A Florida man was asleep inside his home around 4 a.m. when he heard a voice at the door yell, “Sheriff’s Office!”
As soon as the resident heard the voice, the front door of the home burst open, and a masked gunman stormed in and fired off one round.
The resident grabbed his AR-15 and emerged from the bedroom, firing toward the masked intruder and multiple other intruders that followed behind him.
According to the Baker County Sheriff’s Office, three intruders were shot, and a total of seven people were involved in the home invasion.
The resident told police he acted in self-defense, and after the shooting, he retreated to another part of the house and called 911. He was not hurt during the home invasion.
As the intruders fled from the home, they were stopped by deputies responding to the scene.
One of the intruders died as a result of a gunshot to the head. Two more suspects were treated at the hospital for gunshot wounds.
The front doorstep of the home was covered in blood where the suspects had been shot. There was also a bloodstained mask with a bullet hole through it.
Investigators also found a .380 handgun lying near the scene.
Police said the group of seven went to the home that morning to confront the resident.
But the resident was prepared, and his decision to use an AR-15 for home defense likely saved his life. He faced multiple intruders and fired 30 rounds.
But, had the resident been using another gun, there would have likely been a different outcome.
The fact is, one out of every five guns purchased in the US is an AR-15-style rifle. It’s estimated that Americans own over 15 million AR-15 rifles.
There is no question that the AR-15 rifle is the choice for many gun owners. It’s easy to shoot, holds 30 rounds, and is very accurate.
But AR-15s are becoming harder to find, because it’s difficult for gun shops to keep them in stock.
So, if you are thinking about getting an AR, one question to ask yourself is whether it’s better to buy one or build one.
To help you decide, here are a few things to consider if you are debating whether to buy or build an AR-15.
Benefits of buying a complete AR-15:
The biggest benefit of buying an AR-15 from a gun shop is that you get a gun that is built to certain industry standards.
Typically, new guns also include a manufacturer’s warranty.
You get an AR that has been through the quality control process. You can take it out of the box and you are ready to go to the range.
Drawbacks to buying an AR-15:
One of the biggest drawbacks to buying a complete AR-15 is that it’s built to the specs of the manufacturer with no special upgrades, so it’s likely a very basic AR-15.
But as everyone knows, there are a ton of upgrades and things you can do to an AR-15.
So, if you buy an AR from the store, you may want to spend hundreds (or more) dollars adding your upgrades.
At the end of the day, you will likely spend more money buying an AR and upgrading it, compared to building your own the way you want it.
Benefits of building an AR-15:
The biggest benefit to building your AR-15 is that you can customize and pick every single part. You can spend the money and build the rifle exactly the way you want it.
There is no replacing parts or swapping things out to have the rifle the way you want it, because you can build it that way from the start.
Another benefit of building your rifle is that you will know that rifle very well, and have a good understanding of how the rifle works.
That means, if something goes wrong with the rifle you should be able to take it apart and fix it yourself.
This would be especially useful in a survival situation. If you were bugging out and had a problem with your rifle, you could fix it yourself.
Also, you can build your rifle at your own pace and budget.
Spending thousands on a new rifle is a lot of money. If you build your own, you can buy a part here and there when it’s in your budget.
Finally, you can build an AR-15 ghost gun. In other words, no one will know you own the gun.
So, if the government tried to confiscate AR-15s there wouldn’t be a record that you own one.
Drawbacks to building an AR-15:
The drawback to building your AR-15 is that it can be difficult to find parts. But it’s also difficult to find completely built ARs in stock.
So, either way, availability could be a problem.
Another potential issue is that you are building it yourself. There is no factory quality control process.
But with that said, you don’t have to be an engineer to build an AR-15. It’s pretty easy to do.
If you are in the market for an AR-15 I would consider building it yourself. Visit a local gun shop and see what parts they have and where you can find everything you need.
It’s a fun process to build your gun and you will become your own gunsmith.
