Weird question!

[MasterMaker]

Where I live "expanding ammo" is not legal for handguns so defensive choises are fmj, tmj, swc, wc and rn and that's about it(no EFMJ either).

There is however available ammo made for shooting at metal-plate targets that disintegrate when they hit the metal.....

Fiocchi sinterfire is one such type of ammo.


Has anybody tried this(or other similar) type of ammo in ballistic media????

Sinterfire for instance will zip straight through ballistic gelatin but will disintegrate if it hit's bone.

I was thinking that if other types was illegal then something along the lines of non-toxic "target" ammo might be a better defensive choice.

Any takers?

 

[BADUNAME37]

I believe you are referring to fragmenting ammo. I believe it works on the principle of an outer shell for the pill, with very small shot inside the shell (pill). Upon impact of a solid surface, the pill breaks open to not permit the pill to penetrate, say, a jet's fuselage.

I think it is called Glazer Safety Slugs or some such thing and is EXTREMELY expensive.

For HD, I wouldn't want it unless my walls were all paper-thin and a lot of people are in all the surrounding adjacent rooms.

 

[Yo Mama]

Frangmenting ammo I stay away from. It's not what a bullet was designed to do, shatter here, but not there. Sorry, not for me.

With your options, I'd go with SWC.

 

[armoredman]

Glaser worked well enough, same with MagSafe, but they are very expensive. In your case a lead non jacketed semi wadcutter might be the best choice.

 

[Manco]

SWC would be your best bet, in my opinion, unless you're using a revolver for defensive purposes (which I presume) and can find or load full-power WC cartridges (which are typically rather lightly loaded just for punching holes in paper targets).

 

[oldgold]

Some one {I think Federal} came out with an expanding 'ball' ammo for New Jersy when they banned hollow point ammo.

Not sure it's still in production or if it really worked........getting old.

 

[killchain]

Hey, the law says you have to... so buy some FMJ.

 

[danprkr]

+1 non jacketed wad cutters

Where do you live that this is an issue? Just curious, but my first reaction is to say move someplace where your God given right to self defense is recognized by the government. Not an attack, just something that I would consider. I understand that family/business obligations may make it difficult, but I'd start working on that if Texas were to get that stupid. I mean I love Texas, but I can't imagine living under a regime that would do that to me.

 

[Manco]

Some one {I think Federal} came out with an expanding 'ball' ammo for New Jersy when they banned hollow point ammo.

Not sure it's still in production or if it really worked........getting old.

I think you're referring to Federal's EFMJ ammo, which seems to work pretty well actually, but according to the OP it's still disallowed because it expands.

 

[Shadow 7D]

A lot people get kinda confused about frangible ammo,

There are two, different and distinct types

Stuff like Glaser, basically, like snake shot, you pay alot for little penetration (box-o-truth)

Then you have sintered metal compounds, they break apart when they hit something HARDER than the bullet, ie, backstop or metal plates, it's range ammo, and is lead free.

Neither are what you probably want. And you might want to check to make sure that "exotic" ammo isn't banned too, it is NJ after all, and they hate guns, at least that's what the courts say.

 

[RyanM]

Stuff like Glaser, basically, like snake shot, you pay alot for little penetration (box-o-truth)

Then you have sintered metal compounds, they break apart when they hit something HARDER than the bullet, ie, backstop or metal plates, it's range ammo, and is lead free.

What he said. I've seen tests of the 2nd type of frangible ammo in ballistic gel, and it behaved exactly like a lightweight FMJ.

 

[c919]

If you are in Jersey, I'm almost positive that Corbon PowRBall is legal. That would be my choice.

 

[Wolfeye]

A different point of view.

Can't shoot expanding ammo? Step up to a larger caliber & make a bigger hole instead. Look for bullets with a wide meplat that will crush their way through an object instead of just piercing a hole.

I've shot a few frangible bullets. They're too expensive to rely on, in my opinion.

 

[hammerklavier]

The OP said no EFMJ, if that is the case then the Federal and Corbon would be out also.

Personally, I would buy the hottest FMJ (that I could afford) I could get my hands on -- most FMJ is low power target stuff.

 

[Manco]

Personally, I would buy the hottest FMJ (that I could afford) I could get my hands on -- most FMJ is low power target stuff.

There isn't usually that much of a difference, at least in my experience. And doesn't FMJ in most calibers already penetrate more than most people would want in any case? If true, then this would make hotter-than-usual FMJ ammo unnecessary or even undesirable in most, if not all, cases.

 

[Shadow 7D]

Yeah, see the idea with a HP is to dump as much energy, a FMJ punches a hole and keeps flying, now you might want to look at something like a SOFT lead RN, (cast bullets) as they function much like a HP.

 

[postalnut25]

If you can use a Wadcutter, that's what I would go with. That way you have the widest frontal area to impact and impart energy with. It should cut a bigger hole going in than round nose or full metal jackets.

 

[justashooter in pa]

hollow based wadcutter cannot be safely driven above 800-850 FPS. if so parts of the skirt from a round fired may stick in the bore, especially if the wadcutter is loaded backwards, but even if frontwards. the next shot is sure to ring your barrel or crack your forcing cone or maybe even frame. solid wadcutters are limited only in terms of hardness to leading balance. semi-wadcutters are just as effective, solid based, and load easier, especially with speedloaders. either cuts neatly through bone. this is assuming that you are using a revolver.

with an auto, you are screwed.

 

[Defense Minister]

I think I would choose a .45 as my defensive handgun, and comply with the law by loading it with FMJs.

 

[Manco]

semi-wadcutters are just as effective, solid based, and load easier, especially with speedloaders. either cuts neatly through bone. this is assuming that you are using a revolver.

with an auto, you are screwed.

Well, some autos can shoot SWC or SWC-like bullets fine, although obviously a lot of reliability testing will be required before such loads can be depended upon for defensive purposes.

Here are a couple of examples:

http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_34&products_id=428
http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=210

Yeah, they'll overpenetrate, but they should maximize the damage done along the way, for nonexpanding bullets.

 

[MasterMaker]

Thanks, for the replies.

Unfortunately glasers, magsafes etc. are also not availiable which was my reason for asking the question.

An additional reason for asking is that I am not really a big fan of revolvers for defensive purposes but it is the choice I will resort to if I have to.

While I am a big guy a 44 is not always easy to conceal without wearing a jacket.

Expanding ammo is available(mandatory) for hunting so while I would have no problem with loading a revolver with ammo "meant" for a hunting lever-action in a teotwawki type scenario it is pretty much a no-go unless this happens. :banghead:

I guess I should have been more specific when posing the question and said that I was looking for info on pistol ammo(9mm specifically).

 

[killchain]

In the case of 9mm, I would make up some wad cutter 9mm rounds.

For "training purposes."

 

[RyanM]

What country is it where concealed carry is legal, but expanding ammo is not? That sounds very strange.

Anyway, all you can really do is stick with FMJs. Get flatnose FMJ if you can. Soft lead bullets won't really expand appreciably at 9mm velocities, and will have a reduced chance of punching through bone.

Also, try not to get tempted to illegally drill some holes in the tips of some FMJ bullets. If the bullet has an open base, there's a possibility that the copper jacket will stick in the barrel, while the lead core gets blown out the front. Then you fire a second shot with a partially obstructed bore, and bad things happen.

 

[mack]

Well, just MHO, but FMJ 45acp - ain't too bad - ya sure could do alot worse.

 

[DustyVermonter]

I live in VT, and maybe I'm crazy but, I feel 100% confident with a G17 loaded to capacity with even 115gr FMJ's. Its not my preferred choice by any means, but I definitely don't feel undergunned, especially when I carry my .45 with FMJ's. I would not sweat it too much, one thing you have going for you as far as fmj are concerned, you get that extra little bit of reliablility as opposed to HP's and WC's and SWC's, etc....