5.56 Defensive Loads

[SC Hunter]

As you said earlier it is velocity dependent

Military spec M193 is driven so fast it breaks up in the body

Most commercial FMJ 223 ammo won't do that

Its designed for punching paper

Winchester makes actual M193 spec 5.56 ammunition

Any fmj ammo in 223/5.56 is going to zip through a body cavity. Punch holes in and out and keep going 90% of the time. I've seen numerous people shot with fmj ammo that are still standing on a street corner today, I actually saw one of them last week at the local grocery store. Before you ask how I know he was shot with a fmj because there was live rounds laying around on the ground.

Several years ago a group got the idea that "those red tips looked good on the bullets" in one of the southwest Georgia cities that is so popular for being a trash can of a city. A 55 grain vmax hitting people in the thoracic cavity is much more devastating and the shock and awe of the wounds is impressive. I say that to say that the M193 ammo is a fmj bullet and it doesn't act like a ballistic tip/cup and core/ hollow point type bullet. I can go pull some out of the dirt mound outside right now if I need too.

 

[Jester896]

I am still trying to figure out how the M193 can fragment (as stated in the links posted above) and still meet the requirement to go through barriers.

also trying to figure out how a fragmenting bullet is not an expanding bullet

 

[lampern]

Get some Winchester M193. Its sold in many gun stores

Winchester USA 5.56 M193 FMJ | Ammunition Depot

Perfect for training and target practice, these Winchester USA 5.56 NATO M193 55 Grain FMJ rounds are available now for online purchase at Ammunition Depot.

www.ammunitiondepot.com

 

[lampern]

I am still trying to figure out how the M193 can fragment (as stated in the links posted above) and still meet the requirement to go through barriers.

also trying to figure out how a fragmenting bullet is not an expanding bullet

M193 doesn't go through barriers and was used in the Vietnam War

Apparently the M855A1 does go through barriers and its what the military uses right now

M855A1 Enhanced Performance Round

Mission: 5.56mm rifle and light machine gun round

www.military.com

 

[Jester896]

I guess you didn't see where they were going to discontinue the use of those because they tore up the feed ramps too much. They did adopt it in 2010.

 

[Jim Boyd]

If someone is in the house, it probably does not matter….

 

[Ajohnson0587]

suppressed 7.5" .300blk with Maker overwatch 220gr expanding, gotta make sure the kids don't wake up and see the mess daddy made. Honestly I probably wouldn't have time to shoot them, the 3 Belgian Malinois would be on them before I could roll out of bed.

 

[Big7]

You do you, but for an in home long gun I choose the ones that say 12ga on the bottom and contain a 2oz payload. I think its the fastest surest tool to instantly stop a threat at 75' or less.

Solved that riddle in only 12 posts.

B-I-N-G-O ! YOU GET THE PRIZE.
But I'd go more than 75 feet. Maybe that's just me.

A pistol is a tool you use to fight you way to your shotgun, unless you are walking around town or something like that but we are talking about the castle here. I'd be heading for a shotgun.

To me- and it could be just me- and I ain't knocking anyone's method of defending their space. In my particular setting, a shotgun would DEFINITELY be the ticket. Of course, I'd have a pistol close by, if not on my side or in my pocket.

I can see where somebody on a farm or something like that would benefit from having a semi- auto rifle to keep folks from even making it to the house. Sure. You have to know they are coming tho. But probably not for inside the house, intruder type fighting.

 

[Big7]

Why the fuss over fragmenting vs ball vs AP vs Match vs "whatever"??

If you tag somebody with a boolit doing upwards of 2800- it don't matter much what it does when it gets there. Whoever is in the business end will either be DRT or can't continue. Either way, if you get the drop, you win, everything's good.

About those frangibles- specifically. Now I ain't went and looked all that mess up but I'm pretty sure I remember the purpose of them being "frangible" was so they wouldn't ricochet and/or over penetrate. They are still going to kill the bad guy grave yard dead.

The effectiveness of the 5.5X45 NATO Cartridge is derived in it's ability to do 2 things. Penetrate and tumble. Period.

All the civilian variants, i.e, soft points, Match Grade, Varmint, etc. are afterthoughts and don't have much to do with the original specification of the military.

And still.. If a creeper is trying to get me, I hope God will see fit to make sure I'm close to my SHOTGUN.

 

[Tight Lines]

I'm not sure why people are debating it to be honest...the M193 is not designed to be fragmenting. It is designed to be fast, reasonably accurate, and easy to carry a lot of in combat.

It can fragment, under the right and very specific conditions. Specifically if it tumbles while still high velocity (2800 FPS or more) and penetrates far enough, 10" or more, the spinning action will throw the jacket off. It wasn't designed to do that, it's a by product of a fast bullet that is long, tumbling. The centrifugal force spins the jacket off. Not many Vietnamese that were 10" deep during the war.

Every military in the world uses FMJ because they do not fragment, typically, the situation above notwithstanding. And most do not use bullets that expand or mushroom, though the Special Ops guys still use hollow-points in close quarters. The AR is FMJ to aid in the autoloading and feed mechanisms, and to keep barrel fouling down. Lead tips or bullets deform, jam, and foul barrels.

I've shot I don't know how many deer, hogs, and varmints with an AR and never had much in the way of bullet fragments. Normally it goes in, and it comes out.

I've shot a gazillion rounds at paper, steel, and various other targets with ARs using 5.56 and if it was meant to fragment, you'd see it once it hit the steel or the berm. It typically looks like any other FMJ you'd shoot into steel or a berm.

But, if you go search the internet, you can find whatever you are looking for.

 

[bullgator]

To the OPs original question of an inside the house .223 load, I’d agree with Liberty that a light varmint round would be the way to go. It’s got a better chance of not over penetrating man or walls and will still dump more energy than a handgun. A 40-45 grain tipped round should be considered. Once it moves outside then heavier bullets with more penetration might be in order, although those lighter bullets will still get the job done.

 

[lampern]

New low priced 5.56 self defense load from Palmetto State Armory

Tested at 10 yards which should match inside a house approximately

10..99 a box. Great price