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A few weeks ago, we did a roundup of features that we would like to see on a good
home defense rifle. To restate the role of this weapon, we are envisioning our rifle
to be primarily used in a medium range sort of environment – essentially, we want to
engage threats inside of 300 meters, and to recap, we don’t want to shoot threats
within the home due to over penetration, rather, we want to engage targets that are
on the property. We had numerous readers write us and ask us regarding the legality
of this tactic, so now is a good time to restate what our thought pattern is.
LEGALITIES OF SHOOTING THOSE ON YOUR
PROPERTY
While each state has varying laws on what
constitutes justifiable homicide, the
overwhelming consensus is that there needs to be
an imminent threat to life in order to justify
deadly force. Note that we did not say an imminent threat to property; few states
allow homicide as a means of protecting property, and really, you need to ask
yourself whether someone needs to be shot dead for attempting to break into your
car or something along those lines. But there is one important caveat that we want
to restate when we say things like “engaging outside threats from your home” – we
are speaking of a societal collapse scenario! There are no rules in scenarios like this;
no laws and no police. These could be nationwide scenarios or they could be
localized as in the post Katrina looting and the 1992 Los Angeles riots. When we
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make a recommendation on a rifle, we are speaking strictly from a battle and efficiency
standpoint rather than a legal one.
The right thing to do, in our opinion, is to delineate between scenarios. You more or less
have the right to shoot an intruder dead who happens to be inside your home in all 50
states. Conversely, should you spot an intruder on your property, the best thing to do is to
arm up, cover the crook, and summon the police. Let them deal with the gray areas, at
least while they can still respond. Consult an attorney regarding the laws in your state.
So with that in mind, let’s look at the ideal home defense rifle for engaging these threats
inside of 300 meters. Again, we were after a gas operated, magazine fed rifle that was
chambered in a military caliber. Here’s what we chose:
AR-15
The AR-15 is the iconic
American battle implement
and is one of the most
recognizable rifles on the
planet. Invented in the mid
1960s and in use by
military forces worldwide
ever since (as the M16), the AR-15 moniker represents a type of rifle; note that
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few if any rifles are actually branded as AR-15s. Think of the term AR-15 like
you would Kleenex; at one point there was an original box of tissues entitled as
such, but now there is one original and millions of copycat brands – that’s the
AR-15. The clones are just as good as, and in some cases, better than the
original, so fear not.
Specifications:
Caliber: 5.56 NATO originally, although there are literally dozens of calibers
available due to the fact that the uppers are interchangeable.
Weight: Depends on the configuration, but count on about 7 pounds in a carbine
(14.5” barrel length) configuration.
Barrel length: Most common in a 14.5”, 16” and 20” barrel although there are both
shorter and longer barrels available.
Muzzle Velocity: 3200 feet per second
Effective Range: 600 meters
Magazine Capacity: 30 rounds
What we like: If LEGO and a rifle had a baby, it would look like an AR-15; this
platform offers more customization options than any rifle on the planet, bar none.
An AR-15 is split up into a lower receiver, which contains the fire control group,
pistol grip, butt stock, and magazine well, and this is the serialized part and thus the
actual firearm. The upper receiver contains the bolt carrier group, ejection port,
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barrel, hand guards, and sights, and thus the AR-15 series of rifles is the only rifle we know
of that you can purchase a single lower receiver and then a series of upper receivers to
shoot any caliber you like. The possibilities are practically endless due to the modularity
of the platform. We love the AR-15 platform so much that we recommend that you stop
reading right now and just go buy one!
Pros:
Modular
Extremely accurate
Interchangeable with literally billions of parts
Cons:
Finicky in dirty or dusty conditions; needs frequent cleaning
5.56 NATO lacks punch in some situations
Can get relatively expensive depending on the manufacturer
AR-10
If you took an AR-15 and scaled it up to shoot a
.308 Winchester (7.62 x 51) cartridge, you’d
have an AR-10, and that’s all an AR-10 really is.
We won’t go into as much detail on the AR-10 as
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it’s basically the same thing as the AR-15, but it very much deserves a closer look if
you want an AR pattern rifle but want more range and more punch.
Caliber: .308 Winchester (7.62 x 51 NATO) although there are other calibers out
there.
Weight: Depends on the configuration, but count on about 8.5 pounds
Barrel length: Most common in 16” and 20” barrels although there are both shorter
and longer barrels available.
Muzzle Velocity: 2690 feet per second
Effective Range: 900 meters
Magazine Capacity: 20 rounds
What we like: Features the same modularity as the AR-15, although with far fewer
choices out there since the big 10 can get relatively pricy. A hard hitting
semiautomatic rifle that is the answer for you, if you need to have an AR in .308.
Pros:
Highly accurate
Solves the ‘5.56 is too wimpy’ problem rather effectively
Long range
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Cons:
Weight; heavily loaded AR-10s with long barrels will crack ten pounds easy
Expensive; a custom AR-10 is among the most expensive rifles you can
purchase
Still has the same sorts of aversion to dust and grime as the AR-15
AK47
Few rifles are as instantly recognizable as
the AK47 and the thousands of variants
made globally by all sorts of countries.
Mikhail Kalashnikov’s design is still
running strong today, nearly 65 years after he introduced it and it shows no signs of
slowing down. Cheap, durable, and easy to operate, the AK has half the controls you’ll
find on an AR.
Caliber: 7.62 x 39 originally, although there are variants out there in 5.56 Russian
Weight: Approximately 7 pounds
Barrel length: 16.3”
Muzzle Velocity: 2350 feet per second
Effective Range: 400 meters
Magazine Capacity: 30 and 40 rounds
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What we like: The AK looks like the plow it was pounded from. It’s a low tech farm
implement that happens to shoot bullets, and its ability to continue doing so in the
most inhospitable conditions is legendary. The AK laughs at mud, rain, snow, and
dust. On the downside, since most models have a stamped metal receiver,
customization is really not possible except for on external bits you can tack on. Not
modular in the AR sense whatsoever.
Pros:
Legendary reliability
Cheap
7.62 x 39 packs a punch that the AR can’t match at short ranges
Cons:
Legendary inaccuracy at anything over 300 meters
Not modular like an AR
Magazine changes take longer compared to the AR because of the way an AK’s
magazine retention system works
FN-FAL Series
Originally a Belgian battle rifle
that was built under contract in
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several countries, the FN-FAL served as the main battle rifle for a variety of
Commonwealth countries, one of which was Britain, which developed the rifle into a
similar variant, the L1A1. As with the AR series of rifles, the FN-FAL isn’t called that in the
models you can purchase on the street and refers to the military version.
Caliber: 7.62 x 51 NATO
Weight: 10 pounds on average
Barrel length: 21” is the most common
Muzzle Velocity: 2756 feet per second
Effective Range: 800 meters
Magazine Capacity: 20 rounds
What we like: The FN FAL shoots the very effective .308 cartridge with the minimum
of fuss. It’s inherently reliable although heavy, but hey, 90 countries that have used
this thing for half a century can’t be wrong.
Pros:
Tank like construction and durability
Hard hitting .308 caliber round
Battle proven globally
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Cons:
Tank like weight and overall size
Expensive when compared to similarly chambered rifles
Not many customization options
Heckler and Koch 91 (HK91)
Like most German made products, the HK91
and its slew of variants are over engineered,
highly precise, accurate, and expensive. The
HK91 is the semiautomatic version of the iconic HK G3 battle rifle introduced in the
mid 1950s. The HK 91 is a handsome rifle and an excellent alternative to an FN FAL.
Caliber: 7.62 x 51 (.308 Winchester)
Weight: 9.7 pounds
Barrel length: 17.7”
Muzzle Velocity: 2600 feet per second
Effective Range: 800 meters
Magazine Capacity: 20 rounds
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What we like: Super accurate and ultra reliable, the HK91 is a rifle that won’t fail you in
the toughest of times. There’s a reason why this design was adopted by the militaries of
over 50 countries.
Pros:
A little more compact than an FN FAL
Punchy .308 round
Amazing engineering and reliability
Cons:
Ultra expensive
Still relatively heavy, especially compared to an AR
Did we mention it was expensive?
Ruger Mini 14 / Mini 30
The Ruger Mini 14 and Mini 30 are two
similar rifles that are chambered in .223
Remington and 7.62 x 39 respectively.
They’re the only rifles we recommended
that have very sparingly been used by military forces and were never intended to be used
in combat, although they do draw many of their design features and pedigree from the
iconic M14 rifle of the Vietnam era.
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Caliber: .223 Remington (Mini 14) and 7.62 x 39 (Mini 30) primarily, although 6.8
Remington SPC chamberings are available on the used market.
Weight: 6 pounds 6 ounces
Barrel length: Most common in a 16.12” and 18.5” barrel although there are both
shorter and longer barrels available.
Muzzle Velocity: 3200 feet per second
Effective Range: 600 meters
Magazine Capacity: Varies, but up to 30 rounds in conventional magazines and more
in drums
What we like: The Mini rifles made by Ruger are sporting rifles and as such, they
don’t look all black and evil to politicians even though they fire off the exact same
rounds as the AR and AK series rifles, and in some cases even use their magazines.
Although they are not battle proven, there are still tons of them out there in
existence, and they are stout and reliable rifles.
Pros:
Non-scary, fly under the radar appearance
Does everything an AR or AK can, essentially
Reasonably priced
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Cons:
Not originally intended to be a military rifle and not battle proven. Used by a
handful of nations in mainly police and paramilitary applications
Not much in the way of modularity or customization options compared to ARs
Proprietary parts system common only to other Rugers
CONCLUSION
Any of the rifles we’ve suggested here would make a great home defense rifle. Which
one you select will be up to you; your needs, budget, and let’s face it – your love for
the look of the rifle will play a big part in which one you pick. We’re happy to
recommend any or all of them.
Recommended