Is this thread for real? Maybe if I was concerned about assailants wearing body armor, I would consider an AK, but that's highly unlikely.
I would rush to the cabinet and kick the door in (easily done. it's pretty cheap)
.308 =! .223.I'd go with an AK if I were trying to defend my neighbor's house that's a quarter mile down the road. I don't know about your house, but there would be serious penetration problems at my house if I used my Saiga 308 (similar to an AK) for home defense. My house is surrounded by houses in all directions. There really is no way to fire that gun without the round penetrating into another house.
Civilian .223 JHP's typically penetrate less in building materials than .45 or 9mm JHP. Yes, the velocity and energy are higher, but a 55-grain JHP at 3000 ft/sec is waaaaay more fragile than a 230-grain JHP at 850 ft/sec.Hold on a second. A rifle .223 has about the same penetration as a handgun .45?
Is that correct?
Why would the .223 be FMJ? Civilians aren't limited to FMJ .223 any more than we are limited to FMJ .45 ACP. By far the best defensive loads for .223 are civilian JHP's and SP's, not FMJ.I'm thinking the .223 is most likely a full metal jacket and the .45 is most likely a hollow point.
Assuming the rifle has a civilian-length barrel (16" minimum), peak decibels are comparable between a .223 and any centerfire pistol, and considerably lower than a .357 revolver.Anyone that recommends a rifle for indoor home defense is either confused, or has never fired one indoors (I'm talking bottleneck rifle rounds, not pistol calibers). You PROBABLY won't be wearing ear protection, so any full blown rifle cartridge is going to deafen you and the family, along with the bad guy (who will probably even sue you over his EAR DAMAGE, even if he does survive).
Exactly. The only thing I'd like to add is that the FMJ rounds are no more an over-penetration risk than frangible or JHP .223 rounds. As I said, at 2700+fps, they reliably destabilize and fragment in soft tissue, doing every bit as much damage or more than a good JHP. Out of a 16in barrel, .223 is easily over 2700fps at anything that anyone could ever describe as "home defense" range. I'm speaking of course about the standard M193 ball ammo. M855 62gr FMJ performs similarly but I can't say what other types will do..308 =! .223.
The fact that a heavy .308 round and a lightweight .223 JHP may both be fired out of AK-style rifles does not mean that the .223 JHP will act like a .308.
Light .223 JHP's are an ideal in-home self-defense round, and penetrate less, not more, than handgun rounds.
Civilian .223 JHP's typically penetrate less in building materials than .45 or 9mm JHP. Yes, the velocity and energy are higher, but a 55-grain JHP at 3000 ft/sec is waaaaay more fragile than a 230-grain JHP at 850 ft/sec.
Why would the .223 be FMJ? Civilians aren't limited to FMJ .223 any more than we are limited to FMJ .45 ACP. By far the best defensive loads for .223 are civilian JHP's and SP's, not FMJ.
Assuming the rifle has a civilian-length barrel (16" minimum), peak decibels are comparable between a .223 and any centerfire pistol, and considerably lower than a .357 revolver.
Out of the same length barrel, pistol calibers are quieter, but a 4" .45 and a 16"-18" .223 aren't much different. A flash suppressor on the carbine is a good idea, though.
Anyone that recommends a rifle for indoor home defense is either confused, or has never fired one indoors (I'm talking bottleneck rifle rounds, not pistol calibers). You PROBABLY won't be wearing ear protection, so any full blown rifle cartridge is going to deafen you and the family, along with the bad guy
.223, 55GR. Commercial load 18 _" barrel 155.5dB
.45 ACP 157.0 dB
Thats why I wear tactical pajamas.but in the middle of the night, crawling out of bed, I don't see myself having time to put all my ninja gear on.
People on the jury can understand the 1911, but not the AK.
Why not make it easier on your attorney to get you off, especially since a 1911 is going to protect you just fine?