President Biden famously said, “You don’t need an AR-15. It’s harder to aim. It is harder to make use of. And you do not really need 30 rounds to guard yourself. Buy a shotgun.” He continued, “If there’s ever an issue, just get out on the balcony here… put that double-barreled shotgun, just get out on the balcony and shoot two arrows outside the home“. Politics aside, we should not be telling you that is bad advice – in any defensive shooting situation you’ll need to account for each round you fire, so throwing pellets blindly out of your porch is a terrible idea. Furthermore, I’d argue that the 30-round low-recoil semi-automatic carbine is definitely a wonderful alternative for home defense. However, in case your AR-15 home defense plan starts and ends with placing a loaded rifle next to your bed, that is not enough to be fully prepared. If it is your first line defense tool, it is best to train with it. More importantly, your training ought to be realistic to the scenario.
Unfair methods is a training company founded by U.S. Army veteran and former undercover Chicago police officer Raul Martinez Jr. – you may read more about him in my Spotlight interview in issue 57 (on sale from August 15, 2023). Martinez goals to supply courses that teach realistic combat skills quite than the technical flat-range shooting skills present in many other courses. I recently attended Rogue Methods’ Low-Profile Carbine class, which has a singular approach to teaching defensive rifle skills.
Rogue Methods approaches the AR-15’s home defense skills
The class began with a piece on a subject Martinez covers in each of his courses: First Aid. Each student practiced applying a CAT tourniquet to their very own limbs and to the limbs of other students. In the latter case, we wrapped the surplus strap across the windlass to stop quick removal – tourniquets are painful and victims may attempt to loosen them, resulting in preventable death.
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Martinez then discussed carbine setup. He covered topics similar to red dot brightness, cheek weld (move the scope closer to your eye, not the opposite way around), stock placement, grip (don’t break it when working with the selector), and sling setup (something you may “float” or quickly change position).
Speaking of slings, we removed them from our rifles at this point because Martinez wanted us to get used to the sensation of using them in a grab and go bedside configuration. We also didn’t wear combat belts or vests stuffed with magazines because that is not equipment you are prone to wear in a spontaneous self-defense incident. We loaded one magazine into the pistol, put the spare in our pocket and went to the shooting range.
Drills and standards
Each student worked in sequences of three to five rounds, learning to quickly reset the trigger under recoil and adjusting the purpose of impact based on optical shift at close range. We practiced three readiness positions – low readiness, high readiness, and muzzle up (aka high port) – to get a feel for the situational benefits and downsides of every. For example, the latter could also be crucial to maintain the barrel pointed away from bystanders or relations in confined spaces.
Various drills were conducted from 10 to 30 yards, which led us to differ the shooting rhythm depending on the space and size of the goal. Accuracy and accountability have been emphasized repeatedly because, as I discussed earlier, you might be legally and morally chargeable for every round you fire. That said, Martinez didn’t expect perfection from his students, and he reminded us that a successful strike remains to be an efficient strike, even when it’s barely off beam. The secret’s having the ability to land those punches on demand, under stress, and fast enough to go away the attacker unharmed. This is the difference between hitting Zone A on the shooting range and defeating a threat in the actual world.
Added additional difficulty levels when walking and running between positions and dealing around barricades. We learned easy methods to move quickly towards cover while staying back far enough to totally extend the weapon. To lean out of canopy, the front foot is placed and the burden of the body is transferred to this foot, as at the start of the lunge, which provides higher stability. Multiple targets were added to the combo, with Martinez specifying different round counts, shot placements, and sequences for every. “No-shoot” targets were also included, as Martinez stressed that having enough restraint to know when to not shoot was critical.
Final thoughts
I actually enjoyed this low profile carbine class and it served as a great reminder that home defense AR-15 training is different from carbine training for competition, military service or law enforcement. With a real-world perspective in mind, Rogue Methods provided some priceless exercises and lessons. For more information on upcoming Rogue Methods classes, go to dishonest methods.com.
