xtitan1 said:
Like I said he likes the CAT but says he's not sure about relying on the velcro if there's lots of blood and dirt involved. On the flip side, probably more people are familiar with the CAT if someone besides you is using your kit.
I can't name any U.S. suppliers but one of the best pieces of advice I was given was to avoid prepackaged kits. I bought a pouch I liked and a few yards of orange paracord to add to the zipper pulls, and then bought everything else separately after careful research. I also spent a lot of time on the trauma threads at m4carbine.net forums.
As for the CAT, they have a good history of success and are widely used in places where IEDs are a daily occurrence. They are highly recommended by the people who use them constantly for their living. Technically, they should be discarded after each use, but that is probably the least of my worries at the time.
xtitan1 said:
Have you compared the penetration of that 9MM rifle to a standard 5.56 ar-15 rifle? I've heard that an AR-15 will actually overpenetrate in a home (like through drywall or something) less than 00 buck or 9MM which I find hard to believe, but I don't know much lol.
Interesting question, and that was exactly what I was researching for a magazine article. Most police agencies in North America have gone to an AR platform rifle in .223 or 5.56 but there is still that underlying belief that a high-power rifle round will overpenetrate and be more of a hazard to others. Pistol-calibre carbines such as the JR have been proposed to extend the range of their pistols without putting too many others in greater danger.
After doing extensive comparative tests and matching my tests to FBI gelatin tests, I have concluded that is a myth. A standard police .223 round penetrates far less than a standard police-issue 9mm round fired from a rifle.
I used two water-filled milk jugs, a wall made up of two layers of drywall and another milk jug on the other side of the wall. My tests show that a 9mm round could go through both jugs, plus two layers of drywall and still dent the jug on the other side of the wall. The .223 round was always stopped in the second jug.
At room-length distance, 00 buckshot went through three jugs, plus the wall. At further distances, it performed more like 8 individual .33 calibre rounds, and none penetrated the wall.
Just for interest sake, a 9mm FMJ went through three jugs, plus the wall, plus fully through the far jug. A 12 gauge slug punched cleanly through SIX jugs, the wall, plus TWO more jugs.
Of course, water-filled milk jugs are just a comparative media, and can't be equated to real life, but FBI tests maintain 12" to 18" penetration in ballistic gelatin is ideal for a defensive round, and my tests with the same rounds as they tested show that water-filled jugs are roughly similar, with gelatin having only slightly more resistance. Water is actually a very effective way to stop a bullet, and water test tanks at ballistic labs rarely need to be more than 3 or 4 feet in length.
I will settle for the red dot only and thanks for suggesting the Bushnell I might just have to put that on my Christmas list !
