After carrying an M16A2 for 4 years the last thing I want to own is one of those piles. The mall ninjas at the range with their 40# ARs make me laugh since most of the ones I've seen can barely hit the paper at 100yds. I like my Garands and 03 Springfields much better. I guess ARs have their place, just not in my home. I guess it is like a hardly that way.
I've carried multiple AR variants for the last 15 years. From A1s through the M4 Carbine. It's not a terrible weapon, but it is also not the best that we can be carrying. However, cost plays a large role in the chief of ordnance's decision making process. Considering that we already carry larger and larger loads when deploying, I'm not sure I understand the argument about weight when it comes to carrying rounds. I've had to carry M60's for miles with the full ammunition load. Most of you have seen me...I'm not a big guy. It's not impossible when you're in shape.
The M4 was a decent weapon, but I never carried it on my person on my bird. I stuck with my M9 (which I hated...different story, though). My M4 spent most of it's life with me in the desert locked up in the armor's cage. I just didn't have any use for it. The M60s and M249s on my aircraft were far better weapons for the task at hand. I'm not a fan of the 5.56 round and wish we would've stuck with 7.62 for everything. For my money, I'd rather have an M14. In fact, I wish we would've just modernized that platform instead of going with the M16.
That was 70 years ago, and they upgraded from bolt actions...
The M16 design is over 50 years old.
Military guns are not known for out of the box accuracy. Rather firepower, reliability, ease of cleaning and use are higher priorities. The AK-47 is a rubbishy rifle but it's meets these criteria in spades, as does the AR series.
M16's are not reliable if not kept spotlessly maintained. This is nearly impossible to do in a real-world combat situation. Conversely, the AK will fire through pretty much any situation regardless of the conditions. The trade off is accuracy, though. However, in single shot mode, the AK is not a bad weapon. It gets dicey when you go full auto. That being said, if the studies are true, "spray and pray" is now more desired than "one shot, one kill". Why? Apparently the studies are showing that casualties are due more to a lack of laying down fire than aim. I don't know that I necessarily agree with that, though.
As an Army Marksmanship Instructor, I whole-heatedly disagree with the notion that the M16 isn't accurate out of the box. Back when I was in basic training, I used to watch my drill sergeants grab any Soldier's M16 on the line and knock down down targets without more than one or two adjustments to the sights. I always figured it was just Kentucky windage, but many years later in the marksmanship instructor course, I learned how to easily do the same thing. When I was a range master, I was doing the same thing just to show all the crybabies who'd bitch about their weapon being "fucked up" that I could zero the thing in nine rounds. It was a lack of skill on their part, not a lack of the weapons ability.
Luckily the .223 round in inherently accurate. It would not rate it as a particularly good self defense weapon because of the penetration it has in most situations where it is likely to be used.
This is precisely the reason why I think they're terrible self-defense weapons.
I've heard of the guns used in varmint hunting where the hunter (using the term loosely) "walks" the bullets up to the target if the first shot is a miss.
I've seen this done in combat, too.
Maybe the best use is plinking and just having fun.
There are other choices that are far less expensive that would be ideal for that task too.
You will not find this on any list of requirements for the AR15. Penetration requirements yes, but no requirement to create wounds. The idea is to eliminate the threat, not create wounds vs casualties. It is a popular misconception however.
Stop...not eliminate. Only well placed shots with an M16 will actually eliminate the threat. The vast majority only stop the threat.[/QUOTE]
