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Imagine waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of a break-in—your heart racing, adrenaline pumping and precious seconds ticking away. 

In such a high-stress situation, you need a home defense tool that offers more than just peace of mind; you need one that can provide a quick and decisive response. The AR-15 delivers that edge, combining speed, precision and stopping power when you need it most. 

So, let’s discuss why the AR-15 could be your ultimate home defense solution and how to set it up effectively.

The AR-15’s Key Features for Home Defense

The AR-15 has earned a reputation as one of the most versatile and effective firearms available today. Here are the key features that make it a top choice for home defense:

Customizability and Modularity

One of the standout characteristics of the AR-15 is its unparalleled customizability. Whether you’re looking to add a flashlight, a red dot sight, or a foregrip, the AR-15’s modular design allows for easy attachment of accessories that enhance your defensive capabilities. This flexibility means you can tailor the rifle to fit your needs and preferences, creating a perfectly suited setup for home defense.

Accuracy and Low Recoil

The AR-15’s design is optimized for accuracy, even under high-stress situations. Its low recoil, especially when chambered in 5.56 NATO or .223 Remington, makes it easy to shoot accurately. This is particularly important in home defense scenarios, where precise shot placement can be critical to neutralizing a threat without endangering others in the home.

Capacity and Reload Speed

With standard magazines holding 30 rounds, the AR-15 provides ample capacity for defensive situations. This reduces the need for frequent reloading, which can be a critical advantage when facing multiple intruders or when you must focus on the threat. Additionally, reloading an AR-15 is relatively quick and easy, with minimal training to master the process.

Ease of Handling

The AR-15’s ergonomic design makes it easy to handle, even in high-pressure situations. Its lightweight frame and adjustable stock make it adaptable to shooters of all sizes and strengths, ensuring that any responsible adult in your household can effectively use it in a defensive scenario.

Intimidation Factor

While not a primary reason to choose a firearm, the intimidation factor of an AR-15 cannot be overlooked. The mere presence of a rifle can often be enough to deter potential intruders, possibly preventing the need to fire a single shot. This psychological deterrent adds another layer of defense to your home security strategy.

Comparing the AR-15 to Other Home Defense Firearms

Several firearm options are available for home defense, each with its own pros and cons. Let’s compare the AR-15 with the most commonly recommended alternatives: shotguns and handguns.

Shotguns

Shotguns are often hailed as the quintessential home defense firearm, but they have advantages and disadvantages compared to the AR-15.

Pros

• Stopping Power: A 12-gauge shotgun can deliver devastating stopping power at close range, making it highly effective against intruders.
• Spread Pattern: The spread pattern of buckshot can increase hit probability, especially in high-stress situations.

Cons

• Recoil: Shotguns, especially 12-gauge models, have significant recoil, which can be difficult to manage for smaller or less experienced shooters.
• Capacity and Reloading: Most shotguns have a limited capacity, typically between 4 and 8 rounds, and reloading them is considerably slower and more cumbersome than reloading the AR-15.
• Size and Maneuverability: Most shotguns are longer than the standard AR-15, making them harder to maneuver in tight spaces like hallways or small rooms.

Handguns

Handguns are a popular choice for home defense due to their compact size and ease of use, but they also have limitations.

Pros

• Maneuverability: Handguns allow you to move faster if you need to move to secure family members.
• Ease of Storage and Accessibility: Handguns are compact and easy to stage and deploy around your home for quick access.

Cons

• Accuracy: Handguns require more skill to shoot accurately, especially under duress. They require more training and practice to control the recoil at speed and under stress.
• Stopping Power and Capacity: Handguns can be effective, but they generally offer lower stopping power and capacity than the AR-15. This can be a disadvantage if multiple shots are required to stop a threat.

AR-15: The Middle Ground

The AR-15 serves as a balanced option between the power and spread of a shotgun and the maneuverability and capacity of a handgun.

Pros

• Higher Capacity: With standard 30-round magazines, the AR-15 provides more than enough ammunition for most home defense scenarios.
• Controlled Recoil: The low recoil allows for quick follow-up shots, which is crucial in a defensive situation.
• Accuracy and Adaptability: The rifle’s inherent accuracy and the ability to attach optics and other accessories enhance its defensive capabilities.

Cons

• Overpenetration: One concern with using an AR-15 for home defense is the potential for overpenetration, where a bullet could pass through walls and pose a risk to others. This can be mitigated with proper ammunition selection, such as frangible or hollow-point rounds designed for reduced penetration.

While shotguns and handguns have their merits, the AR-15 is a versatile and effective choice that balances both strengths. Its customizability, capacity, and ease of use make it a formidable tool for protecting your home.

Addressing Common Concerns and Misconceptions

Despite its popularity, the AR-15 as a home defense firearm often draws skepticism and concern. In this section, we’ll tackle some of the most common misconceptions and clarify why the AR-15 can be an effective choice for home defense.

Myth: “The AR-15 is Too Powerful for Home Defense”

Many people believe that the AR-15, due to its rifle caliber, is too powerful for home defense scenarios, posing a risk of overpenetration that could harm family members or neighbors. While it’s true that certain types of ammunition can penetrate multiple walls, this concern can be mitigated by selecting the right ammunition. Frangible or hollow-point rounds are designed to minimize overpenetration, breaking apart upon impact with hard surfaces while providing effective stopping power against threats.

Myth: “The AR-15 is Hard to Control”

Some assume that the AR-15 is difficult to handle, especially for smaller or less experienced shooters. However, the opposite is true. The AR-15’s low recoil, ergonomic design, and lightweight frame make it easier to control and shoot accurately than many handguns and shotguns. The adjustable stock also allows the rifle to be fitted to a wide range of shooters, ensuring comfort and control regardless of stature or strength.

Myth: “It’s a Military-Grade Weapon Unsuitable for Civilian Use”

This misconception stems from the AR-15’s resemblance to the military’s M16 and M4 rifles. However, the civilian AR-15 is semi-automatic, meaning it fires one round per trigger pull, unlike the fully automatic capabilities of military rifles. Its features make it no different from many other semi-automatic rifles used for hunting, sport shooting, and, yes, home defense.

Myth: “It’s Overkill for Home Defense”

Critics often argue that the AR-15’s firepower is excessive for home defense. Home invasions can be unpredictable, and it’s not uncommon for intruders to be armed. The AR-15’s high capacity and ability to deliver precise shots rapidly can be a critical advantage in such situations. The goal is to neutralize threats efficiently, and the AR-15 provides the capability to do so.

Optimizing Your AR-15 for Home Defense

Optimizing your AR-15 for home defense involves equipping it with key accessories. A red dot sight enhances target acquisition, while backup iron sights ensure reliability if the optic fails. A weapon-mounted light is essential for identifying threats in low-light conditions, and an adjustable two-point sling offers stability and hands-free operation. Choosing the proper ammunition, like frangible or hollow-point rounds, minimizes the risk of overpenetration. Reliable 30-round magazines are recommended, with additional spares accessible for quick reloading in critical situations.

Now, let’s get into my go-to AR-15 setup for home defense.

My Go-To AR-15 Setup For Home Defense

My go-to defensive AR-15 is the Maxim Defense MD-15L. It’s paired with the EOTech 512 holographic sight. This rifle offers a solid foundation with its lightweight build, quality materials and optimal barrel length for maneuverability. The EOTech 512 provides quick target acquisition and a parallax-free reticle, essential for high-stress situations. I’ve added a Streamlight PolyTac weapon light for low-light conditions and a Frank Proctor Sling for retention. Combined with 77-grain BTHP ammunition, this setup is practical and effective for home defense.

Optic: EOTech 512

The EOTech 512 holographic sight offers rapid target acquisition with its wide field of view and parallax-free reticle. Its robust design is ideal for home defense, allowing for accurate shots in high-stress situations. Powered by standard AA batteries, it ensures reliability and ease of use.

Sling: Frank Proctor Sling

This lightweight, minimalist sling provides versatility and quick adjustment. It allows for easy transitions between shooting positions and enhances weapon retention, making it suitable for dynamic home defense scenarios.

Weapon Light: Streamlight PolyTac

The Streamlight PolyTac offers a powerful beam with a durable polymer body. It provides essential illumination for target identification and threat assessment in low-light conditions, a critical feature for any home defense setup.

Ammunition: 77-Grain BTHP

Using 77-grain boat-tail hollow-point (BTHP) ammunition balances stopping power and reduces overpenetration. This bullet design maximizes terminal ballistics, making it effective for home defense by ensuring energy transfer upon impact.

This combination creates a balanced and reliable setup that prioritizes maneuverability, accuracy, and adaptability in various home defense scenarios.

Conclusion

A home invasion is a fast and violent event that can unfold in seconds, leaving little time to react. In these critical moments, the AR-15 gives you the edge needed to respond fast and with extreme violence. 

Its accuracy, capacity, and adaptability allow you to take control of the situation and protect your loved ones. Don’t wait until it’s too late—take the time NOW to build your ideal home defense setup. Equip yourself, train diligently, and be prepared to respond with the skill and confidence necessary to survive another day.

Where To Buy

HBO unveiled a new trailer for its Dune prequel TV series, Dune: Prophecy, at New York Comic Con.

Unlike director Denis Villeneuve’s Dune films, which see the rise of Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides, Dune: Prophecy sets its sights farther into the past of Frank Herbert’s popular sci-fi novels. More specifically, Dune Prophecy is set 10,000 years before Dune. As such, the series will give fans a look at the Bene Gesserit‘s mysterious origins. Likewise, the series will emphasize just how valid their claim is to have their plans measured in centuries.

The press release for Dune: Prophecy indicates that the show will center on two Harkonnen sisters as they confront threats to humanity’s future and lay the foundations for the Bene Gesserit. The series stars Emily Watson as Valya Harkonnen, Olivia Williams as Tula Harkonnen, Jodhi May as Empress Natalya, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina as Princess Ynez, Shalom Brune-Franklin as Mikaela, Faoileann Cunningham as Sister Jen, Aoife Hinds as Sister Emeline, Chloe Lea as Lila, Travis Fimmel as Desmond Hart, Mark Strong as Emperor Javicco Corrino, Jade Anouka as Sister Theodosia, and Chris Mason as Kieran Atreides. If any of those names mean anything to you, be excited.

Dune: Prophecy‘s show credits feel akin to the numerous key figures in the Bene Gesserit with how many folks pull double and triple duty on the show. Key among them is Alison Schapker, who serves as Dune: Prophecy‘s showrunner, head writer, and executive producer alongside Alison Schapker. She’s accompanied by co-developer and executive producer Diane Ademu-John and Anna Foerster (its third executive producer).

But wait, there’s more. Other executive producers include Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, Kim Herbert (for Frank Herbert’s estate), Jordan Goldberg, Mark Tobey, John Cameron, Matthew King, Scott Z. Burns, and Jon Spaihts. Suffice it to say, many hands touched this show, so hopefully, its result won’t be a mess of too many cooks in the kitchen.

Dune: Prophecy will officially release on November 17 on HBO and Max.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

WORLD — Today marks the historic release day of January 6, The Most Deadliest Day, an already critically acclaimed documentary chronicling the deadliest and darkest and scariest event in world history: the January 6 insurrection.

Critics are lauding the film as "not the worst thing I’ve seen," and "eh, kinda funny." Liberals, on the other hand, have marked the momentous day by screaming and crying and wetting their pants in rage and confusion.

"How did we as a country get to the point where The Babylon Bee can just make a film about January 6 without facing serious consequences?" said a tearful Obama to reporters. "This film is an attack on our sacred democracy and the communist global order I have dedicated my whole life to building. I am literally shaking right now."

Eyewitnesses confirmed Obama then calmed himself down by launching a drone attack in Yemen.

Attorney General Merrick Garland has also responded, instructing FBI field offices to keep a close eye on anyone who dares to watch the film. "Watching this film is an attack on our sacred democracy," he said between sobs. "I am literally throwing up just thinking about it."

Sources confirmed the new film is available at BabylonBee.com/january6 and is only available to subscribers.

---

BIG NEWS: We made a movie, and you can watch the trailer NOW:

Click here to find out how you can watch the movie when it releases on October 11

It’s a tale as old as… the Internet of Things era. Robot vacuums made by Ecovacs have been reported roving around people’s homes, yelling profanities at them through the onboard speakers after the company’s software was found to be vulnerable to intrusion.

ABC News in Australia reports that there were recently multiple instances across the U.S. when owners of Ecovacs vacuums noticed their devices acting unusually.

“It sounded like a broken-up radio signal or something,” Daniel Swenson told the outlet. “You could hear snippets of maybe a voice.” He opened the vacuum’s app to find a stranger was accessing its live camera feed and remote control feature, but assumed it might be an error. After resetting the password and rebooting the robot, the vacuum quickly started moving again:

This time, there was no ambiguity about what was coming out of the speaker. A voice was yelling racist obscenities, loud and clear, right in front of Mr Swenson’s son.

“F*** n******s,” screamed the voice, over and over again.

Perhaps the best part of this anecdote was Swenson’s incredulous conclusion that the situation “could have been worse.” But he’s right that it was nice of the hacker to let him know his vacuum was hacked instead of spying on him indefinitely.

The most common issue people have with so-called “smart” home devices is that they often require a software subscription to access most functionality, and if the manufacturer goes under or stops supporting the device, it simply becomes a paperweight.

The more disturbing issue arises when smart devices are remotely accessed and the manufacturer never considered (or cared about) the possibility that tricksters might take advantage of this to torment people in their own homes. Remote access is convenient, but every couple of years we hear about something egregious, like intruders accessing a baby monitor and whispering through it at night, or gaining access to your garage door to mess with its owner.  A lot of the time the intent of these intruders is just to be punks. But you have to wonder how many times it happens and no one knows about it.

The problem is that most of these smart home companies are selling consumer hardware and don’t want or care to invest much in security. You can buy one of dozens of robovacs on Amazon; most people want the cheapest one. So this is what we get, a company that doesn’t put basic security measures in place.

And ‘basic’ seems to be fair here. ABC found that although Ecovacs accounts are password-protected, and a further four-digit PIN code is required to access the video feed, that PIN code is not validated server-side—meaning anyone with the basic know-how of a tool like Chrome web inspector could bypass it. It’s likely that Swenson was reusing credentials from other services, but the code should have been an extra factor that prevented access. At a bare minimum all Ecovacs really needs to do is some basic “if-true” validation on its servers before opening the video feed.

Ecovacs reportedly was informed about the vulnerability back in 2023 and didn’t take action until recently. It says a more substantial security update will be released in November.

If you are paying rock-bottom prices for a robot vacuum, you may get what you’re paying for.

Social media platforms like Facebook are excellent for connecting with people online, but it’s important to be cautious. Here are some common mistakes you might be making on Facebook without even realizing it.

1 Oversharing About Your Personal Life

While it’s natural to want to connect with friends and family by sharing updates about your life, revealing too much information can compromise your privacy and security. Sharing things like your location, daily routines, or family information can expose you to potential privacy breaches.

This information can be exploited by hackers, stalkers, or even advertisers seeking to target you more aggressively. For example, posts about vacations can signal to potential burglars that your home is empty, significantly increasing the risk of a break-in. Additionally, sharing real-time updates can inadvertently inform malicious actors of your whereabouts, leaving you vulnerable.

It’s best to limit the details you share about your daily life. Consider curating your posts and keeping sensitive information for private conversations rather than sharing it publicly.

2 Including Excessive Details in Your Bio

It’s not just about what you post; it’s also important to reflect on the details you’ve included in your bio and how much information you’ve shared there. You may have unwittingly disclosed excessive personal details, such as phone numbers, email addresses, significant life events, and intimate family information.

It’s crucial to remember that your Facebook profile may be visible to strangers, especially if your privacy settings aren’t properly configured. This level of openness can leave you vulnerable to harassment or unwanted contact from individuals with ill intentions. Personal information is also used in spear phishing scams.

Rather than sharing sensitive information in your bio, consider offering a concise overview of your interests, hobbies, or professional background. This will allow you to convey your personality without compromising your privacy.

3 Spreading Misinformation or Unverified News

These days, social media platforms like Facebook serve as major sources of news and information for many. However, the ease of sharing content has also contributed to the widespread dissemination of misinformation and unverified news.

When you share articles, memes, or posts without verifying their accuracy or understanding their sources, you may unintentionally contribute to the spread of misinformation. This can be especially harmful, as misinformation has the potential to incite panic, shape public opinion, and even influence elections.

To combat this, it’s essential to verify the credibility of any information before sharing it. Engaging critically with what you read helps prevent the spread of misinformation and contributes to a more informed community. Every post you share has the potential to influence others, so ensure that the message you’re amplifying is accurate and valuable.

4 Engaging in Toxic Discussions or Trolling

Facebook is a platform designed for connection, yet it often becomes a battleground for toxic discussions and trolling. What may seem funny or harmless to you can be offensive or hurtful to others. It’s important to understand that engaging in heated debates or making sarcastic comments can escalate tensions and contribute to a hostile environment.

Toxic discussions not only damage relationships but can also tarnish your online reputation. Once words are typed and posted, they can spread rapidly, leaving a permanent mark on your digital footprint. Consider whether your words will contribute to a healthy dialogue or simply escalate tension. After all, social media should be a space for connection and understanding, not conflict and division.

5 Allowing Your Profile to Be Discoverable by Search Engines

By default, your Facebook profile is discoverable through search engines. This means that anyone can find your account simply by typing in your name in a Google or Bing search. While this may seem harmless, it can compromise your privacy and security. Strangers or unwanted acquaintances can easily locate your profile and gather personal information that could be used for malicious purposes.

Even if you believe your privacy settings are strict, search engine visibility can undermine those protections. Search engines index your information regardless of your privacy preferences, which can expose you to unwanted friend requests, harassment, or even identity theft.

To avoid this, it’s best to make your Facebook profile unsearchable via search engines. For that, open Facebook and head to Settings & privacy > Audience and visibility > How people find and contact you. Then, turn off the toggle next to Do you want search engines outside of Facebook to link to your profile.

6 Failing to Adjust Critical Privacy Settings

One of the most significant mistakes Facebook users make is neglecting to adjust their privacy settings. Sticking with the default settings often allows broader access to your profile and posts than you might realize.

For instance, by default, Facebook allows anyone—regardless of whether they are friends—to view your friends list, bio, and the pages you follow. This can lead to unintended exposure of personal information to strangers, increasing the risk of privacy breaches.

Moreover, you may not realize that your posts can be visible to the public, depending on your settings. Even seemingly innocent information can be misused by malicious actors. Therefore, it is essential to take the time to enhance your Facebook profile’s privacy by manually adjusting the privacy settings or using the Privacy Checkup tool.

7 Overlooking Essential Account Security Measures

Keeping your Facebook account secure may not seem important, but it’s crucial for protecting your personal information and online identity. One common oversight is failing to enable two-factor authentication (2FA). Without it, your account is more vulnerable to unauthorized access, especially if your passwords are weak or reused across multiple platforms.

Over time, you may have unknowingly granted third-party apps and websites access to your Facebook account. These apps often require permissions that extend beyond what is necessary for their functionality, making it essential to regularly audit and manage these permissions. By taking a few moments to reassess what apps have access to your account and limiting permissions where possible, you can significantly enhance your data security.

In the fast-paced world of social media, it’s easy to fall into the trap of making mistakes, from oversharing personal information to neglecting privacy settings. However, by being aware of these common missteps, you can take proactive steps to enhance your Facebook presence and use the platform more effectively.