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Bullet Penetration in Home Environments

Talyn

SAINT
Founding Member
What types of building material will give the homeowner cover if they are under fire?

Bullet Penetration in Home Environments

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None of the interior walls in your house offer cover. They may offer concealment, but not cover. Screwing around and overthinking this "Overpenetration" issue can be dangerous. Using birdshot or other light loads for defense is a bad plan. All of that stuff will still penetrate stud/drywall walls and may not penetrate the heavy clothing a home invader may be wearing. Playing the odds on whether or not a home invader will be wearing heavy clothing is ridiculously stupid.

The bottom line is Rule number 4. Period. It's your house. And right now, BEFORE there is a home invasion, is the time to set up your defense grid to your maximum advantage.
 
i have a very old, Victorian home.

real plaster walls, wooden lathes(sp?), and horsehair binding.

trust me, an errant nail driven into the wrong area, goes thru......don't ask me how i know.

but the makers of spackle, made a killing on "this old house" since it was built in 1860.........
 
i have a very old, Victorian home.

real plaster walls, wooden lathes(sp?), and horsehair binding.

trust me, an errant nail driven into the wrong area, goes thru......don't ask me how i know.

but the makers of spackle, made a killing on "this old house" since it was built in 1860.........
When I was a wee lad I ran a crew rehabbing flats in south St. Louis. Almost all of which were plaster walled. It was rare we did a full gut, which would have entailed removing the plaster completely and drywalling. As such, I had to have a couple old guys on staff that were talented plaster guys. There are pretty much none of those guys left. It's a dying or already dead art.
 
When I was a wee lad I ran a crew rehabbing flats in south St. Louis. Almost all of which were plaster walled. It was rare we did a full gut, which would have entailed removing the plaster completely and drywalling. As such, I had to have a couple old guys on staff that were talented plaster guys. There are pretty much none of those guys left. It's a dying or already dead art.
yeah, here when "investors" buy up these old houses, they do a full gut, so that if they have to, they can remove walls to open up spaces. from what i have seen just in my area alone, no wall is left untouched by the sledge hammers. i will only make repairs, at my age, i ain't about to pay for full wall replacements. me and the Mrs are contemplating either a smaller home, or a condo. but i need at least one room for my guns, ammo and new reloading equipment as well. so a condo may be out of the question.
 
I remember when I lived in apartment, I thought Glaser Safety Slugs were a good idea. Loaded up the GP100 with them, called it good (I was fairly new to the game).

Years later, after moving, I tested them against drywall…and saw how they blew straight through two sheets spaced 3.5” apart.

That was the end of my dalliance with gimmick loads.

Now? Good JHPs in most pistols, but some revolvers get SWC’s. Shotguns get buckshot, #4 being first choice. Rifles get varmint rounds designed for “explosive” expansion.

Already figured out most likely angles and set up “bullet traps” at the end of them—mostly bookcases.
 
What types of building material will give the homeowner cover if they are under fire?

Bullet Penetration in Home Environments

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Where I live now is a place that that would be difficult to defend because of how close neighbors are so after we moved in I started my defense lay out. I first checked how houses were laid out around me because there safety is important but I needed a place for my wife to be located as her mobility is limited because she is on oxygen 24/7 so the walk in closet off master bedroom was the choice and I fixed a locking system for the sliding door which is a solid wood door. I have other things to reinforce the protection plus I have a vest for her and she also has her 38spl and a backup, one thing I would like to put out there just in case is a password is good to have if there is separation if you you are securing your family. I guess all I can say is our choke point and if BG come they should bring a lunch because it will be a all day job. I hope things never come to that point but we live in a strange world and I have been shot at and my wife says I look like a California road map when I take my shirt off. Prepare for the worst and hope and pray for the best as you are the first responder when it gets to the nitty gritty.
 
I’ve always said if I looked out of the house to see someone trying to steal my car or tires, I’d find a way to deter them other than a handgun. Call 911 and yell at them, flick the lights, whatever .

Houses are jammed packed where I live.
My worry is skip a round off the pavement and into the bedroom across the street kind of thing…. No bueno.

I can replace the car or tires.
If they shoot my direction, diff story, but I’m not brandishing a gun over some tires if I can help it.
 
I’ve always said if I looked out of the house to see someone trying to steal my car or tires, I’d find a way to deter them other than a handgun. Call 911 and yell at them, flick the lights, whatever .

Houses are jammed packed where I live.
My worry is skip a round off the pavement and into the bedroom across the street kind of thing…. No bueno.

I can replace the car or tires.
If they shoot my direction, diff story, but I’m not brandishing a gun over some tires if I can help it.
Bingo.

If they are outside my home? Unless they are actually shooting at me, or about to throw a Molotov cocktail? They can do what they like. Law enforcement can deal with it.
 
I remember when I lived in apartment, I thought Glaser Safety Slugs were a good idea. Loaded up the GP100 with them, called it good (I was fairly new to the game).

Years later, after moving, I tested them against drywall…and saw how they blew straight through two sheets spaced 3.5” apart.

That was the end of my dalliance with gimmick loads.

Now? Good JHPs in most pistols, but some revolvers get SWC’s. Shotguns get buckshot, #4 being first choice. Rifles get varmint rounds designed for “explosive” expansion.

Already figured out most likely angles and set up “bullet traps” at the end of them—mostly bookcases.


I like #4 for training, but not as much for HD. For one thing #4 has something like 27 pellets whereas Federal Flite Control has 8 or 9 and is going to shoot a much tighter pattern. I understand it doesn't penetrate as much, but 27 pellets is a lot more to be accountable for.

Don't get me wrong, I'll use it for HD, but I also have very little to worry about as far as neighbors or over penetration goes. As long as I ain't shooting at someone laying on the floor and hit one of my cats I'm pretty sure I'm good. #1 is good too. in a SD situation it's not a bad idea to have all 3 available. Not many shotguns make that practical, but I do have a couple that do. You just gotta mark the tubes or remember which is which.
 
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