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I spotted these guys on the web, though I've never heard of them:

http://www.frangiblebullets.com/specs/index.html

 

I'm investigating whether or not frangible ammo is a good option for self-defense. Anyone care to weigh in? I've seen the results from box o' truth and their test had frangible, door breaching ammo going through multiple layers of drywall.

 

Any opinions of what works, what doesn't, and where to buy?

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  • 2 weeks later...
I spotted these guys on the web, though I've never heard of them:

http://www.frangiblebullets.com/specs/index.html

 

I'm investigating whether or not frangible ammo is a good option for self-defense. Anyone care to weigh in? I've seen the results from box o' truth and their test had frangible, door breaching ammo going through multiple layers of drywall.

 

Any opinions of what works, what doesn't, and where to buy?

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Frankly, in today's legal minefield, it's usually better to kill an intruder outright than to hurt him. Consider it this way: he survives, it's your word against his, and he might be able to spin quite a tale or even sue you in some states. He dies, and it's your testimony alone and the evidence: signs of forced entry and a dead intruder on the floor. It just doesn't pay to be a nice guy when it comes to defending your own life or the life of your family.

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Pretty much. The primary use for them is air marshals on airplanes. They're designed for extremely close range in an emergency situation. They're NOT designed for normal use. The best thing you can do is use hollowpoints / expanders. A properly expanded hollowpoint is going to bleed energy very rapidly while inflicting lethal wounds. You won't get overpenetration assuming you hit your target, although they can certainly punch through drywall if that's all you hit.

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If memory serves me correctly, they suck big time when it comes to terminal balistics.

 

But if you are using them from 0-10 yards, do they not work well? My home is mostly drywall, but there's siding on the exterior walls. I live in the suburbs, so my objective is to have a chance at having the projectiles stop/disintegrate before exiting the house, or at least before entering a neighboring home.

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I can apreciate your reasoning. This subject has been beat to death on arfcom more than one time. I'm thinking that they only penetrate something like 2" in ballistic gel tests. It normaly takes more penetration then that to reach vital organs.

 

Basically they're a gimmick.

 

I encourage you to research the subject further. If you choose good hollow points that are matched to your firearm/barrel a high percentage of the energy will be deposited in your target and reduce the bullets ability to penetrate beyond the target.

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Frangible ammo can be used for close quarters home defense stuff - and it will kill better at room distances than birdshot. Like someone else brought up - drywall will NOT stop a frangible bullet. Frangible is mandatory for tactical training, to avoid ricochet off targets at close range.

 

Frangible rifle bullets have more self-defence utility than the pistol rounds. I would use a good hollowpoint in a pistol caliber instead.

 

For home defense: 12 GA with 00-buck - no need to look any further.

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I'm against birdshot, it's for killing small birds. It will make a large nasty SHALLOW wound. This may stop many attacks, but won't prevent return fire or a determined/high attacker.

 

I have three children and live in the 'burbs so I do have to worry about overpenetration. The problem is that if a round won't penetrate through a wall it doesn't have enough energy to penetrate to the vitals and stop an attack.

 

There are frag rounds that use sintered copper held together with a glue that can blast through walls, car windshields, etc. and not bust a balloon 10 feet behind the target. I tried to buy some but the company would sell to LE only.

 

I have made some with my buddies press that are heavy game shot (#5) mixed with wax. They definitely make a hole, but I haven't done any extensive testing or made any more. As I recall, I was thinking I would need a lighter shot like #6 or #7.5.

 

Just an idea.

 

On the legal side, dead or not your going to get sued by any family looking for a payday. LE get sued no matter how justified. Expect it no matter the circumstances. Having a less than lethal round FIRST, followed up with more potent rounds may serve you well. If you shoot them and they stop. You have a great case in court, if they don't and you have to really stop them you still have a great case in court.

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Sorry to highjack this thread, but I have to clear something up;

 

I do not mean to be rude or condesending with the following statement, but, PLEASE DO NOT SPREAD THE MYTH THAT BIRDSHOT IS GOOD HOME PERSONAL DEFENSE.

 

I know of NO instructor, seasoned LEO, or emergency room doctor that would recommend birdshot for home defense.

 

You are better off arming yourself with a .32APC pistol than with birdshot! Birdshot has a very low probability of stopping a desperate human being and an extremely low probability of a kill - even at 3 yards there is a 90% survival probability with a direct torso shot. birdshot will rip up a swath of tissue and look nasty - but the attack will most likely continue. Labratory testing and actual human shooting data overwhelmingly confirm this. At 5 yards, #6 birdshot will not even penetrate a leather jacket. Ask Dick Cheney about the lethality of an upclose blast to the head with birdshot.

 

Birdshot is for knocking down birds. You can kill a bird with an airsoft gun (dont ask how I know this :unsure: ). Humans are hard to kill because much penetration is needed.

 

00 buckshot is universaly recommended because it has almost 100% stopping power yet penetrates less than all defensive pistol rounds.

 

Here is the falacy with not wanting to shoot through walls: Anything that lacks the penetrating power to go through walls WILL NOT reach vital organs and kill a human! The mythical "magic" round that kills bad guys and does not penetrate walls DOES NOT EXIST.

 

If you are worried about walls because you do not have the ability to aim and hit a human target at close range with a shotgun, you need to buy OC spray or get a tazer gun.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Our SWAT team uses Polyshock slugs for entry. We tested them in an old apt. building that was going to be torn down. They are very impressive rounds. Before we used a zinc door breaching round to gain entry and then the breacher would have to switch weapons upon entry. We found that the Polyshok could do both. I shoots a polymer slug and the fps and range is about the same as a lead projectile. The round holds together and destroys it's intended target but does not over penetrate to another unintended target. We shot walls, refrigerators and car doors. The damage was significant but the area behind the target was peppered but there was minimal damage. The fridge was shot through the front door. The door was mangled and the inside rear of the fridge was torn up pretty badly. The round did not exit the rear of the fridge. The .40 handgun ammo went completely through the fridge and over penetrated the sheetrock walls in the apt as well.

Check out these test vids from thefiringpin.com.

http://www.thefiringpin.com/polyshock_demos.htm

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I can apreciate your reasoning. This subject has been beat to death on arfcom more than one time. I'm thinking that they only penetrate something like 2" in ballistic gel tests. It normaly takes more penetration then that to reach vital organs.

 

Basically they're a gimmick.

 

I encourage you to research the subject further. If you choose good hollow points that are matched to your firearm/barrel a high percentage of the energy will be deposited in your target and reduce the bullets ability to penetrate beyond the target.

 

Looking back, I was thinking in terms of handgun rounds like fang face... Thought I should clarify that.

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