Robert,
Hello neighbor,
Since you are a fellow Coloradian, and just might be an armed neighbor living near to me, I feel it's worth my time to post on this! *smiles*
Disclaimer. The following are MY OPINION based on MY TESTING and PERSONAL EXPERIENCE so take it for FWIW.
The Glaser Safety Slugs do what they are designed to do. Unfortunately, this means that they don't always do what we'd like them to do. The problem lies in the the small size, quantity, and the velocity at the exact time of release of the shot from it's carrier. ALOT of the energy gets used up immediately upon impact with the target while the carrier and shot deform and compress into one another. Alot of friction is going on before there is any penetration at all. This small, underpowered, SOFT lead shot releases from it's carrier (copper shell W/teflon tip) upon impact. IMHO there just isn't enough weight and velocity there, at that point, for the penetration to be notably effective on a clothed, human body. The manufacture definitely makes the "Safety Slugs" hot. In .45ACP, for example, they are near 1000fps, but this doesn't solve the "problem," rather it compounds it in my opinion. Most center of mass hits are going to hit some bone, fat, gristle, etc. If you're really, REALLY lucky though, a bit of shot might make it past all that and into a vital organ or artery.
I've done testing with layers of dry wall and insulation while making visual training aids for my pistol class students. I used only .45acp and 9mm. These aids were to simulate apartment/home walls, and the results were pretty much what I expected. The "Safety Slugs" made it through the first layer of sheet rock, but just a few will make it through the 2nd layer. The more range involved obviously means less penetration as the velocity of the projectile decreases. Now, if "I" shoot an aggressor, I mostly want him to bleed out very quickly and also shatter his spine or skull. I don't shoot as a deterrent. I shoot to eliminate the threat as quickly as possible. Believe it or not, a hyped up aggressor isn't always going to run away from a firefight just because he's been shot or blinded with a safety slug. Self preservation kicks in, and there's a really good chance he's going to keep shooting at you and worry about getting his wounds fixed later - whether he can see you or not. Many DEFENSE shootings have also involved more than one round fired.
Moreover, a good, fragmenting, hollow point bullet really won't go very far IF it slowed down by hitting the aggressor in the center of mass. My testing with these is that they won't even go through two 1" layers of pine that are spaced 24 inches apart - .45acp. They will usually imbed themselves in the second layer.
Yes, an effective "Safety Slug" shot could pretty much guarantee a dead perpetrator, (hopefully too many wound channels for a Dr. to stitch up) but I question just how quickly an aggressor would be STOPPED with a "Safety Slug." If the aggressor is wearing thick clothing - especially layers - then "Safety Slugs" are even less effective.
Personally, my hope is that, should my home come under attack by a criminal, I'll be able to use a 12 gauge shotgun and not my pistol. The pistol is primarily for concealed carry and home backup. There is very little comparison between the effects of a shotgun blast vs. a "Safety Slug" as the former has much more close range power and shot size can be increased to over .30 caliber. 9 to 12 pellets of 00 Buckshot are extremely devastating. Choose the lowest dram weight buckshot you can get. At self defense ranges, you'll create a wound channel that your cat can jump through, but collateral damage, other than a lot of splatter in the room, is still kept to a minimum.
FWIW: I believe accurate, thoughtful shooting is the skill we should devolop and the best way to protect fellow apartment dwellers and loved ones. Practice is the key. Once a person has the fundamentals down to habit, good shooting then become 95% mental (at least). When I practice defensive shooting, I always say to myself "I don't miss!" That attitude forces me to focus on bullet placement more instead of getting mentally distracted on things that could prevent accurate bullet placement. Thinking, "I don't miss," before each shot has become a good habit for me. Now I'm not talking about "concentration" here. That takes too long. By "focus" I mean, "awareness" - being aware of where that bullet is going to go before pulling the trigger - whether it's point shooting, flash sight picture, or even an aimed shot. A well practiced shooter can always call their shots - especially at normal self-defense ranges
There is a school of thought that, (read some Ayoob) under stress, one can be expected to freak out and spray bullets everywhere. These people believe that a person's brain goes haywire under life and death situations. This only happens to the undertrained and underprepared individual. Stress can actually be used to increase focus and awareness in a life and death encounter. Stress can be used to totally stifle the effects of "fear" and create a calm that is unimaginable to the uninitiated. That's how I would suggest one protect their neighbors and the people in the next room.
