Reply #20

Upper body strength not withstanding, if you are going to be "effective" in a home defense situation, you really want a shot gun. Yes, it's going to be a two handed weapon if you can't handle the weight. But it doesn't require alot of accuracy, it won't be particularly lethal through walls and doors, and it will stop the forward motion of an attacker. The AR-15 will tend to shoot anyone in the vicinity, even through doors and walls. It needs to fairly well aimed. And except for maybe the best of body mass shots, an attacker is likely to continue towards you, even if just on shear momentum.

Sad part is that probably what you really want is a "sawed off" shotgun, i.e. a short barreled, pistol gripped weapon that is illegal in many states last I knew.