An AR-15 is one of the most commonly used weapons across the country for home defense, and is a gun that can offer a responsive and accurate performance in the event of an emergency across both large and tight spaces.
When it comes to preparing the ideal AR-15 for home defense purposes, there are many important factors to consider…and we’re here to provide help and guidance on how to do it.
Below, we are going to be talking you through the main factors that you should consider when building an AR-15 home defense build, as well as some additional guidance on how to do it.
So, without further ado – whenever you’re ready, just read on!
Why Should You Use The AR-15 For Home Defense?
Before we jump any further into this article, we first think that it would be a great idea to talk you through why you should use the AR-15 for home defense over other types of weapons.
First things first, one of the biggest reasons that you should use an AR-15 over other types of weapons for home defense purposes is that they are extremely lightweight.
Thanks to this, you will be able to enjoy increased accuracy and better maneuverability.
Along with this, the AR-15 is also highly customizable and can be given a variety of different upgrades in order to improve its performance.
This brings us to our next section.
What To Consider When Building A Home Defense AR-15?
Now that we have covered all of the basics that you should keep in mind when building an AR-15 specifically for home defense purposes, we are now going to be taking a closer look at the most important factors that you should consider when building your AR-15 to defend your home.
As you go through the motions of setting up your very own AR-15 to be able to specifically protect your home, you’re going to find that there are a variety of additional parts you are going to want to get in order to ensure that it offers the best performance.
Let’s break them down below:
Barrel Length
Of course, when it comes to building your AR-15 for home defense purposes, it’s important to make sure that you are considering what the barrel length of your AR-15 is.
In the event that you need to protect your home from a home invasion or an intruder situation, then there is a high chance that you are going to need to fire your AR-15 within a much smaller distance and space.
For this reason, it is important to make sure that you are opting for a shorter barrel, as this will help to improve your accuracy while also ensuring vital maneuverability.
However, while it is important to make sure that you are adjusting the barrel length to be able to cater to a home defense situation, it is also important to remember that your AR-15’s barrel will need to be at least 16 inches in length if your AR-15 is currently configured to be a rifle.
If you have a tax stamp, then you will have the option of bringing that barrel length in much shorter – just something to remember here.
Optics And Vision
Along with taking into account what the barrel length of your AR-15 is when setting it up to serve as a home defense weapon, you are also going to need to take into account the sights and optics.
In order to ensure that you have optimum conditions at all times, as well as the ability to positively identify your target – it is imperative that you are upgrading your AR-15 with the necessary upgrades to be able to accommodate this need.
By making sure that you have things such as a magnified optic or light, as well as iron sights to keep as a backup – you will be able to ensure that you have optimum conditions to be able to appropriately use your AR-15 for home defense purposes.
This is going to be especially important when you consider how many home invasions tend to happen during the night, where low light conditions are rife.
As a side note, if you are interested in purchasing a light for your gun but you’re not sure which type of light accessory to go for – we strongly recommend that you consider upgrading your AR-15 with a white light over other types of light colors that can be used on a gun.
Unlike other types of light colors that can be used to help illuminate spaces, opting to use a gun light that radiates white light is one of the best points to consider when it comes to home defense, as a white light will have the ability to effectively light up your space even in pitch black darkness.
In addition to this, it will also mean that you will be able to positively identify the threat before you pull the trigger, while also being able to blind the threat from the blinking white light that will be attached to your AR-15.
Red Dot Pointer
Another important feature that you should consider upgrading your AR-15 with is a red dot pointer.
Even though this one is pretty self explanatory, a red dot pointer will essentially be able to increase your ability to positively identify a target, while also giving you the confidence to make an accurate shot should you need to.
It is also important to remember that when it comes to home defense, it is highly likely that you are going to need to use your AR-15 and defend yourself in the event that you need to protect yourself and your family from a home invasion or an intruder entering your home.
For this reason, the addition of a red dot will be able to help you identify and singly out the threat even while in a close-range situation, which will not only help to increase your chances of successfully defending yourself and your family, but it will also lower the chances of an innocent/neutral party getting injured unintentionally.
Weapon Sling
Next up we are going to be touching on the weapon sling, which is another highly important factor that you should take into consideration when setting up your AR-15 for home defense.
By opting to go for the addition of a weapon sling, you will be able to enjoy the convenience and comfort of having complete control of your AR-15.
It will also mean that you will be able to let go of it in the event that you need to use your hands for whatever reason while still ensuring that the gun is safely fastened on your body.
Another major benefit of opting to use a weapon sling to carry your AR-15 is that it will make it harder for the threat to take the gun off you in the event that you happen to be overpowered.
Along with this, weapon slings are usually often designed in such a way that makes it nearly impossible for the gun to be turned towards your body, which could be potentially life saving in a close-range situation.
Muzzle Device
Here we have another important factor that you should make sure you are considering when building your AR-15 for home defense purposes.
If you aren’t already familiar with the term, a muzzle device (such as a flash suppressor and similar accessories) will be able to provide you with extra stability when using your gun.
By making sure that you are equipping your gun with a linear comp, you will be able to stay in control of your firearm during the recoil, all the while helping to reduce concussion.
Along with this, the addition of a flash suppressor will be able to effectively reduce the muzzle flash which will provide you with the chance to be able to see much better in low light situations.
In addition to helping to improve your stability as well as ensuring that you will have better control over your gun, opting to have muzzle devices will also allow you to have the advantage of maintaining night vision abilities without giving away your location – something that can be lifesaving in situations such as a home invasion.
Foregrip
Even though it is important to make sure that you are ensuring that your gun has been equipped with all of the necessary muzzle devices that will help to increase stability and control – we also recommend that you consider the foregrip of your gun when setting it up for home defense purposes.
Even though the AR-15 already comes with an adequate grip feature, we ideally recommend for you to opt for the addition of a foregrip.
By adding a foregrip over the top of your gun’s body, you are going to be able to increase the amount of control that you have over your gun, and will also allow for positive reinforcement as well as an intuitive grip while maneuvering around narrow, small and even tight spaces!
While this factor is an optional one and you by no means need to go out and purchase a foregrip for your gun, we strongly recommend that you do so, as it is going to mean that you will be able to handle and grip your gun with more control.
Light/Laser Attachments
Another accessory that you should consider attaching to your AR-15 when setting it up for home defense are light and laser attachment.
Similar to the other factors that we have already listed in this guide so far, light and lasers are optional attachments – although we strongly recommend that you consider upgrading your AR-15 with them as they will be able to provide clear visuals in a variety of lighting conditions and environments.
In particular, we strongly recommend that you consider the option of a lumen flashlight, as this type of flashlight can be installed right in front of the handguard of your AR-15.
By using one of these flashlights, not only will you be able to ensure that the space you are in can be illuminated by light, but it will also mean that you will be able to do so without needing to use your hands.
In addition to this, you can also opt to use a laser attachment which can serve the same purpose while also being able to blind the intruder.
Stock
When setting up your gun for home defense purposes, it is very important that you are also taking into account the stock.
When it comes to home defense, as we have already mentioned it is highly likely that you are going to need to handle your gun in small spaces.
For this reason, not only are you going to need your gun to be responsive, you are also going to need to make sure that you are opting for an adjustable stock if possible.
By opting for an adjustable stock, not only are you going to find that you will be able to enjoy a lot more responsiveness over your gun, but you are also going to find that your gun is a lot more versatile and easier to maneuver.
This will make it perfect for home defense purposes. Once you have your chosen stock, you will then be able to go ahead and attach it.
From there, you will have the ability to be able to easily make adjustments to suit the correct arm length you need, while also ensuring that you are going to be able to store your gun much more easily and safely, too.
Of course, there are other types of stock that you can use that can be appropriate for home defense situation.
However, if you are in need of guidance and you’re not sure which one to go with, an adjustable stock is a great option for you to pick.
Additional Factors To Consider When Setting Up Your AR-15 For Home Defense
Now that we have covered the main factors that you should take into consideration when setting up your AR-15, we are now going to be providing you with some additional factors that you should take into consideration when you are setting up your AR-15 for home defense purposes/to assist in the event of an emergency.
Let’s take a look below:
Cartridge
An additional factor that you should be sure to take into account when setting up your AR-15 for an emergency is the cartridges.
When it comes to using a cartridge in your AR-15, it is absolutely vital that you are making sure that you are using the right ammo to go with it, otherwise you will run the risk of the ammo passing through the threat and potentially putting an innocent person at risk.
With this being said, in order to ensure that you are using the gun safely and stabilizing the bullets, it is important that you are using cartridges that are able to fit the barrel’s twist rate.
As for the bullets that you might need?
Many homeowners find that a full metal jacket round bullet is the best option to use, and are typically some of the most affordable, too.
However, keep in mind that when it comes to self defense, one of the best types of bullets suited to this need are hollow points, as they are able to cause more damage to the threat, all the while reducing the chances of passing through and potentially injuring a bystander.
Training
Even though you are planning to only use your AR-15 in the event of a home intrusion or similar emergency (which means that you will hopefully never need to use it) it is important to make sure that you are getting training to make sure that you can use it safely.
There are many local shooting ranges that offer courses/training with regards to home intrusions, and there are even some police departments in certain states that offer courses with regards to home defense.
Along with this, we also recommend that you take the time to create an emergency plan for all the family to follow in the event that your and your family are in a home defense emergency.
Environment
Last but certainly not least, the final additional consideration that we highly recommend that you make when creating a home defense plan is to consider your surroundings.
Even though it is important to make sure that you are setting up your AR-15 correctly while also taking the time to get all of the training that you’ll need to be able to protect yourself and your family safely – we also recommend that you take the time to consider your surroundings.
By making sure that you are very aware of your surroundings, you will be able to offer a more effective response in the event of a home invasion situation.
For this reason, we highly recommend that you make sure that you are always aware of where all of your emergency supplies are kept, how you might be able to barricade yourself and your family to stay safe, as well as how to navigate your surroundings in your home in a variety of lighting conditions.
The Bottom Line
All in all?
An AR-15, when set up for self defense purposes, can serve as one of the best weapons to protect yourself and your family against threats when in a home intrusion situation.
On top of all of this, it should also be kept in mind that AR-15s are also extremely lightweight which will mean that they are easy to carry, super maneuverable which makes them ideal for home defense situations where you will often be dealing with narrow spaces and close shooting ranges.
However, as we have already mentioned above, it is extremely important to remember that while it might be beneficial to have a gun to help protect yourself, your home and your family in the event of having to deal with a home intruder – it is just as important to make sure that you are taking the time to do the necessary training.
By making sure that you are getting proper training, you will be able to ensure that you use your AR-15 correctly and safely.
When it comes to carrying out proper home defense, it is imperative that you are trained and able to use the gun correctly.
Last but not least, as we have already mentioned – guns are only going to be able to go so far when it comes to offering you proper home defense.
Along with making sure that you are getting the necessary training that you need to be able to use your gun correctly, it is also important that you make sure you are creating an emergency plan that you and your family will be able to follow in the event of an emergency or home intrusion situation.
Thank you for taking the time to read through this guide, we hope that it has been helpful in assisting you with setting up your AR-15 for home defense.
Hello, my name is Tim Roth and I have lived in Texas all of my life. I have seen it all - tornadoes, flash floods, and other natural disasters that have come our way.
I have kept a survival kit for all my family members in my basement since I was in my 20s. Every time a new member comes along, I make them a new kit. No one in my family will be caught out in a disaster - I make sure of it.
I teach a survival class at the local hall as well. It’s free for anyone who wants to learn about keeping themselves and their family safe, should the worst happen. We cover how to help children and the elderly, make your own evacuation and survival kits, and much more.
