Stopping power / cal. ??'s

[fudo]

Any mechanical device will fail at some point. So,I carry guns in pairs(New York Reload). It is faster to draw a second gun than to fix a problem with your primary gun. I started doing that 35 years ago. Also,A good friend's father was a ww2 vet and long time pawn broker. He said that having a plan "B" was always a good deal. He said, "carrying guns in pairs avoids confusion when things get interesting. Also, if you are down to your backup gun, you are probably in more trouble than you were in when you started, so you need a bigger gun, not a smaller one.

[Firefighterchen]

Great posts ^^^^. Some food for thought. When I chose my bug/summer primary carry, I ultimately decided to go with the style of gun I have the most training on. I carry a 1911, so I chose a sig p238. If I were to carry a khar/glock I would probably of bought the khar p380. I know the .45 will cause more damage, but I fully trust the 380 to do its job if I do my job. Fast, multiple, accurate shots are what count, so find a gun that you can do that and you are golden. If you are able to manipulate and fix failures because you are familiar with the weapon, the better.

[Bighouse Doc]

Stopping power is a myth. You either shut off the electric system or you drain the gas and oil!

A hot loaded 45 thru the lungs, without clipping a major vessel, will leave the target active for an incredible amount of time. I suspect a couple of minutes. His lung will collapse with time, but he will be mad as hell. If he is on drugs, he might not feel it!

A 22 clipping the aorta might have him down(fading fast) in half a minute.

The only instant off is a brainstem hit. A cerebral hit, while almost a hundred percent lethal may, or may not, incapacitate him instantly.

Clipping the spinal cord will drop him to the ground instantly, but any function above the damage(such as his gun hand), may still be functional.

Why do more powerful rounds work better for the most part? It is simple, they have the ability to reliably reach an "Off Button." An ideal frontal shot will open his heart, sever a great vessel, clip his spinal cord, and lodge in the posterior part of the vertebrae. The target will go down rapidly and permanently!

Again, shot placement is the key!

-Doc