[racegunner]

I see many have posted in favor of the 5.56mm AR type carbine. It is a nice ergonomical weapon. Handles very nice, it's reliable, but....How many of you have actually shot someone with one or even know someone who has experience doing so?

I know a cop who popped a guy with an AR this year and the results were not confidence inspiring! The target stood there until he bled out enough, passed out and then was cuffed...ten minutes after being shot! This was captured on the in-car video. No, he didn't hit center mass, but you think you will 100% in your underwear at 3:30am? I have heard stories from aquaintences' first hand accounts of 5.56 achieving less than spectacular close range results, not "stories" from second hand "brother's buddy's barber etc". A doctor I know from Singapore witnessed first hand; a guy in the Sing. military shoot himself to avoid further service...only he didn't shoot himself in the foot he leaned over the barrel and gut shot himself. Result: small hole in, small hole out. He lived and is paralized as the spine was hit. But no big energy dump! No huge internal damage. If he wasn't unlucky enough to hit his spine he'd be good as new today.

I am a big AR fan, I really do like the rifle and it has a purpose, but just not home defense. Shooting and wounding an enemy at 400meters is different than stopping some crackhead at your bedroom door.
Think about this; 5.56 hit to extremity...what happens? Not much usually. What about an arm or leg hit with 12ga 00 buck at household distances? You may think you can get center mass in a gun fight and your betting your life on that. But when the SHTF and the target and you are moving it's a whole new dynamic. You might be lucky to get an arm hit. EDIT (addition); I'm not implying here that it is easier to hit with a 12ga, just that 5.56 is not that great if you don't hit center mass, but 12ga has a greater ability to do damage without hitting center mass at close range. Sorry for not making that clear previously.
For close-in damage nothing within reason compares to the 12ga. Why do you think the Europeans wanted the good old American shotgun banned from trench warfare? These guys were used to seeing hits with 8mm Mauser and 30-06, yet considered the 12ga so devistating that it might be considered banned from warfare!!!

Wake up and look at real world events. Pet your AR, take it to the range, feed it well, but leave it in the safe when your front door gets kicked in.