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| articles:caliber_bullets [2021/01/31 13:31] – [Bullets] rrandall | articles:caliber_bullets [2021/02/01 20:45] (current) – [Caliber] rrandall |
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| Following the aftermath of the 1986 "FBI Miami shootout", the FBI "{{ :articles:fbi-handgun_wounding_factors_and_effectiveness.pdf | Handgun Wounding Factors and Effectiveness}}" paper stated: "//Penetration less than 12 inches is too little, and, in the words of two of the participants in the 1987 Wound Ballistics Workshop, "too little penetration will get you killed". Given desirable and reliable penetration, the only way to increase bullet effectiveness is to increase the severity of the wound by increasing the size of hole made by the bullet. Any bullet which will not penetrate through vital organs from less than optimal angles is not acceptable. Of those that will penetrate, the edge is always with the bigger bullet.//" | Following the aftermath of the 1986 "FBI Miami shootout", the FBI "{{ :articles:fbi-handgun_wounding_factors_and_effectiveness.pdf | Handgun Wounding Factors and Effectiveness}}" paper stated: "//Penetration less than 12 inches is too little, and, in the words of two of the participants in the 1987 Wound Ballistics Workshop, "too little penetration will get you killed". Given desirable and reliable penetration, the only way to increase bullet effectiveness is to increase the severity of the wound by increasing the size of hole made by the bullet. Any bullet which will not penetrate through vital organs from less than optimal angles is not acceptable. Of those that will penetrate, the edge is always with the bigger bullet.//" |
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| As we see in the chart to the right, all of the rounds tested exceeded 12" penetration. And while a wound channel in ballistic gelatin may not tell the entire story, it does give us ideas as to what a specific bullet does. Ultimately, shot placement is the most important factor... and those who choose a smaller handgun have already made that compromise. Yet, we should never forget that a well placed .22 caliber bullet, whether by luck or skill, can be lethal. | As we see in the chart to the right, all of the rounds tested exceeded 12" penetration. And while a wound channel in ballistic gelatin may not tell the entire story, it does give us ideas as to what a specific bullet does. Ultimately, shot placement is the most important factor... and those who choose a smaller handgun have already made that compromise in accuracy. |
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| <note>Most of the FBI agents involved in the 1986 "FBI Miami shootout" were armed with either .357 Magnum revolvers or .38 Special +P revolvers - which proved slow and difficult to re-load. The two agents who were killed were carrying Smith & Wesson Model 459, 9mm semi-automatic pistols. Although the suspects had been shot numerous times, they continued to fight on. One suspect was shot 12 times, and the other was shot 7 times before the fight ended.</note> | <note>Most of the FBI agents involved in the 1986 "FBI Miami shootout" were armed with either .357 Magnum revolvers or .38 Special +P revolvers - which proved slow and difficult to re-load. The two agents who were killed were carrying Smith & Wesson Model 459, 9mm semi-automatic pistols. Although the suspects had been shot numerous times, they continued to fight on. One suspect was shot 12 times, and the other was shot 7 times before the fight ended.</note> |
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| | __More Studies__ \\ |
| | [[http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/instructors|Greg Ellifritz]] performed an extensive study involving over 1,700 real world shootings - in an effort to statistically determine which caliber bullet had the most / best "stopping power" (defined as immediate incapacitation). |
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| | You can read his results at: |
| | [[http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/an-alternate-look-at-handgun-stopping-power|An Alternate Look at Handgun Stopping Power]] |
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| | Or, you can watch a fantastic video summarizing his results: |
| | {{ youtube>nycYxb-zNwc?large&rel=0 }} |
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| | <note important>**Spoiler Alert:** Greg Ellifritz's study showed that every caliber above .32 caliber was effective. Surprisingly, the degree of effectiveness between the .380 caliber and .44 Magnum is statistically insignificant PROVIDED that the bullet hit the attacker in either the head or torso. Ultimately, as already stated... shot placement is key. \\ |
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| | If you can't hit your target, it doesn't matter what caliber your handgun is. Again, ensure that you can handle the [[articles:recoil|recoil]] of the handgun and caliber you choose. |
| | </note> |
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| ===== Bullets ===== | ===== Bullets ===== |
