For those that keep an AR for Home Defense...What round do you keep?

[ksbsnowowl]

I have my AR loaded with 55 gr Winchester soft points, but every third round is XM193, in case I need to deal more penetration (light body armor).

As others have pointed out, 5.56 will penetrate through fewer walls than 9mm or 00 buckshot.

[MikeXD.40]

Never really thought of using my AR for HD since I have 2 handguns and 20ga shotty.... But I guess I would be using the 55gr Remington FMJ I keep loaded in my PMags..... HHHMMM I wonder what incendiary rounds would do???

[Cuda66]

Originally Posted by ksbsnowowl

I have my AR loaded with 55 gr Winchester soft points, but every third round is XM193, in case I need to deal more penetration (light body armor).

As others have pointed out, 5.56 will penetrate through fewer walls than 9mm or 00 buckshot.

AT HD ranges and at rifle velocities, those soft points will rip right through most soft armor (short of plates...which will likely stop your ball rounds as well).

[TBS1911]

Originally Posted by Cuda66

AT HD ranges and at rifle velocities, those soft points will rip right through most soft armor (short of plates...which will likely stop your ball rounds as well).

Most soft armor will stop *most* handgun rounds. Most plates will stop *most* rifle rounds. Mil-spec plates are designed to take 3, 7.62x39AP rounds; commercial plates more or less depending on mfg. If a controlled pair doesnt work, a failure to stop hopefully will, from either a handgun or rifle. But then you're talking more about round placement than actual firearm used.

[TBS1911]

Originally Posted by agalindo

It's not the brand it's the caliber and the fact that the round is not barrier blind. You can get the same results with a good SP or HP that's not barrier blind.

Nobody except the military would hobble themselves with an fmj when there are excellent SP and HPs available.

We have gone to using "barrier rounds as well"; basically a HP. Performs ok on vehicle and thin doors; doesnt do ***** for mud walls

[din]

.50 beowulf.

[ArcticF7SnoPro]

I had some extra drywall pieces left from a remodel and used 5.56 55 grain fmj ammo. I put up 6 layers of dry wall to simulate approximately how many layers the bullet would pass through to enter my neighbors house if I were to use my AR and missed the target with a round. It passed through all 6 with ease. The first three layers looked like normal bullet holes and by the forth layer it entered with the bullet tumbling and punched a bigger hole into the last two layers. I actually wished I had more drywall because I now wonder how far it would have gone, but regardless of the fact if this would have been real it would have exited the 6th wall bullet still in tact, tumbling and still with more then enough deadly force to take out someone on the other side.

FMJ's are not the answer, but I would much rather grab an AR 15 with 31 rounds as a primary weapon for defense depending on circumstances and my 17 rounds of XDM 40 for secondary defense depending on circumstances. So my opinion to prevent over penetration was Federal .223 55 gain Ballistic Tips. I have not been able to shoot this through a wall yet since I blew through all my extra drywall, but with experience on what it does to animals the .223 ballistic tip expands immediately on impact and fragments apart easier. I have yet to see one pass through a coyote. Most of the time they blow apart the outer layer of fur on the rib cage and only fragments enter into the vitals with no exit.

[Richard Conrad]

Lets face it a bullet is a bullet and it does not matter what type of weapon you choose! The speed at which a projectile must travel to penetrate skin is 163 fps and to break bone is 213 fps, both of which are quite low, so other factors are more important in producing damage. Thats a quote from the website below. So i would say an AR-15 is just another tool to be used. Id rather have 30 rounds compared to 4 or 5 rounds in a shot gun. I have a Remington 870 Super Magnum and I would not totaly trust to use it if someone broke into my home. I like many other people have issues shucking the thing after firing it. Im not a "small guy" either. So if it were me id grab anything in my safe. Getting hit by a .22 is going to cause pain, and I do not care if some dude is on LSD. The Castle Doctrine is a beautiful thing. If you can not take a person down with a few rounds of any type of ammo, something is very wrong. And lets say 5 guys force their way into your home. Are you going to get them all with a shot gun, if this gang of 5 do not decide to retreat?? AR-15 = 30 rounds and would take care of the situation. Id rather have to much ammo than not enough in a loaded mag, faceing any threat!

FIREARMS TUTORIAL

[ghost--scout]

Originally Posted by Richard Conrad

And lets say 5 guys force their way into your home. Are you going to get them all with a shot gun, if this gang of 5 do not decide to retreat??

But what happens if the guys breaking in your house have a Mk84 warhead? You go to war with the tools you have, not what you want. If I had a shorter barrel for my shotgun I'd use that.

[SebZE835]

Originally Posted by Richard Conrad

Lets face it a bullet is a bullet and it does not matter what type of weapon you choose! The speed at which a projectile must travel to penetrate skin is 163 fps and to break bone is 213 fps, both of which are quite low, so other factors are more important in producing damage. Thats a quote from the website below. So i would say an AR-15 is just another tool to be used. Id rather have 30 rounds compared to 4 or 5 rounds in a shot gun. I have a Remington 870 Super Magnum and I would not totaly trust to use it if someone broke into my home. I like many other people have issues shucking the thing after firing it. Im not a "small guy" either. So if it were me id grab anything in my safe. Getting hit by a .22 is going to cause pain, and I do not care if some dude is on LSD. The Castle Doctrine is a beautiful thing. If you can not take a person down with a few rounds of any type of ammo, something is very wrong. And lets say 5 guys force their way into your home. Are you going to get them all with a shot gun, if this gang of 5 do not decide to retreat?? AR-15 = 30 rounds and would take care of the situation. Id rather have to much ammo than not enough in a loaded mag, faceing any threat!

FIREARMS TUTORIAL

What about when you have a semi-auto 12 gauge like a Saiga? Nothing better than 30 rounds of buck to let the assailant know you mean business right? Scatterguns will always be preferential IMO for home defense.

I also think it isn't about causing pain, rather stopping the threat in it's tracks. Any bullet has the potential to cause pain, but some are much better than others in stopping the threat cold. Get a 12 gauge with a flashlight that is set up to be the same dimensions in the dark as the shot spread...so you know that if you light is on it and you pull the trigger, the shot is going wherever the light is shining. (of course at a given distance)

Don't get me wrong in a pinch anything is better than nothing, but some are definitely better than others in certain scenarios.