Frangible ammo for home defense

I considered it, but it turns out on flesh, it behaves just like FMJ. Years ago, I read that it only breaks up on steel or hard surfaces. The closest I have to "frangible" ammo is V-Max rounds for the 1st 10 rounds in my bedside 5.45x39 AK.
 
I considered it, but it turns out on flesh, it behaves just like FMJ. Years ago, I read that it only breaks up on steel or hard surfaces.
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This isn't exactly right. Depends on the the frangible ammo and what it is made for. Some of it is designed specifically for range use with steel targets and it doesn't necessarily break up well in soft tissue. Some of it is made for soft tissue and comes apart quite nicely in soft tissue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDIwKM_DanQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq4F7p8qE5E

Now, whether you like how it is apt to perform in soft tissue is another matter. Penetration can be quite variable. Hitting of hard tissue (bone) may significantly alter how the bullets perform, more so than traditional defensive bullets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2Ikcx9QiVg
 
Thanks 00. Good videos. And not what I expected although one was closer. (something like 1000 grains of sand each going a different direction when it hit the gel.) These seemed to act more like hollow point with a lot more pieces.
 
In the 90's I considered (knew from my wallet) Glaser was too expensive to test my P89 with for reliability according to the Protocols of the usual Petersen Publishing gun rags of the time. Untested for the price of the day I wasn't going to blow $20 for six shots to try in my 357.'s either.

But I could duplicate Corbon 115 gr. 9mm down to the bullet and powder (yes they told me it was AA#7 back then) and Federal 125 gr. JHP 357B was a lot cheaper and was already known to work.
 
I've never considered it. Primarily because I don't live in a cracker box with other people on all six sides of me. My nearest neighbor is several hundred yards away and at significantly different elevation, so odds of a bullet fired inside my house getting to them are quite low.

Also no longer have children at home, so with only one other person in the house, I'm able to keep a reasonably good idea of where she is, nearly all the time (its not a big house).

Additionally, some of the walls are concrete or stone which would limit penetration of regular ammo.

These factors and some others mean I am not very concerned about the risk of rounds "escaping" and injuring others, so I've never bothered to consider "frangible" ammo, other than varmint bullets from one of my varmint rifles, which are not my home defense guns anyway.

Your situation is almost certainly quite different.
 
Not only considered it, but also made and experimented with it. Not hard to go from going to powder upon hitting tissue, to going to almost like FMJ. IMO, in comparison to other manufacturing methods, powder metal is deficient, though in combination with other methods, can potentially offer potentials not obtainable with singular processes.
 
I have considered it but there are several problems.

They are all very expensive.

Only some work as advertised.

The ones that do work tend to have inadequate penetration to reach vitals.
 
When I got back into shooting, the salesman convinced me to buy some for my carry gun. Tried it for a while, but it's expensive and JHP works. Don't see the point.
 
Years ago I bought some MagSaft rounds that were designed to open up on soft targets. I carried them until they were too beat up looking to keep taking in and out of my carry gun and I shot them into jugs of water. They ripped the jugs apart unlike anything I've ever seen a .45 auto do before or since and there was no exit hole.

I heard the owner of the company passed away and the new owners never matched the quality. I don't know if there's anything else like that around these days.

Tony
 
I stick now with the 55gr. FMJ , some will say it's not safe because of a through and through but what happens if a bad mob comes crashing in , then I go with the saying " kill two birds with one stone " but really before yanking the trigger better make sure you hit what your aiming at and beyond.
 
55gr FMJ isn’t ideal because little details in the bullet jacket make a big difference. Wolf Gold 55gr will upset and fragment like M193. Regular Wolf 55gr won’t fragment and will probably exit because it is a copper washed steel jacket.

And even if you have the right 55gr FMJ bullet, your terminal performance depends on what the yaw angle is when the bullet hits the target - and yaw angle is most variable in the first 20-30m. Yaw angle near zero and bullet zips right through. Yaw angle high and bullet breaks apart.

I mean, you could definitely do worse and it is certainly a cost-effective choice; but there is a lot better technology out there these days that produces more consistent performance.
 
uote:
Originally Posted by TXAZ View Post
Curious if you use or have considered using frangible ammo for home defense.
Why / why not?
I have considered it. I just use #4 Buck.
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That is exactly what I did when I lived in a condo complex...I did not want anything to go through walls and hurt anything else but the hypothetical intended target.
 
I have considered it. I just use #4 Buck.
That is exactly what I did when I lived in a condo complex...I did not want anything to go through walls and hurt anything else but the hypothetical intended target.
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And...what makes you think a wall will stop #4 Buck?

ANYTHING that will have sufficient penetration on a person, will go through standard constructed walls. Sheetrock isnt stopping ANY buckshot load.
 
Quote:
I have considered it. I just use #4 Buck.
That is exactly what I did when I lived in a condo complex...I did not want anything to go through walls and hurt anything else but the hypothetical intended target.
And...what makes you think a wall will stop #4 Buck?

ANYTHING that will have sufficient penetration on a person, will go through standard constructed walls. Sheetrock isnt stopping ANY buckshot load.
Today 01:21 PM
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Actually civilian #4 buck can be pretty lame stuff:

https://www.pewpewtactical.com/home-defense-overpenetration/#toc2

Still better than bird shot...and yes it range and load dependent, I will give you that.
 
Actually civilian #4 buck can be pretty lame stuff:
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But that's not what the story you linked to says (from Pew Pew Tactical). They gave #4 Buckshot a passing grade and explained:
With most of the 29 pellets either lodging themselves within the 12” gel block or being stuck within the interior wall, this type of load is in the “goldilocks zone” of terminal ballistics and lacks severe over-penetration like 00-Buck.
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The article actually recommends #4 Buckshot for home defense and then discusses different brands of #4 Buck.


https://www.pewpewtactical.com/home-defense-overpenetration/#toc2
 
Actually civilian #4 buck can be pretty lame stuff:
But that's not what the story you linked to says (from Pew Pew Tactical). They gave #4 Buckshot a passing grade and explained:
Quote:
With most of the 29 pellets either lodging themselves within the 12” gel block or being stuck within the interior wall, this type of load is in the “goldilocks zone” of terminal ballistics and lacks severe over-penetration like 00-Buck.
The article actually recommends #4 Buckshot for home defense and then discusses different brands of #4 Buck.


https://www.pewpewtactical.com/home-...etration/#toc2
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Um yah, that is the point, terminal ballistics without over penetration!
 
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