7.62x39mm Home Defense Ammo?

L

LouisianaAviator

New member
With the increasing popularity of AR15 carbines for home defense using expanding or fragmenting rounds that offer limited penetration.

Some may disagree that a self-loading carbine is good for home defense, especially in the city, but there are some .223 loads that have less risk of overpenetration than pistol rounds, and some people may want something with better terminal ballistics than a pistol, but don't want the buck and roar of a shotgun and more capacity.

Is there an acceptable counterpart load in 7.62x39 for those that might keep an AK or SKS by their bed, that has been tested in FBI-spec ballistic gel with 4 layers of denim, penetrating between 12 and 18 inches?
 
2 years ago my wife and I both used AKs to kill all our deer and antelope. We used 3 different loads. 154 grain Wolf made exit holes in the game animals about the size of a nickel. Good kills but not dramatic.
The 124 grain Tula soft points worked very well. No bullets were recovered but all the exits were about the size of eggs.
The 122 grain Tula Hollow Points were terrible for hunting. All bullets broke up and made large horrific wounds but were only about 8-10 inches deep withh one only going about 8". No exits on even doe mule deer or doe antelope.
All were good kills because my wife and I both made good center chest shots, but I was not happy with the breaking up of the bullets.

That said, I would have to guess the 122 grin HPs would be great as defense loads within you home.
 
123 gr Hornady soft point bullets over 27 grains Accurate Arms 1680. :) But first, Wolf HP factory ammo. Pick your shots - no matter what you use in that caliber you are VERY likely to over penetrate any standard building supplies, and endanger someone beyond.
 
I got my AK for a range toy, but with a slight idea of home defense. After shooting it once I've decided that's a horrible idea, way too loud. Mine is a pistol however.
I've shot about every kind of foreign ammo you can buy, fmj and hollow points. The Russian hollow points are a joke. My friend shot a tree with some in an Ak rifle, dug the bullets out, and they hadn't expanded at all.
I've also shot Hornady Zombie rounds, they were a gift, and if for home defense is what is use. But if you can reload, I'd get some hollow points and turn the velocity way down on them.
I honestly think a rifle is a bad defense idea. Unless it shoots handgun ammo
 
"I honestly think a rifle is a bad defense idea. Unless it shoots handgun ammo "

And then, there are those who feel the only reason for using a handgun is because you can't reach your rifle(in a rifle caliber). I carry a handgun because shoving a rifle in my waistband is awkward.
 
I agree with Mobuck
Rifles are the very best all around defensive arm you can use.

Ask the Generals of any army on earth.

Some rifle bullets will be dangerous because of excessive penetration, but an AK or and AR with frangible ammo penetrates home walls far less than most pistol bullets of 9mm and larger. That’s not a opinion based on feelings. It’s a fact.
It well proven and well documented.
 
Rifle hollow point bullets are not built for expansion upon impact, like pistol hollow points are. Soft point or polymer point for hunting work better if you want expansion.

I personally don't see much point using rifles for defending my home. Exception is during civil unrest when gangs of armed looters roam around the neighborhood. For that 7.62x39 seems a good choice. M1 carbine is also good.


-TL
 
If a rifle is the choice, and over-penetration might be a problem, then it's time to consider scenarios and tactics. Zones where you would not shoot. Angles at which you would not shoot. It could be that you'd change to either shotgun or pistol, and then consider the type of ammo. Smaller than 00 Buck in a shotgun, e.g., and possibly a 5.7 pistol.

But work on shooting skill so that you don't miss. Work on your brain and adrenalin control so that you don't go to sprayin' and prayin'.
 
I have a couple cases of this soft point ammo for my AK

softpoint-steel.jpg




I also have a good supply of 220-gr. 7.62 x 39 Jackhammer Subsonic for quiet indoor events.

762x39jackhammer.jpg
 
I was under the impression that rifles weren't usually tested with denim.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I don't usually recall it being used in rifle tests. Probably because there's no hollow point to 'clog' and a couple layers of denim is no match for a rifle round. Where as, denim could be a much more significant obstacle with lower velocity (and usually lighter for caliber bullets) that pistols use, compared to rifles.

As tangolima, stated. Most if not all rifle 'hollow points' are not designed to expand. They're closer to match grade hollow points which have hollow points because the jacket can be manufactured slightly more consistently for better accuracy.
 
I think any 7.62x39 round, whether FMJ or HP is going to be an effective home defense round. I know that I probably wouldn't survive a close range hit with one.
 
"Most if not all rifle 'hollow points' are not designed to expand"
Painting with much too wide a brush. ALL varmint type HP ARE designed to expand very violently.
Now if you're talking about European bimetal jacketed HP, that's a different story. I've seen those make some really messy wounds on deer BUT I lean toward the idea that the bullet tumbled rather than expanded after doing some bullet tests in wet newsprint.
I live in the country, can't see another house, and would have to use a compass to direct fire that MIGHT come close to an occupied home. If given an opportunity, I'll use a rifle for whatever I might need to defend against.
 
Mobuck makes a real good point about bi-meetal hollow points.
These h.p. bullets will NOT expand, they are designed to tumble.
I've shot both b-gel & water filled gallon plastic jusgs with that stuff & they do not expand at all. Bullets recovered from jugs showed deformation of the projectile in the form af acutally being bent somewhat.
Were I to use that round for home defense I'd use ammo like a ballistic tip that is made to rupture violently.
The so called soft points don't do a very good job of controlled expansion either.
I treat all that Chi-com stuff as hardball.
 
The threat of over penetration isn't just to other houses, it's to other rooms in your house as well. If they are anywhere near my son's room I would not shoot.
And I live in a trailer, as does my neighbor. The outside walls are 1/8 inch thick paneling, insulation, and thin aluminum. It does have 2x4 studs atleast. The interior walls are paneling with ferring strip studs. My son's room does have drywall on one wall. My bedroom is a room addition. It's drywall, insulation, insulation board, and vinyl siding. I use 9mm with ballistic tips in a Baby Eagle. If things get crazy I have a 12 gauge with 000.
 
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