Recommend a lightweight AR15

chicharrones said:
My thoughts are that if the less than 6 pound goal is required, you will have to keep on the look out for sales or increase your budget.
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I searched all major trusted manufacturers and even look through BudsGunShop at all of the AR15s they had for sale. All of them are around 6.5lb. I don't see the point of a PPC for inside the home self defense though. Might make sense for outside of the home if you want a little more velocity for a little longer shots, but you're not gaining anything using it instead the home at close quarters.

An 14.5" AR pistol with brace might have been perfect, but that's out the window now.
 
EMT40SW said:
I need a recommendation for a lightweight 5.56 AR15 for home defense for a female small stature woman.
Complete uppers or a complete rifle are both ok. An AR pistol would be ideal but right now we are avoiding that political trap. Thanks.
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I am not an optimist by nature, but I think there is a good chance that within a couple few months this braced pistol nonsense could be ruled on in our favor. But absent a favorable ruling, and if you were inclined to buy right away, I bet alot of people will and have suggested PCC's. I'd go the other way and recommend an AR pistol, start with a momentarily compliant pistol (braceless) and get yourself a 10.5 or 11.5 pistol upper with Mlok aluminum forend to keep the weight down and brush up on you skills with it until you can outfit it properly, but in close quarter defensive situation, my personal opinion is that a braceless/stockless can still be employed effectively by both you and your wife, to better effect than a revolver or pistol. I know I can hit well with a stockless/braceless AR pistol and your wife could probably do so as well, likely to better effect than a pistol and the potency of a 5.56/.300 is leaps and pounds better than a pistol, even if you have to go braceless for a time.......

It took me almost a decade to buy into the braced pistol craze because I was afraid of the future legal disputes but after watching my small statured, 5'3" wife struggle with my 16" carbines I decided to put a couple braced pistols together and they were much more weildy for her and I was happy to find a formiddable weapon she could handle reasonably well. She is strong as a bull but still has trouble holding a standard M4 and the pistols were a great side step and made it much easier for her. I can run a 16"-18"-20" AR all day, but my wife cannot.

All this to say. Buy or piece together an AR pistol and be patient while the courts hopefully sort this garbage out in short order and become skilled at using the AR sans stock/brace. Jmo
 
Styx said:
I don't see the point of a PPC for inside the home self defense though. Might make sense for outside of the home if you want a little more velocity for a little longer shots, but you're not gaining anything using it instead the home at close quarters.
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Plenty of folks pick a "long" gun for home defense use. Shotgun, AR, PCC, etc.

Styx said:
An 14.5" AR pistol with brace might have been perfect, but that's out the window now.
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14.5" barrel? Or 14.5" overall length?
 
I'm still betting on a carbine as easier for a rookie to get hits, and I've been training people for 30 years. Revos are easier to manipulate, but harder to shoot. Autos are just the reverse.
The main advantage of a pistol is safe, lock box storage.
A pencil barrel AR is the right answer, put a light on it.
A PCC is also a good choice, especially in an SBR configuration. Another problem with the 'brace' ban; it complicates getting a short, handy firearm.
Moon
 
TonyAngel said:
The OP said that this firearm is going to be for home defense. What i envision is a scenario where a small woman is home alone and in bed to be awakened by a bump in the night. What should be happening at that point is she should be taking a defensive position with the gun in one hand and her phone in the other. If a shooting does occur, it's likely going to be within a few feet, not a distance where having a rifle will be of any great benefit. For any encounter that will occur within a few feet, a weapon that requires space to manipulate and two hands to manipulate it will put a lone defender at a disadvantage in an enclosed space, especially if there is a likelihood that the defender might have to fend off an attack with one hand while employing the firearm with the other. All a long gun does in the situation is lend itself to being snatched away by a stronger attacker.
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Additionally, a miss with the long gun might pierce the neighbor's house.
Question: Which is easier to clear a jam with tap-and-rack? A pistol or a rifle? Or do ARs not jam because the longer narrower bullet feeds better?
 
Varminterror said:
After the suggestion above to look into the WWSD abomination, I’ve been trying to compose a polite way of saying this, but haven’t found it, so I held my tongue. But this.
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You really should spend some time with one of the lowers. I think there’s a good chance you would change your opinion. I built a lightweight gun with a GWACS lower (earlier version) and a 16” pencil barrel upper. It’s now become my favorite AR except for maybe my SBR 300 blackout. I liked it so much I bought one of the new (and even better) KE Arms lowers for a second build. I saw a completed lower on a table at a gun show and paid somewhere around $200. By the time you add up a stripped lower, parts kit, stock and tube it’s really not much more expensive.

I would absolutely recommend a KE Arms WWSD lower as a lightweight home defense carbine.
 
aaaaa said:
Additionally, a miss with the long gun might pierce the neighbor's house.
Question: Which is easier to clear a jam with tap-and-rack? A pistol or a rifle? Or do ARs not jam because the longer narrower bullet feeds better?
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A typical 5.56 55.gr JHP will penetrate less dry wall than a typical average JHP from a handgun
 
Elkins45 said:
You really should spend some time with one of the lowers. I think there’s a good chance you would change your opinion.
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You can assume what you will - I’m familiar with the product, and wouldn’t cast opinion if I weren’t.

I know the GAWCS and the KE. Barf on all accounts - and frankly, the fact they warn against using these lowers for heavy caliber cartridge should be telling enough about the compromises of the material and design. Why they chose an A1 stock profile at all says enough about the project. I have built customer rifles on both, despite my better advice to avoid either, and I wouldn’t waste my money on them.
 
Varminterror said:
You can assume what you will - I’m familiar with the product, and wouldn’t cast opinion if I weren’t.

I know the GAWCS and the KE. Barf on all accounts - and frankly, the fact they warn against using these lowers for heavy caliber cartridge should be telling enough about the compromises of the material and design. Why they chose an A1 stock profile at all says enough about the project. I have built customer rifles on both, despite my better advice to avoid either, and I wouldn’t waste my money on them.
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I’ve seen video of people driving over them and shooting them and the rifles still functioning. That’s probably sufficiently strong for all the 5.56 the average Joe can afford to run through them. And I prefer the A1 stock length.

I’ve yet to see someone wear one out although I will confess I haven’t Googled them lately.
 
Varminterror said:
LiveLife said:
Lucky Gunner did 10,000 round torture test measuring accuracy and throat erosion every 2000 rounds - https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/brass-vs-steel-cased-ammo/#accuracy
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... certainly aren’t pertinent to the KE WWSD lowers
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OP posted WWSD is out
EMT40SW said:
Budget is below $800 for rifle only & below 6 lb unloaded without an optic. This will be her first AR but she is only 5 foot, 110 lb, & 40 years old. I’m thinking of just using 20 round mags to further keep weight down.

She shot ... my M4 type AR ... fine. She is not recoil sensitive but she gravitated towards the AR. Also due to her size a youth stock or telescoping stock is mandatory. Therefore the WWSD from KY is out ... sorry I didn’t get this info posted sooner. Work has been busy. Keep the great responses coming.
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EMT40SW said:
thinking of just using 20 round mags to further keep weight down
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As I already posted, have you considered 9mm PCC?
 
NuclearMeltdown said:
Arguments aside, Del-Ton lists this at 6.05 lbs. -- this might be unloaded though. Lightweight profile barrel. Basically a combination of the lightest "standard" options.

View attachment 1156269
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This is what I bought for the most painless lightweight option. I put a fixed rear sight on it and load it with 20 round straight mags.

So far so good! :thumbup: It has never hiccuped.
 
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