell, go NFA, chamber it in .300 BLK with a 7.5" bbl and suppressor and you can have 60 rds of 220-grain bullets that won't deafen you when you pull the trigger.
Want to shoot something at 500+ meters? A few years ago I posted my "Ultimate" GP Survival Rifle build. With Black Hills 77-gr rounds I could hit a 12" gong at 800m consistently. I was working on some 75-grain A-Max-based handloads and got that FrankenRifle to shoot under 0.4 MOA. I did have problems, IIRC, with feeding due to the OAL. But, I moved and haven't had a chance to pick up on the experiment since.
Wanna go farther? Get an upper in 6.5 Grendel or .224 Valkyrie. The 1k'ers are shooting sub-MOA with supersonic velocities out to 1200m and 1300m, respectively, all the time and can take down the largest of North American animals.
As a "Minute-Man" gun? Hard to beat. It's light enough to be carried a long time. Ditto the ammo. Even if it's in the 20" barrel form, an average person can carry it. Your engagement sphere, with inexpensive mil-spec ammo can reach out to 350m with basic firearms training. Slap a low-power scope on it and watch your hit ratio climb (train on iron sights, first). Moreover, there are so many milspec and better parts that if something breaks or wears out, it should be relatively easy to buy, barter or. . .<ahem>. . .acquire replacements.
You see, I look at the AR platform as being the ultimate adaptable firearm on the planet, currently. All it takes is a little research, some money (sometimes a lot, sometimes not so much), and practice.
Our standard SHTF longarms have changed a little. The Frankenrifle to which I alluded earlier has been relegated to Search and Rescue or INCH purposes. We've settled on SBR'd and Suppressed AR's in .300 BLK-chambered gun with Lawman side-folding adapters. Looking at our area and the changing times, we wanted something smaller and lighter with a lower sound signature. I have difficulty believing that I'll have to worry about shots being taken out past 300m or 350m, especially in the woodlands surrounding me or in an urban area. But, I do see the need at engaging multiple targets under 50m in short periods of time, especially early on in a Get-home or early bug out scenario. They also give us a smaller package to carry if we deem it necessary to be armed at all times. With the suppressors on, they're about the length of a standard carbine. Remove the suppressor and put on one of the "Blast Mitigation Devices," get the Knights Armament Hook, fold the stock and you have a VERY compact weapon with 30 (or more) round capacity that, with the right ammo, has a reduced signature (to the shooter) that is quickly brought into action with plenty of incapacitation potential (Supersonic, go for the 110-grain Barnes Tac-TX which is a proven fast-stopper on deer and large hogs).
Now, here's the fun part. Those NFA Registered SBR lowers? I can slap on any upper in any caliber and it will still work. In fact, we specifically went with 10.5" 5.56x45 Noveske Switchblock uppers that have the same suppressor mount as the .300 BLK uppers. If we have problems locating .300 BLK ammo in an extended scenario, all we have to do is pull two pins, swap the top, and we can use .223 or 5.56x45 ammo. We can even use the same 762SDN-6 suppressors, albeit with a lower sound reduction.
Great to use in vehicles, when evacuating on foot, doing stuff around the homestead or in more "social" situations.
Adaptability is the keyword for the AR.
Now, that doesn't mean that I'm not open to other options. We originally went with AR Pistols in the same configuration. But, when travelling across state lines, I didn't (and don't) want some cops ignorance and shock at seeing a "black rifle" in my trunk if pulled over and my vehicle searched. So, we take our Mossberg MVP Patrol rifles when we go out of the state. They're fitted with the same scope as the Franken Rifle (1-4x24), the same flash suppressor as the compact rifles (AAC 51T flash suppressor) so we can use the suppressors or Blast Mitigation Device. They take the same AR mags and 223/5.56 ammo and work great.
Now, we did do nearby tactical shoots with the MVP's and there is a NOTICEABLE difference in time. But, we don't have to change anything except the rifles when we travel out of state.
The MVP also comes in .308 (I have only one) and accepts the M14 mags as well as the Magpul .308 mags (I prefer the m14 mags, they seem to feed smoother) in about the same size.
So, for us (<--Keywords), the AR does most of what we want and/or need. We just have to have the right configuration and some time behind the weapons for competency.
And that's just for the -15 version. Want a .308? That's a whole 'nother post.
Just some thoughts, worth exactly what you paid for them.
The Professor
