For all promoting flare guns for self defense

[garyfdl]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

As demonstrated in the video I posted above, a cut shell prints the same as a slug. The pellets are held in the cup, not flying free.

It's not about the 'print'. It's about penetration.

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Of course it’s less powerful than buckshot or a slug. But it’s effective at short range.

'Effective'? Compared to what? As you already stated it's less powerful, that means less penetration, and that's what the 'game' is about. Again, you can't rely on an assailant facing you head on, where this round would be most 'effective'. And why wouldn't you chose the most effective round for self defense?

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

even without cutting the shell, spread of birdshot is about 1” per yard.

That's an old rule of thumb. It actually depends on barrel length, choke, wad type, and load.

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

if the distance is 2 yards, the assailant gets a 2” hole in the chest. Is it 14” deep? Maybe not but at 2” diameter, 10” will do just fine.

Yes, at 2 yds the shot will be debilitating; but why would you want/wait for an assailant to get that close? The whole point of a long gun is to be a standoff weapon.

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

the shell makes it effective at 25 yard range. Tests in these videos show them to be much more effective than a 9mm hollow point.

At 25 yds/75' the average individual isn't going to hit squat with anything but a long gun, caliber notwithstanding, so OK. Even a shotgun is going to be less than optimal, unless it's loaded with a slug. But tests with ballistic gel show that a cut shell isnt going to be very effective at range, regardless of how many plastic buckets get blown up.

Couple more things:
First - if you do use a cut shell it had better be your first shot. There is no way I'd risk/ trust chambering a cut shell from a magazine. It's a recipe for disaster.

Second - for as long as they've been around, if cut shells were that great of a 'thing', why aren't they commercially available? No ammunition maker I know of has ever made them. And you can bet, it there was the slightest truth to cut shells being so great, ammo makers would be all over it, especially in this age of social media fear-mongering.