Over Penetration...... thoughts

I would agree if someone has broke into your house and is putting a few rounds your direction the last thing you will be worried about is over penetration.

But the chance of that happening is i would suggest very low. On the scale things in life to worry about that would be way down my list.
 
Don't believe everything you see on TV. Crazy things can happen but in general no handgun round primarily used for self defense should not over penetrate in any serious way.
 
IF I'm alive after the confrontation / shooting, . . . we'll discuss the over penetration question.

We'll also check and see if the MT brass hit anyone in the eye and needs an optometrist :rolleyes:

While we're at it, might as well schedule a hearing test, make sure our hearing wasn't damaged by all those rounds expended in the hallway :p

Better have my wife also call the insurance company, . . . see if bullet holes in the living room wall are covered under our homeowner's policy ;)

Yeah, . . . lots of things to consider.

May God bless,
Dwight
 
Unless you are a seriously trained cop, and heavily street experienced cop, this is not an issue. In Wars, military guys don't deal with this either in most cases. I assure you that most folks only see the end of the bore in those situations. They do not see the shooter, what is behind him, and all of those nice poster safety tips hanging on the wall. In fight or flight, especially the untrained, you will either run or shoot ... Period!

It is something to consider if you are cool enough to do it. If a cop walking a beat sees an armer robber backing out of a bank on a crowded sidewalk ... he has to decide what to do, as innocents are behing him. The bad guy doesn't care, and if he, or she, attempts to shoot it is better for the trained cop to shoot, as he is trained, and should care about the innocents. No matter which way he goes, he will be in the hot seat, but it is his responsibility to try and make it safer with less injuries, and him shooting may be the only option. Civilians don't get into these situations often since they aren't wearing a uniform to catch the robber's eye.
 
A friend of my great Uncle came to see him in about 1975.
My great Uncle's wife answered the door, and said she'd be right back with "Mike" (my great Uncle).

When Mike turned the corner inside the house, and came into view of his friend at the front door, he was about 5 feet away. Thirteen bullets were fired from a Winchester pump rifle in .22 LR. Those bullets went through a glass storm door, an aluminum screen, and Mike's body.

Most of the bullets exited Mike's body, passed through 2 plaster-lathe walls, and were stopped by a brick exterior wall.

Even 40 gr RN lead from a .22 LR will over-penetrate. But, it's generally round nose designs, FMJ designs, and/or low velocity that causes over-penetration.

You won't find a free lunch by analyzing data from shootings.
 
I'm just amazed, really. I've been in enough gunfights, I don't need advice on that subject.... and I hope I'm not around when some of you start putting rounds thru the air. I was always conscious of the background of the person(s) or anything else I've ever shot at. And personally, I never looked at the gun the person was holding while they were shooting at me, I was more interested in shooting back and COM......

I was questioning over-penetration and different people's experience with 9mm rounds as related to it .... not how many of you will throw bullets thru the air with no concern for where any of them end up.

Sorry I brought up the subject.
 
I put my consideration of possible overpenetration in the selection of the round and in the event of a life threatening situation will make my best human effort to keep whats behind the BG in mind.

That said I think it is pretty reasonable to assume in such a high pressure situation that it will be difficult for most people to consider whats behind the target.

I know no ballistics test will tell how a particular given bullet will perform in real life but they do seem to be valid for getting a rough idea of what might penetrate to a given depth.
 
Note: The FBI 10mm 180 grain subsonic load noted in the link Sarge posted is the equivalent to most .40s&w 180 grain loads available today.
 
Over-penetration will be a concern for me when they invent a bullet that has an absolutely 100% predictable flight path thru the body and exit location/angle. Without that information, over-penetration is a non-issue as any round is capable of shooting though an intended target.
 
Over-penetration will be a concern for me when they invent a bullet that has an absolutely 100% predictable flight path thru the body and exit location/angle.
Click to expand...

We have several. .45 hardball, cast semi-wadcutters and LBT's will pretty much bore a straight path through humans, regardless of intervening limbs or support structures encountered along the way.

Heavy cast semi-wadcutters and LBT's will poke a full-caliber hole through 3-4 feet of game animals, even at moderate velocities.
 
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