AAR: Winchester Ranger Frangible Ammo

[balorg]

Yesterday, with the help of lovemywoods, we performed several tests shooting Winchester Ranger Frangible ammunition in .40S&W. My main goal was to determine if I would want to use it for personal protection within the confines of my apartment. My minor goal was to see how the bullet would break apart as it left obstacles normally used for concealment in your average apartment. Lovemywoods goal was to see how the ammo performed and do a comparison later on with other rounds.

Let’s begin!

The Setup:
1. Firearm: Springfield XD40 Sub-Compact
2. Ammunition: Winchester Ranger Frangible .40S&W 105 GR. Website
3. Range: Lovemywoods pistol range
4.Targets:
a.Metal door with Styrofoam insulation for use as a home front door.
b. Solid Pinewood door for use in a home.
c. Custom built frame to hold sheets of drywall and 2x4 Pinewood framing.
d. One-gallon water jugs.
5. Distance from Targets: approximately 15 ft

Test 1: Metal Door with Styrofoam insulation

My first shot:

Front side:

Backside:

Test 2: Solid Pinewood Door

Front side:

Backside:

Test 3: Four pieces of 5/8” drywall.

Test 4: Four pieces of 5/8” drywall plus one 2x4.

Obviously from these results the frangible bullet easily penetrates through doors and simulated walls. Now, the next question is how does the bullet break apart as it exits these obstacles? Well, lets find out! ☺

Test 5: Drywall with 2x4 and four jugs.

Results: Here is a close up of the bullet. It was captured in the second jug.

Test 6: Metal door with three jugs.

Results: The bullet started to break apart in first jug. The second jug cost most of the fragments but a small chunk managed to lodge itself in the third jug.

Test 7: Wood door with three jugs.

Result: The bullet broke apart in the second jug into two pieces. However, the bigger of the two pieces managed to have enough force to penetrate in the third jug.

Side-by-side comparison of the results:

Final Thoughts:
I was initially sold on the idea by a vendor that the bullet itself would break apart and get trapped upon entering a wall. However, I had serious doubts about this claim, and from these results my doubts were confirmed. I was also dumbfounded that the bullet didn’t even fragment once it exited the drywall! So, in conclusion I think that I maybe better off using a shotgun as my primary personal protection weapon inside of my apartment instead of my pistol.

I also would like to thank Lovemywoods for allowing me to use his range, and for taking photos. It was a lot of fun!!!

 

[jason867]

Interesting!

Repped

 

[eldirector]

Maybe those are semi-frangible? By any chance did you fire some standard .40 HP? It would be interesting to compare.

 

[balorg]

I didn't shoot any HPs. That would be a good comparison. Great suggestion!

 

[dubsac]

repped this gives you a great reason to invest in a Keg 12ga,

 

[indykid]

Great test! Thanks for the truly shocking results.

 

[Joe Williams]

Thanks for the test!

I thought these were primarily designed for training, and designed to fragment on steel targets? Clearly, household barriers aren't much of an obstacle to them.

 

[lovemywoods]

GlobalSecurity.org says this about frangibles:

Frangible, or “soft,” rounds are designed to break apart when they hit walls or other hard surfaces to prevent ricochets during close-quarters combat. Frangible ammunition represents the first viable revolutionary change to firearms science in the past 100 years.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/frangible.htm


What really surprised us was that a round could pass through 4 layers of drywall and 1.5” of pine and not fragment at all!

This doesn’t bode well for the neighbors of an armed apartment dweller if they are compelled to defend themselves in their home.

 

[pftraining_in]

Frangible ammo is designed to only break up on steel targets. They act as FMJ through all other materials including flesh.

Frangible ammo has been falsely marketed as safe for use inside buildings for a few years now. This mixture of terms started when people started confusing Glaser rounds with frangible rounds.

Truthfully the .223 55 gr polymer tip round is the safest round to use in a building.

Good job on testing the ammo instead of .

 

[esrice]

Very nice AAR guys!

 

[balorg]

Frangible ammo is designed to only break up on steel targets. They act as FMJ through all other materials including flesh.

Frangible ammo has been falsely marketed as safe for use inside buildings for a few years now. This mixture of terms started when people started confusing Glaser rounds with frangible rounds.

Truthfully the .223 55 gr polymer tip round is the safest round to use in a building.

Good job on testing the ammo instead of .

Then why would they sell a law enforcement version of it? Do any LEOs on here use it in their service weapon?

 

[Aszerigan]

Repped.

This is a really interesting experiment. Thanks for posting the results. Really surprised me, I thought frangible ammo was softer than that. I've watched police training videos were 12ga frangible slugs disintegrate going through doors.

Maybe you should send this to Mythbusters.

 

[pftraining_in]

Then why would they sell a law enforcement version of it? Do any LEOs on here use it in their service weapon?

Short answer: Marketing.

Several departments issue this round loaded by Hornady and Federal.

Breeching rounds are made differently than frangible ammo, they are softer.

 

[lovemywoods]

Here's what the Winchester website says about theri frangible ammo (emphasis mine):
http://www.winchester.com/Products/le/handgun-ammunition/ranger/frangible/Pages/default.aspx


"Unique Nylon, Tungsten and Copper Composite Bullet Breaks Upon Impact With Hard Targets
Totally Lead-Free
Positive Functioning
No Barrel Leading"


It didn't break when hitting a 2x4 and only partially broke when hitting a wood door, or steel clad door. So, their advertising doesn't jive with the experience in the field.

 

[pftraining_in]

"Unique Nylon, Tungsten and Copper Composite Bullet Breaks Upon Impact With Hard Targets
Totally Lead-Free
Positive Functioning
No Barrel Leading"


It didn't break when hitting a 2x4 and only partially broke when hitting a wood door, or steel clad door. So, their advertising doesn't jive with the experience in the field.

2X4s and doors are backstops and structure. When they say hard targets they mean steel targets.

 

[JohnLloydScharf]

GlobalSecurity.org says this about frangibles:

Frangible, or “soft,” rounds are designed to break apart when they hit walls or other hard surfaces to prevent ricochets during close-quarters combat. Frangible ammunition represents the first viable revolutionary change to firearms science in the past 100 years.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/frangible.htm


What really surprised us was that a round could pass through 4 layers of drywall and 1.5” of pine and not fragment at all!

This doesn’t bode well for the neighbors of an armed apartment dweller if they are compelled to defend themselves in their home.

Obviously, they do not work as advertized. Even 7 1/2 birdshot passes through five layes of drywall.

 

[JohnLloydScharf]

Here's what the Winchester website says about theri frangible ammo (emphasis mine):
http://www.winchester.com/Products/le/handgun-ammunition/ranger/frangible/Pages/default.aspx


"Unique Nylon, Tungsten and Copper Composite Bullet Breaks Upon Impact With Hard Targets
Totally Lead-Free
Positive Functioning
No Barrel Leading"


It didn't break when hitting a 2x4 and only partially broke when hitting a wood door, or steel clad door. So, their advertising doesn't jive with the experience in the field.

They are knowingly implying it is frangible. It does not deform on contact with objects most of us consider a hard target, like a 2x4. I am certain if you use 2x4 on a salesman, they will agree their head is a soft target and the 2x4 is a hard target.

The shotcup and/or wadding are stopped by drywall. Certainly plastic and cellulose can turn a wound into a nightmare. If you mean to kill the intruder, few rounds will do that. If you mean to stop them, there is no such thing as a "non-lethal" round, but some are less lethal. Rubber bullets are claimed to be "non-lethal," even after they have killed so many.