Self/Home Defense Ammo For AR Pistol

[AK74Bob]

Hornady has a new load that they are advertising as a "home defense SBR" 5.56 load.https://www.targetsportsusa.com/hornady ... 59045.aspx

[photohause]

They do not address penetration...To me, that is an important issue

[Greg]

Hornady has a new load that they are advertising as a "home defense SBR" 5.56 load.https://www.targetsportsusa.com/hornady ... 59045.aspx

Thanks for the link im getting some for my 11.5 inch SBR

[AK74Bob]

You are welcome.

[SilentRecon]

What is your recommendation and why?

Don't use an AR pistol for home defense. Firing one in close quarters without hearing protection will make it clear why.

Suppressed AR15 for home defense is excellent choice. But yes, it's a ringer and can be disorienting.

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[RKBA]

At home defense distances, which unless you live in a mansion - is going to be 15 yards or less, I don't think it is going to matter much.

Anything is going to over penetrate with the exception of frangible or ultra-light varmint rounds which are a no-go for effectiveness on humans. And even those will go through 1-2 layer of drywall easy. They just might not make it into your neighbor's house. But your family is NOT safe from over-penetration of ANY rifle rounds. The bottom line is, you must know your target and what is behind it. Period.

I'd probably go with some kind of 75gr bullet for the best terminal effects, especially out of a short barrel.

With short barrels and .223 performance, then considering that it is pointless to cripple terminal ballistics in a hope of barely reducing penetration...just go with what will work best on the threat, and get training and discipline so that if that day comes, you can control your fire and also THINK under extreme stress, which means being able to SEE your environment and make DECISIONS. That way, you won't blast recklessly at a threat disregarding what is around or behind it.

Again, these lower-penetrating rounds mitigate it a bit, but not ENOUGH. Are your children going to be multiple rooms over, allowing for several walls to shield them? Looking at the angles in most living spaces, you'll find that engagement scenarios will not be such where you can maximize the number of walls between you and what you hope to not hit. And even if there were plenty of walls, and you used a low-penetration round - WOULD YOU STILL MAKE THAT SHOT KNOWING YOUR CHILDREN ARE IN THE LINE OF FIRE? I sure as hell hope the answer to that is NO. Thus, the entire matter is pointless.

In the end, the best way to reduce over-penetration is to ensure the bullets hit a good backstop - the scumbag that is invading your home. Goes back to training. Make hits count. Know what is behind the target.

[TactMedic]

Any thought to the AR9 for self defense? I think it might be a great option and Glock magazines are plentiful not to mention you will only have to stock 1 (if your a minimalist) calibre type AND 1magazine type.

I am currently running an AR9 rifle and waiting for black friday to purchase a G19 or G17.

I just got a 300 BO upper and will try that out at the range, since this thread has mentioned them for HD.

[Skoll]

Any thought to the AR9 for self defense? I think it might be a great option and Glock magazines are plentiful not to mention you will only have to stock 1 (if your a minimalist) calibre type AND 1magazine type.

I am currently running an AR9 rifle and waiting for black friday to purchase a G19 or G17.

I just got a 300 BO upper and will try that out at the range, since this thread has mentioned them for HD.

I'd probably go with an AR9/MP5/any other PCC over a rifle round for home defense for much the same reasons RKBA stated. While I know the human body can take some 9mms, you're going to be able to pump a lot into a home invader without overpen being the massive issue it is with even purpose made rifle rounds. I have Urban TAP .223 for my duty rifle that is made specifically to not penetrate barriers and I would never use that in my home. The only way I'd even consider it is if I had a suppressor and lived out in the sticks where there was no reasonable danger of a round going through a wall or window and into a neighbors.

It all comes down to training and preparedness in the end but there are plenty of things you can do yourself to mitigate something disastrous happening. You're responsible for every round you fire.

[TactMedic]

I agree Skoll, thus why I am going to stick with an AR9 and backup G19 (or vice versa, when SHTF I plan to pick up whatever is nearest).

Although my Neighbors are not too near, I think they are near enough that I would worry about a round going through a window and into their property.

as for my home, it is solid block construction so I don't think I will have penetration with a .223/5.56 round but a .300/.308 might do the trick.

[REDinFL]

There was a guy in Texas who had a website theboxotruth.com, in which he tested all sorts of weapons and calibers. I don’t know if he still does it or not. Many of the results were counterintuitive, but were from test setups he built. One was a section of a standard construction wall, and the penetration results were surprising. Basically a proper 5.56 had less risk of penetration than a shotgun or certain handgun rounds. A look might be useful.

Here on coastal FL, most of the houses are concrete block, which reduces risk, unless using a heavier caliber - wouldn’t want to miss with a good 308.

The concussion and noise inside a structure are something to be concerned about, as observed earlier in the thread. The best rounds inside likely would be from a handgun with a longer barrel (containing the explosion, burning all the powder). A 9mm or 38, with GOOD bullets should handle the task and minimize risk to the occupants or penetration to the outside.