To frange or not to frange?

[Cactus Jack Arizona]

Picture it, a decent apartment with neighbors on two sides, and above. You have a big sliding lockable glass patio door (ground floor) and the only lock on the main door is a single dead bolt.

Now, it is the winter season and the low temp is 5 degrees above 0. The bad guy is going to be wearing at least a t-shirt, followed by a heavy sweat shirt and then topped off with a big heavy jacket. He breaks in while you and your wife are sleeping. You hear a noise and wake to find the bad guy in your bedroom. He lunges at you, you reach for your gun.........(ooh, drama)

The question. Do you trust your life to frangible bullets? Tell us what you think.

The reason for the frangibles is due to trying to limit a missed bullet from going through the sheet rock and into your neighbors apartment.

 

[Oyeboten]

Last time that happened to me, I woke up to see a big stranger-burglar leaning over me, and, I just spoke curtly, the single word "Out!" and I simultaneously pointed toward the Door.

He thought about a moment, slightly nodded, turned on his Heel, and left.

I totally forgot all about the possibility of reaching for my Pistol...which was right under my Pillow.

I got up, and, went and locked the Back Door, and, went back to sleep.

So...I dunno..!


Lol...


Probably though, as for your question - my choice in Ammunition, for Revolver, would be .45 Colt in BP, or, say, 9 Grains of 'Unique', with a loaded backwards, of 230 grain Hollow Base .455 Wadcutter, of pure Lead.

Far as that goes...


If it still went through that Glass Door, I would just glue a good sized black plastic Spider over the Hole, and, call it good enough.

 

[bigfatdave]

Frangibles are junk, you should know better.

Look up the various tests on BrassFetcher and Box-o-Truth, they DO penetrate drywall, and they DON'T cause useful defensive wounding.

Or search for "Glaser" right here, the subject comes up endlessly, raised by people who apparently live inside a crowded theater, or something. How likely is it that your shots would intersect an actual person?

 

[Brian Williams]

Sorry I had to add another option to your poll, I will never use them.

 

[Deanimator]

They're not generally relevant to my situation.

I practice with NOTHING but my own lead bullet handloads. I wouldn't shoot at a range which required me to shoot anything else.

I carry NOTHING but commercial LSWC-HPs or JHPs.

That means that for me, there's no point to frangibles.

 

[FredT]

I would move and avoid the situation.

 

[Quaamik]

I can't answer based on your poll questions.

Will they work? Yeah, probably (I'm assuming ONLY the Glaser in loads that have the #6 shot and MagSafe loads - there are too many others that are intended for target use only).

Will they incapacitate an attacker? probably, but I dont trust them as much as a normal HP.

Will they penetrate an interior wall? Sure, but they are less dangerous afterwards than a normal HP, and they sure won't zip through 3 or 4 interior walls (like some HPs can).

I'd trust them in the situation you describe but I'd be looking for a better place to live.

 

[orionengnr]

Overpriced junk.

Do a search.

 

[pingpingping]

Frange ye not.

 

[mljdeckard]

bigfatdave summed it up perfectly.

 

[bakert]

I would never use them either. I remember John Linbaugh mentioning not using a bullet that would go to pieces on a bad guys belt buckle.

 

[Shadow 7D]

Well, depends on the type, I will use frangibles,
I bought 3k at salvage prices, it's police 'green' range ammo, and now thanks to the insurance company, it's mine, with a little cleaning. I expect some FTF, it seems to have come from a flood or sunk container.

BUT, I won't spend the extra money for questionable pistol ammo, and in rifles, a quality ballistic tip or HP does pretty much the same thing.

 

[gofastman]

The only way I would consider using frangables is if I had a .44mag or 10mm revolver.
I would load 2 or 3 Glaser SILVERS, and have good holow points in the rest of the chambers.

 

[highorder]

I would load 2 or 3 Glaser SILVERS, and have good holow points in the rest of the chambers.

What, so you can use what you think is "kinda deadly force," followed by effective deadly force? I don't mean to bait you, but what's the thought process?