(Coninued from Part 1. This part concludes the article.)
Defensive Equipment – Each capable team member should have an AR, AK, or similar rifle — plus a handgun. It is useful to have at least one shotgun for close in firepower and an accurate, scoped bolt action rifle if you have longer range potential threats. While handguns and shotguns are useful in or immediately around the house, perimeter defense will depend on your rifle skills. Assuming you are capable of safe, accurate and reasonably fast target engagement with your rifles, then here are a few additional considerations:
- Sights – While it is essential to be proficient with iron sights, you should take advantage of better options for speed and accuracy at longer range. Inside of 50 yards, red dots are much quicker to acquire. Beyond 50 yards, scopes come into their own. If you have the potential for longer range defense, especially beyond 100 yards, the new breed of 1-4x, 1-6x, and 1-8x power scopes give you the option for fast engagement up close when set on 1x and the ability to find a small or hidden target at longer range when set to the higher power. At 1x they are relatively fast but not as fast as a red dot due to the need for proper head position behind the scope tube. Several of these scopes also provide a red dot as part of the reticle – giving you another way to quickly index on target. If you use a variable power scope, be sure to keep it on the lowest power setting. This gives you the widest field of view if needed up close. You should have time to dial up magnification if the threat is further away or partially hidden.
- Lasers – Another option is a visible laser on your firearm. These work well in low light conditions where it’s harder to see your sights and the laser isn’t washed out by bright sunlight. They work out to 25+ yards but are best within 10 yards – making them most effective on handguns. At longer ranges they are relatively dim and you spend too much time trying to find the beam and get it on target. Infrared (IR) lasers, on the other hand, are extremely effective when coupled with Night Vision Devices (NVD or NVG for Night Vision Goggles). Although invisible to the naked eye, they are highly visible with NVD and extremely effective to 100 yards – further depending on power level and the quality of your NVD.
- Lights – Flashlights are essential for home defense since you must be able to see and identify a potential target before engaging. Handheld flashlights are best for navigating and searching. Weapon mounted lights are best for targeting with the caveat that the muzzle is sweeping anything you light up. A weapon mounted light is useful on a perimeter defense rifle but will not be your primary observation tool since (1) regardless of how powerful the light, it will eventually lose effectiveness at longer range and (2) if you are counting on surprise while defending the perimeter, the white light will be a beacon for incoming fire. IR lights, on the other hand, are a great addition if you are using NVD. They extend the range at which NVD can find and identify threats.