what load are you using?

and if you wish to comment on barrel length and gas system.

thx sh

75 grain Hornady TAPs.

20" Colt AR15A4, RLGS.

Believe it or not, 20" can be used for CQB.

Even though I really don't have houses close to me I don't use a AR-15 for home defense. My concern would be any centerfire rifle may have over penetration and a bullet might finds it way to someone home.

__________________
SWHF #595

12” barrel suppressed carbine length gas tube in 300 blackout, 125 grain VMax cartridges.

Close to a 30-30 in terminal ballistics.

55 Grain Federal Tactical Rifle Urban Soft Points. Same stuff DHS issues.

The lighter .223/5.56 is actually generally considered to be a decent choice for home defense than buckshot when considering over penetration. The bullet is so light and fast it takes very little to disrupt it's stability and cause the bullet to tumble and break up. I think Paul Harrel did a video on it at some point.

That said, any modern handgun, rifle, or shotgun cartridge suitable for home defense will penetrate several layers of dry wall or a stud or two.

Ditto. Excessive in the extreme and possibly irresponsible, depending on conditions.

If you live in the boondocks with a quarter mile or more distance from your nearest neighbor, your choices are different than those of us who live in urban environments with 10 or 20 feet between houses where our neighbors live and raise their children.

Once again, my personal selection as a primary home defense piece is the Remington 870 in 12-gauge loaded with 2-3/4" field loads of BB shot (about 90 lead balls of .18 caliber). The furthest distance inside my home is about 40 feet (13.33 yards) and I seriously doubt that anyone receiving 1-1/4 oz. of BB shot within that range will be able to tell the difference from buckshot, slugs, or high power rifle fire. The Remington holds 5 rounds and it is backed up by a .45 pistol (which I sincerely hope that I never have to use).

Your home. Your choices. Your responsibility for any consequences.

Notice that I haven't even mentioned the extreme muzzle blast and concussive force resulting from discharging a center-fire rifle inside a house in the middle of the night? Try it sometime, then tell me how it works for you while you try for a second round.

I dwelling out on the rural route.........
And I do like the 5.56 / .223 for security around the homestead.

I'm liking the 50 grain Barnes Varmint Grenades...

For indoors, I like the 300 Blackout sub-sonic Hornady's 190 grain loading.


.

__________________
"IN GOD WE TRUST"

I live in a rural location and my Colt 16" carbine is loaded with 5.56 mm
M193 55 gr FMJ.

Although your assumption seems reasonable on the surface, plenty of testing has been done to show it is incorrect. A little bit of research will provide bountiful data that when it comes to potential over-penetration the light-bullet .223 loads are a much better choice than common pistol calibers or buckshot.

__________________
Pisgah

A professional colleague proved that load will handily blow through a 6x6 pine rail and keep going. I wouldn't think that would be an optimal load in most buildings.

At engagements of a few yards a 9mm carbine would be more than adequate. JHP ammo to prevent over penetration.

__________________
"He was kinda funny lookin'"

The FBI (and I think others) have shown that 5.56 duty rounds (I think mine is a 64 grain gold dot) are far less likely to penetrate a typical home wall than a typical pistol duty round. It is also much more effective. With a good rifle platform you are far more likely to get the first step in solving the problem done - solid hits to the vitals. One shoots until the offender is perceived as going down and OUT, and you follow them to the ground. Hitting the target well also reduces the risk to others from continued fighting, and any possible over-penetration.

My AR is a 14.5 BCM with the flash hider permanently mounted for a final barrel length of 16.1". With the 1000 lumen flashlight and Aimpoint RDS, it is set up well for any serious use. What is likely the single best choice for both duty and home is an 11.5" barrel with a can, which does require a stamp.

__________________
NHI, 10-8.

Wouldn't surprise me if you shot it in the house you would blow your eardrum out.
Jim

WHAT ??????.....I'm sorry I didn't hear your question!!!!

I fired a AR inside once......................

For those not familiar with this site, it's all about testing penetration...

- What you always wanted to know... But were unable to test yourself! The Box O' Truth

Over penetration with proper 5.56 ammo is a myth. It is a small bullet with a thin jacket that destabilizes and fragments quickly. It is much safer to use indoors than many handgun rounds.

That said, 193 and 855 usually don't fall into this category.

Better yet, a rifle has a far better chance of working than a handgun.


Sent from my SM-T510 using Tapatalk

While I agree in principle, I would imagine the velocity of the round (as well as its construction) would be a factor. Would such a short barrel still be able to produce the necessary velocity? Is there a limit to how short the barrel can be and still produce these results? I'm speaking about its ability to break up in building materials and reduce the risk of overpenetration. I'm genuinely curious.

I use Speer Gold Dot Personal Protection 55gr. The gun is a pistol with a 7.5" barrel. I prefer 20 round magazines. See below.

As to the mention of blowing out eardrums, this is why I keep electronic muffs right next to the bed.

As stated above, the FBI did do testing. The service .40 S&W at use at the time penetrated far more than did the .223 service ammo. The 00 buck also penetrated building materials more readily than did the .223 projectiles.

As for barrel length, much testing was done there as well. I don’t have exact data and my memory is rusty since retirement, but the BRF tested various barrel lengths out to 100 yards using the FBI ammo testing protocol and I seem to remember that barrels down to 10.5” or so passed fine. They were not concerned with farther than 100 yds as other firearms would be more appropriate for that application, such as the LaRue Tactical OBR in .308 that was issued to many “Indian Country” agents.

__________________
No good deed goes unpunished.

Pretty much “run of the mill” 55grain expanding bullets....I have “no” close neighbors. the safety of my neighbors were a concern,I’d be using the Barnes “Varmint Grenade”.....to make sure that the bullet “did not” leave my residence! Though, it’s not” my “first line of defense” inside of the home.....a Winchester Defender is first in line.....assuming I have time to make the 3 steps from the bed to the “scatter-gun”. memtb memtb

123gr SST 6.5 Grendel out of a 12.5" pistol for me

__________________
SWCA 3563
10mm aficionado

*
Not a trivial question, but I have seen some stuff that would indicate it is not likely to be a problem. The first thing that comes to mind was a video by Gunner Wade (First? Marine Division W-5 Gunner until his recent retirement) that addressed suppressed and non-suppressed ARs and velocity differences.

One might have to tweak their ammo choice a bit, but it is not something about which I would worry with good duty ammo. As I recall, the length of the can will be included in the functional length of the barrel when it comes to burning all the powder and other velocity factors. This is more likely to be true at ranges under 50 or even 100 yards. The advantages in both tactical performance and hearing safety are really important. Police departments are in fact using the hearing issue and its OSHA impacts to support putting cans on rifles. As far as I am concerned, the failure to have cans on LE rifles is prima facie evidence of command dereliction and a solid basis for serious discipline, preferably discharge.

__________________
NHI, 10-8.