Felid`Maximus
Activist Member
imported post
I agree with the people that say that a less than lethal round will probably result in a fail to chamber the next round, unless you want to switch to using a revolver.
Frangible rounds are probably totally lethal although they may penetrate less barriers. Blank rounds can be totally lethal at point blank (as many actors have discovered), and rubber bullets used if striking the head can cause a concussion which has potential to have lethal effects especially at close range. True, a blank will not hurt somebody 25 yards away, a rubber bullet will probably just cause a welt at that range, and a frangible may not penetrate as many barriers but all are potentially dangerous in the hands of a someone who should not be handling your gun or when it is accidentally discharged. When intentionally discharged a blank is most likely not going to do much except scare a person or maybe burn them at close range, a rubber bullet might sound anemic due to the small charge and make them think you have a rubber bullet gun, but a frangible might still kill them.
Frangible rounds are still likely to penetrate through dry wall and other obstacles. Basically anything that is likely to hurt somebody very badly is also going to penetrate walls very easily. See Box O Truth http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot23.htm
Some people think frangible are good for defense, but I think probably a JHP or even an FMJ might often be better because frangibles fragment so fast on flesh that they may not make for great penetration. That still might make a very wide and nasty surface wound which might eventually be fatal but it may be less likely to incapacitate immediately. I like the FBI terminal ballistics handbook: http://www.firearmstactical.com/hwfe.htm
Personally, I'd just carry a chambered round that was equally as effective as the other rounds I had.
If you insist on carrying a rubber bullet or a blank you might want to carry a revolver so that it doesn't cause the gun to fail to cycle and jam up on you immediately, which is almost guaranteed on any firearm that requires the force of the fired round to chamber a new round. In a revolver you could manage to use the weak rounds without causing jams or simply have an empty chamber next in line forcing you to pull the trigger twice. There are also plastic bullets which are more lethal than rubber bullets at very short range but not so much at extended ranges. These bullets also will not generate enough recoil energy to cycle.
If you want to carry a semi-auto firearm you might just want to carry it with an empty chamber or snap cap and cycle the action upon the draw (i.e. Israeli carry.) That is the most fool-proof as far as preventing a lethal round from being fired. They also sell rounds that go in the chamber that lock your gun up if the trigger is pulled upon them if you are worried about the wrong person accessing the gun. That way they cannot even rack a new round into the chamber if they try to pull the trigger the first time. It renders the gun inoperable until you stick an unlocking rod down the barrel and unlock it. http://www.safetybullet.com/
Or you could carry a gun with a safety lever. With a round chambered, it may be nearly as effective as an empty chamber at stopping improper use while retaining the advantage of the handgun that allows you to shoot it with one hand. Having to rack a round may be a disadvantage if you do not have two free hands. Combining a safety lever with an empty chamber may theoretically provide increased safety also however. If somebody chambers a round on your gun it still won't fire unless they take off the safety. But probably, if they can chamber a round they can figure out the safety mechanism too.
The first useless round jamming your gun I think is far worse than wasting the extra second to rack your slide.
I think with proper firearm retention and gun handling the likelihood of any accident being caused by a loaded chamber that would be averted with an empty chamber is very unlikely and it is much more likely that the extra second you have by not chambering a round will give you a life-saving advantage in a self-defense situation.
However, ultimately you can choose whatever style of carry suits you.
I agree with the people that say that a less than lethal round will probably result in a fail to chamber the next round, unless you want to switch to using a revolver.
Frangible rounds are probably totally lethal although they may penetrate less barriers. Blank rounds can be totally lethal at point blank (as many actors have discovered), and rubber bullets used if striking the head can cause a concussion which has potential to have lethal effects especially at close range. True, a blank will not hurt somebody 25 yards away, a rubber bullet will probably just cause a welt at that range, and a frangible may not penetrate as many barriers but all are potentially dangerous in the hands of a someone who should not be handling your gun or when it is accidentally discharged. When intentionally discharged a blank is most likely not going to do much except scare a person or maybe burn them at close range, a rubber bullet might sound anemic due to the small charge and make them think you have a rubber bullet gun, but a frangible might still kill them.
Frangible rounds are still likely to penetrate through dry wall and other obstacles. Basically anything that is likely to hurt somebody very badly is also going to penetrate walls very easily. See Box O Truth http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot23.htm
Some people think frangible are good for defense, but I think probably a JHP or even an FMJ might often be better because frangibles fragment so fast on flesh that they may not make for great penetration. That still might make a very wide and nasty surface wound which might eventually be fatal but it may be less likely to incapacitate immediately. I like the FBI terminal ballistics handbook: http://www.firearmstactical.com/hwfe.htm
Personally, I'd just carry a chambered round that was equally as effective as the other rounds I had.
If you insist on carrying a rubber bullet or a blank you might want to carry a revolver so that it doesn't cause the gun to fail to cycle and jam up on you immediately, which is almost guaranteed on any firearm that requires the force of the fired round to chamber a new round. In a revolver you could manage to use the weak rounds without causing jams or simply have an empty chamber next in line forcing you to pull the trigger twice. There are also plastic bullets which are more lethal than rubber bullets at very short range but not so much at extended ranges. These bullets also will not generate enough recoil energy to cycle.
If you want to carry a semi-auto firearm you might just want to carry it with an empty chamber or snap cap and cycle the action upon the draw (i.e. Israeli carry.) That is the most fool-proof as far as preventing a lethal round from being fired. They also sell rounds that go in the chamber that lock your gun up if the trigger is pulled upon them if you are worried about the wrong person accessing the gun. That way they cannot even rack a new round into the chamber if they try to pull the trigger the first time. It renders the gun inoperable until you stick an unlocking rod down the barrel and unlock it. http://www.safetybullet.com/
Or you could carry a gun with a safety lever. With a round chambered, it may be nearly as effective as an empty chamber at stopping improper use while retaining the advantage of the handgun that allows you to shoot it with one hand. Having to rack a round may be a disadvantage if you do not have two free hands. Combining a safety lever with an empty chamber may theoretically provide increased safety also however. If somebody chambers a round on your gun it still won't fire unless they take off the safety. But probably, if they can chamber a round they can figure out the safety mechanism too.
The first useless round jamming your gun I think is far worse than wasting the extra second to rack your slide.
I think with proper firearm retention and gun handling the likelihood of any accident being caused by a loaded chamber that would be averted with an empty chamber is very unlikely and it is much more likely that the extra second you have by not chambering a round will give you a life-saving advantage in a self-defense situation.
However, ultimately you can choose whatever style of carry suits you.
