Knockdown Power??

[gpbarth]

Very poor tactical planning to set up a roadblock and not have anything more powerful than your standard sidearm. If a known threat exists (hence the "roadblock"), then it wold be SOP to have a shotgun, patrol rifle, or both ready to "stop the threat", knowing that a .38 revolver is not very effective against a perp determined to run the roadblock.

I've seen .223 rounds deflect off of the windshield of an oncoming vehicle, but the 12ga 00 buckshot or slugs have always punched through.


gf

And that's why the ambush of Bonnie and Clyde used Browning automatic rifles (BARs). No dimpling of the paint there, more like Swiss cheese. Of course, B & C also had a Browning or two, so the LE guys were just leveling the playing field. And that's why I wondered why the cops were so ill-equipped in that LA bank robbery shoot-out a few years ago. I mean, they had to go to gun shops to get the necessary firepower. And one of the BGs ended up committing suicide before they got him.

[ascendmfg]

This is an excellent example of real education being used in the correct way.

Thank you for a great post.

IMHO this should be a sticky, and refered to when the caliber wars erupt again at some point in the future.

Practice, practice, practice................and then practice more.

Shot placement is the key..................NOT pray and spray!

Thanks again for a very informative post

[DrDavidM]

Very interesting article. Thanks for sharing it.

[festus]

stopping power and Dr Fackler are very good resources for handgun capability

[tattedupboy]

I just wish that more mention had been made of ammo choice, ie., HPs vs. FMJs. Otherwise, very insightful.

[capo2186]

Very good article. Like many of you have said and I will continue to say, it’s better to have a well placed shot with a lower cal than a wild shot with a larger cal. I always tell people to carry what they are comfortable shooting. When it comes time for me to choose a carry weapon, it’s going to be whatever I feel I can shoot best and feel most comfortable shooting.

[ronwill]

I was lucky enough to have had a mentor in my early days witht he sheriff's department who knew a lot more about guns than most people do. One of the first thing he taught me was to ignore the Hatcher and Thompson graphs of stopping power.

Wuzfuz, many authorities believe in the hatcher scale. It may have existed for quite some time but is still usable today. Even Jeff Cooper was a big fan of the scale. Nothing is perfect but the Hatcher Scale is very useful in determining man-stopping power.

Some Thoughts On Jeff Cooper and the Modern School

[tattedupboy]

Very good article. Like many of you have said and I will continue to say, it’s better to have a well placed shot with a lower cal than a wild shot with a larger cal. I always tell people to carry what they are comfortable shooting. When it comes time for me to choose a carry weapon, it’s going to be whatever I feel I can shoot best and feel most comfortable shooting.

AND, as I keep saying, it's better to do all of this with HPs than with FMJs. Being able to hit the right spot won't mean a hill of beans if the bullet passes right through the target.

[capo2186]

and, as i keep saying, it's better to do all of this with hps than with fmjs. Being able to hit the right spot won't mean a hill of beans if the bullet passes right through the target.

amen!