What will a 9mm, .40, .45 do to a man?

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Its a older Video but the guy in the video Massad Ayoob really makes some good points when it comes to caliber wars and what caliber is better, it really does not matter what caliber you shoot someone with but more so Shot placement and several other things that come in play... For example When I go hunting I can kill a deer with a 22 almost as easy as I can when useing a 30 30 or 243.. Shot placement is key as well as other factors, like wind, setting, and brush..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip23A_3rR6Y
 
psychological predisposition to fall down when shot.
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Any and all "ground state" predispositions usually go out the window with the addition of adrenaline and/or PCP to the human body.
 
Same sort of mindset between people who cut themselves badly and freeze/pass out, and those who take a deep breath, walk calmly to the sewing kit/wound glue and try and stitch themselves before the wife notices the blood and low volume profanity.

If you need knockdown... Build a Ballista. ^^
 
Shawn Dodson said:
Suggest you study: FBI Handgun Wounding Factors and Effectiveness
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This FBI report/guide suggests 12"-18" of penetration, with 12" being the minimum and 18" being preferable if you can get it (anything beyond that is therefore probably a waste in their view).

The bottom line with the three most common semiautomatic service calibers is that they're not all that far apart in performance overall, and that selecting a specific load with the terminal ballistics you prefer is the most important action that you can take with regard to wounding effectiveness.

In general, .40 S&W and .45 ACP have basically the same level of "power" in that bullets of similar weights will have similar velocities, all else being equal. The width of the wound channel ultimately depends on the characteristics of the individual bullets and loads, although .45 ACP obviously has more potential in this regard. .40 S&W trades off some width for a couple of additional rounds of capacity and a somewhat greater potential for penetration through both dry and wet media. 9mm isn't all that far behind, however, trading off some "power" and width for a couple of additional rounds over .40 S&W and more manageable recoil for many people. Having less "power" it can't get quite the same penetration through wet media as .40 S&W with the same wound channel diameter (a few inches less, generally). However, despite the supposition that .40 S&W has a greater ability to penetrate dry, solid barriers in theory--based on having higher velocity with equal sectional density--9mm actually tends to penetrate dry barriers more in reality, the main tradeoff being that it is also deflected more by angled barriers than .40 S&W (or .45 ACP).

Anyway, decide on the terminal performance characteristics you want, discover through practice how well you can shoot each caliber, giving special attention to the speed and accuracy of followup shots, and choose the specific load that best matches your needs overall.
 
IMO....there have been more BG's hit with a 9mm and lived to tell about it after absorbing a multitude of hits.

Take the guy who walked into the museum in Washington DC for example. He sustained a wound the exited the back of his neck.....now if that was of the .40 Caliber class round, things may have taken a different turn. The 9mm IMO is just not a well designed round for CQB....I've shot 9mm over the years and just don't have the confidence in it I do with the Larger .40 Cal. rounds......maybe that's why I carry the .45ACP......Only My Opinion.
 
Wow. Thanks for the replies. I never knew that bullets wouldn't knock someone down.

I guess I am going to pick a gun that I feel comfortable handling and shooting.

I live in Bowling Green, KY - Is there a place where I can test out different calibers? Maybe Nashville?
 
There is much mythology out there. I reccomend two books. One is "Tactical Reality" by Louis Awerbuck. Loui is a top notch instructor and his book is the summation of the SWAT articles he has written. It won't give you an answer as to the best caliber but you will learn a lot. Better yet, take a class from him.

Another good book is one by Cirillo. I can't quite remember the name but it's something like "Tales From the Stakeout Squad." It will document some stories that will amaze you at how many rounds the gobblins have absorbed.

Another good book is "The Ayoob Files" by Massad Ayoob that will go through a number of gun battles.

Another good book is "On Combat" by Grossman that will give you an idea of what goes on to you during and after a fight.

To answer your question, go try all of the pistols in the calibers you are interested in and see how well (after some training) you shoot with them. If you shoot them all the same, I'd go with the biggest caliber. If there is a big difference on how well you do, I'd go with the one you are most comfortable shooting. The most important thing is a good deep hit but even that isnt' guarantee.
 
9mm will just pass through and they won't realize that they've been shot till after they've killed your family

.40 S&W is highly inaccurate considering how cops can't hit their target

.45 is the best round ever because it can send a man through a window and into the house across the street
:neener:

I've read stories on self defense events, one guy stopped the home invader with one .45 and another unloaded his Para 5rd 1911 .45 into a guy holding up a sandwich shop. Shot placment is the key.
 
FIVETWOSEVEN said:
9mm will just pass through and they won't realize that they've been shot till after they've killed your family

.40 S&W is highly inaccurate considering how cops can't hit their target

.45 is the best round ever because it can send a man through a window and into the house across the street
:neener:
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Close, but not quite reality. Here's the real truth with action graphics to prove it ;):

joketj7.jpg
 
IAll handgun rounds will put lots of little holes in someone if you do your part and hit the right places this will result in enough blood loss to kill the target. The concept of a defensive handgun round being a man stopper is a myth. IMHO

Always pick your defensive round and caliber based on what you can shoot well under pressure. Its all about positive hits not what you are hitting with. It will not do you any good to shoot a more powerful round if you cannot control your shots. If you shoot 9mm lights out but can't hit the broad side of barn with 45acp whining one makes more sense?
 
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Sledgehammer might knock someone down if you are a bear or they are off balance, or you hit them in the knee.

Not very practical for personal protection though.
 
Another good book is one by Cirillo. I can't quite remember the name but it's something like "Tales From the Stakeout Squad." It will document some stories that will amaze you at how many rounds the gobblins have absorbed.
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Guns, Bullets, And Gunfighting is what you are thinking of. I can't remember if he also wrote a book named Tales From The Stakeout Squad or not, but it does sound familiar. GBandG has a section with Stakeout Squad stories, some of them are pretty nerve wracking.
 
I saw a guy get shot in the leg with a 22 mag derringer........he fell down and damn near died.Femoral artery, so shot placement is key.
 
I agree about shot placement. I have done a little deer hunting. My experience is if I hit a deer in the neck with a 180 grain .30-06 bullet it will fall down dead right there. If I shoot a deer in the lungs with the same bullet it will kill it just as dead but I will have to go look for it. Usually find it within about 25 yards. My old hunting partner blew a bucks heart clean out of its chest with a .270 & had to crawl through the briars 100 yards to get it.
Now imagine that animal is very angry, in close proximity to you & trying to do you harm. Also consider that none of the calibers in discussion have anywhere near the power of a .30-06 or a .270. Any of the above can do lethal harm to someone but whether on not it stops them depends on what is hit.
 
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