Debunking Some Common Handgun Defense Myths
There are some beliefs and misapprehensions held by people, sometimes
large groups of people, that defy explanation. It’s not clear where
these myths came from, why anyone even considers them, much less
actively believes them, or why they’re still around. Then there are the
myths that, while not true (being myths), people can’t really be blamed
for occasionally believing. They often make good intuitive sense, may be
considered longtime conventional wisdom, and may have been repeated by
the experts in a given field. Those are the breed of common handgun
defense myths that will be covered and (hopefully) debunked here.
Stopping Power
The fact that stopping power is a practically entirely mythical standard has actually been getting a good bit of coverage recently. Despite that, its rejection is still strongly contested by a considerable portion of the gun community. That’s no surprise since it hits all three believability markers: It has been repeated as gospel by civilian, law enforcement, and military firearm and ballistics experts; has long been the conventional wisdom; and it makes intuitive sense. Whatever the stopping power of .380 ACP, 9mm ammo is going to be better, and .45 ACP ammo is going to be even better. Seems reasonable, but it turns out it’s simply not really true.
It’s All About Caliber
The bigger the bullet, the better the stopping power, right? It turns out that’s not so. Ballistics tests and analysis of shooting incidents found that the difference in penetration, wound channels, one-shot-stop, and the like was negligible between 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 AC, .357 Magnum and the like. What did make a difference in both winning (surviving) gunfights and stopping attackers was magazine capacity and bullet type. Cartridges with greater penetration, like +P loads, and hollow-points rather than FMJs did prove more effective.
Caliber Doesn’t Matter
It may seem contradictory to insist that caliber not mattering is a myth immediately after suggesting that caliber making any significant difference was a myth. However, like so many other things in life, it’s more of a gray area than black and white. While the earlier-mentioned research has found stopping power to be largely mythical and caliber to be far less important than shot placement, penetration, and bullet type, that’s not to say there was no difference. While the difference between a 9mm and a .45 ACP didn’t appear significant in immediately turning the tide of a gunfight, evidence also bears out that someone shot with a large caliber handgun is statistically more likely to be fatally injured. However, what’s not clear is whether or not large calibers were better at incapacitation quickly enough to end the encounter sooner.
About Ammunition Depot
Ammunition Depot has come to be regarded by the shooting community as the premier online source for guns, ammunition, shooting gear, and more. They offer any other firearm accessories you might need, from extra magazines to an incredible .300 AAC Blackout upper selection. Ammunition Depot provides a terrific selection of the best guns on the market and everything you need to feed them, from a single box of .223 Remington to bulk orders, like 1,000 cartridges of .22 LR ammo for sale. The Ammunition Depot team is proud to support our Constitutionally-protected shooting rights and to donate to charities for the troops and law enforcement officers. They promote a policy of vet-preferential employment in Florida, their home state.
Load up with the best guns and ammo available from Ammunition Depot, at Ammunitiondepot.com
Stopping Power
The fact that stopping power is a practically entirely mythical standard has actually been getting a good bit of coverage recently. Despite that, its rejection is still strongly contested by a considerable portion of the gun community. That’s no surprise since it hits all three believability markers: It has been repeated as gospel by civilian, law enforcement, and military firearm and ballistics experts; has long been the conventional wisdom; and it makes intuitive sense. Whatever the stopping power of .380 ACP, 9mm ammo is going to be better, and .45 ACP ammo is going to be even better. Seems reasonable, but it turns out it’s simply not really true.
It’s All About Caliber
The bigger the bullet, the better the stopping power, right? It turns out that’s not so. Ballistics tests and analysis of shooting incidents found that the difference in penetration, wound channels, one-shot-stop, and the like was negligible between 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 AC, .357 Magnum and the like. What did make a difference in both winning (surviving) gunfights and stopping attackers was magazine capacity and bullet type. Cartridges with greater penetration, like +P loads, and hollow-points rather than FMJs did prove more effective.
Caliber Doesn’t Matter
It may seem contradictory to insist that caliber not mattering is a myth immediately after suggesting that caliber making any significant difference was a myth. However, like so many other things in life, it’s more of a gray area than black and white. While the earlier-mentioned research has found stopping power to be largely mythical and caliber to be far less important than shot placement, penetration, and bullet type, that’s not to say there was no difference. While the difference between a 9mm and a .45 ACP didn’t appear significant in immediately turning the tide of a gunfight, evidence also bears out that someone shot with a large caliber handgun is statistically more likely to be fatally injured. However, what’s not clear is whether or not large calibers were better at incapacitation quickly enough to end the encounter sooner.
About Ammunition Depot
Ammunition Depot has come to be regarded by the shooting community as the premier online source for guns, ammunition, shooting gear, and more. They offer any other firearm accessories you might need, from extra magazines to an incredible .300 AAC Blackout upper selection. Ammunition Depot provides a terrific selection of the best guns on the market and everything you need to feed them, from a single box of .223 Remington to bulk orders, like 1,000 cartridges of .22 LR ammo for sale. The Ammunition Depot team is proud to support our Constitutionally-protected shooting rights and to donate to charities for the troops and law enforcement officers. They promote a policy of vet-preferential employment in Florida, their home state.
Load up with the best guns and ammo available from Ammunition Depot, at Ammunitiondepot.com
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