Why the AR-15 Sucks for Preppers

[Elderberry]

Readyman 3/17/2019

I’m a 28-year Green Beret veteran (8 years boots-on-the-ground just in Afghanistan). My family comes from a manufacturing background.

And, I hate the AR-15.

This sounds like an AA meeting for American veterans, so I better put up a decent argument soon before I’m lynched. Why does the AR suck? 

It’s too complex. Any time you have a system that is complex, you have two results: efficiency and fragility.

In the military we are taught that the AR-15 is a fine weapon “as long as you maintain it.” In truth, the design works (80% of the time) in spite of itself, and has gone through so many design iterations that people have lost count.  The history of the AR-15 is a history of band-aids.

From front to back:

•     The front sight assembly sits ridiculously high because the straight (non-ergonomic) stock has to contain a massive spring and buffer assembly. If the weight or spring compression in that assembly is off just a small amount, it causes malfunction. This design flaw, right out of the gate, causes a huge mechanical offset where the eye lines up around three inches higher than the barrel. That’s why in 2019 you can’t find a new AR-15 with an old school front sight assembly.

•   The gas tube is thin, fragile and subject to bending or breaking—usually taking the rifle out of commission.

•   The star chamber and bolt face are perhaps the single biggest design flaw of the AR-15.  That’s the eight-petaled flower at the front of the bolt. Flowers don’t belong in assault rifles. Some say the star chamber provides accuracy. It does not. Bolt-action sniper rifles don’t have star chambers. They have two or three lug bolts and they are the gold standard for accuracy.

More: https://www.readyman.com/blogs/black-autumn/why-the-ar-15-sucks-for-preppers

[catfish1957]

And, I hate the AR-15.

Good analysis. 

For just good old fashion fun shooting, yeah an AR-15 wins hands down versus about any other weapon.

OTOH, I feel a lot more safer defending my domicle with a 38 revolver. 

[Cyber Liberty]

Good analysis. 

For just good old fashion fun shooting, yeah an AR-15 wins hands down versus about any other weapon.

OTOH, I feel a lot more safer defending my domicle with a 38 revolver.

It really depends on your situation and likely targets.  If I were a Mountain Man, I would not have much use for an AR-15, when a good lever action hunting rifle would be better.

But, around the house, a .38 Revolver is always great.  4-inch barrel.

[skeeter]

Gee this guy hates every single AR-15 component.

But his complaints seem to be better suited to a soldier who might expect to put hundreds of rounds through one in the field than a prepper. AR-15s aren't meant for combat.

[catfish1957]

It really depends on your situation and likely targets.  If I were a Mountain Man, I would not have much use for an AR-15, when a good lever action hunting rifle would be better.

But, around the house, a .38 Revolver is always great.  4-inch barrel.

Sure hope it never gets to the point we have to go hunt wildlife for survival.  One things for certain, I am regretting not getting that fish pond started on the property.

[Elderberry]

It may be an odd ball, but I am impressed with my MAS49/56 and its 7.5×54 cartridge. One of the great tilting bolt actions. Too powerful for at the house, so there my goto weapon is my M1Carbine with its 30rd clip.

[Elderberry]

Sure hope it never gets to the point we have to go hunt wildlife for survival.  One things for certain, I am regretting not getting that fish pond started on the property.

Depending on how big a pond you want, it may not require too much work. I remember reading a Field and Stream article many years ago on making Mini Duck Habitats by creating ponds by using Ammonium Nitrate and Diesel.

[Cyber Liberty]

Depending on how big a pond you want, it may not require too much work. I remember reading a Field and Stream article many years ago on making Mini Duck Habitats by creating ponds by using Ammonium Nitrate and Diesel.

Blasting a hole in the ground?  I should ask around Kingman, AZ about that.  I understand Timothy McVeigh did that back before blowing up the Murrow Building in OKC.

[catfish1957]

Depending on how big a pond you want, it may not require too much work. I remember reading a Field and Stream article many years ago on making Mini Duck Habitats by creating ponds by using Ammonium Nitrate and Diesel.

I was looking at about a 2 acre pond.  With all the bells and whistles, it was looking like a $200-250K investment.  Now add the fact that Tilapia though evasive, are becoming where they are adaptive to the Texas climate?  I would have food to spare forever. 

[Cyber Liberty]

I was looking at about a 2 acre pond.  With all the bells and whistles, it was looking like a $200-250K investment.  Now add the fact that Tilapia though evasive, are becoming where they are adaptive to the Texas climate?  I would have food to spare forever.

Does your property have a Crick running through it?

[Elderberry]

Blasting a hole in the ground?  I should ask around Kingman, AZ about that.  I understand Timothy McVeigh did that back before blowing up the Murrow Building in OKC.

Is it rocky where you're at? You may be throwing rocks for miles. The black gumbo where I'm at don't go near as far.

[catfish1957]

Does your property have a Crick running through it?

Dry crick, and an unreliable water source at that.  One of the goodies I was looking at was a solar powered ground water pump to feed it,

[Cyber Liberty]

Dry crick, and an unreliable water source at that.  One of the goodies I was looking at was a solar powered ground water pump to feed it,

For two acres???  Better be one heckuva pump.

[Elderberry]

For two acres???  Better be one heckuva pump.

It'll take a whole lot of bentonite to seal that size of a hole.

[catfish1957]

It'll take a whole lot of bentonite to seal that size of a hole.

Luckily the soil geology has a lot of clay.  Still, you are right, liner cost was a nice chunk of the cost.

[sneakypete]

It may be an odd ball, but I am impressed with my MAS49/56 and its 7.5×54 cartridge. One of the great tilting bolt actions. Too powerful for at the house, so there my goto weapon is my M1Carbine with its 30rd clip.

@Elderberry

One word.  "Shotgun". Number 9 quail loads are just fine because at "house" distances the shot is never going to leave the shot cup to start with. You will be shooting what amounts to a  slug.

As for his rant against the M-16 series goes,MY big gripe with it was the caliber,not the rifle. I carried one for 16 months in VN,and the only time it ever failed to fire and function for me was when me and 5 or 6 other guys were set up along the Ho Chi Mihn Trail looking to snatch a prisoner or two,and as (bad) luck would have it,a NVA company-sized unit decided to stop for noon chow right in front of where we were. One of the NVA decided to walk off the trail to take a dump and stepped on one of our guys,so it was "game ON!" as we tried to "shoot and scoot". I was the last man to leave the ambush site,and my bolt slammed forward on a reload,and I heard this REALLY loud "thunk" sound instead of a "bang" sound when I pulled the trigger.

Which was a lucky thing for me because I was so excited at seeing so many of the bastards bunched up in the open that I was so busy firing at them that I had forgotten all about the "running away" part,and when I looked around,I was the only one there not wearing a NVA uniform. You have never seen anybody run so fast up a hill in the jungle in your whole life. I may have taken down a few small trees that were in my way,but I eventually caught up with the rest of the team.

Come to find out,it didn't misfire. It didn't fire because I was so excited I had slammed a full magazine. in it backwards or upside down. Don't remember which at this late date.

The secret to "running" those things were to run them dry. No oil or grease to gum up or get loaded with grit.

[sneakypete]

It may be an odd ball, but I am impressed with my MAS49/56 and its 7.5×54 cartridge. One of the great tilting bolt actions. Too powerful for at the house, so there my goto weapon is my M1Carbine with its 30rd clip.

@Elderberry

A fine round,but my preference is FN-FAL in 7.62x51.

[mortarman]

My go to gun for home defense is a WinChoke 1200 with a 20 in. barrel. For personal defense, I'll stick with the Colt M1911A1 loaded with 225 gr. hollow points. In the open field a Lee Enfield SMLE 4 is jus' fine (I dropped a deer at 800 meters with one). In the woods I'd go with my Winchester Model 1894 Carbine in 32 Special. As with golf, you never use one gun for every situation.

 

[roamer_1]

If I were a Mountain Man, I would not have much use for an AR-15, when a good lever action hunting rifle would be better.

Hey, hey, HAY... Alright you're right.   

[Elderberry]

Now I am fond of my lever Marlin 4570, but my primary hunting rifle is my short action Rem 700. It started out life as a .243 and it never let me down, but I desired more punch. I rebarreled it to .308, not for long, and rebarreled again to 6.5x47 Lapua. That's the one for me and I don't plan to change it again. Though I'm cursed with being a tinkerer and I can't resist modifying things. So, with my son's help, I built my first AR15 in 6.5 Grendel. I can load the same 140 gr Berger I use in my Rem in the Grendel. I just give up 200fps of velocity. I don't shoot all that far anyway.

[sneakypete]

Now I am fond of my lever Marlin 4570, but my primary hunting rifle is my short action Rem 700. It started out life as a .243 and it never let me down, but I desired more punch. I rebarreled it to .308, not for long, and rebarreled again to 6.5x47 Lapua. That's the one for me and I don't plan to change it again. Though I'm cursed with being a tinkerer and I can't resist modifying things. So, with my son's help, I built my first AR15 in 6.5 Grendel. I can load the same 140 gr Berger I use in my Rem in the Grendel. I just give up 200fps of velocity. I don't shoot all that far anyway.

@Elderberry

 

I just give up 200fps of velocity. I don't shoot all that far anyway.

There it is. You don't need a zillion fps if you are shooting at something dangerous at shorter ranges. You just need to match your velocity to the design/construction of the heaviest flat nose or expanding bullet you can find that functions well in your weapon.

"Well" being defined as "I have shot hundreds of rounds of this bullet design and powder change in this particular weapon with zero malfunctions."

A firearm you can't rely on is nothing more than an expensive club.