Another dumb question. Could frangible .223 bullets be a solution to my dilemma?
MANY LEVELS.
Birdshot is for wounding. Remember that dead men tell no tales! 
There is a reason that SWAT teams all across the US have gone to the AR. This should be considered a “clue.”
C4
This is a defensive forum (more than an AR forum).
If you use a Hornady TAP round, you are not going to to shoot through your house and kill a neighbor. If you are shooting M855, then yes you will.
Just like anything else, you need to pick the right tool for the job.
C4
OP, if your really worried about over penetration, get some 55gr Hornady TAP loads. They will be worlds better and more effective than birdshot, however, they wont over penetrate. I doubt theyll make it out of your house and into your neighbors, from the balistics testing ive seen, they appear to pretty much disintegrate when they hit a person/ something hard.
It is better than using the shotgun. With that said, a lot of the frang ammo out there is not reliable and expensive.
Stick with Hornady 55gr TAP. It will fragment very quickly and is a lot less likely to kill someone in another room (compared to HG ammo and 00 Buck).
C4
And frangible can behave like a solid in soft tissue. It’s really better left in the role it’s meant for… ricochet reduction on hard targets.
I agree. Frang really is not the answer.
C4
Thanks Grant, et al, that is the answer I was looking for. What does TAP stand for? Is TAP available for my 9mm also?
TAP stands for Tactical Application Police.
It is available in 9mm.
More info can be found here: http://www.hornadyle.com/products/
Does anyone know of any on-line LEO after action reviews for actual felon shoots using either the 40gr. or 55gr. 223. TAP?
The Hornady web site testomonials are pretty much fluff, as on would expect. However, the product description info is good so far as it goes.
After reading this thread, I’m getting interested in this ammo. Maybe a mag or two on-hand when the AR isn’t on the range. Right now I pretty much keep a pistol ready for home defense use.
If the terminal effects of the lighter grain Hornady 223. TAP at very short ranges is substantially better than my hand gun loads, a change may be in order.
Ask Doc in the terminal ballistics section of the forum.
C4
I just put away the scattergun. This afternoon I’ll purchase a couple of boxes of Hornady 55gr TAP assuming it’s not law enforcement only.
My weapon is zeroed using 55gr Black Hills FMJ. I suppose I should at least check it’s zero with the new ammo.
I have some 2x4 lumber and scrap drywall and insulation. Perhaps I’ll build a couple of wall sections and try to simulate my typical situation and see what happens with the TAP. It seems a good idea to know for sure that my neighbors will be safe. I’ll post the pictures when I get this done.
I can save you some trouble. The rounds will go through the drywall. Even the TAP.
What is at issue is how fast they are moving once they go through and what effect they have on soft targets when they get there.
One issue I have with this idea of shooting naked drywall is that it appears to me to be training to miss. One of the reasons for the switch to 5.56 in these roles is not just the round after it passes through bare drywall but more importantly the round after it passes through (or fails to pass through) the bad guy.
Doc has a quote herethat really should have been cited earlier
Only after proper foundational and ongoing repetitive refresher training, cultivating warrior mind-set, and ensuring weapon system reliability do you need to worry about ammunition selection. Most folks would be far better off practicing with what they have, rather than worrying about what is “best”. As long as you know your what your weapon and ammo can realistically accomplish, it is all just a matter of training and shot placement. I would much rather go into battle with a guy who practices 15,000 rounds a year using generic 55 gr FMJ out of his old M16A1 than with some guy that has the latest state-of-the-art ammo and rifle, but only shoots 500 rounds a year.
I’m a bird hunter and candidly I’ve shot dove, duck and turkey with bird shot and they don’t die.
not going to be my first through fifth choice for home defense.
I would agree about the “best” but I would pick something that meets minimum FBI penetration specs, at least for heavy clothing.
On that note, I wonder if a list that excludes car windshield failure etc. would be helpful for HD ammo? Ammo that just makes minimum penetration on gel and heavy clothing could be the best choice for urban HD.
Zeroing with your “go to” ammo is certainly the best practice, but if you’re only looking at home defense distances (10-15 yards or less) it’s not going to make any difference. What I would try to remember is that there is a 2.5" offset between your sights and bore, which means that at very close range, any ammo is going to be 2.5" low - so remember that.
Rob
Certainly training is an issue here. The question is what weapon do I focus on to train with?
I don’t want to degrade this thread into a discussion of #6 birdshot vs .223 terminal ballistics. Any fool knows that answer, even me.
Perhaps the proper question to be asking is “How can I use my AR in an environment with frame house backgrounds?” .
I thought the Hornady 55gr TAP was a possible answer but Rob seems to be dashing that idea. Reading the Hornady marketing stuff seemed like TAP ammo might work for me.
What are the folks in apartments and condo’s doing?
I’ve got homes on three sides. I’ve noted where I can hole up and wait for an intruder (because I realized a long time ago that I’m not trained to clear a home), and have a clear lane to fire on them. It just so happens to work out that one is in the bedroom. If I were to fire on someone trying to enter my bedroom, there’d be nothing but a hill behind them (along with the washing machine and dryer). Basically, one whole wall of my house would be ok to fire at. The back wall.
This works for me, because we don’t have kids, I won’t need to move. If it’s late at night, I’ll know where my wife is… she’ll be on the phone, right next to me. If they want to stand out in the living room and take my DVD collection, fine. It’s all insured. If they want to try and enter the bedroom… they’ll take some fire. As has been said, train enough to hit what you are shooting at. If you can’t keep 'em in a human sized target at 12-14 feet (the average size of most rooms), get an air horn and a scary mask and just scare the sh*t out of them.
I’m not dashing anything.
I’m suggesting that you’ve already come to your conclusion and that this conclusion is going to color whatever you see with your test of 55 grain TAP in a drywall partition.