M&P 15 Sport 2 home defence

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After shooting my m&p 15 2 and finding out how it can send a round streight through a 4x4 I have to ask what round is best for home defence? ( I am shooting .223 rounds )
No question it will stop an intruder but if you should miss or even if you dont miss I dont want the round to travel on through a wall leaving the house and injuring some innocent person.
What round is best for home defence when using a AR?
When I am out and about I carry either a .380 or a 38.
I have thought about a shotgun for home defence such as the Mossburg with the birdshead grip and short barrel.
Some thoughts please.
 
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Round nose, soft point ammunition in a lighter grain will penetrate less than a ball or Spitzer round. It really depends on the type of community and house spacing where you live as to where you want to compromise. In a typical suburban community, row houses, or an apartment complex, an AR15 is probably not the best choice.

Even a pistol or a shotgun loaded with #4 Buck will blow through at least one wall but might be the best option outside of making sure you don't miss.


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My carry gun is a 9mm Sig 938. In my bedroom (no kids in house ever) I have a S&W 9mm SD-9 on the night stand loaded with a round in the chamber, but in a holster that covers the trigger, and a 20 ga Mossberg Shockwave (birdshead grip) with a rail mounted laser, and loaded with #4 Buckshot behind the door. I keep it loaded with an empty chamber so if I go to it the sound of racking a round might deter an intruder. In my Study I have all of my other guns. Most unloaded, but the three AR's are loaded with empty chambers.
 
For me-blackhawk with 110gr Critical Defense lite in the bedroom. Next to my PC-SD9VE with laser loaded with 147gr jhp+2 extra mags loaded with 147's. Nearby-1911 loaded with 230 jhp. Round in chamber is old production glaser silvertip. No kids at any time.

Have a Sport II, but not planning on it for HD. Don't want to have the people about 17 miles west of me twist it into fuel for their campaign to ban AR's.
 
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I know this is a S&W forum- but think about the new Ruger PC 9mm carbine. Smaller and handier than an AR, uses the same ammo as your SD9VE, and uses either Glock or Ruger pistol mags. Plus no "shroud" over the barrel for the AWB states. Should be ok for the 15-20 foot distance in a house.
 
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spad124 said:
I know this is a S&W forum- but think about the new Ruger PC 9mm carbine. Smaller and handier than an AR, uses the same ammo as your SD9VE, and uses either Glock or Ruger pistol mags. Plus no "shroud" over the barrel for the AWB states. Should be ok for the 15-20 foot distance in a house.
Click to expand...

How is the Ruger carbine "smaller and handier" than an AR? Per Ruger web page, the overall length of the PCC is 34.37", and a Ruger AR 556 is 35.5" fully extended. The shortest lop for the PCC is 12.62" vs 10.25" for the AR 556. The PCC listed weight is 6.8 lbs, with 6.5 lbs for the AR.

These two seem to be pretty much the same size. If I am going to use a rifle, it is going to be chambered with a rifle round.
 
For HD guns I use my M&P Sport 2 and my service weapon, a M&P40. In my particular setup I don't have to worry about hitting other family members or neighbors.
 
I've heard claims that a 9mm will penetrate more than a .223Rem. I seem to recall seeing at least one test that backed that up, but I can't find it just now.

However, is over penetration really an issue? What is the scenario in your home where going through one, or even two walls is an issue?
 
You might wanna see some of the videos Paul Harrell has done on the subject on Youtube.


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Not sure what kind of scenario you guys are envisioning but for me I feel well protected by my 13 round Beretta mod 84 on my nightstand.
 
When I was researching wounding effects of firearms, I came across the term "cranial evisceration" with respect to shotguns. The pictures are, well, interesting.
That's medical talk for emptying out the skull or the iconic "blow your head clean off".
 
cyphertext said:
How is the Ruger carbine "smaller and handier" than an AR? Per Ruger web page, the overall length of the PCC is 34.37", and a Ruger AR 556 is 35.5" fully extended. The shortest lop for the PCC is 12.62" vs 10.25" for the AR 556. The PCC listed weight is 6.8 lbs, with 6.5 lbs for the AR.

These two seem to be pretty much the same size. If I am going to use a rifle, it is going to be chambered with a rifle round.
Click to expand...

Ok, mea culpa. I like A1s and A2s so I was thinking of the PCC compared to my A1. I'm not a fan of the M4 style AR, but most people are. I tried the M4 style but just didn't like it
 
First off, nothing you can successfully use for self defense-and a few loads that aren't a good idea- will be stopped by interior walls of most homes. About the only thing I've found that stays inside one simulated interior wall is a .177 pellet at ~300 ft/sec.

You can, however, learn safe shooting lanes in your home and commit them to memory. You can place book cases, and other things to help absorb rounds also. Mainly, train sufficiently that the chances of missing a torso size target at realistic ranges is insignificant.

The .223/5.56 mm rounds that did the least penetration in building materials were 40-50 grain varmint type loads. However, their lack of penetration might be a problem in the case of extra large economy sized assailants. A heavier bullet and practice would seem the best choice.

BTW, the AR system is not really designed for soft point bullets. There are some ammunition lines (like TAP) specifically designed for the AR. The system does work well with hollow point/plastic tipped bullets.

About shotguns, I'm able to type this as a result of a long habit of grabbing a shotgun. Myths aside, they aren't a magic wand. A picture seared into my memory from a coroner's seminar was of the aftermath of a kidnap attempt foiled by a shotgun wielding father. A distance from the large puddle of blood was a object that looked like a small loaf of moldy bread. When asked what that was, the coroner identified it as the brain of the kidnap victim. One pellet of shot entered his skull and removed the brain. I suggest that's not a place you wish to find yourself in. This is just one of the reasons ARs have largely replaced shotguns in many LE agencies.
 
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I am of the opinion that standard residential construction is highly unlikely to stop the common center-fire cartridges and shotgun shells typically used in home defense firearms.

1. You know your home. You know its layout and construction. You know the proximity of your neighbors home in relation to your home. Keep all of this in mind when you are mentally imagining home defense scenarios. If I am at point X in my house and take a shot with firearm Y and miss, the most likely place the round I let loose will be Z.

2. You know that interior stud and drywall will not stop a center fire projectile. After taking into account #1, make sure you know where every single family member is in your home? Which way is the threat coming from? If I shoot from the 2nd floor down to the 1st and miss, will the round end up in the basement guest room? Etc.

3. Your home defense firearm should be the one that is readily and safely available, and with which you demonstrate the best practical accuracy.

I know I'm not going to appear internet-macho on a gun forum by saying what I am about to say. While I do not have any moral or ethical issue with taking a life should I be presented by an immediate deadly threat to my life, I do not kid myself that taking that life (even a scumbag) does not come without legal, financial, and mental cost. If someone breaks into my home and does not pose an immediate threat and if possible, I will retreat to a fall-back point and escape rather than engage.

If I have no other option, I'll take the shot without hesitation.
 
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