5.56 vs. Drywall: Is Your Home Defense Gun Dangerous?

```html

Paul Carlson's article on "5.56 vs. Drywall: Is Your Home Defense Gun Dangerous?" explores the effectiveness and safety of using 5.56 NATO ammunition for home defense, particularly when fired from a short-barreled rifle like the Springfield Armory SAINT Victor SBR. Carlson addresses concerns about overpenetration—where a round might penetrate walls and pose a risk to family members or others beyond the initial target. To investigate, he conducted tests with multiple ammunition types from Hornady, including 5.56x45mm NATO loads, in simulated home environments to analyze how these rounds would perform after striking an intruder and then an interior wall.

Carlson's testing involved using ballistic gel and drywall setups to simulate real-life conditions. The tests confirmed that different ammunition types behave uniquely when penetrating certain barriers. For instance, the Hornady Critical Defense round showed limited penetration beyond the drywall, making it less likely to pose a second-target threat. Alternatively, the heavier 75-grain Hornady BLACK HD SBR round had deeper penetration while managing to retain its mass and expand effectively, showing promise for situations demanding higher penetration through intermediate barriers. These insights underline the importance of selecting the appropriate ammunition tailored to specific home-defense scenarios.

Through this examination, Carlson concludes that while the Springfield SAINT Victor SBR is an effective choice for home defense, selecting suitable ammunition is critical. The study highlights two strong candidates for defensive rounds: the Hornady BLACK HD SBR for situations requiring penetration through barriers and the Hornady Critical Defense for minimizing overpenetration risks. Ultimately, a comprehensive home defense strategy extends beyond firearms and ammunition, emphasizing the importance of planning, understanding firing angles, and ensuring the safety of loved ones. For more details, visit 5.56 vs. Drywall: Is Your Home Defense Gun Dangerous? - The Armory Life.

```