20" AR15A4 Home Defense?

[Hammer_Man]

I've done plenty of room clearing exercises with 20" rifles. It can be cumbersome at times, but can still be done. Remember practice makes perfect.

[MA2_Navy_Veteran]

As most anybody that knows me will tell you - I'm kind of THE A4 nut/guru around here (I absolutely love A4s, no matter the weight or setup), and certainly (with regular training) the A4 is quite capable of being effectively used for home defense even in tight corners, however - that being said - Unless an A4 is your only weapon, there are actually better tools to use to defend the interior of your house/home. Namely - handguns, especially one which incorporates a visible light or laser, and chambered between 9mm to 45 auto. As the saying goes: "the right tool for the right job", & handguns are usually the best tool for interior home defense.

I think where the A4 shines is more in exterior home &/or property defense (either shooting out of your home, from inside an exterior window, doorway, or even a rooftop, or for hog & predator patrol on farms - I used to keep mine in/on the back of the tractor when out in the corn, but now living in the city suburbs, my A4s are mostly relegated to the role of post-hurricane creature-defense & looter-watch), and while (thankfully) such uses are rarely needed, I really don't pity the gator or grabber, that looks to meal or steal, from me or my neighbors.

Some of my A4 clones...

[SouthwestAviator]

With A2 length butt it is effectively the same length as an 18.5" barreled Mossberg 500 or an inch longer than a Remington 870 which have been home defense staples for decades so not a huge issue on the length.

Very true. It's also the same length or shorter with the stock collapsed as the M1 Carbine.

Think I'm gonna throw a red dot and sling on it and start keeping it as my HD gun. Wonder how it'd be in classes.

[SouthwestAviator]

As most anybody that knows me will tell you - I'm kind of THE A4 nut/guru around here (I absolutely love A4s, no matter the weight or setup), and certainly (with regular training) the A4 is quite capable of being effectively used for home defense even in tight corners, however - that being said - Unless an A4 is your only weapon, there are actually better tools to use to defend the interior of your house/home. Namely - handguns, especially one which incorporates a visible light or laser, and chambered between 9mm to 45 auto. As the saying goes: "the right tool for the right job", & handguns are usually the best tool for interior home defense.

I think where the A4 shines is more in exterior home &/or property defense (either shooting out of your home, from inside an exterior window, doorway, or even a rooftop, or for hog & predator patrol on farms - I used to keep mine in/on the back of the tractor when out in the corn, but now living in the city suburbs, my A4s are mostly relegated to the role of post-hurricane creature-defense & looter-watch), and while (thankfully) such uses are rarely needed, I really don't pity the gator or grabber, that looks to meal or steal, from me or my neighbors.

Some of my A4 clones...

Damn those are some nice A4's! I've definitely been bitten by the 20" bug. Not sure why they're out of style these days. I like the added reliability compared to a carbine length (or even mid length) gas system, and shooting it is just buttery smooth.

[Hammer_Man]

As most anybody that knows me will tell you - I'm kind of THE A4 nut/guru around here (I absolutely love A4s, no matter the weight or setup), and certainly (with regular training) the A4 is quite capable of being effectively used for home defense even in tight corners, however - that being said - Unless an A4 is your only weapon, there are actually better tools to use to defend the interior of your house/home. Namely - handguns, especially one which incorporates a visible light or laser, and chambered between 9mm to 45 auto. As the saying goes: "the right tool for the right job", & handguns are usually the best tool for interior home defense.

I think where the A4 shines is more in exterior home &/or property defense (either shooting out of your home, from inside an exterior window, doorway, or even a rooftop, or for hog & predator patrol on farms - I used to keep mine in/on the back of the tractor when out in the corn, but now living in the city suburbs, my A4s are mostly relegated to the role of post-hurricane creature-defense & looter-watch), and while (thankfully) such uses are rarely needed, I really don't pity the gator or grabber, that looks to meal or steal, from me or my neighbors.

Some of my A4 clones...

Sorry to detract from the current converation, but I like your style. I'm kind of an A2 junkie myself, but I would to have an A4 in the not too distant future.

[Hammer_Man]

Damn those are some nice A4's! I've definitely been bitten by the 20" bug. Not sure why they're out of style these days. I like the added reliability compared to a carbine length (or even mid length) gas system, and shooting it is just buttery smooth.

You just listed all the reasons why I believe everybody should keep at least one full sized AR in their collection. I will never get rid of my A2, I will gladly sell my carbines before that happens.

[Iraqgunz]

Post a picture of your A4 with A5 stock! That's how it should have been from the start.

[Iraqgunz]

I just put this together a couple of months ago with the Colt 20" I recently stole.

Post a picture of your A4 with A5 stock! That's how it should have been from the start.

[Hammer_Man]

Nice ones IG!!

[C-grunt]

It's only 4 inches longer than a standard 16 inch carbine. Tactics, shot placement, and luck will matter far more than an extra 4 inches of barrel in a gunfight.