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I've never been a fan of the AR, both the platform and the caliber.
I've used an AR for work purposes over the past fifteen years. With that said, I am slowly changing my thinking on the AR and find it to be a viable home defense longarm with the appropriate load and sights/lights.
Granted the longer ranges will see the .308 caliber be more of a benefit, but even in a combat style situation the AR will do the job, just not as well. Where the AR shines, IMO is in it's versatility, ease of finding ammo and ability to find parts for since there are so many of them out there. This is something to keep in mind, IMO, as resupply is a necessary consideration. It's said that, "wars are won by logistics," and I happen to agree.
The AR can easily fit a small woman, up to and including a large man. Also, while I am a fan of the Guage, my spouse is not. She much prefers the minimal recoil of the AR to the .308 or the Guage. While I am confident in the 12 Guage out to 100 Yards with the appropriate slug loading, the 5.56mm round has more range. Yes, the range of the .308 is greater, but at what cost?
Our military, police and thousands upon thousands of people own an AR. That makes finding ammo easier than some esoteric caliber. Granted the .308 is not an esoteric caliber, but it isn't as common as 5.56/.223 either. Hey, if it's a real world situation I can raid my local National Guard Armory for ammo, or take ammo from the dead and dying. It's nice to have a weapon that shoots the same caliber as what is commonly carried by the troops on the battlefield. This also plays into finding spare parts, and makes it easier IMO.
Everything is a compromise. While I have not liked the AR until recently, I have come to accept that it just may be the best compromise out there for a battlefied rifle at this time. In twenty years or so that may change, if our military switches to another caliber.
Biker
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