I just recently purchased an AR15 lower and a pistol kit from Palmetto state armory because i enjoy shorter barreled firearms. I was curious on what everyone though about using in the event of an (home invasion) a “pistol” ar15?
You’ll blow your eardrums out shooting an AR indoors normally, but you’ll really blow your eardrums out with a pistol. That being said, 30 expanding 5.56 or .223 rounds will give you the results you want. Also, if you learn to clear rooms, the shorter barrel works better than a rifle.
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Pistol length system I would lean towards a 300 blackout. That round is specifically designed for that application and is even better in the subsonic category. A pistol length 5.56 isn’t a bad runner up however.
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Good news i already have some hearing loss from shooting a 7.62x54R without ear protection as well as ear surgeries ive had! I appriciate the input though!
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I wouldve loved to get one in 300blk but the ammo os so darn expensive!
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@Noah
True BUT if you have an AR15 pistol get a 300 blackout upper train with the 5.56 since it’s cheaper and store it with the 300 blackout ready to go. At home defense distances the only thing that’s gonna matter is manipulating the controls. Just food for thought.
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.300 black outs with a supressor are super quiet.
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I would think using a .223 round in a home situation would be more ideal over using a 5.56 round.
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Either way defense ammunition is the key. Subsonic .300 BO is a great choice as well. Here’s a great video comparing 9mm fmj suppressed to .300 BO suppressed with defensive ammunition.
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Check this out
During fight or flight, or body protects the inner workings of our ears. Even in just an exciting scenario. Case in point,
While dear hunting, I had one ear plug in so I could hear deer in the brush. When one jumped up 60 yards out, I turned and fired my .357 mag revolver, and FORGOT TO STICK IN THE OTHER PLUG. Here’s the thing, I didn’t hear the shot, or the next one. When the adrenaline wore off, no ringing, no numbness. My hearing was fine. I have fired the same gun, without plugs, and my ears rang for 3 days. In a self defense scenario, fight or flight protects our hearing and eyesight.
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Got to love the 357 mag for deer hunting. It was the first handgun I ever purchased and I bought it just for that purpose.
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In low light the huge muzzle flash and blast will be very disorienting, and blinding without a good suppressor, even moreso for you than the bad guys.
You also have to be extremely careful about over penetration with rifle bullets, doubly or triply so if you live in a condo or apartment.
I would not really recommend them for most people.
If you’re going to use one at all it’s wise to consider highly frangible ammo.
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I’m in a similar boat. I have a shotgun but I don’t love using it plus the main defensive shells can over penetrate walls badly. I am looking at a 7" AR Pistol chambered in 9mm and it was based on a video from the Vigilance Elite YouTube channel. Basically it can stop somebody without going through the wall, quieter, and has 4 points of contact. Plus I look at it as something my wife could use. Thoughts?
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As I was reading this thread, 9 mm was in my mind. That would be my preferred.
With that said, it would also be something inexpensive like a Hi-Point 995 because, even if you are in the right, 99% chance that your firearm will be taken and held during investigation. I would want something that I won’t cry over losing.
Before anyone jumps up and bad-mouths Hi-Point, I’m not a fan of their handguns but, do own 2 carbines. Both have eaten anything that I have fed them and have well over 1000 rds with only 2 Failure To Eject on one of them when it was new. Ammo was out of a batch of reloads.
Regardless of the choice, be intimate with the workings of it, and put plenty of ammo through it to ensure that it will function flawlessly when your life depends on it.
Back to the OP - yes, an AR can be great! I would suggest Hornady 73 gr .223 Critical Defense.
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I was finally able to get my wife her main home defense platform. It is her brand new Ruger PC Charger. It is a 9mm pistol that weighs 5.5 lbs and has a 6.5 inch barrel. It gets all the performance possible from the round. It is easy to shoot and has a fantastic trigger.
I put a Holosun green-dot sight on it with backup irons. It is very, very easy to be accurate with it. To her, it was a great combination of capacity, weight, and ease of use. She has trouble racking a slide, so this gun is easier for her to run. It also has way less flash and noise than an AR pistol and is a little lighter.
I added a pistol brace to the gun for ease of use. So far, it seems to be a pefect home defense platform for her specific needs. The Charger is an easy shooting and accurate platform. It is also an absolute blast to shoot. I may get another one for myself one day. Not easy to find right now though.
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Have you found any specific rounds or weights to be better than others with it?
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No sir, it has fired any weight or type of round I put in it. Great question and the very first thing I checked. Even with +P the recoil is very easy.
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9 mm in a carbine reminds me of a paintball, recoil-wise. 
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Just wanted to clarify this particular point as it is an often misunderstood topic.
Any caliber that is capable of being lethal on a person-sized target WILL go through pretty much every interior wall in your home. That includes pistol rounds, which actually go further than 5.56/.223
There are a couple of threads already that discuss this, please search for “penetration”, or I can round up some links for you later. Broadly speaking the worst for penetration is shotgun slugs, and real rifle rounds like .308, .30-30, .30-06, etc. Then pistol pistol rounds like .45ACP, 9mm, etc and also 00buck. Then you get into 5.56/.223, #4 buck. Then really small calibers like .22LR, .25 etc. Then finally birdshot from a shotgun barely makes it through 1 interior wall, but I would not trust it to consistently stop a threat.
If worried about penetration in your home, it is important to remember where your backstops are, what will or wont stop a bullet, where your family members are, where you “safe” lines of fire will be. And proper choice of ammunition helps tremendously. A firearm you can shoulder will help with accuracy and a proper expanding or fragmenting projectile will help to prevent pass through the bad guy. If you hit your target you shouldn’t have to worry (as much) about the projectile then going through more walls.
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Thanks for the feedback Harvey. This is where I start overthinking everything. The other consideration I’ve had which keeps me leaning towards 9mm is that I can use the ammo I already have and don’t have to worry about dividing my money between 9mm and another caliber. My hearing and that of my family’s is also a consideration. I’ll keep reading today but I don’t want to wait long to make a purchase as it’s hard to find just about anything at this point.
What are your thoughts (or anybody) on .300 blackout? Is it louder than hell but works well with a silencer or is it actually quiet without a silencer?