Best stopping power

[Dave R]

I don't expect much expansion from .32's or .380's but I've been wrong before.

I did try .380acp expansion testing in wet newsprint. "Wound channels" were about 75% of the 9mm loads I shot for comparisons. I tried the 102gr. Golden Sabre. It expanded reliably up to 5 layers of denim in front of it.

The 9mm SilverTips expanded reliably up to 7 layers of denim.

So I do not feel terribly under-gunned with a .380.

Sure, bigger is better. Carry the biggest you can carry. If that's a .380, you've got 75% of the benefit of carrying something bigger.

As Mercutio said in Romeo and Juliet , "'Tis not so deep as a well, nor wide as a church door, but 'tis enough. 'Twill serve."

 

[telewinz]

The P-11 has a 10 +1 magazine capacity and I can hit a man size target rapid fire 99% of the time (no stress though) at 50 feet with most any handgun. What ammo would you suggest in 9mm for reliable feeding and performance? Price is no consideration of course. If its small and light, I am more likely to carry it.

 

[artherd]

I'm also of the 'no pistol has true one shot stoping power' camp.


Expanding .30-06 hunting rounds to the head, maybe. 40mm HE, probally, but I'd still want more than one.


So, it's all about shot placement. What can you hit the target with? What can you hit the target with *real quickly, and repeatedly, while you're scared ????less*?

If the 9mm fits you, why change?

 

[J.M.]

Of the calibers that you mention...only two (IMHO) are worth considering....38 spl, and 9mm...so what it boils down to is a 5 shot revolver, or an 11 shot auto.

I'd lean towards the revolver, but if you choose the auto, I'd recommend stoking it with CorBon Pow'R'Ball.

You need to shoot them both and decide what works for you. (FACT - autos arn't as fun a revolvers.) - JM.

 

[justice4all]

I think you'll find that you carry the P11 the majority of the time. It's hard to beat 11 rounds of 9mm in a package that size. But you'll also carry a snub nose .38 a lot, especially during cold Ohio winters, when you want a coat pocket gun. The P11, IMO, can be carried comfortably in a front pocket, but it is not as easy a draw as a snubbie. And, as I've said many times before, and others have reiterated, every CCWer should own some sort of mouse gun (for me its a P32, but today I'd instead opt for the P3AT) because there are occasions where it's tough to conceal anything bigger, and because even when this isn't the case, it's always good to have a BUG.

Of course, my understanding of the new Ohio law is that pocket carry would not be legal inside a motor vehicle, so that would probably affect your decision somewhat.

 

[Model520Fan]

"I cannot understand why 125 gr. .357 has a higher success rate than ANY .44 Magnum load, but I don't think they just made up their data."

I don't think they did, either. They picked what they were interested in or what was available to them with no idea of how to get a valid sample, and threw out what they honestly thought didn't count. They just have a collection of shootings that happened. They don't represent anything. They could throw out all ther "successful" .357 shootings and then it would have a stopping power of 0%, to use an extreme example. Nobody, least of all Marshall & Sanow, knows what relationships their collections of shootings have to the entire population of shootings with each cartridge definition.

 

[clubsoda22]

the M&S one shot stop makes no sence. Say they took 3 shootings.

In one the BG is shot in the big toe with a .25 automatic. He hops away. The .25 auto gets 100% one shot stop because it stopped him from attacking.

In another, an abrams tank operator fires a 120mm depleted uranium sabot into a tank. The lucky operator sees the abrams on the horizon and dives out 10 seconds before his tank explodes. the second sabot hits the operator square in the chest as he stupidly fires his pistol at the tank on the horizon. He is blown into a billion pieces and scattered over 50 square miles. The 120mm smoothbore cannon has a 0% one shot stop because two shots were fired in the engagement.

A japanese man travels to hiroshima, the bomb is dropped but because he is on the outskirts he survives. He then travels to nagasaki figuring he'll be safe there. The bomb is dropped and he is vaporized. Little boy brand nukes have a lower one shot stop than fat man brand.

One shot stop has nothing to do with a bullets ability to incapacitate.

 

[G1FAL]

Oh, yeah. Work on changing Ohio's CCW law to get rid of that clause tying the CCW to a particular handgun. Can you qualify on more than one?

Huh? Where is that? From my reading, I havent seen anything tying you down to one gun. Nothing about model, caliber, serial #, any of it.

 

[sm]

What ammo would you suggest in 9mm for reliable feeding and performance? Price is no consideration of course.

- telewinz

At this moment my Keltec P-11 is stoked with 115 gr Winchester STHP. Why? Simple, for me part of "MY Criteria" is ammo MUST be 100% reliable in gun used in. IME these STHP's run everytime in any gun I use them in.
The design of the Ogive and all is friendly to a variety of platforms, ramps, and chambers.

I test carry ammo extensivley in my CCW before I carry it. I test media from home/office interiors to vehicle doors and glass. I shoot critters. I listen/read with interest posts by WESHOOT2, Stephen Camp and others.

I just know from living long enough and my shotgun/shotshell experiences that what something is "marked" on a bbl/choke does not mean said ammo will pattern as such,even changing lot #'s or a reloaded hull for the 14th time differs fro the 6th time in some instances. Same applies from what worked for someone else and from their testings. I then have a starting reference for ME. I respect the various reportings and analysis out there...still I gotta know for myself. I don't have much of rear end, I do want to keep what little I have...It might be the bacon of someone else I need to protect as well.

Yes I have a variety of CCW loads I have tested and can grab anyone of these and be confident. I know POA/POI of each.

The STHP's...I was shooting some other guns belonging to other folks. I bought the remaining rounds from acase a fellow had that sold his 9mm. I needed to reload for carry, and used these.

I prefer the 115 gr in the Keltec. I have used 90 gr to 147 gr, +P to +P+. From lead to any configuration of FMJ or JHP.

Reliability is there, performance I have tested, POA/POI and shot to shot times due to recoil in a light package, and the STHP work for ME.

Get a good holster, IWB or Bellyband type. Good belt, blouse shirt and be confident from practice.

HTH

 

[TonyB]

Snowdog....thanks for the info and pix for the 110gr +P+ these were my summer loads and I wondered about the expansion and the 110gr weight.....I'll keep them as my summer loads thanks....(I use 357's for winter.....big coats and all)

 

[Mil Novecientos Once]

Best stopping power

1. The are no magic bullets but bigger bullets make big holes.

2. Shot Placement.

 

[IndyGunFreak]

. I will be taking the NRA course this weekend to meet the training requirements.

I didn't see anyone bring this up, but to my knowledge, the standard NRA course does not meet Ohio requirements, unless it is being modified by someone.

The law is pretty strict, but its something to work with...

Best of luck
IGF

 

[telewinz]

the standard NRA course does not meet Ohio requirements, unless it is being modified by someone.

Did some research and found out the same thing and dropped from the class. No one offers the proper training class at this point in time. Their is a required Ohio police brochure that must be taught as part of the class which isn't readily available right now. The instructors must also be registered with the attorney generals office. This whole thing is going to take time

 

[Stevie-Ray]

M&S data is good for the john. I haven't believed them since they first reported how crappy the .45 ACP was, and when everyone cried foul, the data magically began to change for the better. Generally in their data .40 outperforms 10mm, also. Common sense tells you better.

Kel-Tec P3AT

 

[azrael]

In winter I tend to carry 2 guns most of the time a Kel-Tec P-32 and a P-11...The P-32 is my "always" gun....the P-11 goes in a IWB or a Beltslide depending on what I am wearing.