An Alternate look at Handgun Stopping Power

[DickMiller]

the "something important" that you have to hit is the spine or the brain. NOTHING you hit in the chest, even with a 12 ga blast, is going to physically incapacitate anyone for at least 5 seconds. if you blow apart the heart, there's still 5 second's worth of oxygenated blood in the cranium. if the heart just "pumped" before you blew it apart, there;s 5 secon'ds more of blood sent to the brain. If your shots have not destroyed the heart, it might take many more seconds to bleed out the guy enough to make his body quit.

what we see, if the attacker stops sooner than that, is a PSYCHOLOGICAL QUITTING. it's not a physical incapacitiation. No, it's not 100% reliable, but a physical stop is almost always too slow. So you seek to maximize the shock, damage and pain that you cause with your hits. I got news, some loads are MUCH more likely to make a guy quit than others. :-)


if you use a solid aluminum hp, say, 70 grs, with a huge hollowbase, in your .45, using shortened .460 Rowland cases and a fully supported barrel, you can drive it to 2200 fps in a Commander barrel. That's 700+ ft lbs. If that bullet is split from the nose almost to the base, using the little Exacto saw, it will break apart when it hits a body (at 2000+ fps) and the hard, sharp-cornered, tumbling segments will diverge from each other. At such impact speeds, the temporary gas cavity CAN and does damage fragile organ tissues, beyond what is touched by the segments themselves, Such loads have the same recoil as 230 grs at 650 fps. In other words, very mild.

[treeman]

NOTHING you hit in the chest, even with a 12 ga blast, is going to physically
incapacitate anyone for at least 5 seconds. if you blow apart the heart, there's still 5 second's worth of oxygenated blood in the cranium. if the heart just "pumped" before you blew it apart, there;s 5 secon'ds more of blood sent to the brain. If your shots have not destroyed the heart, it might take many more seconds to bleed out the guy enough to make his body qu
Any injury that cause instant drop in blood pressure as in destruction of heart open rupture of aorta will also cause instant unconsciousness. This is how the beheaded head being able to see for while after beheading because of oxygen theory was debunked. No blood pressure = stopped - even if not clinically dead.

[Dinat]

I would prefer 12G buckshot at 5 to 7m. A hit in CNS will shut BG down, even if there is oxygen in the blood. A heart, artery shot indirectly affects the CNS, but a shot to the brain will drop the BG.

[Reloader of Southamerica]

This study seems to be widespread on the Internet since I have seen that a few times already.

i wonder if the data is a valid sample from real life Shootings since some conclusions are a bit hard to believe as such that the 380 acp is almost better than the 38 spl or 9mm Luger.
But based on this study I partially decided to go for my EDC with the 380 acp caliber mainly buying the Beretta Pico. Basically this study sold a gun for Beretta.

Most People belittle the 380 acp out of an 2.7" Barrel but I managed to shoot an Turkey size bird already from 35 meters (102 grain lead bullet, 862 fps and 168 ft-lbs energy. Was a lung shot).
On the other Hand here in Southamerica People mostly own or an 22 LR rifle or shotgun and use the 22 LR extensively for all kinds of hunting up to cow Shooting. The 22 LR Drops right dead on the spot a 500 Kg cow easily. As well a cow dies on the spot if shot with birdshot in the head on the right spot (it's done over here as well).

[Grant9]

Hunting and self defense are different applications,.......

[Reloader of Southamerica]

Hunting and self defense are different applications,.......

Yes.
But hunting is IMHO the closest test to self defense.
Both are living beings and if they are of similar weight you pretty much will be able to guess how effective an caliber is.

Like I shot the last time an ostrich (Turkey weight and size bird) with the Beretta Pico 380 acp from 35 meters. The animal got an lung shot as I cut in half afterwards the animal.
At bullet Impact the animal halted for an Brief milisecond and changed from Walking to running full Speed. It ran for about 40 seconds and 200 meters where it then collapsed. Heart was not struck but the lung (at least one and I dont remember if the animal had 2 lungs or what else) was perforated. Could not retrieve the bullet.
So if the ostrich would have been an Bad Guy he would have had time to attack me for 40 seconds and walk/run a distance of about 150 meters.

The bullet used was a lead cast 102 grain round nose, 862 fps and 168 ft-lbs of energy according to my chronograph from that pistol.

[BigT]

Yes.
But hunting is IMHO the closest test to self defense.
Both are living beings and if they are of similar weight you pretty much will be able to guess how effective an caliber is.

Like I shot the last time an ostrich (Turkey weight and size bird) with the Beretta Pico 380 acp from 35 meters. The animal got an lung shot as I cut in half afterwards the animal.
At bullet Impact the animal halted for an Brief milisecond and changed from Walking to running full Speed. It ran for about 40 seconds and 200 meters where it then collapsed. Heart was not struck but the lung (at least one and I dont remember if the animal had 2 lungs or what else) was perforated. Could not retrieve the bullet.
So if the ostrich would have been an Bad Guy he would have had time to attack me for 40 seconds and walk/run a distance of about 150 meters.

The bullet used was a lead cast 102 grain round nose, 862 fps and 168 ft-lbs of energy according to my chronograph from that pistol.

40 seconds is a bloody long gunfight

[Reloader of Southamerica]

yes I agree.
I one could deduct this translating it to self defense Scenarios the BG would have had about 1 Minute to fight back.

I shot only 1 shot of 380 acp after that the animal started to run like crazy.

But yes These are real experiences.

Thats why I think it would be a good idea to shoot 1 shot and then run away (get distance to the offender).
Or shoot till threath is down. But the last I dont want with the 7 shots I have availlable in an small 380 acp pistol since my biggest fear is to be out of ammo.

Shoot one and hide or flee.
Waiting a time hoping the threath is slowing down and cease to be a threath. Let time work for you.
This is just my opinion considering this experience.

[1lum1nat1]

1 shot and hope you hit? Do you only have one magazine?

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

[BigT]

yes I agree.
I one could deduct this translating it to self defense Scenarios the BG would have had about 1 Minute to fight back.

I shot only 1 shot of 380 acp after that the animal started to run like crazy.

But yes These are real experiences.

Thats why I think it would be a good idea to shoot 1 shot and then run away (get distance to the offender).
Or shoot till threath is down. But the last I dont want with the 7 shots I have availlable in an small 380 acp pistol since my biggest fear is to be out of ammo.

Shoot one and hide or flee.
Waiting a time hoping the threath is slowing down and cease to be a threath. Let time work for you.
This is just my opinion considering this experience.

Reality has a way of getting in the way of unrealistic plans