Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled "5.56 vs. Drywall: Is Your Home Defense Gun Dangerous?" and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/5-56-vs-drywall-is-your-home-defense-gun-dangerous/.
5.56 vs. Drywall: Is Your Home Defense Gun Dangerous?
- Thread starter Mike H.
- Start date
Annihilator
Emissary
Nice video and article, thanks Mike.
Check out this video from Paul Harrell showing how different calibers react going through drywall and exterior walls as it may better answer your question.
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I really expected to see more conversation about the negative effects of overtravel in an urban defense situation and was surprised by the choice to use the more powerful ammo.
This site has done some great tests, and this one seems relevant to the post.
www.theboxotruth.com
This site has done some great tests, and this one seems relevant to the post.
The Box O' Truth #3 - The Shotgun Meets the Box...
I didn't want to slight the shotgun lovers by not carefully researching what a shotgun will do as far as penetration. The shotgun is a Mossberg Maverick, 12 Gauge, with a 19.5" barrel, no choke. Typical of "combat" shotgun dimensions. The Box O' Truth is loaded with 12 sheets of 5/8"...
KillerFord1977
SAINT
Paul does some really good tests, and I like the meat stack touch for ammo to penetrate vs gel
Night Owl 1
Alpha
223 Frontier 55 grain nearly identical to 556 Black in drywall damage and second gel block penetration. 223 frags after drywall and in second block. Those fragments create a lot of damage and lose speed faster than a jacketed bullet, thereby being safer than a jacketed bullet in CQD. Frontier 223 is cheaper, and the round you will likely practice with, ensuring best results at the range and home defense. 223 for the win in this test.Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled "5.56 vs. Drywall: Is Your Home Defense Gun Dangerous?" and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/5-56-vs-drywall-is-your-home-defense-gun-dangerous/.
I typically go the multiple sources route myself when I'm researching a subject to find the different point of views.
Annihilator
Emissary
Bassbob
Emissary
I really expected to see more conversation about the negative effects of overtravel in an urban defense situation and was surprised by the choice to use the more powerful ammo.
This site has done some great tests, and this one seems relevant to the post.
The Box O' Truth #3 - The Shotgun Meets the Box...
I didn't want to slight the shotgun lovers by not carefully researching what a shotgun will do as far as penetration. The shotgun is a Mossberg Maverick, 12 Gauge, with a 19.5" barrel, no choke. Typical of "combat" shotgun dimensions. The Box O' Truth is loaded with 12 sheets of 5/8"...
I agree with everything about this article.
I think the whole " Overpenetration" conversation has only become a talking point in the last several years or so. And frankly I think statistically it's a non-starter. I haven't found anyone who could provide me of an example of a home defense scenario where an innocent person was injured due to over penetration. Like the author says, it has to be able to penetrate walls if you want it to penetrate bad guys.
Frankly I agree with this guy too.
Why overpenetration is nonsense
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to tell you that bullets don’t go through things. Obviously, they do
www.police1.com
The comments are gold. Like this one.
"I'm working on a round that reaches out just far enough to get to the bad guy, then hugs him, and only him, to death."
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uspatriot1960
Custom
I find it interesting that all this information on the effectiveness of the cartridge for self defense is with the use of a SBR. I’ve heard A LOT of people talk about how a short barrel .223 is useless because of the velocity loss. Doesn’t sound like that is the case to me. I know this, I would not want to be shot with a .223 bullet coming out of a short barrel rifle or pistol...
Bassbob
Emissary
I'm getting ready to put together a pistol. I'd be real interested in what kind of performance you get out of a 5.56 with an 8.5-10" upper.
uspatriot1960
Custom
The guy in the original video never revealed his barrel length, but it looked like his was in that range. I have a 7.5” Victor. I know this, I would not want to be shot with it. Bet it would do as much, if not more damage than a 9mm pistol.
samthedog73
Alpha
Interesting video. I'm curious as to why you have a magnifier on a home defense carbine?
Bassbob
Emissary
I know I have said here in the thread about my first AR, that I would build/assemble the next one myself and it would be a nice one, but an opportunity has presented itself and I think I'm going to do a pistol with PSA upper and lower.
KillerFord1977
SAINT
Some people live on 10 acres.
Seriously though, a 3x magnifier or variable zoom would be fine in a home defense situation. Example: bad people drive up your driveway and stop in your yard. Lots of rural or lots with larger acres have long approaches to their house. A magnifier +red dot could be useful in a certain circumstance. You could flip the magnifier out of the way for close in the house front doorway - entry less that 10 yard engagement.
I run a magnifier on some rifles. Open sight on others. I personally would go open sight for home defense, but a see the rational of both.
KASHIRA-3
Elite
I did not watch the video
Of course my home defense gun is dangerous. Firearms are dangerous, discharging a firearm indoors can certainly be dangerous, defending ones self with numerous occupants in close proximity can be dangerous. At the same time, a unabated danger inside your home which is considered an immediate threat, can also be dangerous and perhaps even more so. Fast moving projectiles put holes in things, its not rocket science and although I do not argue with the fact that its possible to mitigate some of the risks associated with over penetration, I think some people are chasing that unattainable unicorn via what some believe to be magically imbued ammo.
My efforts to help mitigate over penetration rests in the fact that I do not use a RIFLE for self defense inside the home.
Of course my home defense gun is dangerous. Firearms are dangerous, discharging a firearm indoors can certainly be dangerous, defending ones self with numerous occupants in close proximity can be dangerous. At the same time, a unabated danger inside your home which is considered an immediate threat, can also be dangerous and perhaps even more so. Fast moving projectiles put holes in things, its not rocket science and although I do not argue with the fact that its possible to mitigate some of the risks associated with over penetration, I think some people are chasing that unattainable unicorn via what some believe to be magically imbued ammo.
My efforts to help mitigate over penetration rests in the fact that I do not use a RIFLE for self defense inside the home.