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The AR-15 is America’s rifle—plain and simple. If you don’t already own one (or several), you need to fix that ASAP. It’s one of the most versatile and enjoyable rifles to shoot, whether you’re hunting, hitting the range, or competing.
But when it comes down to it, home defense is the real reason many people own firearms. And with an AR-15, you can stretch that role even further—protecting your home, your property, and even taking care of varmints or deer-sized game with the right setup. Plus, let’s be honest—there’s nothing wrong with hours of range time just for fun.
Now, if home defense is your only priority, you don’t need to stress too much about having the perfect stock, trigger, or high-end optics. A simple, well-set-up rifle will do the job just fine. But here’s the thing—not all ARs are created equal, and how you configure yours does matter.
If you’re running an 18-inch barrel with a high-powered scope, for example, you might have a great setup for long-range shooting—but it’s not exactly ideal for defending your hallway at 2 a.m.
Quality
It is difficult to mess up the AR-15. Functional rifles are available for less than five hundred dollars. PSA, Anderson, and Radical are among these. If needed, an aftermarket trigger may be added, and optics are up for grabs. There are many choices. Then there is LWRC, Colt, Daniel Defense, and a few others. Springfield is among my favorites.
The bottom line is that the AR gives you an edge against an armed invasion of the home. The advantages in handling hit probability and often reliability in the AR versus a handgun are demonstrable. Many folks need good protection but are challenged by the handgun. An AR-15 rifle evens the odds. Gangs are comprised of individuals in packs whose sorry existence is validated by the mob mentality. They will do things in groups of two or three that an individual would never attempt.
The AR-15 offers an edge. The stock is easily adjusted to the individual’s size, build, and clothing. Forends are good in most types. You may wish to use a MagPul stock and forend, maybe a forward handle. The forward handle is more likely to snag on something in home defense. Your mileage may vary.
The question of the AR pistol comes up often. My ARs differ in set-up, but one is set up specifically for close-range use—home interior to 50 yards. That’s close range for an AR. As for AR pistols, I have fired AR pistols and given one an honest try for several months. Sure, they are easy to use, and the good ones are reliable. Here is what I find. The AR and the .223 cartridge get their effect from high velocity.
The 55 to 62-grain loads I use in the home defender break 2,700 to 3,000 fps. The short-barrel pistol with the same ammunition is cut to 2400 fps. Muzzle flash and blast result from powder that isn’t burned in the short barrel.
The powder burns outside the barrel, presenting a tremendous muzzle signature and blast. This results in deafening noise. Sure, a suppressor solves that problem, but most shooters don’t have the funds to invest in a suppressor.
I prefer the 16-inch barrel gun.
For many years, the 18-inch barrel riot shotgun was the gold standard for home defense, and we got along fine. In fact, the half dozen or so shotgun defense incidents I invested over 20 years or more in uniform all involved a full-size sporting shotgun.
We go with what we know and simply shoot the threat. The 16-inch carbine is a useful home defender given training and is a fine all-around choice for emergency use.
The .223/5.56mm caliber is proven
Bullets fragment and create a void in tissue, something that no handgun may achieve. The chances of overpenetration are limited. A .223 JHP penetrates less home material than most 9mm and .45 handgun loads.
There is little incentive to choose any other caliber. The .300 Blackout is acceptable, but based on economy and proven performance, I chose the .223. For home defense, the 9mm AR is a thought. It certainly beats any handgun.
If I go the 9mm route, I would prefer a small folding carbine such as the S&W FPC, but that is beyond the scope of this report. The 9mm gains a modest amount of velocity in a carbine barrel. Hit probability is increased dramatically with the AR, and the 9mm is acceptable in firing ranges that prohibit full-power rifle cartridges. Even with FMJ loads, the .223 is a proven caliber.
Two factors limit the need for follow-up shots: you are more likely to connect with every shot with a rifle, and you are more likely to stop the threat with a single shot than with any handgun round. Both personal and public safety are served with the AR.
So- we have a reliable AR-15, carbine style, in .223. What’s next?
Let’s consider the environment in which you will be using the rifle.
Defensive actions seldom take place in total darkness, where there is some ambient light. If you have an MLOK forend, mount a combat light. A mounted light is good to have. For rapid target acquisition, the AR should have a red dot. Fast, reliable, and offering excellent hit probability, the red dot is the go-to choice for an AR.
The red dot offers a greater field of view as the shooter fires with both eyes open. Peripheral vision is an important part of situational awareness. My latest AR set up for home defense features a Riton ARD– affordable and useful.
If you wish to set up an LWRC with an Aimpoint, of course, do so. But for the budget-minded, well, we all have a budget, large or small. Good and inexpensive is often possible.
Some ARs still rock the old-school military-style forend. If you’re into nostalgia, that’s totally fine. But if you want to mount a combat light—or any other accessories—you’ll need something more modern, like a rail system. The two most common options? Picatinny and M-LOK. Shooters have strong opinions on both, but there are some key differences to consider.
Picatinny rails are tough, reliable, and widely compatible, but they come with some trade-offs. They’re heavier and can be pretty rough on your hands unless you cover the unused sections. On the flip side, M-LOK is a slot-based system that’s lighter, smoother, and more streamlined. Instead of a bulky rail, M-LOK attachments lock in with an internal rotating lever, keeping things low-profile when you’re not using accessories.
Personally, I prefer M-LOK—it’s more comfortable for bare hands, which is what you’re likely using in a home defense situation. Both systems work, but if you’re looking for a setup that won’t tear up your hands and still gives you solid mounting options, M-LOK is the way to go.
So what is the best AR 15 for home defense?
We use black rifle or AR as a generic term. Some are much more refined than others.
In short purchase the best rifle you can afford, the best red dot you can afford, and practice.
Train with affordable ammo and use the best for home defense. It is really that simple.
Where To Buy
Which AR For Home Defense?
The one the police are going to take after you shoot the bad guy who broke into your home.
Good God! Who are you expecting? The Taliban? Even if you are responding to a home invasion, in all cases documented so far, as soon as you put holes in one of the perps the rest will flee. One well-placed 12 gauge shot will take care of business. If not, pump the slide and shoot again. Plus, the danger of wall penetration is far higher than stated in this article. Firing one of these in a suburban neighborhood is asking for trouble.
I can understand you’d need one of these if you’re smuggling fentanyl and moving in on a rival’s turf. But for Joe and Jane America, this is overkill.
Psychos. Show some brains and tone down the testosterone.
Own a musket for home defense, since that’s what the founding fathers intended. Four ruffians break into my house. “What the devil?” As I grab my powdered wig and Kentucky rifle. Blow a golf ball sized hole through the first man, he’s dead on the spot. Draw my pistol on the second man, miss him entirely because it’s smoothbore and nails the neighbors dog. I have to resort to the cannon mounted at the top of the stairs loaded with grape shot, “Tally ho lads” the grape shot shreds two men in the blast, the sound and extra shrapnel set off car alarms. Fix bayonet and charge the last terrified rapscallion. He Bleeds out waiting on the police to arrive since triangular bayonet wounds are impossible to stitch up. Just as the founding fathers intended.
If the 5.56 is so proven, why did the Army spend a whole lot of money to improve it with the Enhanced Performance Round? If you read the briefings, all the rounds prior to it has a lot of lacking performance. Why did they replace it with the .277 Fury? And what was that 6.8SPC round for?
Sir, All of those expedients were in order to achieve more effectiveness at long combat range- not home defense or police use. The 5.56mm is very effective inside of 100 yards, creating a void in tissue and critical wounds. Last I checked the 6.8 is moribund in the military and the .277 Fury is far from a replacement. Only a handful have been tested. The primary role of the 277 Fury is to penetrate body armory. I think the 5.56mm is going to be with us for decades more. There is nothing more effective inside of 100 yards. I would be surprised to find enough 6.8 rifles in the military to outfit a squad. That said my LWRC rifle in the first illustration is in fact a 6.8
I came to post almost the exact same sentiment as Michael Collins.
At distances inside the home or 90 feet into your yard, the .223 Remington and 5.56x45mm NATO cartridges are quite effective at stopping violent human attackers.
Those cartridges start to become inadequate at longer distances, perhaps 200 yards and farther out.
Why?
In a nut shell: Because the battlefield environment and needs changed to require more specialized application and more lethality across the whole force.
Correction for: “…and more lethality across the whole force.”
Should have been…
…and more lethality across the whole force at longer ranges.
Please explain what that has to do with topic of the story
And also please explain why the 5.56mm is STILL used and the other calibers NOT adopted
Huh? Explain your reply to my post please, it seems detached from reality.
Police SWAT teams, FBI HRT, and the Secret Service all use 5.56 carbines loaded with bonded soft points.
The Army’s issue was with the M855 projectile, which is yaw dependent on how far in the body it travels before it begins to upset. At different angels of attack, the projectile will travel to different depths before it begins to fragment.
This is not an issue with soft points, bonded soft points, expanding monolithic copper, or ballistic tip 5.56 rounds. They all begin to upset within the first inch of penetrating the body. Now as a civilian, you are not limited to the ammo that the military used in the past, aka M193 and M855. You can go buy the same bullets that law enforcement and hunters use.
As to the 277 FURY, that is about the desire to more easily defeat body armor without using tungsten ammo. Unfortunately, they didn’t meet the velocity specs that they were aiming for originally, but now we are knee deep in the sunk cost fallacy. Sig is promising that with future improvements, they will eventually be able to increase pressures up to 100k psi and be able to penetrate level 4 with a steel penetrator at range, while still having decent barrel life. Right now, firearms technology is not there yet, so there is the $12 a round tungsten ADVAP rounds that are apart of the NGSW program.
As a civilian, if you got a bunch of dudes breaking into your home wearing level 4 rifle plates, then it is probably a police SWAT team. In which case, you might have wanted to make better life choices.
More a issue at distance but yeah icepick beyond 200m almost guaranteed. The 855a1 fixed that but took a few iterations of powder loads and magazine follower angle to get right but for most of what we saw for barrier and low end body armor it worked wonders and where it didn’t even the m855 tungsten core AP would have been questionable and .50bmg worked well enough.
*M995 weird autocorrect error.
An AR pistol.
Well, Mr. Michael Irwin Collins, thank you for your opinion. However, I have a different opinion since my particular circumstances do not align with yours. I do not own an AR and have no plans to acquire one simply because they are popular. I have other weapons more suited to my wants, needs, and abilities; including home and personal defense. Have a nice day.
Well la-di-da-da mr. gunnygene.
Gunny Gene Thanks for reading! Agreed, there is something better suited to your needs, the AR is just one choice. 12 gauge, 20 gauge, .30 carbine- all are good. What I do is point out some of the best choices in each genre. Take care, MIC
Great article. Very good report, what ammunition would you suggest for home defense?
For most of us a 55 grain JSP. The big makers- Federal, Speer, Winchester, Remington, Hornady, Black Hills Heavier bullets are good for long range– lighter bullets not always as reliable in a dirty gun
55 especially m193 does great from 14.5 up for anything within 100 yards. 62 soft point and the various ballistic tip are also great and may break up better with less over penetration. For shorter barrels I would guess the 68+ grains with the jacket of such bullets being thinner and more likely to break apart inside the target. If any form of armor is involved M855a1 overall for what you can actually buy with alternating m855 and m193 being the next option for uhmwpe or steel respectively from 16inch + barrels.
It’s very late and I need a shower or you all will ban me for BO strong enough to smell without Smell-o-Vision. I’ll have to read the article in the morning.
But in the meantime, I have an answer to the question posed by the title of the article:
“Which AR for Home Defense?”
“Yes.”
Great read and a good place to start, Bullet placement Bullet placement and Bullet placement…
In Afghanistan to be certain your target was down for good, place 5 rounds in Groin.When possible 😉
Pre 2011 deployment?
So TTAG has returned to ghosting comments again? Where’s mine from yesterday?
Now comments are being banned on TTAG without even the courtesy of the usual “your comment is being withheld” notice. Every time I’ve attempted to say anything since yesterday has been blackholed. Now I’ll try with a made-up username and email to see if I can get through.
Not a good way to retain longterm visitors to your site, gentlemen.
OK, so anyone knows that if you fire an AR inside a home, you pretty much can kiss parts of your hearing goodbye after a couple shots. Even with a suppressor, still damn loud. I rethought my home defense needs and settled on a AR in 9mm with a 10.5″ barrel, paired with a rugged Obsidian9 suppressor, red dot and light. Perfectly adequate for inside or close proximity outside home defense. 5.56 is a fine round but I don’t need a round that just keeps on going exponentially farther until it hits something if I miss. That was my solution, pros and cons I guess.
CCityGuy,
One of my preferred home-defense firearms is almost the same: a carbine chambered in 9mm Luger, with a suppressor and loaded with sub-sonic 147 grain hollowpoint ammunition.
ccityguy I think that is excellent You are well armed!
Which AR-15 rifle for home defense? Yes.
Okay, a bit more specific: any AR-15 rifle which is reliable and has a barrel between 16.1 and 18.1 inches in length.
Assemble your own using individual select name brand components…Guage everything.
Debbie W I am building an AR at the moment you are correct lots of fun, and you know what you got