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Anyone Hear a Defense Story involving use of an AR15 or AK?

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 1:15 am
by Boma
We hear stories about people using revolvers, semi-autos, shotguns, and hunting style rifles.

Has anyone read a story or know about a situation where an AR15 or AK was used for defense? Any reprecusions?? :?:

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 1:22 am
by carlson1
I have not except for law enforcement. I have heard of some where Shotguns was used.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 3:04 am
by G.C.Montgomery
I remember an article about it in a gun magazine some years ago in a "It happened to me!" type column. LE use has been documented on plenty of occasions.

Other than that, I know of AR's being used frequently by folks patrolling their own property on the US/Mexico border. I'm not talking about now, I'm talking ten or more years back. None of those incidents lead to any shooting though.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 8:11 am
by seamusTX
You can search the NRA's "Armed Citizen" archive at http://www.nraila.org/ArmedCitizen/Default.aspx. It shows no results for AK-47 or AR-15.

IMO, a shooting is either justified or not. The type of weapon doesn't matter, certainly not in Texas law.

- Jim

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 11:22 am
by Paladin
There was an article in America's first freedom about a guy in NOLA, after Katrina, using a rifle (AK I think, but he had both an AR and AK) to convince some thugs not to steal his vehicle. The vehicle was the man and his wife's only ticket out of the city.

I've seen many other stories.

One was a violent home invasion. Some people were being held at gunpoint in their living room. A homeowner stepped into the living room with an AK and fired off one or more rounds into the ceiling. The armed homeinvaders decided it was time to leave.

An AK or AR tends to end conflict pretty quick. Although it's no substitute for good tactics. Bad tactics plus an AR can still get you killed.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 12:22 pm
by KBCraig
How about a Ruger AC556 (select fire version of the Mini-14)?

Everyone should read the Gary Fadden story.

Edit to add: This was written by Massad Ayoob, for American Handgunner magazine. The typos and errors look to be the result of a poor scan job.

Kevin

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 12:40 pm
by txinvestigator
KBCraig wrote:How about a Ruger AC556 (select fire version of the Mini-14)?

Everyone should read the Gary Fadden story.

Edit to add: This was written by Massad Ayoob, for American Handgunner magazine. The typos and errors look to be the result of a poor scan job.

Kevin
Thats a great read. Thanks for posting it. It offers much to consider.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 2:14 pm
by gigag04
Great read.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 2:22 pm
by casselthief
I believe I'll be buying an Al Mar knife (yes, I'm that susceptible to propaganda/advertising...).
that was a great story, all the way through. Glad him and his fiancee made it out alright, in the end.

you know TXI, you had said you didn't care what it looks like to have multiple rifles *, of different delineation, and what not, but I feel that this story illustrates that sometimes, how things appear ARE as important as how they are. I mean, you get pulled over, randomly stopped, checked whatever, and a copper sees a crap-ton of "artillery" in your trunk, one has to assume that the copper is not simply going to be swayed by a simple, "Ah don't care whut it looks like; it's mah right!!!"
now, I'm not picking you out, or anything of that nature, I'm usting what you said as an example. Fadden said it himself, if he'd have used another type of weapon, no case would ever have been made.
I'd like to think that things are a little different today, but I doubt it...

*I looked, I can't find the post, but I distinctly remember it.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 3:06 pm
by KBCraig
This is one of the reasons why I don't "tactify" my home shotgun, which is a Winchester 1300 Defender (18", full length mag, wood stock).

I figure that if the shotgun is ever presented as evidence in either a criminal or civil matter, the wood stock and blue finish will stir fewer emotions than if it was clad in black Zytel, phosphate finish, piccatinny rails, lights, and lasers.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 3:41 pm
by txinvestigator
casselthief wrote:I believe I'll be buying an Al Mar knife (yes, I'm that susceptible to propaganda/advertising...).
that was a great story, all the way through. Glad him and his fiancee made it out alright, in the end.

you know TXI, you had said you didn't care what it looks like to have multiple rifles *, of different delineation, and what not, but I feel that this story illustrates that sometimes, how things appear ARE as important as how they are. I mean, you get pulled over, randomly stopped, checked whatever, and a copper sees a crap-ton of "artillery" in your trunk, one has to assume that the copper is not simply going to be swayed by a simple, "Ah don't care whut it looks like; it's mah right!!!"
now, I'm not picking you out, or anything of that nature, I'm usting what you said as an example. Fadden said it himself, if he'd have used another type of weapon, no case would ever have been made.
I'd like to think that things are a little different today, but I doubt it...

*I looked, I can't find the post, but I distinctly remember it.
Actually I wrote,
"An AK clone would be perfect for car carry. Cheap, easy to shoot and replace; however, I shy away from the "appearance" that gun has for the sheeple."
and
The odds of my doing something to get stopped are nil. The odds of a LEO having PC to search my trunk are even less.

That said, so what? I don't care how it "looks" to the police. Its not illegal, not even questionable.

If I have to use a long gun, I would rather it be with something that the public "read jury" won't liken to a gang banger gun. AK reaks of gang banger, AR looks like what the police or military (the good guys) use. :grin: A gun that looks like a hunting gun might even hold a better opinion in the jury.

The question was asked that if the police found an AR in the trunk it would 'look bad". I disagree with that.

As long as the gun(s) are legal, I am not concerned about he police. And I only have legal guns.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 4:39 pm
by casselthief
well, thank you for the follow up.
my comment was directed more at the how it looks part. and not strictly yours, but the consensus, overall.
and I agree with you. not to mention those guys with bombs strapped to them seem fond of the AK, also.
I hear ya about the AK.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 5:15 pm
by Paladin

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 6:30 pm
by JohnKSa
I know that this isn't what the thread starter had in mind, but I suppose we all remember the Arroyo shooting in Tyler.

Even if the good guys don't often use rifles, the bad guys sometimes do. If Mark Wilson had grabbed a rifle instead of a pistol when he responded to the shots fired outside the courthouse, he'd probably still be alive.

Sort of a stark contrast to Harry Beckwith's story.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 7:07 pm
by Chris
G.C.Montgomery wrote:I remember an article about it in a gun magazine some years ago in a "It happened to me!" type column. LE use has been documented on plenty of occasions.
that would be a 1995 issue of guns and ammo. i think i still have that one in my closet. i remember thinking that the guy was an idiot, and an idiot with a mak 90 to boot. he talked about lowering himself so that the neighbor's house wouldn't be hit "by the 30 bullets passing through" the bad guy. it was a story from the one person i think i'd rather not have access to a mak 90. if you want to use one for defense, fine, but don't gloat to a magazine that you're going to unload an entire clip into a guy. that's a bit overzealous about shooting someone.

on another note, i just sold an AK47 to my cousin. he is having twins and finally decided to get a firearm to keep watch over his family. being the gun aficionado that i am, i recommended, and sold, to him the most appropriate weapon for that assignment.

i do know of M1s and enfields being used in that purpose. see the instance below...

http://www.jpfo.org/athens.htm