Since Trump’s election, gun groups catering to progressives and people of color report a surge in interest as they look to defend themselves in a country that, to them, feels increasingly unstable.
Since Trump’s election, gun groups catering to progressives and people of color report a surge in interest as they look to defend themselves in a country that, to them, feels increasingly unstable.
If you have the money just get an AR 15. There is a reason it’s so popular.
There could be a world ending apocalypse and you’ll still find parts and ammo. And it’s an incredibly well rounded platform that’s pretty easy to use.
you think a 12 gauge is going to be harder to find parts and ammo for?
Ignoring that a shotgun isnt nearly as useful and will rounded, yes, shotguns in general are not as ubiquitous or popular.
In 2021, 21,037,810 total firearms were available for the U.S. market, which includes firearms that were domestically produced plus those imported—minus exported firearms. Of those, 12,799,067 were handguns, 4,832,198 were rifles and 3,406,545 were shotguns.
You’re ignoring usecase, and the fact that even according to your facts, they’re super popular.
I mean that is great but im betting a large majority of shotguns are 12 gauge and use very similar parts and a less percentage of rifles are ar15. Also shotguns are about the simplest gun designs.
Also, the US Military used 5.56 ammo, so if things really go down, you know there’s a supply. Fair note: you can shoot 2.23 ammo with a 5.56 rifle, but you don’t want to put 5.56 in a 2.23.
.223 or 223
2.23 is not a thing 5.56 is the metric measurement of .224 diameter bullets which are used in both 5.56x45mm and .223.
To go deeper, a civilian .223 Remington is almost identical to the military 5.56x45mm. Both use a bullet diameter of .224 and a weight between 40 grains and 77 grains. The differences without getting super technical are in SAAMI pressures. A .223 Remington cartridge produces less pressure than the military 5.56x45mm. You can shoot both out of a rifle marked 5.56x55mm or .223 Wylde but it is not recommended that you shoot 5.56x45mm in a rifle marked .223 Remington.
.223 Remington (SAAMI MAP): 55,000 psi (≈379.2 MPa) maximum average pressure (piezo).
5.56×45 mm NATO (NATO/EPVAT service pressure): ≈ 62,366 psi (≈ 430 MPa) service pressure (piezo).
Since we’re having fun, the other difference between .223 and 5.56 is the throat length, with 5.56 being longer. Wylde not only supports the higher pressure, but also splits the difference in the chamber to account for the difference in throats.
I.e., a .223 Wylde chamber has a longer throat than a .223 Remington chamber, but a shorter one than a 5.56 NATO chamber, which allows it to accurately fire both .223 Remington and 5.56 NATO ammunition.
I’ve been told shooting .223 in a 5.56 will wear out the chamber faster… but haven’t exactly tested that.
5.56 rounds over penetrates less than 9mm and less than many different shot shells too. I like HD 9mm rounds but the AR platform for home defense is a smart choice.
And I’m not saying it’s ideal, but you’ll still take a deer down in some insane scenario where you’re hunting for food.
Ive heard even 9mm higher pressure rounds through a carbine length barrel can stop some bears. Im not saying I’d trust it to be my first choice in that situation but I’d wager if you get good enough with 5.56 there’s not much you wouldn’t be able to stop with a couple follow up shots or hunt with a good first shot.