Which Upper Config Could Defeat Body Armor?

[The Duke]

A few of my friends and I were talking about future SHTF scenarios where zombies with body armor (vests) would be wandering the streets. Luckily for us, we're not typically to that point, so our HD needs don't usually take that into consideration. But just say our borders get even less secure and more of the mexican drug war spills over into the USA. You're in a border region (as I am) and want to be prepared to take out thugs with BP vests. Or maybe we have a government breakdown and we have to worry about deterring gang type militias or bands of well armed thugs.

If I want to have an AR configuration that could potentially defeat criminals wearing body armor, what would it be? I thik ballistics have shown that there aren't any 6.8spc loads that would do the trick. Any suggestions?

[POLICESTATE]

Doesn't 5.56mm SS109 go through most body armor?

[badfish71]

even "regular" 223 or 5.56 will typicaly penetrate any soft armor..

[phamkl]

Boom headshot, anybody?

Most rifle rounds will go through most soft armors. Once you talk about plate carriers then your armored zombies will be tough to stop. Thankfully, most [being the operative word] zombies et al. aren't going to be armored with ballistic plates. That having been said - if you keep shooting a ceramic plate with a heavier bullet like a .308, you'll get your message through across in short order. I believe class III armor is rated to take at least a single .308 but more than that is a crap shoot.

btw, to answer your question - a .50 DTC AR upper will do the job. If you want an AR carbine then uh just chop your .50 caliber barrel to 16".

[Phireglass]

.416 DTC

[Jpach]

A few of my friends and I were talking about future SHTF scenarios where zombies with body armor (vests) would be wandering the streets. Luckily for us, we're not typically to that point, so our HD needs don't usually take that into consideration. But just say our borders get even less secure and more of the mexican drug war spills over into the USA. You're in a border region (as I am) and want to be prepared to take out thugs with BP vests. Or maybe we have a government breakdown and we have to worry about deterring gang type militias or bands of well armed thugs.

If I want to have an AR configuration that could potentially defeat criminals wearing body armor, what would it be? I thik ballistics have shown that there aren't any 6.8spc loads that would do the trick. Any suggestions?

6.8 will rape soft armor for breakfast. Not sure if your talking about the "ballistic plates" or not but even with those, they can even take a couple of hits from .308 IIRC so its not simply a 6.8 cant do it thing. If you have a 5.56, thatl work. Pretty much most rifle rounds will due the trick, especially up close.

[NSR500]

Use a 30.06 Garand from the CMP. You can also use a Romanian PSL with steel core 7.62x54.

[Peter W Bush]

black tipped .30 cal ammo

[FMJBT]

I'm not aware of any uppers chambered for it, but the 300 Win Mag will easily defeat ceramic plate armor out to about 300-400 yards when using 190 grain HPBT's. Goes through 1/2" mild steel plate like butter as well.

[THT]

It's the ammo itself more than the upper. M995 5.56 will defeat level III hard plates however there are level IV plates that can sustain a hit or two without failing. Easiest way to go AP is .30cal. Pull AP bullets from .30-06 and reload them as .308 if you have a .308 rifle.

[problemchild]

Nothing can stop this stuff. At least nothing you can carry.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=160468036

[swerv512]

Nothing can stop this stuff. At least nothing you can carry.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=160468036

[NeoWeird]

Just to point out, even some .22 and most .22 Mag will penetrate most soft armor. What will punch a whole through a thick cardboard box faster, a baseball bat or an ice pick? People forget that it's not so much the energy that defeats the armor, but rather the bullet itself. Sleek and fast defeat armor; that's why body ammor is rated against 9mm but not against .45; the 9mm is a greater threat to body armor. Heck, even a 16" or longer 9mm barrel firing +p loads is going to spitting out some fast lead that will defeat a lot of soft armor. Which ever way you go, just focus on FML as the same thing that makes hollow points great for personal defense against unarmored targets, is the same thing that makes them fail against armored targets. Where steel cores are available, those should be used.

So to answer your question, just about EVERY caliber available to the AR is capable of defeating soft body armor. Now if you're talking about hard ballistic plates, that's a different story. Of course, at the same time, many plates are only rated for one hit (though they can usually stop several but it's only the first shot that it is rated for), and even multiple strike plates will fail after multiple hits. So it may be better to train and be prepared to shoot a hard armor several times than to potentially put yourself at a handicap by focusing on making your firearm capable of doing one thing.

Besides, Zombies don't die from body shots so it would be a moot point to try and defeat their armor.

[NSR500]

If it has to be an AR, I would go 5.45x39. There's a lot of cheap milsurp out there that is steel core. I've seen some of those rounds destroy armor plate.

[Peter W Bush]

Nothing can stop this stuff. At least nothing you can carry.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=160468036

Is that legal in California???