Beginner’s Guide to Concealed Carry Defensive Ammo

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Beginner’s Guide to Concealed Carry Defensive Ammo

 

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If a moment comes when you must use lethal force, you want to make sure every part of your concealed carry setup is dependable. The entire system is compromised if one part doesn’t work, leaving you vulnerable.

Having dependable defensive carry ammo is essential to defend yourself at that moment. A firearm is only as good as the rounds it contains, and there’s a wide selection.

But how can you know which type of defensive carry ammunition is best for your concealed carry setup? Continue reading to learn some of the common types of handgun bullets you can use in your handgun of choice.

4 Types of Concealed Carry Ammo and Common Handgun Cartridges

Before you dive into different brands, velocities, metal compositions and other minutiae, let’s take a look at four types of commonly used handgun ammo:

1. Round nose Lead

These bullets are known for high penetration with little expansion upon impact. They’re generally cheaper than other ammo types and have an extensive history. While you can use this type of ammo for self-defense, it’s best utilized in target practice.

2. Full Metal Jacket (FMJ)

Like the aforementioned round nose lead bullets, FMJ rounds possess high target penetration ability and low expansion. This ammunition can be used for self-defense but is also best for the range due to its low expansion. One advantage it has over its lead counterpart is the amount of degradation to the barrel between shots is lessened due to its metal coating.

3. Wadcutter and Semi-Wadcutter

A wadcutter is a round designed specifically for target shooting, as the bullets punch clean holes through paper targets. Wadcutters have a flat end and are used for revolvers only. Semi-wadcutters have a flat head, but taper for semi-automatic handgun feeds.

4. Hollow point

Hollow point bullets are the gold standard for personal defense ammunition due to their low penetration and high-expansion design. They’re made to hit the target and nothing else.

The 4 Qualities of Ammunition Performance

Now that you know a little bit more about some common handgun cartridge types, here are four qualities you will want to use to decide if defensive carry ammo is right for you:

1. Bullet Expansion Rate:

Expansion is how wide the bullet becomes upon hitting the target. More expansion creates more damage to the target. The more a round expands, the more stopping power it has.

This is why hollow points are considered the gold standard for defensive ammo, as they have the highest expansion rate of any bullet.

    2. Bullet Penetration Depth:

    While it’s easy to think that the fastest bullet is the most effective, you also need to consider how your shots will affect the surrounding area.

    If you’re forced to use lethal force in a public space, a bullet with a high penetration depth could harm an innocent bystander. A high penetration depth can also be less effective in stopping a target, as it may create a cleaner pass-through.

      3. Amount of Recoil:

      While multiple factors lead to a firearm’s recoil after a bullet is fired, the ammunition caliber and type can lead to more or less power. Many times, it takes several shots to subdue a target, so you have to be able to maintain stability while firing. 

        4. Ammo Reliability

        The ammunition you carry must be dependable to be effective in self-defense. While this may seem obvious, cheaper, less reliable rounds can be enticing due to the lower hit on your wallet.

        However, you know you only have precious seconds to defend yourself in a life-or-death situation, and a squib load could render your firearm useless.

          Final Tips for Using Defensive Carry Ammo

          While picking an excellent round for your everyday carry is essential, here are two crucial factors to keep in mind when thinking about the perfect concealed carry setup:

          Ensure accurate shot placement.

          More important than any bullet you pick for self-defense is your ability to precisely hit your target. No matter what kind of ammunition you choose, you have to be able to hit your target. Regular practice at the range is a great way to make sure you connect when you pull the trigger. 

          Make sure to keep fresh ammo

          The best concealed carry ammunition is the kind you never have to use. This being said, it’s always a good idea to fire through your everyday carry ammo at the range every few months. 

          This way, you can practice firing with your round of choice and reload with fresh ammunition. Unlike ammo stored in a controlled climate environment, your concealed carry ammo will be exposed to a wide variety of temperatures and climates. The variation in environments can lessen the reliability of your ammunition over time. 

          Take Your Home Firearm Concealment to the Next Level

          When it comes to having the perfect concealment setup, you need to have an excellent place to store your firearm and ammunition in your home. Much like the ammo you use, you should depend on high-quality options. Keeping your gun hidden and inaccessible from unauthorized users is essential to a safer home defense system. 

          At Liberty Home Concealment, we offer a variety of options to help you maximize your home concealment plan. From tabletop options to wall art, we have offerings that can accommodate home and personal defense firearms of almost any size. 

          Check out our product page today to see our most popular sellers, or visit our contact page to get in touch with our team. 

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          Hanging instructions for the Patriot Wall Shelf

          Factors to consider befor you start

          Installing a Patriot wall shelf can be a very simple project but there are several factors that you need to understand. our shelves have been designed to work with standard pine 2X4 construction that was 16" on center. Because they were designed around the 16" on center pine 2X4 framed walls that is the process for our instructions. Installing the shelves on amy other type of wall is done at your risk. Liberty Home Concealment does not advise you to attempt installing your shelf onto amy other type of wall.

          Understanding what is beneath your walls

          Anytime you are doing work or attaching something to a wall it is wise to have a solid grasp of what lies beneath the surface of your walls. If you are not comfortable with the task of hanging a shelf on your wall perhaps it would be wise to hire a licensed, bonded, and insured contractor to install the shelf on the wall for you. There are many factors that you should consider prior to beginning yur shelf installation. SAFETY is the first and top priority.

          Safety First

          As a consurmer of Liberty Home Concealment, it is a safe assumption that you are a gun owner. Liberty Home Concealment sincerely hopes that you have a great grasp of the concept of SAFETY FIRST. The installation of our shelves requires several steps and we highly recommend that you have a friend help you with the installation. This is very important as the size and moving parts of the shelves can make the installation very cumbersome and potentially dangerous for a single person to accomplish by themselves. So please, we urge you to get some help. Secondly, proper tools that are in good serviceable condition are a must. Please use your tools in a manner consistent with the manufacturers intended use. Using proper tools can make the installation quick, simple and enjoyable. But most importantly, SAFE. So, save yourself the trouble and use the proper tools.

          CAUTION!!

          Failure to follow and comply with these instructions could result in INJURY and even DEATH!

          Tools that should be considered for a safe proper installation

          Stud finder, Tape measure, Pencil, Level, Electric screw driver, and Safety glasses.

          Step 1

          Confirm your desired wall has adequate support by finding the studs with the stud finder. Also, remove the foam insert until later instruction. Mark your stud locations and transfer those measurement onto your shelf. Drill pilot holes through shelf in marked locations. We recommend using a 1/8" or 3/16" bit for the pilot hole. A hole too big will allow the screw to pull right through the back of the shelf. That would be bad. And unnecessary. Please use the proper drill bit. Depending on your wall you should be able to locate at least two studs to anchor your shelf into for maximum strength. Some walls may even allow for three studs to be anchored into. The shelf MUST use at LEAST (2) pine 2X4 studs and the shelf bracket's to fully support the finished loaded weight.

          Step 2

          With the help of a friend, and using a level and your original measurements hold the shelf in its desired location and transfer the pilot hole locations to the wall. You should be using a minimum of two studs for this step. Each stud receiving (3) screw locations. Two internally, and the other two in the brackets on top. For now, only focus on marking the internal locations. Mark the four internal screw holes. Make sure to hold your shelf nice and level for this step or yur final installation will be crooked.

          Step 3

          With the help of a friend, hold the shelf into its' mounting location. Line up the holes in the shelf with the marks in your wall and your wall anchors, and install the six long wood screws into the wall. Four into two different studs, and two into the wall anchors.

          Step 4

          Installing the shelf brackets to the TOP of your shelf. At this point your shelf is attatched to the wall but it is not ready for any weight. Please DO NOT ADD ANY WEIGHT until you have firmly mounted and anchored your brackets into the top. Have your friend help you support the weight of the shelf until you can get the brackets tightly mounted to the desired location on your wall studs. Again, use two studs. Do not add weight to your shelf either inside, or on top, until both brackets are fully installed. Using the supplied 3/4" screws attach brackets to the top of the shelf and 2 of the longer screws for the stud attachment.

          Step 5

          Unlocking your shelf. Use your magnetic key to locate and unlock the bottom of the shelf. Do this while the shelf is open so you can see what is going on. You may even want ot make two small marks on the bottom of the shelf if it helps you to locate the pickup. It will take a little practice to find the location of the magnetic pick up but you will find it. Make sure you aren't inadvertently trying to unlock the gas damper. Once the location of the lock pickup is located, the magnet will hold itself in place. However, the shelf will not fully disengage the locks until you release the pressure on the locks by lifting the shelf slightly upward with a simple squeeze of your hands. Once you hear the audible clicks of the locks disengaging you can slowly open the shelf allowing the gas damper to lower the shelf to its resting stop.

          Concealment Picture Frame Installation Instructions

          Consider What is Beneath Your Walls

          Anytime you are doing work or attaching something to a wall it is wise to have a solid grasp of what lies beneath the surface of your walls. If you are not comfortable with the task of cutting a hole in a wall perhaps it would be wise to hire a licensed, bonded, and insured contractor to install this item in the wall for you. There are many factors that you should consider prior to beginning your shelf installation. SAFETY is the first and top priority. CAUTION!! Failure to follow and comply with these instructions could result in INJURY or even DEATH!!

          Recommended Tools

          These tools are not required to install your Liberty Home Concealment picture freame however they will help with the installation process. Stud Finder, tape measure, level, pencil, jigsaw, circular saw, keyhole saw, Sawzall, drill/driver, inspection mirror, flashlight and a second set of hands to help with marking your wall before cutting. These products were designed to work with "standard" 2X4 construction that was framed on 16" centers.

          Step 1

          Acquire all the tools to complete the job. Do not forget about proper personal protective gear.

          Step 2

          Confirm that your wall space is empty!! Failure to do so could result in serious injury or even death!

          Step 3

          Clean your work area around your desired install location. Cover any furniture with a tarp, drop cloth, or painter's plastic to aid in quick easy cleanup.

          Step 4

          Use a stud finder to locate the space between two studs. Confirm that you have 14.5" between the two stud edges before marking and cutting your walls.

          Step 5

          The back box of your picture frame is the size you need to make your hole. Hold picture frame tight against the wall and use your level to ensure frame is sitting level against the wall. On smaller sized picture frames such as 5"X7" and 8"X10" you will fasten to both studs. While holding the picture frame tight against the wall while checking for level and trace around the outside perimeter of the picture frames back box.

          Step 6

          Before cutting the entire wall opening Liberty Home Concealment recommends that you cut a small hole within the area that wil become the full-size hole. This is done to check and confirm your wall is truly clear of obstructions inside the wall such as electrical wiring plumbing. It's much easier to patch a small hole vs repairing a large hole because you got ahead of yourself. Do not skip this step!!

          Step 7

          Once you are sure that there are no obstacles inside your cut area, cut the full rectangle that you have marked previously. Remove drywall cutout away from the wall.

          Step 8

          Slide your new insert/picture frame into the hole you just cut.

          Step 9

          Use the supplied screws to fasten to the stud or studs that run up the sides of the rear of the box. On smaller frames box will only fasten to the stud you biased your hole towards.

          Picture Installation

          1. Lay frame face down on soft surface such as a towel or blanket. 2. Hold firmly and slide picture frame in to the open position. 3. Remove four metal picture retainer clips, if clips are tight use a flat bladed screw driver to wiggle free. 4. Remove wood backer noard and lay picture onto glass. Making sure of proper orientation. 5. Reinstall backer board and 4 retaining clips. 6. Slide picture frame closed and enjoy!

          Wall maunting instructions for Freedom Series Coat Rack

          Recommendation

          Liberty Home Concealmemt does not recommend the use of hollow wall anchors to mount larger items on your walls. While anchors may provide sufficient holding capability, Liberty Home Concealment recommends attaching directly to the studs located inside your wall to ensure the most secure level of attachment.

          Step 1

          Choose the desired location of the item you are wanting to mount your coat rack.

          Step 2

          Once you have your ideal location use a stud finder to locate 2 studs in your wall that will support your coat rack. Mark the location of each stud's center with a pencil. Use a nail to confirm stud has been located.

          Step 3

          Hold product against wall and use level to make sure it is even. Use a friend to help hold level while transferring stud location marks to inside of product to be mounted. Tip: Remember the adage "Measure twice cut once." That same rule applies when making holes in your walls.

          Step 4

          Check that product is plumb and level before securing. Once proper placement is achieve fasten first screw through product and into stud. Re check for level and attach second screw into next stud.

          Step 5

          Step back and admire your handy work. Now get started filling your piece of concealment furniture with all the items you are wanting to keep stored securely out of sight. ENJOY!!

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