Deep Penetration
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Document Sample
Firearms by Dave Spaulding
High Velocity,
Deep Penetration
Check out Corbon’s DPX ammo
T
he debate over the incapacita- expressly at the law enforcement mar-
This high-speed photo
tion potential (i.e., stopping shows just how fast the ket in the most popular calibers of 9mm,
power) of various styles and Barnes X copper hollow- .40, .357 SIG, .45, 5.56mm and .308.
calibers of ammunition will point bullet expands. Each Barnes X bullet is totally lead-
never end until we can all put our Star free with a deep hollow-point cavity.
Trek phasers on stun. It’s fine to argue Each bullet is scored so that it folds
calibers, bullet design, energy dump, back into multiple petals. Remember,
penetration, bullet weight and velocity, the Barnes bullet is not a copper jacket
and I will discuss some of this below. over lead. Because the bullet itself is
First, though, I must mention the one this sounds good, designing a bullet that copper, it can be designed to fold back
constant that cannot be disputed: You will hold together while it penetrates with greater consistency than a tradi-
must hit what you are shooting at. deeply but will also deform reliably is tional jacketed hollow point. Because
Equipment will never make up for easier said than done. The major manu- the bullet is a solid component, frag-
lack of training—a bullet’s ability to facturers of defensive ammo have done a mentation is all but eliminated, and the
incapacitate is a direct result of deliver- darn good job of achieving this perform- folded-back petals allow tissue to pass
ing a solid hit on the target. In addition, ance compromise. between them, giving the bullet deeper
the more times you hit a given target, soft-tissue penetration. Additionally,
the more likely you will incapacitate it. All-Copper, Lead-Free the solid-copper bullet offers better
As much as we may want to over-think The Corbon ammunition company has hard-object penetration than a tradi-
this subject, the fact remains that inca- taken the next step in ammunition tech- tional lead-core bullet, which is more
pacitating an adversary comes down to nology in the development of its Deep likely to break apart.
hitting that target solidly as often as Penetrating X (DPX) bullet. Utilizing This type of hard-object penetration
possible. Once you understand this and the proven Barnes X all-copper hollow- is important to law enforcement profes-
undertake a training program to reflect point bullet, Corbon has developed a sionals because many confrontations
this understanding, then and only then high-velocity round that both penetrates occur in and around automobiles, busi-
should you consider the type of ammo and reliably deforms in a consistent nesses and residences. At the same time,
you load into the firearm. OK, on to manner. While the Barnes bullet is over-penetration is also a concern
the ammunition. available in a wide range of calibers, because a bullet that passes through a
Small-arms ammo has changed little Corbon’s DPX ammunition is directed justifiably shot suspect and strikes an
over the last half century. Following a innocent citizen will become a legal
devastating shootout involving a group problem. I don’t like to overemphasize
of FBI agents and a pair of very commit- liability because doing so endangers
ted armed robbers in Florida in 1986, a street cops by creating a potential for
great deal of R&D went into ammuni- deadly hesitation. Still, it’s not unrea-
tion design and development. While the sonable to picture a miniature lawyer
ammo that resulted from this period dressed in a pinstriped Brooks Brothers
was better than anything previously suit hanging from a rope attached to the
available, it was still basically a lead tail end of an officer-fired bullet as it
core surrounded by a soft metal jacket travels toward its target. Now that is a
that was pre-stressed to assist deforma- sight that will send a chill up your spine.
tion, or what many call expansion. It During a recent trip to the range, I
was also designed to hold the core and The extreme expansion capability of performed a series of tests of the Corbon
jacket together for greater hard-object Corbon DPX ammunition is evident in DPX load (see “Range Tests” at right).
as well as soft-tissue penetration. While this 9mm test bullet. First, I tested the load in the most
46 l LAW OFFICER MAGAZINE l July 2007 Subscribe at www.lawofficermagazine.com
RANGE TESTS Yes, the DPX is a bit more expensive
than traditional lead bullets, and this
HANDGUN
will hurt Corbon in the very competitive
BULLET VELOCITY EXPANSION PENETRATION
115-grain 9mm DPX 1,287 fps .66 13.0 inches government-bid process, but the
advanced design and the complexity of
140-grain .40 DPX 1,197 fps .69 14.5 inches
the manufacturing process of the Barnes
185-grain .45 ACP +P 1,057 fps .72 14.5 inches X bullet should be considered. Not all
RIFLE bullets are the same, and bid specifica-
BULLET VELOCITY EXPANSION PENETRATION tions should reflect this reality.
62-grain 5.56 DPX 2,937 fps .50 17 inches
CAR-DOOR BARRIER Bottom Line CONTACT INFO
BULLET EXPANSION PENETRATION RECOVERED BULLET WEIGHT While actual shoot- CORBON GLASER, LLC
115-grain 9mm DPX .59 11.5 inches 114.5 grains ing incidents with the 1311 Industry Road
Sturgis, SD 57785
140-grain .40 DPX .59 12.75 inches 139.0 grains DPX bullet remain Tel: 800/626-7266
www.corbon.com
185-grain .45 DPX +P .64 13.5 inches 185.0 grains very few in number
due to its newness on the market, the
62-grain 5.56mm DPX .49 14.0 inches 61.5 grains
few that have occurred reveal the DPX
popular police calibers. I used Glocks for Grand Am. I opened the door and placed performs as intended. If your agency is
my test guns and placed the tissue sim- the tissue simulant two feet behind it. in the process of evaluating ammunition
ulant 15 feet from the firing point. Then I marked the opposing side of the for future adoption, the Corbon DPX
I also tested Corbon’s new 62-grain door to give a proper point of aim and to deserves a close look. LOM
5.56 DPX load from a Stag Arms Model see how much deflection I’d get.
3 with a 16" barrel. I placed the tissue I didn’t weigh the bullets before firing DAVE SPAU L D I N G is a 28-year law-enforcement
veteran, retiring at the rank of lieutenant. He currently
simulant 25 yards from the firing point them, but I think it’s safe to say all of the works for a federal security contractor. He’s worked in
to get a better idea of how well it would DPX bullets retained 100 percent of all facets of law enforcement—corrections, communi-
perform at rifle distances. their weight as they passed through the cations, patrol, evidence collection, investigations,
undercover operations, training and SWAT, and has
While far from scientific, I decided I car door. While I’m the first to admit my authored more than 800 articles for various firearm
wanted to see how well the DPX would test was hastily put together and is by no and law enforcement periodicals. He is also the author
perform when fired through a common means as comprehensive as a test per- of the best-selling books Defensive Living and
Handgun Combatives.
intermediate barrier. I chose the common formed in a ballistic laboratory, I was
car door in the shape of a 1998 Pontiac encouraged by what I saw.
Subscribe at www.lawofficermagazine.com July 2007 l LAW OFFICER MAGAZINE l 47
