This is a guest post by Andrew Betts
There’s been some talk lately about whether rifles in general or Communist Bloc rifles (SKS or AK type rifles) in particular are suitable for lawful self-defense. People use a lot of flawed arguments that rest on incorrect assumptions but most boil down to the thought that the ammunition penetrates too deeply.
This is basically the grownup version of “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid.” The fact is that any cartridge that is capable of penetrating deeply enough into a bad guy to reach vital organs and reliably incapacitate will also fly right through multiple walls. Conversely, any cartridge that won’t penetrate multiple walls also can’t reliably incapacitate bad guys. Sorry, kids, you can’t beat Newton no matter how hard you close your eyes and just believe. It’s a good thing to be concerned about where that bullet is going, but there is no magic solution. The best way to mitigate risk is to either not shoot in the first place or to use a weapon and ammunition that give you the best chance of getting hits and the best chance of each hit resulting in incapacitation. A long gun gives you a better chance at both than a handgun.
Now, it certainly is true that FMJ from a rifle can pass through an impressive amount of stuff, but you wouldn’t choose to use FMJ in a defensive handgun or a saboted deer slug in a defensive shotgun so why would someone choose FMJ for defensive use in a rifle? If you put as much thought into ammunition selection for a rifle as you would for any other defensive firearm, you’ll have a powerful, effective defense weapon that won’t present any unusual risk to the neighbors.If you don’t believe me, take a look at these tests and then tell me that 7.62x39mm penetrates too deeply.
Andrew Betts served with the Arizona National Guard for over 12 years, including a tour to Afghanistan. Visit his YouTube Channel for more great shooting information.Andrew Betts served with the Arizona National Guard for over 12 years, including a tour to Afghanistan. Visit his YouTube Channel for more great shooting information.
Speak Your Mind