AR15 vs hand gun

[Elk34]

In suncity west you got that right

[vvalter_vvhite]

Between those 2, I think the AR is better because the untrained person has less chance of accidentally shooting himself. Has more chance of hitting the target because of longer sight radius and less effect of trigger pull error.

[lostdog99]

I would like to echo sentiments stated earlier. If the person hasn't invested in learning a firearm, then it is likely they haven't invested enough to know if they could actually shoot someone. (I highly recommend "On Killing, and On Combat" as authoritative reads).
If someone thinks they will always be able to "bluff" their way out of a situation using a firearm at some point I believe they will get shot with it.
My belief, in short, is if you invest in your own protection, it won't matter what you have. If you don't invest in your own self defense, then invest in golf clubs.

[Pro2a]

Ok here it is. Just had a big blow out with someone about this. Checking to see who see's it my way and who see's it the other way. Between the AR15 and a hand gun, which would be the best for a non train individual to use for home defense? Keep in mind they have no search training and they can hit a target within 15 feet.

soooo, within the OPs parameters....Handgun, since they can hit a target within 15 feet.
On "search training"....I have none, but I guess you mean tactical training. SWAT type teams operate under different conditions, they're on the offensive, with information.
The home defender is on the defensive, with limited information.
So on the other hand, It would be hard to miss with an AR15 with practice.
know your home defense plan, practice your home defense plan.
So I guess both, HAHA, whooops, guess that didn't help

[Elk34]

Here I will let you guys all the way in. A friend of mine went to Scottsdale gun club to get his CCW. In the class they were all cherry's. Didn't know s*** from shinola. He said they had real hard time on the range with hand guns but in the end they all qualified. One of the know nothings stood up and asked the instructor what the best weapon was for home defense. He said the Ar15 in 556. Now I have a big problem with that. Not going into what the walls of the home are made of. Not going into how many windows are in the house, where the kids rooms are etc. In my belief system, if you are not trained and feel confident in your abilities ( ie know nothings) stick with the easiest and smallest weapon.

[Flash]

Some good points in the defense of an AR15 for home defense:

https://gundigest.com/article/why-an-ar ... est-choice

Why An AR-15 For Home Defense Is The Best Choice

Light, compact, manageable and accurate, the AR-15 for home defense has all comers beat hands down.
Why an AR-15 for home defense is the smart choice:
At around 7 pounds it's maneuverable.
The controls — safety, mag release, trigger — are intuitively positioned.
Low recoil makes mastering form and control easier.
Rails allow easy mounting of lights, lasers and optics.
55-grain FMJ is ideal and cheap home defense ammo.
The round will yaw or tumble when it impacts at close range.
20- to 30-round capacity ensure superior firepower.
The manual of arms is simple.
They are as or more affordable as other options.
Handguns are handy. Shotguns are powerful. But when it comes to the defense of one’s castle, the most versatile tool, besides a Secret Service detail assigned to you, is the AR-15.

Why? Simple: It’s light and compact, has low recoil and great accuracy, and can be configured any way you wish. But first, let’s dispense with some of the canards that AR-15 detractors will raise: penetration, appearance and noise.

No, the .223 Rem./5.56 NATO will not shoot through a building. In fact, on interior walls it has less penetration than that of common handgun cartridges, even when those feature JHP bullets. Unless you’re using bonded rifle bullets designed to maintain structural integrity, the bullets of a .223 Rem./5.56 NATO cartridge will yaw in drywall, break apart and not over-penetrate. Oh, they’ll go through a wall or two, but not like a handgun.

A friend of mine is the head honcho of a multi-city SWAT team. His team once had the chance to “test” a neighborhood of houses before they were torn down. They shot every house with everything they could think of. “Patrick, every single handgun bullet left the test buildings, unless it hit a pipe or the building was brick.” The .223 Rem./5.56 NATO bullets commonly would enter the second room, but not leave that for the third room. The lesson for us all is simple: Everything is a hazard to the next room, but the .223/5.56 is less so past that.

Then there’s noise. Here I have to begrudgingly admit there is some basis for concern. The muzzle blast of a rifle indoors is more than impressive — it can be deafening. However, the magnitude of that noise beyond that of a handgun or a shotgun is not that much. Yes, it’s more, but it isn’t like the other two are exactly quiet.

[Elk34]

I have to disagree. I can clear a house or building faster with a pistol and the idea that a bullet can travel through a wall, well yah. The whole idea is every bullet finds a target. If I'm in my house and someone comes in to get me with a AR they lost already. Anyone that misses with anything put everyone else in the home in danger.

[g5m]

I appreciate the video - but I would beat the living crap out of those guys that set up those poor girls like that. Men protect females, not hurt them. In fact, I enjoy teaching females to shoot a 12 gauge. Even 5 ft 100 lb spinner girls are quite effective when I get done with them. Start with #6 bird shot for the manual of arms. Move to 2.75" low recoil buckshot on targets to demonstrate pattern and it's importance. Then 2.75" full power buckshot. Then a few 3" buckshot shells for feel (I don't see a need for them for most 2 legged varmints, so they're not much of a focus). Teach them proper stance to absorb recoil properly, necessity to fully cycle the action and reload WHEN YOU CAN - NOT WHEN YOU HAVE TO. In the end, they are not intimidated by a shotgun and could bring one to action should it become necessary. I also train them to use bolt-actions and semi-auto rifles. The objective is for them to learn and have fun. I often get females AFTER some short-appendaged a**hole has frightened or hurt them like those in the video. I fix it by empowering them. Men take away a woman's fear. They do not add to it.

Amen to that.

[xerts1191]

45+410= The Judge

[GunNut]

Non trained, home defense - Hand gun