*Every American except convicted felons, and those otherwise not able to own a firearm
There is a lot of talk about AR-15’s in the news these days. Most of it is outrageous political pandering. But the reality is, and AR-15 is a tool, nothing more. However, it is a very useful tool, and, in my opinion, a tool that every American should own.
I believe that there are certain things that every American needs. A hammer. A drill. A wrench set and a screwdriver set. Pots and pans, kitchen utensils, a handgun, and an AR-15.
Why an AR-15? Because it is versatile. It is easy to clean and maintain. It is customizable too many situations, and it is easy to use.
I live in a fairly safe suburban environment. I am close to wilderness, but also close to “bad neighborhoods”. I have seen alligators, bears, bobcats, and coyotes in my yard as well as prowlers and hooligans. My home is smaller than average, but it is mine. I have the right to protect my home, my family and myself from these threats.
But Why an AR-15?
Many people say you only need a shotgun for home defense. I do own a Mossberg 500 12 gauge shotgun. The recoil is heavy and my mother, my wife and my sister all have trouble using because of the recoil. It also only holds 8 rounds. I like 00-buck for my shotgun, and, while it has plenty of punch, it is not effective at long ranges, and a short ranges has too small of a spread to be the “point in the general direction and shoot” option that is so commonly belched forth by people who don’t own shotguns.
Instead, I use an AR-15 pistol chambered in 300aac as my primary home defense weapon. With a 7.5 inch barrel, it is far easier to maneuver in my small home and acquire a target. The 300aac has a manageable recoil compared to other home defense options (making it useable for my mother, wife, and sister), and with subsonic ammo and a suppressor, it will not cause hearing damage if it becomes necessary to use it inside my home. Additionally, the 30 caliber projectile supplies great “punch” and has less of an over-penetration problem compared to hunting rounds like .223 or .308.
Well, That is Good For Me…
My AR-15 pistol is great for me, and I am sure that the same configuration would be an excellent choice for many people. But that is not why every American should own an AR-15. The reason I think the AR-15 is an indispensable tool is because everyone can customize it to their own needs.
If you live in a rural area and have a big house with a lot of land, you may want a longer barrel. If you hunt or have problems with wildlife on your property, you may want a different caliber. You can have 10.5” barrels, or 16” or 18” or 20”. You can build your AR-15 for 22lr, .223/5.56, .224 Valkyrie, 300aac, 9mm, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 Grendel, 7.62×39, 450 Bushmaster, 458 Socom, or even 50 Beowulf. (I am sure I am missing a few calibers as well).
What makes the AR-15 a must-have is that it is a customizable platform. Whatever need you have, you can adjust for it. In addition, you can actually have several uppers built for different needs without having to have many guns. For example, you can have a 50 Beowulf upper for hunting large game, a 300aac upper for home defense, and a .223 Wylde upper for plinking and target practice. Each upper might cost you an additional couple hundred dollars as opposed to the additional thousand or so dollars if you had a completely different firearm. *(special note, it is illegal to have certain accessories on weapons with certain barrel lengths. If you are planning on putting a pistol length upper on a lower receiver with a shoulder stock, you will need an SBR permit from the ATF. Make sure your intended builds will be legal where you live.)
In addition, the modularity of the AR-15 platform makes it a great learning tool. If you order the gun from parts and assemble it yourself, you will know how to maintain it and work on it. You will better understand how it functions, and that knowledge carries over into understanding how other mechanical devices function. You will also learn that an AR-15 can be built from scrap metal in your backyard if you want to spend the time to do it. And if they make it illegal, plenty of people will want to spend the time to do it.
Why? Because it will be worth it. In 1984 the US government outlawed the manufacture of fully automatic rifles in the US for civilian use. However, the ones that already existed could be legally owned with the right permits. Today, a fully automatic M-16 is worth over $30,000. The only difference between an AR-15 and a fully automatic M-16 is a sturdier barrel a different trigger group and a second seer. These parts are illegal to buy, sell or own without the correct permits now. But would be easy to make if you were forging the entire gun in your garage.
Making it illegal, makes it worth a lot of money. That money makes it worth the risk to make it. And then, criminals will have access to it, and law abiding citizens will not.
When They Say You Don’t Need It, You Do.
Too many people this sounds like paranoia, but the it is a simple truth. We live in a country that has a change in leadership ever 4 or 8 years. Right now, in 2019, we have political candidates that are advocating killing minorities in other countries to stop them from using global resources that may lead to climate change. And people are not outraged by this. Say the next president stops sales of so called “assault weapons” that won’t stop criminals and it won’t stop shootings… so the president after that takes other guns. Then knives (they are already doing it in New York) How far will it go? In the UK, you can be arrested for carrying a potato peeler.
So once you have been stripped of all your means of self defense, what do you do when a bad guy gets elected president? What do you do when a nefarious individual actually does steal the election? What do you do if law enforcement really does become as bad as politicians claim they are? History has shown over and over that an unarmed people are easily oppressed, easily subjugated, easily enslaved.
I don’t know about you, but I was raised in an America that believes it is better to die on your feet than live on your knees. I will not trade my rights for empty promises of safety.
An AR-15 is a multitool for the 21st century. It is a self defense weapon and a national defense weapon, a hunting tool that can supply food and materials. It is a training tool… It is so much for so much less money than getting all those things separately.
If you are not a part of the elite ruling class, they do not want you armed. Every weapon ban has a loophole for the rich (as I mentioned earlier, fully automatic weapons were outlawed in the United States for civilian use in 1934 and the production of new fully automatic weapons was outlawed in the 1980’s. However, if you have over $30,000 to throw around you can get the right permits and buy one.) And no law stops a criminal. So any weapon ban is designed for the sole purpose of subjugating the law abiding middle class and poor.
