Looking for some input on a .223 bullet that is for the most part trailer park safe, as far as penetration. I tried to post this on officer forums, but had some log on isues.....anyway, our dept is looking for a better/safer round for trailer park type entries. Ive looked at some manufactures LE charts and seen some Sierra Matchkings seem to have less penetration....any comments?
trailer park safe .223 bullet?
- Thread starter whiplash
- Start date
DiscoRacing
New member
Interesting question... never seen it put like that before..
... my guess would be nonlethal rounds,,, bags or rubber I would guess.
... my guess would be nonlethal rounds,,, bags or rubber I would guess.
Hornady V-Max or Nosler Ballistic Tips are highly frangible bullets. I don’t know for certain how they react to light building material, but in tissue they break apart and slow down rapidly. They are also very accurate bullets which is a plus. The more often you hit the intended target, the less you have to worry about missed shots penetrating walls. Maybe Hornady or Nosler could give you some info if they have done testing.
Double Naught Spy
New member
Our SWAT team used 35 grain Hornady. Their logic is that they would rather risk return fire from a suspect than to have a round overpenetrate and kill another officer or non-combatant. The count on their skill, superior numbers, and body armor to protect them long enough to put enough rounds on the threat that the threat is stopped. I am glad I am not one of our SWAT officers because that seems like a very risky bit of reasoning.
Getting back to the OP, I don't believe there is a single round that I would consider good for self defense that would be "safe" inside a trailer park. If a round is going to sufficiently penetrate a human, it is going to easily penetrate the thin skin of most trailer homes. Unless the round hits some sort of heavy steel support or wood, the thin metal skin, light insullation, and interior wall material cannot be counted on to disrupt the round sufficient that is won't hurt anybody on the other side.
An article several years ago about specialty handgun rounds that boasted not over-penetrating had results that you likely would get with the rifle ammo. Based on their tests, a shot that did not hit their simulated human first, that just hit the walls directly, had no problem overpenetrating interior dual course drywall and some a second set, or about what a trailer exterior wall would be like.
Round that overpenetrated their "human" did not then penetrate drywall.
They noticed that most other hollowpoint ammo performed comparably if passing through a torso thickness.
In short, the reduced risk of overpenetration meant nothing if you missed the body of your target.
You could go with extremely light ammo like our SWAT guys and reduce the risk of harming somebody on the other side of multiple trailers, but otherwise if you want a round that will penetrate will enough to be more likely to have the desired effect, it is going to be a round that probably isn't trailer park safe for missed shots.
If you're confident in your shot placement Hornady V-MAX 55gr would almost definitely not overpenetrate a human torso. It would go through a trailer body without issue though. I think just about any .223 load will. Take the other poster's suggestion and go with a 12 gauge target load if you want something that won't penetrate the trailer in a big way but still have adequate terminal affect.
The only thing come to mind is a Glaser round.
http://www.shopcorbon.com/Glaserandreg-Safety-Slug/223-556-45gr-Glaser/05400/500/Product
But a good pump up BB gun will go through a metal trash can so I would still be careful.
Doug
http://www.shopcorbon.com/Glaserandreg-Safety-Slug/223-556-45gr-Glaser/05400/500/Product
But a good pump up BB gun will go through a metal trash can so I would still be careful.
Doug
ohen cepel
New member
I would consider frangible 5.56. However, I would test it myself for your exact purpose before I bet my life and others lives on it.
That is a tough question.
That is a tough question.
4runnerman
New member
Thats a tough one there.Heck a BB gun will go through a trailer. I would have to go with the V-Max also. Maybe in a 35 grain,I think 55 would be a little on the big side. Shot placement is going to be the deciding factor in this case.
To all, thanks for the input....as far as shotgun, have one of those as well in the truck w/ OO buck. Sometimes I just feel better taking the AR instead of the scattergun. I know everything has its place and application. Lots of tools in the tool box. I still have to talk to some other agencies SWAT brotheren this week.
One of the varmint bullet mfg;s claims to have hi-speed photo of a varmint bullet going off on a grape.The Sierra MK would not be a good choice.They are accepted as Mil battlefield bullets.
It may be a very skilled and diciplined person,perhaps with a laser,just would not lose rounds.But,in a trailer park,high density ,the thin tin,as has been said,anything that would be safe to use would compromise the effectiveness of the AR.Cycling/reliability may be an issue.
Bean bags out of a 37mm might work.A Bennelli full of pheasant loads might work well.Flash bangs.Dogs.Cut the lights and gas them out.There is likely an alternative to blazing away with an AR.
Question.what is the bust?
You can't flush a meth lab down the toilet.Kidnap/hostage? extremes may be justifiable.
Posession of a controlled substance?........Might be a risk management issue.Is risking innocents worth it?
It may be a very skilled and diciplined person,perhaps with a laser,just would not lose rounds.But,in a trailer park,high density ,the thin tin,as has been said,anything that would be safe to use would compromise the effectiveness of the AR.Cycling/reliability may be an issue.
Bean bags out of a 37mm might work.A Bennelli full of pheasant loads might work well.Flash bangs.Dogs.Cut the lights and gas them out.There is likely an alternative to blazing away with an AR.
Question.what is the bust?
You can't flush a meth lab down the toilet.Kidnap/hostage? extremes may be justifiable.
Posession of a controlled substance?........Might be a risk management issue.Is risking innocents worth it?