My friend has a Kimber CC with night sights.  He's pondering whether to get a long gun in the next year or so.  It will be used for plinking, home defense and would probably ride along in the trunk when he visits his wife's family in northern Wisconsin.

Of course I say AR15 is more veratile, but shotgun is better for hallway engagements.  I don't know where to draw the line on 25 yard and under performance of the shotgun versus the AR15's ability to work well in a CQB environment yet still reach out to 200 yards.

What do you all think?

Both would work just fine at close range.  I think the AR is more versatile because of the range.  What are the chances anybody is going to shoot anybody else?  Pretty small.  It doesn't happen that often.  So if the gun is going to be used for plinking get the one that you enjoy the most.  If you enjoy using it you will be a lot better if it is needed to shoot someone.  I would go with an AR.

BTT

A 16" Ar-15 can be used by just about anyone in the family age 12 and up. A 12 gauge shotgun could not be used comfortably by a small wife or teenage child. Plus you can set the iron sights for yourself, put a scope on top of the carry handle sighted in four someone else, and last you could put a laser sight on the end of it and have sights for three people, in case someone else had to use it.

I'm surprised that my friend isn't jumping in here with some of his questions and trying to help keep this post in circulation....

[hint, hint]

[;)]

Get Both!

I would go with a AR15 car set up and then also get a 12ga. Benelli pre ban.

7, or 30 with range...I'll take the AR.

Go with a CAR 15 with one of JC Armory's under
the AR barrel shotgun mounting kits. Then you have the best of both worlds. I have a Cobray
AOW 12 ga. Mossberg 500A sawed off to 12" mounted under my CAR Colt AR. It's very intimidating looking at the business end.

You didn't mention what kind of budget this guy has.  Frankly, I'd buy both.  Trying to make a gun do too much is not a good thing.  AR-15s don't make good CQB weapons because of their nasty tendency to overpenetrate with anything but a frangible round.  A shotgun mounting a pistol grip (preferrably the horizontal type that looks like a cut-off buttstock) is also much easier to handle indoors than an AR.  And how often has anybody needed to take a 200 yard shot in a home defense situation?

I would say a shotgun is superior, in 20 guage.  Everyone in the family can use it and a 20 guage pump is a lot cheaper than the cheapest AR.  A couple of loads of buckshot will put a bad guy down, and the pellets are unlikely to go through his body.

Buy one for plinking and one for home defense, don't short change your personal defense for a "fun gun"

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