SKILLS: Handgun Stopping Power
- Thread starter Talyn
- Start date
HansGruber
Ronin
Good read.
There is no magic bullet, or caliber. Big bullets do more damage than small ones, all other things being equal...if the shooter can control it for multiple shots. This also applies to more energetic bullets—because remember, more energy going out the muzzle means more energy coming back in the form of recoil (see: Newton’s 3rd Law).
Good hits are better than bad hits. Bullets that punch deep AND expand big have a better chance of hitting something important.
I’ve always considered the “stopping power” studies as, well...I’ll go with “bunk”. Marshall & Sanow was one of the first...and was flawed at best, fraudulent at worst. The “Strasbourg Tests” were a work of fiction. There’s others, but...any study that’s worth the time to read will conclude with “*shrug* It depends.”
There is no magic bullet, or caliber. Big bullets do more damage than small ones, all other things being equal...if the shooter can control it for multiple shots. This also applies to more energetic bullets—because remember, more energy going out the muzzle means more energy coming back in the form of recoil (see: Newton’s 3rd Law).
Good hits are better than bad hits. Bullets that punch deep AND expand big have a better chance of hitting something important.
I’ve always considered the “stopping power” studies as, well...I’ll go with “bunk”. Marshall & Sanow was one of the first...and was flawed at best, fraudulent at worst. The “Strasbourg Tests” were a work of fiction. There’s others, but...any study that’s worth the time to read will conclude with “*shrug* It depends.”
Fully agree with this. A person needs to use what they can consistently put on target. Sometimes though the biggest and best bullet you put on target just doesn't seem to work. Below is one such story .
Why one cop carries 145 rounds of ammo on the job
Before the call that changed Sergeant Timothy Gramins’ life forever, he typically carried 47 rounds of handgun ammunition on his person while on duty
www.policeone.com
Was this a freak incident ? Yes but you just never know.
HansGruber
Ronin
I've seen that dropped several times, and to be honest...I don’t think there’s really much to be taken away from that event beyond “s(tuff) happens”.Fully agree with this. A person needs to use what they can consistently put on target. Sometimes though the biggest and best bullet you put on target just doesn't seem to work. Below is one such story .
Why one cop carries 145 rounds of ammo on the job
Before the call that changed Sergeant Timothy Gramins’ life forever, he typically carried 47 rounds of handgun ammunition on his person while on duty
Was this a freak incident ? Yes but you just never know.
It’s really such an outlier case on so many points...if he had been carrying a 9mm, would it have stopped the fight faster, all things being equal? I just can’t see that happening.
But consider—if he had been carrying a 9mm, or a .40; would that article be “Why one cop carries xxx rounds of .45”?
Bet it would.
Troy Scott Fitch
Master Class
Mas A did an articleon one shot stops using police records.This not kills but when the person shot by police stopped fighting.It listed cal.and bullet type.This was in the 80's and the use of 125 grain jhp 357 came out on top.The 9mm is now offered in jhp,and the 40 was just starting to be used.You still have to put the round in the right spot.So back to the front site,good hands and trigger finger.
HansGruber
Ronin
That was the Marshall & Sanow study.
There are serious...irregularities...in the data.
Troy Scott Fitch
Master Class
Was the irregularities in reporting or weighted numbers,or was it biased on researchers feelings?
HansGruber
Ronin
I seem to recall there was a predisposition towards a certain outcome...as well as some information in certain cases cited were refuted by the agencies that they were attributed to.