.300 Blackout is a caliber designed on the 5.56/223 platform. It was designed for the US Special Operations units by the Advanced Armament Company as a replacement for the MP5SD. Special Ops wanted a caliber that had more power than 9mm while having the same sound level, and also being compatible with the M4/AR-15 rifle, and that is what the .300 blackout caliber achieved.
However, do you really need an AR chambered in a .300 blackout? What benefits does it have over a standard 5.56 AR-15? Let’s talk about it in more detail.
How was the .300 Blackout caliber made?
The .300 Blackout originated from the .300 Whisper, a caliber designed for suppressed shooting. The casing of the .300 Blackout caliber was made by stretching a 5.56mm NATO case and trimming it down slightly. The casing has fast-burning powders in it, and has a 30 caliber projectile, weighing from 110 to 220-grains.
This makes for a very deadly short-range thumper. It achieves its ballistic potential with a 9-inch barrel and hence gives you a very capable weapon at up to 300 yards.
Why do you need a .300 Blackout upper or rifle?
The .300 Blackout is one of the most successful calibers of the last decade. It is a very capable short-range caliber, and because of the bigger projectile size, it is much more versatile than a 5.56 caliber AR-15 round. It comes with various bullet profiles, ranging from 110 grains to 220 grains. You can even get .300 Blackout rounds with hollow point projectiles, which are very effective for home defense, especially if you use subsonic rounds with a suppressor.
A .300 blackout round has a lot of stopping power, and lower chances of over-penetration. It can be shot from a short barrel, and with subsonic ammunition, you won have to deal with the concussive noise of shooting a rifle indoors. Therefore, a short home defense rifle chambered in .300 blackout has everything you could ever want from such a weapon, and has literally no drawbacks.
If you use supersonic rounds, the .300 blackout can also be a very capable hunting and survival caliber. In fact, on some hunting grounds, you aren’t allowed to hunt with 5.56 bullets, since they have quite a long-range, and low stopping power. .300 blackout is a much better option in such scenarios.
What do you need to change to fire the .300 Blackout from an AR-15?
One of the best things about the .300 Blackout caliber is its compatibility with the AR-15 platform. The round fits in the standard AR-15 magazine, and it can be fired using an AR-15 Bolt carrier group since the casings are the same. All you need to change is the barrel of the rifle and you are ready to shoot, with the standard AR-15 upper and lower receivers. If you don’t want to buy a complete .300 Blackout AR, you can also simply buy a .300 Blackout upper, without the Bolt Carrier Group, and use it with a Standard AR-15 Lower and BCG.
Final Thoughts:
The .300 Blackout is an excellent caliber, which is perfect for close-range combat scenarios. It is a very versatile caliber, which works great with suppressors and short barrels. In many ways, it is the perfect home defense caliber.