Many of my regular readers know that I don’t have a love for the AR platform rifles. I am not enamored with them like some. I find them pretty useless for how I shoot and what I see as a self-defense weapon. I don’t own one. And I don’t plan to (previous post regarding a build has been tabled).
But I still don’t understand the extreme fear of this firearm. So let’s look at the two pictured above. The top is an AR-15. The bottom is a common shotgun.
| Caliber | .223 | 12 gauge |
| Projectile Size | .223 inches across | ~ .24 inches across (#4 buckshot) |
| Projectiles fired per trigger pull | 1 | ~ 18 (smaller shot size=more projectiles) |
| Magazine Capacity (normal) | 30 | 5 |
| Total Projectiles Available | 30 | 90 |
Let’s review.
Some people are calling for a ban of the AR platform because its a “war machine” and no civilian should own it. It was designed and intended only to shoot people. So they want it gone. But it is perfectly OK to have a shotgun. Home defense, hunting, even target practice.
Looking at the chart above we can analyze it a little more.
With an AR-15, we can put 30 rounds of ammunition down range (at a target) by pulling the trigger 30 times. I know there are other trigger configurations that would change this.. This is a lot of projectiles going toward the target. A skilled shooter can “dump” a magazine in just seconds.
With a shotgun under the most common configurations for hunting and target shooting, they hold about 5 cartridges. Using #4 buckshot with 3/4 of an ounce of projectiles, each round holds about 18 projectiles.
So by pulling the trigger ONCE with the semi-automatic shotgun, I am putting about 18 projectiles downrange (at a target). If I pull the trigger sequentially 5 times, I have put about 90 projectiles downrange. That is 3 times the number of projectiles in 1/6th the number of trigger pulls.
So if you have a fear or hatred of the AR-15 because of the damage it can do, I promise you, an average skilled shooter, can do far more damage, far quicker with a common “bird gun” than an AR-15. Yes, there are range (distance) considerations. Each weapon has it’s place. But to have this fear of the AR over a common shotgun is completely misplaced. I promise you my “grab gun” in my home for personal self defense inside my house is a shotgun loaded with #4 buckshot. NOT an AR-15.
Leave a Reply