WHY own an AR15?

[lovemachine]

Why should one own an AR15? Is it the cool factor? Granted, it has to be one of the most popular rifles out there. Almost every gun owner has one. And theres millions of accessories and combinations of them.

But why should one own one? For home defense? When's the last time you grabbed your AR for a bump in the night? I'll bet 9 out of 10 of us grabbed a pistol instead. Possibly even a shotgun.

For SHTF? Maybe. But a cheap shotgun COULD be better.

Have you really thought WHY should you own one?

And I'm not talking about "cause you WANT one" either.

 

[Scutter01]

Same reason for most (not all) of the guns I own. It's fun to shoot.

 

[Cwood]

Im the 1 out of the 10 that has a AR next to the bed and one in the truck. Pistols are good for making your way to a rifle.

 

[dom1104]

Its the best rifle for the things i need rifles for.

 

[Robert Richardson]

Better question - Why not own an AR15?

 

[mammynun]

Thanks to my Uncle Sam, it's the one I have the most experience and training with... 11B2P.

 

[Fordtough25]

Better question - Why not own an AR15?

Agreed. They're a blast to shoot, look sexy, and for those who like to add all the bells and whistles it's like a adult lego set. Plus they drop coyotes real nice.

 

[WebSnyper]

I bought mine mostly to explore an area of shooting/guns that I had not previously.

There are tons of possibilities of what can be done with one, and if you get tired of something you can either reinvent your rifle/change something, or pick up an additional one. It seemed like a great gun to purchase that didn't necessarily need to have a single purpose, and could keep me interested.

 

[Hoosier9]

The same reason a dog licks himself.

Because he can.

Actually, I don't currently own an AR. I really have no immediate "need" for a rifle at all, as a suburban dweller mainly concerned with personal protection, which usually involves handguns or a shotgun for home defense. But I do have a neat Mini-14 tactical that I keep for the same reason as I keep a fire extinguisher. In case of emergency.

I would like to have a piston AR, just to have one. I do like the ergonomics and easy customization that the AR platform brings, but don't care for gas impingement. That being said, I know that there's really nothing that a $1000 + AR can do for my purposes that can't be done with my Mini-14. If I ever have to worry about parts, magazine and ammo compatibility due to SHTF, I can rest assured that there will be plenty of "battlefield pickup" ARs laying around.

Actually "necessity" has very little to do with the gun business.

 

[03A3]

The versatility of the platform. There are so many configurations that it can be made suitable for many different applications.
I keep an AR at the bedside, with a light and RDS. A handgun would be my last choice in a self defense situation.
I'm not too keen on shotguns, but they do have their place at times.

 

[OneBadV8]

Its un-American to NOT have one. If you don't buy one, the Terrorists win

 

[spitfire51]

Its un-American to NOT have one. If you don't buy one, the Terrorists win

I think that's all the reason anyone needs right there.

 

[norsk]

I recently purchased an AR for two main reasons: they are great rifles, and since I enjoy shooting as a hobby I figured I would like to have something that would make my hobby more enjoyable. Second, I am becoming more and more convinced of the advantages of using a carbine in .223, opposed to a handgun, for home defense. A couple of these advantages in my opinion are increased firepower and the decreased "over penetration" of the round (I know this is counter-intuitive, but I have been impressed by the many, many reports showing this to be true). I assume that some people may think a handgun better for home defense (perhaps this is what the OP meant by "when was the last time you grabbed an AR for a bump in the night"), but since I don't go stalking around my house like a tacticool ninja when I hear a bump in the night, I would be perfectly content grabbing my AR and defending my family from our rooms at the end of our hallway while I wait for the police to arrive. In such a scenario I feel an AR would best fit my needs.

 

[Sarge470]

An AR is right up there with Harleys & Jeeps...once you get one, you just wanna go out & buy cool stuff to put on it, whether it's an accuracy upgrade, cool optics, or just some gun-bling. I've owned several over the years, gave one to my son, and he's managed to turn almost all of his friends on to "AR-mania." With the variety of different chamberings, you can have one receiver that supports several rifles, so to speak and its versatility is pretty well unmatched in the firearms world.

 

[GARANDGUY]

Im the 1 out of the 10 that has a AR next to the bed and one in the truck. Pistols are good for making your way to a rifle.

+1 ^This!
I have 2 next to my bed and grab the 10.5 everytime. It even likes to ride with me in the truck and its 11.5 inch lil sister likes to ride with my wife and sleep next to her. I am also one who is very firmilliar with the platform and if need be I have a 50 Beowulf upper that rides in a pack in the back jic. Hey ya never know

 

[indykid]

1- Because I cannot own an M16 without selling my soul to ATF.
2- The news media has heart failure over me owning one.
3- Because they are just so much fun to play with!

Not necessarily in that order.

 

[Sarge470]

+1 ^This!
I have 2 next to my bed and grab the 10.5 everytime. It even likes to ride with me in the truck and its 11.5 inch lil sister likes to ride with my wife and sleep next to her. I am also one who is very firmilliar with the platform and if need be I have a 50 Beowulf upper that rides in a pack in the back jic. Hey ya never know

Okay, now you're makin' me jealous...I gotta go get that tax stamp paperwork filled out!

 

[GARANDGUY]

Thanks to my Uncle Sam, it's the one I have the most experience and training with... 11B2P.

and this^and didnt you know....theyre evil .

 

[Rampdog]

As was posted earlier, why not own an AR? It's the single most modular and convertible rifle ever made, able to convert from a SBR to a long range rifle or even different caliber in a matter of seconds. Easy to shoot and maintain and extremely reliable when properly maintained. It can be used to shoot with friends or in competition, defend the home, or put meat on the table. In short it's a riflemans rifle.

 

[teddy12b]

Why should one own an AR15? Is it the cool factor? Granted, it has to be one of the most popular rifles out there. Almost every gun owner has one. And theres millions of accessories and combinations of them.

But why should one own one? For home defense? When's the last time you grabbed your AR for a bump in the night? I'll bet 9 out of 10 of us grabbed a pistol instead. Possibly even a shotgun.

For SHTF? Maybe. But a cheap shotgun COULD be better.

Have you really thought WHY should you own one?

And I'm not talking about "cause you WANT one" either.

I can't speak for why someone else should own one, but I know why I do.

1.) I enjoy target shooting with them at the range.
2.) I've been trained extensively on how to use one.
3.) I've gone through some of the best and worst moments of my life with my trusted M16 by my side, and I feel naked without one in my house.
4.) Because my government needs to know that there's only so much BS I'm will to put up with before I go find my old set of dog tags and put on my oath keepers hat and head out for patrols.
5.) Because I'm going to need to few to hand out to my recruits regarding #4.
6.) Because I have a very cute little 2.5 year old girl who is daddies little girl and some day some little grinning SOB is going to show up on my door picking her up for a date and I'll be needing something to clean while the boy is watching. This is one of the reasons why I think I need to get a spikes 37mm flare launcher for my 20" ar. Just because it's scary.
7.) What else can you mount a "flare" launcher to that looks cool and functions as well?

Mine aren't for home defense. My 870 fits that job because we live in the city. If we move out to the country that may have to change.