Blanks ( for home defense ? )

[Sawhorse Kid]

I have a friend that lives in a trailer park.

They keep a .45 auto for home defense.

Regardless if they hit or miss, the bullet would pass thru the person in question.

That same bullet would likely go thru the wall of their trailer and into the  next trailer at the least.

Depending on which wall gets hit, the nearest neighbor is as close as 4 feet.

At point blank range, a blank would cause damage. ( serious injury and/or death )

With discharging a firearm in city limits charge aside, Would using a blank cartridge rack up any additional charges? (aggravated category)

 

This really is nothing more than a curious question.

[Ozark Huckleberry]

I'd go to frangible before I went to blanks.

[Rye Miles #13621]

1 hour ago, Sawhorse Kid said:

I have a friend that lives in a trailer park.

They keep a .45 auto for home defense.

Regardless if they hit or miss, the bullet would pass thru the person in question.

That same bullet would likely go thru the wall of their trailer and into the  next trailer at the least.

Depending on which wall gets hit, the nearest neighbor is as close as 4 feet.

At point blank range, a blank would cause damage. ( serious injury and/or death )

With discharging a firearm in city limits charge aside, Would using a blank cartridge rack up any additional charges? (aggravated category)

 

This really is nothing more than a curious question.

Depends on the municipality they live in. For example I’m in Ohio and we have the Castle Doctrine, Its legal for me to shoot to protect myself if someone is breaking in despite my town’s law about discharging a firearm within city limits.
 

I would never use blanks for self defense no matter what law I’m breaking. 

[Old Man Graybeard]

Either a frangible bullet or go to something like a short barreled shotgun in .410 to 20 gauge with birdshot. At close range...even a trap load is devastating

[Trigger Mike]

Seems like a hollow point in 185 grain would work in 45 acp.  Even if it did pass thru , it wouldn’t have the energy to go thru a wall, then travel without some deflection in its path and go thru a second wall and be able to do much damage if at all in the other home.  
 

a 45 acp hollow point or ball even at 230 grain will not go all the way through a pine tree sapling 

[Trigger Mike]

If he’s that worried about it, a 22 magnum pistol will go in a criminal and go from bone to bone and likely not come out .  Smith and Wesson makes a quality 7 shot revolver and also a good semiautomatic that holds 30 rounds.  
 

the 22 magnum does not have the knock them down power a 45 acp does but I’ve seen on police films that it does end the threat.  Some gator hunters on tv use a 22 magnum for the gators they catch.

[Cypress Sun]

4 minutes ago, Trigger Mike said:

Seems like a hollow point in 185 grain would work in 45 acp.  Even if it did pass thru , it wouldn’t have the energy to go thru a wall, then travel without some deflection in its path and go thru a second wall and be able to do much damage if at all in the other home.  
 

a 45 acp hollow point or ball even at 230 grain will not go all the way through a pine tree sapling 

 

A trailer wall IS NOT a pine tree sapling. Most normal pellet guns will penetrate a trailer wall, maybe not two of them though. I'm in with the frangible load theory.

A blank? Bad idea all the way around.

 

 

[PowderRiverCowboy]

.45 ACP snake shot ,
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/100081051?pid=549829

[Trigger Mike]

Many 1911 pistols will cycle those 45 acp shot shells.  

[Chantry]

It's going to depend on the laws of the state they reside and possibly the prosecutor.

 

In general warning shots and shooting to wound are against the law.  The short version is that if you are NOT in reasonable fear of death or grave bodily harm then you are NOT justified in using deadly force.  The use of a firearm is almost always considered using deadly force.

 

Given the scenario presented, there aren't any good choices, just some less bad than others.  A frangible round is probably the best choice.

 

You may want to look at the Glaser Safety Slug:  https://corbon.com/glaser-safety-slug/  it was designed specifically for situations where over penetration was a major concern.

[Pat Riot]

What about a Mossberg Shockwave set up to fire 1 3/4” mini shells?

 

[Rip Snorter]

Blanks are about the worst idea I have heard for self defense.  If you have to protect your life or others lives you need a real cartridge.  Second Glaser.  Air Marshals carried them for use on aircraft.

[bgavin]

I'm in CA.
It is illegal to shoot your BB or pellet gun in the back yard.
You are not allowed to kill an intruder, unless he kills you first.

 

[Eyesa Horg]

I'd be doubtful of snake shot bring being much of deterrent through clothing, even at close range. Might be like shooting a bear with a 22. Better hope you can run really, really fast.

[July Smith]

A bayonet would be a better option then blanks, and I think a bayonet is a really bad option....

 

Unless they load their 45 with FMJs it is unlikely to over penetrate an continue with lethal force.  In fact compared to a lot of common self defense handgun calibers (9mm, 357, 40) the 45 is probably the better option if over penetration is a main concern.  

[bgavin]

Lucky Gunner does extensive ballistic tests.
One that impressed me is the Barnes in 357 that expands to 0.75" after impact.
These are well suited to my SP101 snubbie.

 

https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/revolver-ballistics-test/

[Pat Riot]

Shotgun penetration with various rounds:

https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/shotgun-penetration-with-various-rounds/
 

https://www.guns.com/news/review/can-birdshot-be-used-for-home-defense
 

https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/which-type-of-shotgun-load-is-best-for-home-defense/
 

https://www.pewpewtactical.com/best-shotgun-ammo-home-defense-target-shooting/
 

 

 

[Rip Snorter]

Trailer Park, there is a neighbor up the road who scraps these trailers out.  You can't imagine how flimsy they are.  I'd be unsurprised if a knife thrust, strongly delivered, would penetrate a wall.  Considering how closely they are sometimes placed, there are genuine risks of collateral damage.

[Texas Joker]

If it won't go through 2 layers of drywall why would you assume it would stop a threat? 

 

Would you use a red rider for home defense?

 

If it won't kill a whitetail it won't kill a human.  Shot placement and accurate fire lanes are better than birdshot or blanks or being undergunned.

 

You get out of self defense situation by putting enough energy on target to stop the threat. 

[Alpo]

1 hour ago, Eyesa Horg said:

I'd be doubtful of snake shot bring being much of deterrent through clothing, even at close range

20 years or more ago CCI actually advertised their shot shells for burglar. That way you could sting him and make him run away, but you wouldn't have the moral problem of having killed a fellow human being.

 

That ad lasted 6 months or so. Then apparently some lawyer told them about how much fun they would have losing the lawsuit of the burglar that was blinded by being shot in the face with ratshot.

 

And people pretty much came to the conclusion that if you're going to shoot somebody you need to be trying to kill them. Using a deadly weapon on someone without trying to make them be dead really doesn't work well.

[Dantankerous]

In a trailer or a camper everything is going to be pretty close range. Using a blank is a horrible idea. Using a baseball bat would be a much better.  Hell, just throw the kitchen blender at the intruder... better than a blank.

[Chantry]

When choosing ammo for self defense keep in mind that you will almost certainly be held criminally & civilly liable for any projectile fired that misses or goes through the attacker and hurts or kills an innocent person.

[Sawhorse Kid]

10 hours ago, Sawhorse Kid said:

This really is nothing more than a curious question.

 

I figured this would really stir the pot, but an honest thought.

The trailer is close quarters, 10ft wide with a 7ft ceiling and walls 2 inches thick.

The side of their bed is 6ft from the door leaving their best friends bedroom the first thing to get hit if over penetration occurred.

 

 

5 hours ago, Rip Snorter said:

Blanks are about the worst idea I have heard for self defense. 

 

I am aware of this, but these are thoughts that go thru ones mind.

[Tennessee Trapper Tom]

I have a close friend here in Kentucky that is a lawyer that does some pro-bono work for self defense situations. Even though we have a liberal governor so far he hasn’t attacked any 2nd amendment rights. (That I’ve heard of) It would be the death of him. There are a couple of things he told me about self defense of my home.

 

1. If the situation permits a display of your weapon to change the intruders mind do so, not very likely if he has entered the house and not just trying to and is armed. Threat must be apparent..

2. Shoot center mass. It’s your best chance of stopping or killing the threat. 

3. Never load the self defense ammo yourself. Have store bought. For some reason the other lawyer can win because you intentionally loaded to kill someone.

4. Join a self-defense/2nd Admendment organization that will come to your defense with well trained lawyers.

5. Don’t talk until your lawyer is present.

6. He also said that if the threat is killed and not merely wounded then you have a better chance of winning your case.

 

[Tell Sackett SASS 18436]

4 hours ago, Alpo said:

20 years or more ago CCI actually advertised their shot shells for burglar. That way you could sting him and make him run away, but you wouldn't have the moral problem of having killed a fellow human being.

Moral problem???

You’re joking, right?

[Putnam Under]

Frangible bullets are what LEOs use inside aircraft. 

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

I seem to recall something called Glazer Safety Slugs.

Seems to me that would make more sense.

[Alpo]

2 hours ago, Tell Sackett SASS 18436 said:

Moral problem???

You’re joking, right?

I've never seen the moral problem myself. But I've about decided that I'm the only one.

 

For example, on this, that, or the other forum there'll be a thread where some teenager has had to use his father's gun to hold off the bad guy, and the cops arrive in the nick of time and arrest the bad guy. And sure as God made little green horse apples, somebody will comment about what a good thing it was that the police arrived and arrested the guy before the kid had to shoot him, so he wouldn't have to go through the rest of his life with the horrible knowledge that he took a human life.

 

 

[Alpo]

3 minutes ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

I seem to recall something called Glazer Safety Slugs.

Seems to me that would make more sense.

Glaser, with an S. Corbon makes them now.

 

https://shopcorbon.com/index.php?route=product/search&search=glaser

[Tell Sackett SASS 18436]

12 minutes ago, Alpo said:

I've never seen the moral problem myself. But I've about decided that I'm the only one.

 

For example, on this, that, or the other forum there'll be a thread where some teenager has had to use his father's gun to hold off the bad guy, and the cops arrive in the nick of time and arrest the bad guy. And sure as God made little green horse apples, somebody will comment about what a good thing it was that the police arrived and arrested the guy before the kid had to shoot him, so he wouldn't have to go through the rest of his life with the horrible knowledge that he took a human life.

 

 

My view is these “things” aren’t human!!

More like cockroaches!!

Big difference between killing a person and exterminating a bug!

[Eyesa Horg]

58 minutes ago, Alpo said:

I've never seen the moral problem myself. But I've about decided that I'm the only one.

 

For example, on this, that, or the other forum there'll be a thread where some teenager has had to use his father's gun to hold off the bad guy, and the cops arrive in the nick of time and arrest the bad guy. And sure as God made little green horse apples, somebody will comment about what a good thing it was that the police arrived and arrested the guy before the kid had to shoot him, so he wouldn't have to go through the rest of his life with the horrible knowledge that he took a human life.

 

 

The scum comes into my house, he isn't a "fellow" human, he's a pos that came into the wrong house and won't be doin' it again.

[Gungadin]

Blanks can do damage if the gun is held against the temple.  Otherwise it is just to scare people and pulling a gun without use works maybe 50% of the time so it has some effectiveness.   The less-than-lethal pepper spray may be almost as good.  

 

I like the idea of the short pump shotgun with the shorties with a smaller buckshot like #4 buck?  Otherwise a 38 revolver with a frangible would be interesting?

 

I suppose in a single wide the shot opportunities/alleys are predominantly end to end so that is a way of thinking about where the miss will go.

 

I hate to say this but everything is a risk reward equation isn't it?  If they are going to kill me if I do nothing then the chance of penetrating and hurting an innocent is considerably lower.  We are just trying to pick a more responsible projectile than a 7mmMag?

[bgavin]

If you have an intruder in your home, or an ANTIFA / BLM type in your front yard with a Molotov cocktail, your life is about to change forever.

You can let the intruder rob (or kill you), or you can snuff him out.
You can let the guy with the Molotov cocktail burn you out, or you can shoot him dead.

Either way, your life is going to radically change.
If you snuff the perp, the courts will tear you apart and destroy you financially.  
Then probably a prison stint after that.

[Tennessee Trapper Tom]

Thank god I live out in the country. Other than knowing the location of my GSD and the wife ( I always know where she is and the big boy IS ALWAYS AT MY SIDE). I don’t have to worry about where that bullet travels to. I could (if I was physically capable  ) would and have ready with a fricking 20 MM gun for the intruders Dumb arse.  However I think my 45 will do just fine. He/she would get the whole magazine.Bullets are faster than postal service and the message would be delivered without the postage.

[Ozark Huckleberry]

20 hours ago, Pat Riot said:

What about a Mossberg Shockwave set up to fire 1 3/4” mini shells?

 

Looking at the mini shells, it seems over-penetration would still be the issue.

 

They're throwing a little less shot, but still cranking about 1150+ on the velocity, compared to 1200-1300 for regular shells. (Winchester LRLN runs around 1000).

 

Given the reliability issues with feeding mini shells, I'd opt for standard shells.