A New Study on Hangun Stopping Power

[rgkitchen]

A long read, but very informative . . . .

http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/7866

For those of you who like to turn to the last page of a book to see how it turns out, here is the conclusion of the article . . . .

The results I got from the study lead me to believe that there really isn't that much difference between most defensive handgun rounds and calibers. None is a death ray, but most work adequately...even the lowly .22s. I've stopped worrying about trying to find the "ultimate" bullet. There isn't one. And I've stopped feeling the need to strap on my .45 every time I leave the house out of fear that my 9mm doesn't have enough "stopping power." Folks, carry what you want. Caliber really isn't all that important.

No matter which gun you choose, pick one that is reliable and train with it until you can get fast accurate hits. Nothing beyond that really matters!

[pred]

I have always felt confident with my 38 loaded with Wad cutters.
WHY?
I can place 5 shots in a paper plate at 45' in about 2 seconds or less. Basically as quick as I can pull the trigger.
Lets face facts, Placement matters more that size.
Peter

[ByblosHex]

It also makes it pretty clear that Rifles are much, much more effective.

[BimmerJon]

"Stopping Power" is a marketing term and myth.

More rounds and proper placement > *

[PaBimmerGuy]

Folks, carry what you want. Caliber really isn't all that important.

Heresy!!

[nathaniel.seacat]

I'm not reading it, because I read the summary and it sucked. You can kill anyone with any round, sure. However, it is undeniable that a round that transfers a lot, or all of its energy and leaves a nice wide wound channel is going to be more likely to stop or kill someone. And that is magnified if the round starts out with more energy.

[dunsho]

I'm not reading it, because I read the summary and it sucked. You can kill anyone with any round, sure. However, it is undeniable that a round that transfers a lot, or all of its energy and leaves a nice wide wound channel is going to be more likely to stop or kill someone. And that is magnified if the round starts out with more energy.

45 ACP
# of people shot - 209
# of hits - 436
% of hits that were fatal - 29%
Average number of rounds until incapacitation - 2.08
% of people who were not incapacitated - 14%
One-shot-stop % - 39%
Accuracy (head and torso hits) - 85%
% actually incapacitated by one shot (torso or head hit) - 51%



22 (short, long and long rifle)
# of people shot - 154
# of hits - 213
% of hits that were fatal - 34%
Average number of rounds until incapacitation - 1.38
% of people who were not incapacitated - 31%
One-shot-stop % - 31%
Accuracy (head and torso hits) - 76%
% actually incapacitated by one shot (torso or head hit) - 60%

[kolonial72]

I'm not reading it, because I read the summary and it sucked. You can kill anyone with any round, sure. However, it is undeniable that a round that transfers a lot, or all of its energy and leaves a nice wide wound channel is going to be more likely to stop or kill someone. And that is magnified if the round starts out with more energy.

Perhaps a read of the entire article would have helped. He wote this:

The one-shot-stop percentage (where I considered all hits, anywhere on the body) trended generally higher as the round gets more powerful.

So I think he agrees with your point about bigger wound ==> more stopping power. He also writes about what he calls a "psychological stop," wherein the person shot simply gives up on agressive action out of a desire to not be shot anymore, which may have skewed his data regarding true stopping power. At any rate, the author did not seem to say that all pistols have the same stopping power, though he did advocate the importance of shot location. So if you are able to fire any pistol with equal accuracy, then a larger caliber might be the right thing for you. If, OTOH, you cannot control anything larger than a .380, then use that and be accurate. (Oh, and maybe learn how to shoot larger pistols accurately.) Last but not least, the author encourages each of us to carry a shotgun.

[Valorius]

Already posted.

http://forum.pafoa.org/general-2/138...ml#post1620585

[nathaniel.seacat]

45 ACP
# of people shot - 209
# of hits - 436
% of hits that were fatal - 29%
Average number of rounds until incapacitation - 2.08
% of people who were not incapacitated - 14%
One-shot-stop % - 39%
Accuracy (head and torso hits) - 85%
% actually incapacitated by one shot (torso or head hit) - 51%



22 (short, long and long rifle)
# of people shot - 154
# of hits - 213
% of hits that were fatal - 34%
Average number of rounds until incapacitation - 1.38
% of people who were not incapacitated - 31%
One-shot-stop % - 31%
Accuracy (head and torso hits) - 76%
% actually incapacitated by one shot (torso or head hit) - 60%

these number mean nothing if you include offensive shootings. Weve already covered this on the board, the .22 has a seriously high number of kill under its belt because it is probably the most common round available, and the weapons that fire it can be found easily and cheaply, making it prime for criminals. If you count criminals(who shoot first, or execute with less stress and the upper hand of time) the numbers arent likely to be a very accurate representation of defensive shooting.