SonOfScubaDiver
New member
So, I'd like to get opinions on the topic of over penetration with FMJ. There seems to be some controversy over the likelihood of over penetrating a target with FMJ and other non-hollow point rounds, thereby hitting innocent bystanders in the process. I don't claim to be a ballistics expert, but I have learned a couple of things since becoming a gun enthusiast. Well, at least I think I have.
In the first place, it seems to me that there is a lot of confusion surrounding the 12-18 inch penetration standard. I constantly hear people claiming that this standard does not account for bones, tendons, or other aspects of the human body. My understanding is that the 12-18 inch penetration standard actually represents 4-6 inches in human flesh once bones, tendons, and other aspects of the human body are factored in. In other words, a bullet that can penetrate 12-18 inches of ballistic gel should have enough force to penetrate a human body and reach vital organs, which is approximately 4-6 inches. If I'm wrong on this, feel free to correct me.
The thing that has me thinking about this over penetration claim is that, if it's true that 12-18 inches of penetration in gel approximates 4-6 inches in actual human flesh, then a bullet would have to travel with enough force to almost triple that amount before actually passing through the upper torso. And then it would have to still be traveling fast enough to penetrate whomever is behind the person getting shot. In other words, a bullet would have to pass through the ribcage, reach the heart (or other vital organ), pass through the heart, and then still have enough force to pass through the ribcage again before becoming a danger to someone standing behind the person being shot.
So, while I know that bullets do strange things when entering the human body, and while I know that it wouldn't take as much force to completely pass through the abdomen, intenstines, and out the tissue in the lower back region of the body, it seems to me that there isn't nearly as much danger of over penetrating someone with FMJ as people are claiming.
I mean, that's a big part of the sales pitch with hollow points, right? They expand, mimicking a larger round (not a bad thing), and lose all their energy before going completely through the human body. The risk of over penetration is greatly reduced, but how much of a risk is there in the first place? With some calibers, such as the 380, it seems to me that the risk of under penetrating a target is higher with hollow points than the risk of over penetrating a target with FMJ.
So, I'd like to get your opinion on over penetration with FMJ. Is the risk real, or is it just a myth concocted by bullet manufacturers to get us to buy more expensive hollow point ammunition?
In the first place, it seems to me that there is a lot of confusion surrounding the 12-18 inch penetration standard. I constantly hear people claiming that this standard does not account for bones, tendons, or other aspects of the human body. My understanding is that the 12-18 inch penetration standard actually represents 4-6 inches in human flesh once bones, tendons, and other aspects of the human body are factored in. In other words, a bullet that can penetrate 12-18 inches of ballistic gel should have enough force to penetrate a human body and reach vital organs, which is approximately 4-6 inches. If I'm wrong on this, feel free to correct me.
The thing that has me thinking about this over penetration claim is that, if it's true that 12-18 inches of penetration in gel approximates 4-6 inches in actual human flesh, then a bullet would have to travel with enough force to almost triple that amount before actually passing through the upper torso. And then it would have to still be traveling fast enough to penetrate whomever is behind the person getting shot. In other words, a bullet would have to pass through the ribcage, reach the heart (or other vital organ), pass through the heart, and then still have enough force to pass through the ribcage again before becoming a danger to someone standing behind the person being shot.
So, while I know that bullets do strange things when entering the human body, and while I know that it wouldn't take as much force to completely pass through the abdomen, intenstines, and out the tissue in the lower back region of the body, it seems to me that there isn't nearly as much danger of over penetrating someone with FMJ as people are claiming.
I mean, that's a big part of the sales pitch with hollow points, right? They expand, mimicking a larger round (not a bad thing), and lose all their energy before going completely through the human body. The risk of over penetration is greatly reduced, but how much of a risk is there in the first place? With some calibers, such as the 380, it seems to me that the risk of under penetrating a target is higher with hollow points than the risk of over penetrating a target with FMJ.
So, I'd like to get your opinion on over penetration with FMJ. Is the risk real, or is it just a myth concocted by bullet manufacturers to get us to buy more expensive hollow point ammunition?