The Truth About Guns I, II and III

March 30, 2014
Written by Dan Zimmerman

By LC Judas

While my previous posts on the virtues of the .40 S&W round seemed to stirred the sleeping dragon known as the “pistol caliber wars”, that wasn’t really the intent. And today it’s time to talk about what the .40 Smith & Wesson brought about by the nature of round’s existence. There is a lot to thank the .40 for and it usually gets no credit. The round’s virtues go far beyond the fact that it reliably penetrates the 12-18 inches of ballistic gelatin, as it was originally designed . . .

First, the fact that the .40 is easily one of the best upgrades to 9mm handguns there ever was is an easily overlooked and fun fact. I use the Browning Hi Power case for my example. While Smith & Wesson and GLOCK made most of the original sales of handguns chambered in .40 to law enforcement, they weren’t the only game in town. Browning rushed to market with a .40 Hi Power on the 9mm frame they’d been using and it essentially failed. The gun experienced accelerated wear which warped the frames, ruined tolerances and accuracy over a time period that was well below acceptable service life for the effective round count.

That example, as well as some other models from other manufacturers that never made it to market or ended up with teething problems made it clear that it would require beefing up the 9mm platform if they wanted to offer a .40 in the same form factor. This lesson was well-learned by Heckler & Koch as they offered their USP models in .40 first before moving to 9mm and .45ACP. The tougher platform increased the service life of 9mm pistols across the board, as the trend caught on, and being the most popular caliber in the country it served a good purpose in extending the life of the secondary market of 9mm handguns.

The .40 was also the first caliber of handgun to regularly share holsters with another caliber. While that seems minor now, back then semi-auto handguns were a lot harder to fit as specs could differ slightly between models even if they shared fundamentally similar designs. Anyone who has tried getting fitted holsters for a Sig 229 knows how many variants of rail they have and that the 228, which is very similar isn’t the same and won’t let you share the same holster.

Holsters weren’t the only thing being shared between .40s and 9mm handguns. After companies had for the most part started producing .40 and 9mm in the same frames, conversion kits for converting a .40 gun down to 9mm began to hit the market. Converting a gun to .22 can be fun for plinking and training, but having the ability to go to 9mm — when ammunition for .40 was a lot more scarce and expensive — was a godsend.

Caliber conversions from .40 to 9mm are usually accomplished with just a simple barrel swap. That makes the .40 one of the most aftermarket-friendly handguns out there because it was born as the bastard child of both 9mm and 10mm designs. Prior to that, modularity in the pistol realm really had, for the most part, only been achieved by making .22LR kits for .45ACP pistols. There was also the necked-down 9mm in a 10mm case known as the 9x25mm (9mm Dillon) which had a special purpose in competition, but it never caught on as a mainstream law enforcement or defensive round. With the advent of the .40 you got a gun with an easy slide assembly or barrel swap to the much-loved 9mm.

That advent of the .40 created a huge aftermarket for customization, too. If you regularly run a .40 pistol in 9mm, you’re probably going to consider lighter springs, alternative mags and the springs to fuel them. Wolff makes their bread and butter off of exactly that. There are other recoil systems that minimize wear and tear if you run hot loads – like those from Sprinco – that minimize bolt flash. That’s something that’s a marked issue with .357SIG.

Owning a gun in multiple calibers without needing to make multiple outlays for more firearms is also going to make reloading a lot more tempting (especially in calibers where there simply is no wide availability of ammunition like .50GI). That fuels the market for gear like chronographs, reloading dies and presses as well as associated materials. Buying fewer firearms means you have more money for ammo and that gets more shooters in the sport and exposed to two calibers with one pistol (four if you add a 357SIG barrel and .22 kit with it).

That also helps if you’re trying to do apples-to-apples comparisons with firearms from the same make with the same manual of arms and appearance to cultivate the same reflexes for use, keeping the same parts for repairs and enhancements. I still have GLOCK parts (of various brands) floating around the armory from my mad customization days.

The .40 inspired more than just more gear. The 357SIG, another caliber with a whole unique set of ballistics in the defense and duty caliber debate, was spawned directly from the .40 Smith & Wesson. It was necked down in much the same way the .40 was born in the shell casings of 10mm pistols.

Following on that precedent, Magnum Research came up with the .440 Cor-bon (necked from .50AE) for Desert Eagles, .400 Cor-bon (necked from .45ACP), and the invention of the .50GI from Guncrafter Industries in the 1911 platform saw GLOCK .45 platforms get a slide assembly and mag for the purpose.

A lot of people think that .40S&W is a solution in search of a problem and more fuel for a fire that needs to burn out, but it fills a vital role in the defense and duty caliber hierarchy. Its existence is a testament to ingenuity and persistence, as the 10mm round could have just as easily fallen out of favor and been replaced by .45 or 9mm by the FBI. But the .40 bridges that gap between 9mm and .45, highlighting the weaknesses of both rounds at the time. The concept of a consistent set of criteria used to test them raised the bar for what was considered acceptable ammunition. The tests used to evaluate all calibers became standardized after the .40 came into being, more respected than reading books with outdated opinion or outright speculation many accepted as fact.

No, .40 isn’t the best caliber out there, but nothing is. That’s reality. But what the round does in ballistic gel isn’t conjecture. Manufacturers now are able to see how the end users test their products and they develop them accordingly. The HST from Federal is a direct result of looking at what was desired ballistically and building a bullet accordingly instead of simply theorizing on what might be effective.

Expansion and penetration in any caliber is now the universal standard for what works; the old “stopping power”, “power factor” or “one-shot stop” measures weren’t realistic or objective standards. Today, the Black Talon is a pice of ballistic engineering history because of the political fallout, but if the gelatin tests had been the standard used at the time, I doubt they would have fallen from favor the way they did.

Even if you’re not a fan of the .40, you can’t deny that the firearms market now is far more comprehensive because of it. Now we have tougher 9mm firearms and when a company comes out with a new nine we we’re eager for the follow-on .40S&W, 357SIG and .22 models to fit the same holsters and mag pouches. For the folks who say .40 was good for its time and that bullet technology now is better, that’s because the high bar resulted from the inception of the .40. Without the drive to compare it to the 9mm and .45, the improvements in those more popular caliber’s would likely have been much slower in coming.

Better guns, better ammo and more selection safeguards the Second Amendment better than any closed-minded .45 or 9mm cultist claiming the old guns and ammo work just fine and there’s no reason for change. Why alienate when you can assimilate? More choice and innovation is better. MAC made the statement last year that he feels .40 is fading, but looking at what it has done and how much it has caught on…I doubt the manufacturers and consumers have gotten that memo or will anytime soon.

Concealed carry ammo: How much is too little?

Concealed carry ammo: How much is too little?

Heavy, large and anemic. Not a good CCW choice. (Photo by Jim Grant)

Size doesn’t matter, does it?

I’ve attended my fair share of conceal carry classes and one phenomenon that never fails to amaze me is the prevalence of anemic caliber guns that students show up with. Without fail, a handful of new shooters will show up with a Ruger Mk III or even more frightening, a Jennings J-22. While the price of ammo is always a factor, many of these students, when questioned, admitted that they were going to carry their little .22 LR pistols for self defense.

I can already hear some of the replies that shot placement is all that matters or people asking if I’d like to get shot with a .22. When I answer no, they respond with, “I guess it’ll do the job then,” which makes as much sense as a screen door on a submarine. Look, I don’t want to get shot by a pellet, a paintball or a bullet. That doesn’t make the Tippmann 98 the Army’s next generation weapon platform. Yes, any gun will work as a deterrent against anyone of sane mind, but CCW weapons aren’t just for deterrence. Hell, in some states, using your gun as a deterrent is illegal and referred to as brandishing.

15 round of defensive ammo in a reliable package with light and laser is all you need. (Photo by: Jim Grant)

15 rounds of defensive ammo in a reliable package with light and laser is all you need. (Photo by Jim Grant)

Additionally, relying on either pain or fear of pain to stop an attacker relies on a very dangerous assumption: that your attacker can feel either. Whether the guy is coked up on stimulants or some strange concoction of bath salts and liqueur, your attacker may be in a different world and numb to his surroundings,  regardless of the concealed carry ammo used.

Does that mean you should only draw your weapon to kill someone? No, it means you need to be prepared for that outcome and should feel confident in your weapon’s ability to bring your would-be assailant’s time on this Earth to an abrupt end. The FBI invented a test, creatively titled, “The FBI Penetration Report”, to determine a round’s effectiveness based on its ability to penetrate a t-shirt-wrapped ballistic gelatin block, representative of a human torso. The bullet must reach at least 12 inches to be considered effective. The logic behind this being, if a round can’t reach vital organs it can’t harm or stop the threat.

All this macabre imagery has a purpose. A standard .22 LR round fired from a handgun is less likely to penetrate enough to reach vital portions of an attacker’s body than larger, more powerful rounds such as .380 or 9x18mm. Old school gunners will harp that the only caliber worth shooting must be .45 caliber, citing the U.S. Military’s reason for adopting it in 1905. Due to the  reported ineffectiveness of the .38 caliber revolvers in stopping determined attackers, in Gen. Leonard Wood’s 1904 “Report of Philippine Commission”.

The determined attackers mentioned in Wood’s report are the Moro Juramentado, a group of zealous Filipino warriors so committed to the cause, they would bind their testicles in copper wire overnight. The Juramentado inflicted such terrible agony to alter their minds and numb themselves to external pain. Additionally, many of them chewed the Betel nut for extra zeal. The Betel nut, now referred to as the Areca nut, is tantamount to a giant espresso bean dipped in caffeine powder. Does an amped-up, pain-numbed frenzied attacker sound familiar? It should, this warrior is a textbook example of a stimulant-fueled maniac, the worst case scenario in terms of both street opponents and home invaders.

After scouring through countless reports of the Philippine Commission from the Secretary of War, I was unable to find the famous passage concerning the stopping power of the .38 being insufficient. Nevertheless, I found no mention of additional .38 revolver orders in any of the reports. However, there were orders for .45 LC revolvers and 12-gauge Winchester shotguns in equally large quantities. (LINK, page 396) Allegedly, after Wood made his now famous conclusion on the superiority of the .45 caliber projectile, he wrote that no rifle or handgun could provide the same stopping ability as a 12-gauge shotgun loaded with buckshot. Which makes sense, seeing as modern defensive rounds were not yet invented. In terms of imparting energy into a target, a .45-caliber ball round does a better job than a .38-caliber ball round, but 12-gauge buckshot is superior to both.

Thankfully, modern ammunition helps bridge the gap between big bore and small, but that doesn’t negate every advantage of larger, more powerful rounds. A larger round has a greater chance of striking something vital just by its increased size. Though this size increase is negligible in most cases. Assuming identical velocities, a heavier round imparts more force. This increased force can more easily destroy bones and organs than a round with less force. Many folks subscribe to the school of thought that bigger is always better with defensive rounds. While this is true in terms of pure destruction, a .50 caliber miss is just as ineffective as a .22 LR miss. Matching the caliber to the shooter’s abilities is more important than raw power.

Nothing handheld will stop every attacker every time, you should find a balance between power and what you can quickly, accurately shoot. If these criteria limit you to .22 LR, you’re not completely out of luck. While there are infinitely more effective self-defense calibers available, a functioning pistol is better than nothing.

These Are America’s 10 Most Dangerous Small Cities

These Are America’s 10 Most Dangerous Small Cities

If you’re hoping to escape from big city crime, look elsewhere. These places actually defy the stereotype of smaller cities being safer.

Randy Nelson

Content Editor

87 articles, 52 comments

EMBED GALLERY

 

When you see small towns on TV and in movies, they’re almost always idyllic places where the American dream is thriving and neighbors all know each other. That, and unless you’re watching a whodunnit, no one’s ever the victim of a crime.

In reality, small cities are surprisingly similar to all the others, meaning that there are good ones and bad. While the Movoto Real Estate Blog has been writing lately about America’s safest places, we thought we’d switch gears today and look the small cities where crime is a real concern.

After studying more than 200 small cities, we’ve concluded that Wilmington, DE is the most dangerous in terms of crime. It’s joined in this dubious honor by nine other places to comprise our 10 most dangerous small cities in America:

1. Wilmington, DE
2. Canton, OH
3. Jackson, TN
4. Rocky Mount, NC
5. North Little Rock, AR
6. Pensacola, FL
7. Daytona Beach, FL
8. Homestead, FL
8. Lauderhill, FL
10. Warner Robins, GA

Florida accounted for the single largest share of cities in the top 10, with four. It’s interesting to note that all 10 are either in the Midwestern, Mid-Atlantic, or Southern regions of the country.

You can read more about the top 10 most dangerous below, and see a ranking of the 50 most dangerous at the end of this post. Next, we’ll go over our methodology for building this ranking.

How We Created This Report

To produce this ranking, we first decided on a list of small cities between 50,000 and 75,000 residents in size. After eliminating those without available crime data, we were left with a list of 234 places to study.

Using data from the FBI’s 2012 uniform crime report, the latest available, we measured seven distinct crimes using the total reported incidents of each:

  • Burglary
  • Theft
  • Motor vehicle theft
  • Murder
  • Rape
  • Robbery
  • Assault

We separated these crimes into four groups: murders, violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, and assault), property crimes (burglary, theft, and motor vehicle theft), and total crimes. The cities were then ranked on the incidents of each group per 100,000 residents per year, from 1 to 234, with a higher score being more dangerous. We calculated the number of crimes per 100,000 residents for 2012 in order to have a level playing field on which to compare cities with varying population sizes.

The individual rankings (murders, violent crimes, property crimes and total crimes) were then weighted to create a final overall score. Murders, violent crimes, and property crimes each comprised 30 percent of the total, while total crimes made up 10 percent. The higher this combined score, the more dangerous the city.

Below, you’ll find a breakdown of how each of the 10 most dangerous small cities fared when judged on these criteria.

1. Wilmington, DE

The Most Dangerous Small Cities In America

Source: Flickr user the bridge

The most dangerous small city we studied, Wilmington is on the larger end of our range with a population of just over 72,000. Despite the efforts of local authorities, which have included placing the city’s entire downtown area under CCTV surveillance and other aggressive tactics, crime continues to be a serious problem in Wilmington. It topped the list in terms of violent crime, outranking 233 other cities for this dubious honor, with 1,703 violent crimes per 100,000 residents.

Wilmington didn’t fare much better in other areas, ranking as the third-most dangerous small city in terms of murder (it saw 26 in 2012) and total crime (5,052 were reported there the same year). The only instance in which it did even slightly better—and then only relatively—was property crimes, where it placed ninth overall for its 5,305 crimes per 100,000.

With a reported 150 shootings by the end of 2013, it would seem that Wilmington has a long way to go before it can be considered a safer place to live.

2. Canton, OH

The Most Dangerous Small Cities In America

Source: Flickr user jmd41280

Ohio is known for lots of things, and thankfully being crime-ridden isn’t one of them. Like most states, though, it has its rough spots, and Canton is one of them. A little more than 50 miles outside of Cleveland, this city made No. 2 on our list with a couple of second-place crime rankings: property crimes and total crimes.

In terms of the former, there were 6,550 property crimes per 100,000 residents there in 2012, and for the latter Canton had 7,562 total crimes per 100,000. Thefts led the list of property crimes, with 2,671 reported that year. Elsewhere in our rankings, Canton placed eighth for murder with 10 in all and eighth for violent crime in general with 1,011 per 100,000 people.

3. Jackson, TN

The Most Dangerous Small Cities In America

Source: Flickr user frankensmith

Named for native Tennessean and America’s seventh President, Andrew Jackson, this city of nearly 66,000 in Madison County has the dubious distinction of placing fourth overall in terms of both murders and violent crimes per 100,000. It earned that first ranking for the 11 murders reported there in 2012; one more than Canton, in fact.

Jackson’s second fourth-place rank came from its 1,348 violent crimes per 100,000 residents that year. It fared substantially better in both property crimes and total crimes per 100,000, where it ranked 16th and 11th, respectively.

4. Rocky Mount, NC

The Most Dangerous Small Cities In America

Source: Flickr user davidwilson1949

Remember how we said every state has its rough spots? Well, North Carolina is home to places like Cary, NC, which are exceedingly safe, but also those like Rocky Mount, which certainly aren’t. In fact, this city of about 58,000 was the sixth most dangerous we looked at in terms of violent crimes, with 1,039 per 100,000 residents in 2012.

Rocky Mount performed ever-so-slightly better when it came to homicides, where it placed seventh overall with 14 per 100,000. Its rankings for property crimes and total crimes per 100,000 were slightly better. It placed 13th for the former with 4,693 and 12th for the latter with 5,732.

5. North Little Rock, AR

The Most Dangerous Small Cities In America

Source: Wikimedia user Chris Litherland

Situated across the Arkansas River from Little Rock, AR proper, North Little Rock is only about 30 percent as large as its namesake but actually has more per capita crime. This city’s 5,920 crimes in 2012 were enough to earn it first place in terms of total crimes, while it also took first in property crimes (there were 5,471 of those).

Fortunately, the city’s violent crime ranking was considerably lower at 26th overall, with 623 crimes per 100,000 residents reported in 2012. Its 13 murders per 100,000 were enough to earn it 12th place for that criterion.

With crime stats like this, it’s no wonder the North Little Rock Police Department has been experimenting with drones for the past few years and has plans to use them over high-crime neighborhoods in the not-too-distant future.

6. Pensacola, FL

The Most Dangerous Small Cities In America

Source:Wikimedia user Blankfaze

Pensacola is the first of four cities in Florida that made our top 10 most dangerous places, which also means it’s the most dangerous of the bunch. It also happens to be the smallest by about 10,000 residents. Despite this, it ranks six places higher than the next-most dangerous small Florida city in terms of murder; Pensacola placed 10th overall in that category with 13 homicides per 100,000 residents in 2012.

As for violent crimes in general, Pensacola placed 19th with 656 per 100,000. For property crime, North Little Rock ranked 23rd, which is actually the second-safest in our top 10, while for total crime it placed 21st; the safest in our top 10 when judged that way.

7. Daytona Beach, FL

The Most Dangerous Small Cities In America

Source: Wikimedia user Gamweb

Probably best known outside Florida for NASCAR’s annual Daytona 500 race, Daytona Beach is fittingly on the higher end of the scale when it comes to motor vehicle thefts (it had 346 in 2012). In fact, the city ranked eighth overall when it came to property crime, with 5,367 per 100,000 residents. This was just slightly better than its rank for violent crime, where it placed ninth overall.

Daytona Beach placed sixth when it came to total crimes, with 6,359 per 100,000 people. Fortunately, it fared much better in terms of the most serious crime we looked at—Murder—where it ranked 44th overall with six per 100,000 during 2012.

8. Lauderhill, FL

The Most Dangerous Small Cities In America

Source: Wikimedia user Daniel Schwen

Located just west of Fort Lauderdale, FL, the small city of Lauderhill is the safest place in our top 10 as far as property crimes go. It placed 32nd overall in that criterion, with 4,070 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2012. For total crimes, it ranked 20th.

Things look worse for the city when violent crimes are considered. Lauderhill saw 814 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2012, a number large enough for it to rank 12th overall. In terms of murders, things weren’t much better; Lauderhill had 12 per 100,000, a 16th-place finish.

8. Homestead, FL

The Most Dangerous Small Cities In America

Source: Floridamoves.com

Despite having the second-highest violent crime rate in our top 10, Homestead—a city of almost 63,000 located south of Miami, FL—was fortunately much safer in terms of murder. It was third most dangerous overall for violent crimes, at a rate of 1,450 per 100,000 residents in 2012. For murder, it placed 45th, at six per 100,000 that year.

Homestead was 18th overall for property crime, with 4,461 per 100,000—an overwhelming majority of which were thefts. As for total crimes, the city placed eighth, with a combined crime rate of 5,911 per 100,000 annually.

10. Warner Robins, GA

The Most Dangerous Small Cities In America

Source: Flickr user ** RCB **

Home to Robins Air Force Base, Warner Robins has the lowest overall violent crime rank of any city in our top 10, placing 45th most dangerous in that respect, but makes up for this fact when it comes to property crime. The city is sixth overall for burglaries, thefts, and vehicle thefts, with 5,520 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2012.

The overall crime rate of 6,027 per 100,000 recorded that year was high enough for Warner Robins to be ranked the seventh-most dangerous place in that criterion. As for murder, the city ranked 23rd—not the absolute worst, but with 234 cities in our ranking, certainly nowhere near good.

Safety In Numbers

As we pointed out earlier, the majority of the most dangerous small cities we found are situated in the Mid-Atlantic, Southern, and Midwestern regions of the country. On the flip side, we noted that the safest tended to be divided into two groups: either out West in places like California and Utah or in Minnesota (where there seem to be lots of small cities, for yet-to-be-analyzed reasons).

Lakeville, MN was the safest small city (at 56,805 residents) out of all the ones we looked at, with a diminutive 14 violent crimes per 100,000 residents during the period studied (no murders or rapes were among them). The rest of the top five safest were, in descending order: Lehi, UTMinnetonka, MNLaguna Nigel, CA, and Yorba Linda, CA.

So, if you happen to reside in any of the unsafe spots we just covered, your ticket to low-crime living (without changing city size) just might be in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

The Most Dangerous Small Cities In America

Who is Movoto Real Estate, you might ask? Movoto is a national online real estate brokerage. Our blog has been recognized for its unique approach to city-based research by major news organizations around the world such as Forbes, CBS News, and The New York Times.

Trigger Press Properly

Trigger Press Properly

This week I had a discussion with some fellow firearms instructors about the proper way to apply one of the fundamentals, Trigger Control. In a variety of students this is a pretty hard one to master without a lot of practice, so in this discussion I will talk about the proper press and finger contact to obtain and hone your trigger control. This is a great drill you can practice using dry fire before expending costly ammunition.

When you have reached the moment when you have decided to fire, be it under stress or on the range during practice, move your finger from where it is indexed along the frame and place it on the trigger. When applying your finger, use just the tip! From the tip of your finger to the first knuckle joint, split that difference about half way and that is all you need for a proper press on a semi-auto firearm.

If you shoot a revolver, due to the heavy double action trigger, you might want to put the bend of your first knuckle onto the trigger and let the knuckle part wrap the front of the trigger. This will give you a bit more strength to overcome a long hard pull to get the revolver to cock, rotate the cylinder and then fire.

You don’t want to have too much of your finger (or too little) on the trigger. Having more or less than is necessary will cause you to push or pull the gun to the left or right during the firing sequence which will make your shots go astray.

PRESS, Not Squeeze

When you press the trigger… Yes, I said PRESS. I use this word because when you press with your finger, it will isolate that muscle movement to the index finger only. You will hear a lot of instructors use the word, “squeeze.” This word implies a larger movement involving the whole hand. Anytime you apply uneven pressure to your grip, you may throw your shot off target. You are not trying to “milk” the grip of the gun. You want to press straight to the rear using only the index finger.

When you press the trigger towards the rear, you will have take-up or slack, which is the amount of movement you experience before you reach the point where the trigger breaks. When the break happens, the gun should discharge a round. Continue to press until the trigger is completely buried at the back of the trigger guard and hold it. (Complete your follow through)

Now, keeping your finger on the trigger, slowly control the movement of the trigger forward until you reach the reset point. After some practice you will be able to feel it, however at first, you may need to listen for the audible “click” when the trigger spring resets signifying you are ready to shoot again. Now stop! Do not move any further forward once you reach the reset.

Depending on the firearm, you may have to take up some slack in the trigger until you reach the break point again. So, press until you travel through the take up to the point where the trigger breaks, press the shot, bury the trigger and so on. The idea is to accomplish the above series of steps in one smooth continually motion to the rear of the trigger guard, and then one smooth motion to the reset and repeat. At no time does your finger come off of the trigger!

Imagine you are holding a bottle of window cleaner. Just like spraying the windows with blue anti-streak, you cycle the lever that dispenses the fluid in a continual motion and your finger never loses contact the entire time.

Don’t Slap

This is an important skills to master to prevent slapping of the trigger which will also cause you to throw your shots off target. A slap occurs when after pressing your shot your finger comes flying completely off the trigger. As you go to make your next shot you press the trigger with a varying amount of inconsistent pressure hard and fast with your finger not properly placed about mid joint of the first knuckle.

By maintaining positive contact with the trigger you will also save fractions of a second between shots as you try to reacquire proper position on the trigger. If you end up in a gunfight, you want to have every fraction of a second available to you to win.

So get practicing! Once you feel accomplished at this, add in thepenny/dime drill to see if you are achieving proper trigger press.

Until next time, stay safe, Godspeed. Remember, your mind is the weapon, everything else is just a tool.

The Ten Commandments of Concealed Carry

The Ten Commandments of Concealed Carry

The Ten Commandments of Concealed Carry were first written by Massad Ayoob. Carrying a gun is a serious commitment both to yourself and concealed carry pistol in purseothers.  The Ten Commandments give you good rules of thumb to think about as you get ready to purchase a conceal carry weapon or even if you have been carrying for awhile.

The Commandments are:

1. If You Carry, Always Carry – You never know when something might happen. It could as easily be in your local supermarket parking lot instead of late at night in an urban area.  Make sure you establish practices so that you always pick up the gun on the way out.

2. Don’t Carry If You Aren’t Prepared To Use It – Deadly force means deadly force. Don’t think you are going to be able to threaten someone out of a situation. If you pull it, be prepared to use it.

3. Don’t Let The Gun Make You Reckless – There is always someone badder, tougher, and smarter. Use situational awareness to avoid a situation.

4. Get The License! – I know, I know the 2nd Amendment gives you the right.  At the same time, do you want the hassle and legal expense to fight this. If you are convicted and become a felon, your life has changed dramatically.

5. Know What You’re Doing – You need to understand your weapon(s) – what are the capabilities are and limitations.  Understand and follow the Four Rules of Gun Safety.

6. Concealed Means Concealed – When you flaunt the weapon you have just given the bad guy the edge.  By letting others know you conceal carry you give them power over you and they may lead you into situations you should not be in. This means friends and co-workers too.

7. Maximize Your Firearms Familiarity – Practice, practice, practice.  Dry fire, live fire, flat range, simulations. You can never be smooth or fast enough. Think ahead about what could happen, plan out what you will do and practice for these situations.
8. Understand The Fine Points – Know the laws of your city, county, state.  Know what to do at a traffic stop, know what to say when someone accidentally sees your piece. 

9. Carry An Adequate Firearm – Carry a gun you can handle. A single shot derringer is not going to do you much good. On the other hand, a Desert Eagle in the hands of a 110 pound woman without adequate training is a danger to her and others around her.

10. Use Common Sense – Always look to deescalate the situation and for situation avoidance. Be deadly serious.

 

Second Amendment Guarantees Right To Concealed Or Open Carry

Second Amendment Guarantees Right To Concealed Or Open Carry, Ninth Circuit Rules

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The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, in ruling on Peruta v. County of San Diego, has affirmed and confirmed that the right to carry is guaranteed by the Second Amendment.

The decision holds that California must allow either concealed or open carry, but may not prohibit both under the law.

Specifically, the court has decided that California’s “good cause” licensing regime, which in effect says that a permit to carry need only be issued if it decided by the state that the applicant has sufficient reason to need protection, violates the Second Amendment, and that a “shall issue” regime, or one that assures that every law-abiding citizen has the right to obtain a license, is in keeping with the constitution.

The opinion, authored by Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain, reads in part:

So concludes our analysis of text and history: the carrying of an operable handgun outside the home for the lawful purpose of self-defense, though subject to traditional restrictions, constitutes “bear[ing] Arms” within the meaning of the Second Amendment.

The most salient and plain point in the ruling states that “the Second Amendment does require that the states permit some form of carry for self-defense outside the home.” The ruling is in agreement with Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

While the ruling still allows for licensing requirements, it is a strong affirmation of the Second Amendment as written and as defended by opponents of gun control.

Wound Ballistics

screst.jpg (21247 bytes)Firearms Tactical Institute

Wound Ballistics

Wound ballistics is the study of effects on the body produced by penetrating projectiles.


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We want to make you aware of the wealth of wound ballistics information available to you from sources other than newsstand gun magazines. Our objective is to provide you the knowledge tools you need to fully understand the qualities a bullet must have in order to be reliably effective in stopping a determined homicidal attacker.

Chances are, if you’re an average person, your primary (perhaps only) source of information about wound ballistics is what you’ve read in newsstand gun magazines. Problem is, most newsstand gun magazines are not a credible wound ballistics reference. Why?

Because a few questionable gun-writers (and editors) apparently recognize that magazine articles are the only source of information about wound ballistics for most people. It appears they’ve chosen to prey on a general lack of knowledge about wound ballistics to misinform and invent controversy. Controversy sparks reader interest and promotes sales. Most anyone familiar with the popular media recognizes this.

These discredited authors have been so successful in influencing the popular gun press (including honest editors and authors who don’t know any better) that most information published in newsstand gun magazines about wound ballistics is tainted.

The basics of terminal performance, wounding effects and wounding effectiveness are pretty easy for ordinary people to understand, and this creates a conflict of interest for some gun-writers because there really isn’t much to write about.

Instead of sticking to simple facts these particular authors would rather delude you with paragraph after paragraph of mystical concepts such as “energy transfer,” “neural shock,” “Fuller Index,” “one-shot stopping power,” “Strasbourg Tests,” and “street results.” Although this stuff makes for interesting and entertaining reading, it’s really nothing more than a bunch of sophisticated junk-science they’ve invented to ensure they have plenty to write about.

These pseudo-expert ‘master psychics’ of wound ballistics want you to believe only they (and they alone) possess the clairvoyance to properly interpret and evaluate the factors that make a particular bullet more effective than others. They tell an alluring tale, but these discredited few are actually snake-oil salesmen who’ve been quite successful in creating a market to peddle their brand of proprietary nonsense.

Having failed to influence law enforcement to any great degree, these gun-writers invented a new controversy: “civilians need personal defense ammo that penetrates the human body less deeply than law enforcement ammunition”. Unfortunately, this kind of ‘expert advice’ can get you or a loved one killed if the shooting situation you face doesn’t conveniently fit their stereotypical ‘civilian self-defense shooting scenario.’

Wound ballistics is a specialty field that doesn’t receive much exposure outside the few professional disciplines that have a need for valid, scientifically verifiable information about ballistic injury. As a result, the average person isn’t aware this information exists or that it can be easily obtained. Sadly, this situation has allowed junk-science to flourish virtually unchallenged in newsstand gun magazines.

We’ve reprinted a few wound ballistics articles and put together a Suggested Reading list of publications from various sources, which, if you’re interested, should help you learn more about the science of wound ballistics. Hopefully, the knowledge you acquire in reading these documents will keep you from being victimized by those unscrupulous few who seek to exploit your ignorance for profit.

Our goal is to instill a healthy attitude of skepticism in you so you’re not as willing to believe everything you read. Hopefully, you’ll learn enough here such that you’ll be able to evaluate the qualifications of so-called ballistics experts.


Wound ballistics related articles:

Patrick, Urey W.:”Handgun Wounding Factors and Effectiveness.”  U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1989.

Roberts, Gary K.; Wolberg, Eugene J.: “Book Review, Handgun Stopping Power: The Definitive Study.”  Association of Firearm and Toolmark Examiners Journal, 24(4); 383-387: 1992.

Letters to the Editor: “The Truth About Ammunition.”  Law and Order, 40(11); 90-91; November 1992

Fackler, Martin L., MD.: “Book Review, Street Stoppers: The Latest Handgun Stopping Power Street Results.”  Wound Ballistics Review, 3(1); 26-31: 1997.

MacPherson, Duncan: “Sanow Strikes (Out) Again.”  Wound Ballistics Review, 3(1): 32-35; 1997.

van Maanen, Maarten: “Discrepancies in the Marshall & Sanow ‘Data Base’: An Evaluation Over Time.” Wound Ballistics Review, 4(2); 9-13: Fall, 1999.

Fackler, Martin L., MD.: “Undeniable Evidence.” Wound Ballistics Review, 4(2); 14-15: Fall, 1999.

MacPherson, Duncan: “The Marshall & Sanow ‘Data’ – Statistical Analysis Tells the Ugly Story.” Wound Ballistics Review, 4(2); 16-21: Fall, 1999.

Dodson, Shawn: “Reality of the Street? A Practical Analysis of Offender Gunshot Wound Reaction for Law Enforcement.” Tactical Briefs, 4(2); April 2001


Suggested Reading:

Fackler, Martin L., M.D.: “The ‘Strasbourg Tests:’ Another Gunwriter/Bullet Salesman Fraud?”  Wound Ballistics Review, 1(4): 10-11; 1994.

Dr. Martin Fackler, IWBA president, reviews the authorless “Strasbourg Tests,” a purported study of the reaction of several hundred live unanesthetized “human-sized” goats that were allegedly shot to test the “one-shot stopping power” of various handgun cartridges. Fackler explains the many incongruities, inconsistencies and absurdities which lead him (and most other wound ballistics experts) to conclude that the “Strasbourg Tests” are a hoax.

MacPherson, Duncan: “Bullet Penetration — Modeling the Dynamics and the Incapacitation Resulting from Wound Trauma.” Ballistic Publications, El Segundo, California. 1994

The model of bullet penetration dynamics presented in this book is derived from general equations of motion, with validation done by, and empirical constants determined from, special tests. This penetration model is a significant technical advance over previous terminal ballistics models and is directly related to understanding the effect of the bullet parameters (velocity, diameter, weight, shape) in the production of an incapacitating wound. Incapacitation from wound trauma is a complex subject that has been controversial for many decades; this book discusses all aspects of this subject and includes a recapitulation of both earlier modeling efforts and the medical issues.

The new penetration model and the other analyses in this book are important to Trauma Surgeons, Forensic Pathologists, Firearms Examiners, and Criminalists and are described with the precision required by these professions. However, even the more technical sections are written in a style and vocabulary that are understandable to the layman. This outstanding book should be read by law enforcement personnel and others critically dependent on handgun bullet performance as well as all those with a technical or professional interest in any aspect of wound ballistics.

The topics covered in this book include physiological and psychological effects in incapacitation from wound trauma, tissue simulant preparation and use, modeling of bullet penetration, modeling of bullet expansion, and modeling of incapacitation from wound trauma. The primary focus is on handgun ammunition, but the principles and many of the results are also applicable to rifle ammunition. The book has 303 pages, including 69 pages of bullet photographs and graphs of test results.

Fackler, Martin L., M.D.: “FBI 1993 Wound Ballistics Seminar: Efficacy of Heavier Bullets Affirmed.”  Wound Ballistics Review, 1(4): 8-9; 1994.

Fackler presents findings from the 1993 FBI Wound Ballistics Seminar. The following is a short extract:

“The Firearms Training Unit of the FBI held a Wound Ballistics Seminar from 19 through 22 January 1993 at the FBI Academy.

“Thirty-seven forensic pathologists, trauma surgeons, law enforcement trainers, firearms examiners, and ordnance engineers met to discuss handgun bullet effects and bullet testing. This group unanimously affirmed the principles set down by the FBI workshop of 1987: primarily among these was that a bullet must possess the capacity to penetrate deeply enough to reach and disrupt vital body structures if it is to stand any chance of performing reliably in the variety of circumstances a law enforcement officer might meet in a gunfight. Since the 1987 workshop, most law enforcement agencies have adopted the more deeply penetrating heavier bullets. At the 1993 symposium, trainers from five large departments (California Highway Patrol, Indianapolis PD, San Diego PD, Louisiana State Police, and Amarillo PD) reported data showing excellent performance from bullets chosen using the FBI penetration criterion. Several of these trainers had polled their counterparts in other departments and found that their highly favorable observations and impressions of the heavier bullets were widely shared.

“The findings of this symposium are especially timely since it appears that three gunwriters have recently attempted to trump up a ‘controversy’ by claiming that the heavier subsonic bullets used by the majority of law enforcement agencies have been turning in a poor record in ‘street’ shootings. The story of how several senior trainers exposed this attempted fraud by these gunwriter/bullet salesmen was the subject of IWBA Bulletin No. 1, which accompanied the third issue of the Wound Ballistics Review.”

Newgard, Ken, M.D.: “The Physiological Effects of Handgun Bullets: The Mechanisms of Wounding and Incapacitation.”  Wound Ballistics Review, 1(3): 12-17; 1992.

This article examines the physiological mechanisms of the human body to provide a medical answer to the question: How many times is it necessary to shoot an assailant before he is incapacitated?

Newgard reviews the physiological mechanisms of gunshot wound trauma incapacitation:

“The only method of reliably stopping a human with a handgun is to decrease the functioning capability of the central nervous system (CNS) and specifically, the brain and cervical spinal cord. There are two ways to accomplish this goal: 1) direct trauma to the CNS tissue resulting in tissue destruction and 2) lack of oxygen to the brain caused by bleeding and loss of blood pressure.”

Newgard discusses the body’s blood loss sensory and compensatory mechanisms (venous constriction, increased cardiac output and vascular fluid transfer), and the degree in which these mechanisms respond to, and compensate for, hemorrhagic shock. He reviews clinical tests of human tolerance for blood loss, which “demonstrate that adequate blood pressure can be maintained with minimal symptoms until a 20% blood deficit was reached.” Newgard provides the following example:

“For an average 70 kg (155 lb.)* male the cardiac output will be 5.5 liters (~1.4 gallons) per minute. His blood volume will be 60 ml per kg (0.92 fl. oz. per lb.) or 4200 ml (~1.1 gallons). Assuming his cardiac output can double under stress (as his heart beats faster and with greater force). his aortic blood flow can reach 11 liters (~2.8 gallons) per minute. If one assumes a wound that totally severs the thoracic aorta, then it would take 4.6 seconds to lose 20% of his blood volume from one point of injury. This is the minimum time in which a person could lose 20% of his blood volume…. This analysis does not account for oxygen contained in the blood already perfusing the brain, that will keep the brain functioning for an even longer period of time.

“Most wounds will not bleed at this rate because: 1) bullets usually do not transect (completely sever) blood vessels, 2) as blood pressure falls, the bleeding slows, 3) surrounding tissue acts as a barrier to blood loss, 4) the bullet may only penetrate smaller blood vessels, 5) bullets can disrupt tissue without hitting any major blood vessels resulting in a slow ooze rather than rapid bleeding, and 6) the above mentioned compensatory mechanisms.”

Newgard investigates the survival times of persons who received fatal gunshot wounds to determine if the person who was shot had enough time to shoot back. He concludes:

“Instantaneous incapacitation is not possible with non central nervous system wounds and does not always occur with central nervous system wounds. The intrinsic physiologic compensatory mechanisms of humans makes it difficult to inhibit a determined, aggressive person’s activities until he has lost enough blood to cause hemorrhagic shock. The body’s compensatory mechanisms designed to save a person’s life after sustaining a bleeding wound, allow a person to continue to be a threat after receiving an eventually fatal wound, thus necessitating more rounds being fired in order to incapacitate or stop the assailant.”

* Teal italicized text added for clarity.


Wound Profile Illustrations

“The wound profile was developed at the Letterman Army Institute of Research in order to measure the amount, type, and location of tissue disruption produced by a given projectile, and to present the data in a standardized, easy to understand picture.

“The entire missile path is captured in one or more 25 x 25 x 50 cm blocks of 10% ordnance gelatin at 4°C. The penetration depth, projectile deformation and fragmentation pattern, yaw, and temporary cavity of the missile in living anesthetized swine tissue are reproduced by this gelatin. Measurements are taken from cut sections of the blocks after mapping of the fragmentation pattern with biplaner x-rays. These data are then reproduced on a life sized wound profile which includes a scale to facilitate measurement of tissue disruption dimensions, a drawing of the loaded cartridge case before firing, the bullet weight and morphology before and after firing (and calculated percent of fragmentation), and the striking velocity.

“This technique allows us to determine the wounding character of the projectile without the need for elaborate and expensive high-speed cine and X-ray equipment, or the need for shooting live animals.

“The method improves our understanding of the wounding process and should lay the groundwork to assure more rational and effective treatment.” Fackler et al.1

General:

Handgun:

Rifle:

Shotgun:

References

  1. “The Wound Profile: A Visual Method for Quantifying Gunshot Wound Components.” Martin L. Fackler, M.D., and John A. Malinowski, B.S., JTrauma, 25(6): 522-529, 1985.

  2. “The Wound Profile: Illustration of the Missile-tissue Interaction.” Martin L. Fackler, M.D., Ronald F. Bellamy, M.D., and John A. Malinowski, B.S.,JTrauma, 28(1) Suppl: S21-S29, 1988.


Additional Reading

Several years ago when we first became acquainted with Dr. Martin L. Fackler, M.D., he was a Colonel in the US Army Medical Corps researching wound ballistics at Letterman Army Institute of Research, Presidio of San Francisco, California. Dr. Fackler kindly provided us several articles he’d written, co-written or suggested we read that cover a wide spectrum of wound ballistics. We’re listing some of these articles below for the benefit of those of you (especially medical students and researchers) who are truly interested in learning as much as you can about wound ballistics. Many of these articles can be located in the libraries and medical libraries of large universities.

“Wounding Effects of the AK-47 Rifle Used by Patrick Purdy in the Stockton, California Schoolyard Shooting of January 17, 1989.” Martin L. Fackler, M.D., John A. Malinowski, B.S., Stephen W. Hoxie, B.S., and Alexander Jason, B.A., The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, 11(3): 185-189, 1990.

Wounding Patterns of Military Rifle Bullets.” Martin L. Fackler, International Defense Review, 59-64, 1/1989.

Emergency War Surgery, Chapter II Missile Caused Wounds.” Thomas E. Bowen, M.D. and Ronald F. Bellamy, M.D., The Emergency War Surgery NATO Handbook (Second United States Revision), USDoD, 13-34.

Emergency War Surgery, Chapter XVI Wounds and Injuries of the Soft Tissues.” Thomas E. Bowen, M.D. and Ronald F. Bellamy, M.D., The Emergency War Surgery NATO Handbook (Second United States Revision), USDoD, 230-238.

Fackler, M.L., MD: “What’s Wrong with the Wound Ballistics Literature, and Why”, Letterman Army Institute of Research, Presidio of San Francisco, CA, Report No. 239, July, 1987.

“The Idolatry of Velocity, or Lies, Damn Lies, and Ballistics.” Douglas Lindsay, M.D., Ph.D., JTrauma, 20(12): 1068-1069, 1980.

“The Wound Profile: A Visual Method for Quantifying Gunshot Wound Components.” Martin L. Fackler, M.D., and John A. Malinowski, B.S., JTrauma, 25(6): 522-529, 1985.

“The Wound Profile: Illustration of the Missile-tissue Interaction.” Martin L. Fackler, M.D., Ronald F. Bellamy, M.D., and John A. Malinowski, B.S., JTrauma, 28(1) Suppl: S21-S29, 1988.

“Wound Ballistics: A Review of Common Misconceptions.” Martin L. Fackler, MD, JAMA, 259(18): 2730-2736, 5/13/88.

“A Reconsideration of the Wounding Mechanism of Very High Velocity Projectiles — Importance of Projectile Shape.” Martin L. Fackler, M.D., Ronald F. Bellamy, M.D., and John A. Malinowski, B.S., JTrauma, 28(1) Suppl: S63-S67, 1/1988.

“Ballistic Injury.” Martin L. Fackler, COL MC USA, Annals of Emergency Medicine, 15(12): 110/1451-114/1455, 12/1988.

“Wounding Mechanism of Projectiles Striking at More than 1.5 km/sec.” Martin L. Fackler, M.D., Ronald F. Bellamy, M.D., and John A. Malinowski, B.S., JTrauma, 26(3): 250-254.

“Bullet Fragmentation: A Major Cause of Tissue Disruption.” Martin L. Fackler, M.D., John S. Surinchak, M.A., John A. Malinowski, B.S. and Robert E. Bowen, JTrauma, 24(1): 35-39, 1/1984.

“Theodor Kocher and the Scientific Foundation of Wound Ballistics.” Martin L. Fackler, M.D., F.A.C.S., and Paul J. Daugherty, M.D., SURGERY, Gynecology & Obstetrics, 172(2): 153-160, 2/1991.

“Physics of Missile Injuries, Chapter 2.” Martin L. Fackler, Evaluation and Management of Trauma, Norman E. McSwain, Jr., M.D. and Morris D. Kerstein, M.D., Appleton-Century-Crofts/Norwalk, Connecticut, 25-41, 1987.

“Applied Wound Ballistics: What’s New and What’s True.” Martin L. Fackler, M.D., and Beat P. Kneubuehl, JTrauma (China), 6(2) Suppl: 32-37, 1990.

“Bullet Performance Misconceptions.” Martin L. Fackler, COL MC USA, International Defense Review, 3/1987, 369-370.

“ACR Candidates: Assessing their Wounding Potential.” Martin L. Fackler, International Defense Review, 8/1987, 1091-1092.

“Handgun Bullet Performance.” Martin L. Fackler COL MC USA, International Defense Review, 5/1988, 444-557.

“Ordnance Gelatin for Ballistic Studies: Detrimental Effect of Excess Heat Used in Gelatin Preparation.” Martin L. Fackler, M.D. and John A. Malinowski, B.S., The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, 9(3): 218-219, 1988.

“Wounding Potential of the Russian AK-74 Assault Rifle.” Martin L. Fackler, M.D., John S. Surinchak, M.A., John A. Malinowski, B.S., and Robert E Bowen, JTrauma, 24(3): 263-266, 1984.

“Wound Ballistics Research of the Past Twenty Years: A Giant Step Backwards.” Martin L. Fackler, Institute Report No. 447, Letterman Army Institute of Research, Presidio of San Francisco, California 94129, 14 pages, January 1990

What to Believe About Stopping Power

What to Believe About Stopping Power

This is a guest post by Andrew Betts

There has been some discussion on “stopping power” of late so I think it’s time that we get a few things straight. First off, “stopping3598065314_7ccc33d168_b power” or “knockdown power” doesn’t exist. Velocity exists. Foot pounds exist. Momentum exists. Even tissue disruption can be quantified but there is no magical force called “stopping.”

The term “stopping power” is, at best, an awkward attempt to quantify the ability of a given cartridge or load to incapacitate an attacker. It may surprise you to know that Cracky McCrackerson, your friendly neighborhood crack head/rapist/burglar actually has no idea that your grandpappy’s 1911 is supposed to take a man’s arm off when it whizzes past. He doesn’t know that the stopping powertoothless suspender guy who seems nailed to that creaky stool at the gun store told you so. He doesn’t know that every gun rag ever written proclaims how singularly badass the .45 ACP is and how you have to buy a $3,000 1911 because ‘Merkah! You have to convince his body to stop trying to harm you. This is called “incapacitation.” What causes incapacitation, though?

Incapacitation is the result of physical trauma that substantively reduces a person’s ability to present a lethal threat. That trauma is either the result of damage to the central nervous system (CNS), or the result of hypovolemic shock (blood loss). CNS damage typically results in instant incapacitation and even a small amount of damage nearly anywhere in the brain or spinal cord can be effective. Hits to the upper spinal cord, brain stem, or cerebellum are most effective, though. Blood loss takes time and is dependent on which structures were damaged and to what degree. Good shot placement and a solid, three dimensional stopping powerunderstanding of anatomy can help to ensure your bullets damage the right structures but what about the amount of damage done to them? Is a bigger bullet really better?

When a projectile passes through tissue, it pushes some tissue to the side and it tears or cuts through some tissue. The space lefty by tissue that is merely pushed aside and stretched is called the “temporary stretch cavity” or TSC. The space left by tissue that is cut or crushed and physically removed from the target is called the “permanent cavity” or “crush cavity.” At impact velocities below 2,000 fps, human tissue is extraordinarily elastic and simply stretches before snapping back to place with little real physical damage. The exception is brain and liver tissue, with is not particularly elastic. At velocities over 2,000 fps the TSC exceeds the elastic limit of human tissue and permanent tears are created, which contribute to the permanent cavity.

 Rifles are rifles and pistols are pistols:

Not many handguns come anywhere near this velocity, though. That means that handgun wounding is the result of the crush cavity alone. “Hydrostatic shock” and other such nonsense is not a factor. The crush cavity is determined by the average expanded diameter of the projectile and the depth of penetration. Remember that a projectile MUST penetrate at least 12” to be useful for defense.

Modern, jacketed hollow point defense ammunition for handguns produces expanded projectiles that vary only slightly between calibers and penetrate similarly as well. It is true that larger caliber bullets tend to expand to a slightly larger diameter but not by as much as you might expect. The slight difference in expanded diameter results in very little real difference in tissue damage. Theoretically, this principle also applies to higher velocity handgun cartridges like the .357 magnum and 10mm. 125 gr .357 mag has a typical velocity of about 1,450 fps, which is well below that 2,000 fps threshold that is required for TSC to contribute to wounding. So why does .357 mag 125 gr JHP have such a reputation as a “man stopper”?

I have an entirely unprofessional opinion as to why this might happen. Many attacks stop, not because a person was physically incapacitated, but because they decided to stop for one reason or another. They might decide to stop because of pain or because of the idea of getting shot. We’ve all seen the movies and TV shows where someone gets shot and immediately crumples to the floor, lifeless. Sometimes bad guys just stop because that’s what you’re supposed to do when you get shot. Some people have referred to this as a “psychological stop.”

Take a look at these gelatin tests. You can clearly see that the blocks are hit harder by 10mm than they are by 9mm.

 10mm Underwood 165 gr Gold Dot:

9mm Federal 124 gr +P HST:

As you can see, the block hit by the 10mm is visibly lifted into the air quite a bit. The crush cavity produced by each is not dramatically different but 10mm has a lot more energy delivered to the target. That energy is mostly spent in stretching elastic tissue (temporary stretch cavity) which snaps right back into place as mentioned above. That doesn’t produce any significant wound and therefore shouldn’t contribute to incapacitation. But if I punch you in the stomach, that won’t produce any significant wound, either. I’m no Mike Tyson, after all. It will hurt, though. A lot. Probably take a little vinegar out of you, too.

That’s my hypothesis: that some particularly energetic handgun cartridges “thump” a bad guy enough that he really feels getting shot. Maybe that blunt trauma can contribute to a psychological stop. Is that enough to justify the dramatically greater recoil and muzzle blast? That’s not my place to figure.

While my opinion about the blunt trauma is my own, entirely unprofessional opinion, the facts I relate above are solid, proven principles based on observations made by professionals. Don’t take my word for it, though. Do the reading for yourself.

Let us know in the comments what views you have on stopping power.

A

Best Choices in Self-Defense Ammo

Best Choices for Self Defense Ammo
Copyright, AR15.com

This document compiles the current state-of-the-art of the best choices available for self-defense ammunition. It includes a scientific background as to the selection criteria that is used to determine the choices presented. Data is provided for common handgun and rifle ammunition, and a small section on shotgun ammunition. Please read the entire document and familiarize yourself with the background information. The choices presented will then make much more sense

 

  1. Terminal Ballistics Background DiscussionOverpenetration inside the home
  2. Pistol Bullets
  3. Rifle bulletsShotgun Ammo
  4. Copyright information
  5. Revision History

1) TERMINAL BALLISTICS BACKGROUND DISCUSSION

The source for much of this data comes from the excellent site FirearmsTactical.com. Take some time to dig around their website for more data and background information. All pictures, unless otherwise specified, belong to Doctor Gary Roberts, DocGKR.

The important question to be asked, of course, is: What makes a good self-defense load?

The short answer to that question is that ammo should meet the FBI’s requirement of:
1) at least 12″ of penetration in properly prepared ballistic gelatin/soft tissue, and
2) expand to the largest diameter possible in order to cause the largest possible wound.

While some people question the 12″ penetration limit, it is not subject to discussion in this article. The FBI is deemed to be more knowledgeable than most, and it is backed up my Dr. Martin Fackler and others who have spent their life discussing the subject. Duncan McPherson, in his book “Bullet Penetration: Modeling the Dynamics and the Incapacitation Resulting from Wound Trauma” actually argues that 15″ is not an unrealistic requirement a bullet should obtain. He does point out, however, that 11.5″ of penetration shouldn’t completely disqualify a bullet from being acceptable either. While 12″ should be a minimum requirement, 18″ is the approximate maximum desired penetration depth. Beyond that, and the bullet is likely to exit the intended target and retain enough energy to cause others harm if a person should be in the line of fire. Obviously you should never take the shot if you’re not sure of what’s beyond your target and rely on your ammunition to do your job of being prudent.

I will briefly point out that the 12″ penetration requirement stems from the fact that not all shots are frontal-torso shots. Many times the bullet must penetrate significantly more tissue, such as when the person being shot has his arms extended in front of him, if the shot is at an oblique angle, etc. You choose ammunition based on a worst-case scenario, not the best.

“But,” you say, “there’s no way it’s THAT important to have a bullet that’s only marginally better than my favorite load.” That may be well and true. I know you’re not planning on missing, and that you figure you’ll be able to put a couple of shots center-of-mass with no problems. Don’t overestimate your ability when the lead starts flying. There won’t be a perfect Weaver stance involved, trigger discipline will go to hell, and carefully aimed shots will be non-existent. How many times have you seen shootouts on “Cops” where they’re 2 yards apart, shoot a bunch of times, and yet every shot manages to miss?

Not only that, but hitting the VITAL area of your target is exceedingly difficult. The best case scenario – a full-frontal torso shot – is “easy”. The problem is that as the angle of the attacker change, the point of aim has to vary considerably in order to hit the vital structures. For a brief explanation, look at this figure that shows shots that all hit the center of the chest, but none of which bring the bullet path into contact with the vital structures in the thoracic cavity:

That picture was taken from a thread by OddJob (his nick on TacticalForums and The FiringLine). He is a radiographer from South Africa and has written an excellent article on the subject hosted at BrassFetcher.com. Please read that article for more information on the subject.

You plan for a worst case scenario, and that’s why it’s best to choose a bullet that will put the maximum advantage in your corner.

THAT BEING SAID, KEEP IN MIND THAT BULLET PERFORMANCE IS MEASURED IN SHADES OF GRAY, NOT BLACK AND WHITE. THE AMMUNITION RECOMMENDATIONS HERE ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CURRENT STATE OF THE ART, WHICH DOES NOT MEAN THAT THEY’RE THE ONLY CHOICES – ONLY WHAT IS CURRENTLY DEEMED BEST. You are, of course, free to choose any ammo you want, but there are sound reasons for why some ammo types are recommended over others. These recommendations aren’t my own; rather, they have been advanced by the foremost experts in the field. You can choose to disagree with their findings, but don’t expect anyone to give you much credence unless you have some serious credentials and proof to back up your claim.

There are lots of articles written by Dr. Fackler available in the Ammo FAQ, such as The ideal police bullet. As a matter of fact, the article essentially points out exactly what the requirements are and validate the claims that 12″ of penetration in conjunction with a large wound channel are what is required of a good bullet.

One of the errors frequently made is to take anecdotal evidence (“I heard this cop shoot someone with such-and-such ammo, and the guy dropped dead on the spot, so this has got to be great ammo.”) and apply it across the board for that load. The same thing applies to comments like “he was hit in the center of the chest two times and didn’t go down, therefore this load sucks.” Please refer to the figures provided earlier that show how center-of-chest hits can miss vital structures of the body easily depending on the angle of the attacker even when hitting the center of the chest. Statistically, it could have been a fluke; only a large sample size will guarantee that the results are repeatable. You can’t draw conclusions on just an isolated report of a bullet’s performance; keep in mind that a few people have survived jumping out of an airplane at 30,000 feet without a parachute too, but that doesn’t mean it would be prudent to do that yourself.

An extremely important point to address is the question of velocity. Many people are obsessed with using the highest-velocity ammunition possible. This is a bad choice as penetration is usually DECREASED with increased velocity. Several topics in the FAQ address this issue, but it’s important to reiterate that point here. Bullets are designed to perform properly within a certain velocity range. Too low of a velocity will cause the bullet not to expand and can lead to overpenetration. Too high a velocity, and the bullet’s additional impact energy will lead to violent expansion and/or fragmentation and result in a large loss of momentum; in these cases, the bullet can actually UNDERPENETRATE. Although the following diagram pertains to rifle bullets, the same holds true for pistols as well (the two vertical lines indicate the approximate thickness of a human torso):

If your bullet isn’t listed: While exclusion of a particular ammo may not indicate that it is a poor performer, your best bet is to stick with something on the list. If you have a load which can be shown to meet the proper criteria, IM me and I will include it in the list below. For calibers which aren’t listed, your best bet is to look for ammo loaded with a known good performing bullet type in the bullet weight which follows the guidelines established.

The rest of the article lists loads sorted by caliber which are acceptable to the criteria discussed above. Penetration ability through glass and metal are somewhat deemphasized in this report, as it is not a common requirement for self-defense for civilians. In general, look for bonded-type bullets when barrier penetration is required. These will stay intact after the bullet penetrates the barrier. At the same time, bullets that penetrate through barriers will, by design, also penetrate excessively though common household object. Keep that in mind when selecting a load.

Ballistic Gelatin

The most important question then becomes how we can measure a bullet’s performance without actually shooting someone. The short answer to that question is a material called ballistic gelatin. It is basically plain gelatin with a specific bloom number that’s been mixed to a specific concentration (10%) and stored at a specific temperature (38F). Once again, the Ammo FAQ includes information on the proper way to prepare ballistics gelatin. Properly prepared gelatin should be calibrated by firing a steel BB at a certain velocity; it should penetrate to a specific depth in order for the block to be useful.

In the future, I’m planning on expanding this section significantly and provide lots of extra information about what ballistics gelatin does and doesn’t do. This will take some time, so I’ll make a brief summary to keep in mind when reading the rest of the material:

  • Ballistics gelatin is NOT living tissue. It is a tissue SIMULANT modeling the density and elasticity of muscle tissue.
  • Ballistics gelatin is a homogeneous material while the human body is not. There are some variations between the two.

Even though ballistic gelatin has been in use for a while, it is still state-of-the-art. If a bullet performs well in ballistic gelatin, we can predict that it will perform well in actual shootings. While the data is not available to the average person, studies continue to monitor actual gunshot wounds and compare them to the bullet’s performance in ballistic gelatin using modern Xray and other techniques. Even with these studies, ballistic gelatin continues to be the gold standard across the world for modeling a bullet’s performance. Beware of any test data that doesn’t use properly prepared and calibrated gelatin; using modeling clay, water-soaked newspapers, duct seal compound, soap, or any other material provides NO information about the bullet’s actual performance so don’t be fooled.

Water is an acceptable substitute to measure the best-case scenario of bullet expansion since water’s density is virtually identical to that of tissue. Water can’t be used to predict the penetration depth; while there are some conversion factors that attempt to account for this discrepancy, I would not place a lot of weight on it.

 

2) OVERPENETRATION INSIDE THE HOME

A common concern for people when trying to decide which caliber to choose for self defense is overpenetration inside the home. Many believe that pistols calibers would automatically penetrate less than rifle bullets, or that light fragmenting bullets will allow you to not be concerned with overpenetration. In regards to the latter – this is a false assumption. Take, for example, the Glaser Safety Slug. It is a pre-fragmented bullet with very shallow and completely penetration in bare gelatin. When fired through drywall, the bullet fails to expand and behaves as a FMJ solid. Another example would be using a lightweight varmint bullet in an AR, thinking that the shallow penetration in tissue would be sufficient to not worry about persons in adjacent rooms in case of a miss. The question I would ask is this: If you knew that there is a person in a room behind the bad guy and you’re only separated by drywall, would you really risk taking a shot and rely solely on the bullet to not hurt or kill someone in case of a miss?

As far as the idea that pistol bullets will inherently penetrate less than rifle cartridges, take a look at this graph comparing common weapons one might employ in the role of self-defense:

Notice that the penetration of all these calibers using high-quality ammunition is approximately the same, quite contrary to common belief. The reason pistol calibers penetrate quite deeply is, as has been mentioned before, the fact that momentum is the key factor here. The slower, heavier bullets retain more momentum and can thus penetrate as much as a bullet launched at much higher velocity. Bullet construction obviously plays a key role as well.

The situation won’t change very much if drywall is introduced into the equation:

There is not much that has to be said about this picture; the .223 calibers rapidly lose their momentum after penetrating drywall first, while the heavier bullets do not. Note that the pistol calibers in the example above penetrate to approximately 50cm (~20″). That would lead me to believe that the bullets chosen for that test didn’t expand and thus further highlights the need to choose ammunition which passes the FBI test protocols. A Winchester Ranger-T bullet penetrates approximately 15″ (~38cm) after encountering wallboard – about the same as the .308 155gr AMAX.

 

 
3) PISTOL AMMUNITION

Velocity seems to be the “holy grail” for a lot of folks when they decide to choose their handgun ammo, and they tend to gravitate towards +P or even +P+ loads. As mentioned above, velocity is not always good or useful. This is something to keep in mind when deciding between a “fast” 127gr +P+ or 147gr load in 9mm for example. Another factor is the ability to control the follow-up shot. If you have two loads which both perform about the same, you might consider going to the slow/heavy bullet due to the fact that the slower load is more easily controlled. Consider the data from Winchester in regards to their 9mm 127gr +P+ load (1250 fps) versus the 147gr load (990 fps) in the Ranger-T line:

Gelatin
127gr = 12.3″ penetration and 0.64″ ED
147gr = 13.9″ penetration and 0.65″ ED

4-Ply Denim
127gr = 12.5″ penetration and 0.68″ ED
147gr = 14.5″ penetration and 0.66″ ED

Heavy Cloth
127gr = 12.2″ penetration and 0.68″ ED
147gr = 14.0″ penetration and 0.66″ ED

In a handgun, the “light and fast” philosophy is taken to extremes by exotic ammo like Extreme Shock and RBCD. Please refer to the Exotic ammo FAQ for reference.

BARREL LENGTH plays a role in this as well. While +P loadings may not be required in most cases, they can compensate for short barrels and the resulting loss in muzzle velocity. For example: In 9mm, the 124gr Gold Dot is a good choice in barrel lengths of 4″ or more. In compact guns of 3.5″ or less, a higher-velocity loading would be advised. This is Dr. Roberts take on the issue:

Actually, all our testing has traditionally been done in 4″ barrels for 9 mm, .40 S&W, and 4.25″ for .45 ACP, although recently most of the organizations we test for have been asking for 5″ barrel data for .45 ACP. There is really no difference in performance between a 3.5″ and 4″ barrel in 9 mm and .40 S&W. In .45 ACP, we see a reasonably significant change in performance going from a 5″ to 3.5″ or less barrels. Since almost all viable pistols in 9 mm and .40 S&W use 3.5-4.5″ barrels, there are no “short barrel” worries for serious end-users. Likewise, almost all .45 ACP platforms worthy of hard use use barrels greater than 4″, so again, the short barrel question is moot…

Please be aware that if you venture into guns with a barrel length of less than 3.5″, you’re in uncharted territory.

 

In pistol calibers, expanding hollowpoints are preferred to create the largest permanent wound cavity possible. There are a lot of people who pick a load without adequately researching the ammo they trust their life on. The Federal Hydra-Shock is one such example. It was the whiz-bang bullet of its time, but has since been eclipsed by many other bullet designs. The principal weakness of that round are its lack of expansion after passing through clothing.

Properly designed hollow-point ammunition – regardless of caliber – all perform very close to each other when you take expanded diameter and penetration depth into account:

Note how little difference there is between the high-velocity .357SIG and other “slow-poke” rounds. The temporary cavity size is also virtually identical.

The above picture also shows that there is not as big of a difference in overall expanded diameter between the various bullets as you might expect.

 

The following two pictures taken by AR15.com poster Molon show several popular examples of 9mm 147gr loads to give you an idea for the differences between various hollow-point designs of popular bullets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you take all of these criteria into account, the lists should come as no surprise. Please note that all of the recommended pistol loads listed below have been personally tested and vetted by Dr. Roberts. THEY ARE NOT IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE, SO ANY BULLET ON THE LIST IS CONSIDERED ACCEPTABLE.
9mm

  • Barnes XPB 115gr HP (35515) such as loaded by Cor-Bon (DPX09115)
  • Winchester Partition Gold 124gr JHP (RA91P)
  • Winchester Ranger-T 124 gr +P JHP (RA9124TP)
  • Winchester Ranger Bonded 124 gr +P JHP (RA9BA)
  • Winchester Ranger-T 127gr JHP +P+ (RA9TA)
  • Winchester Ranger-T 147gr JHP (RA9T)
  • Winchester Bonded 147gr JHP (RA9B/Q4364)
  • Speer Gold Dor 124gr JHP
  • Speer Gold Dot 124gr JHP +P (53617)
  • Speer Gold Dot 147gr JHP (53619)
  • Remington Golden Saber 124 gr +P JHP bonded (GSB9MMD)
  • Remington Golden Saber 147gr JHP (GS9MMC)
  • Federal Tactical 124gr JHP (LE9T1)
  • Federal Tactical 135gr JHP +P (LE9T5)
  • Federal HST 147gr JHP (P9HST2)
  • Federal HST 124gr JHP +P (P9HST3)

You might notice that the list does NOT include any lightweight bullets with the exception of the Barnes 115gr version. The reason – especially if you’ve read the beginning of this article – should be clear already, but Doctor Roberts sums it up nicely as well: “With the exception of the Barnes 115 gr XPB all copper projectile, in general, most 9 mm 115 gr loads have demonstrated greater inconsistency, insufficient penetration, poor intermediate barrier capability, and failure to expand in denim testing than other 9mm bullets. For those individuals wanting to use lighter weight, supersonic 9 mm’s, I think a better alternative than the vast majority of 115 gr loads is to use the slightly heavier 124 to 127 gr bullets or the Barnes 115 gr all copper bullet
.38spl/.357mag

  Penetration Recovered Diameter Recovered Weight
Bare Gelatin 13.1″ 0.56″ 134.5gr
4-layer denim 13.6″ 0.53″ 134.1gr
Auto windshield 9.4″ 0.51″ 129.6gr

 

 

More information from Doctor Roberts: “With few exceptions, such as the Speer 135 gr +P JHP and Barnes XPB, the vast majority of .38 Sp JHP’s fail to expand when fired from 2″ barrels in the 4 layer denim test. […] There is no reason to go with .357 mag in a J-frame, as the significantly larger muzzle blast and flash, and harsher recoil of the .357 Magnum does not result in substantially improved terminal performance compared to the more controllable .38 Special bullets when fired from 2” barrels.

  • Corbon 110 gr JHP DPX
  Penetration Recovered Diameter Recovered Weight
Bare Gelatin 13.0″ 0.52″ 109.5gr
4-layer denim 12.4″ 0.52″ 109.7gr

Also look at loads using the Barnes DPX bullet as loaded by Federal. Please be aware that Federal lists the “Barnes expander” under their “Vital-Shok” handgun hunting section, while the inferior Hydra-Shok is listed for personal defense. Then again, it’s questionable why one would want the extra recoil/muzzle blast of the .357mag when the .38spl load works just as well.

.357SIG

  • Federal Tactical and HST loads.
  • Speer Gold Dot 125gr JHP

 

.40 S&W

  • Barnes all-copper bullets (140 & 155gr) loaded by: Cor-Bon (DPX40140)
  • Winchester Ranger 180gr JHP (RA40T)
  • Winchester Ranger 165gr JHP (RA40TA)
  • Winchester Partition Gold 165gr JHP (RA401P)
  • Winchester Bonded 180gr JHP (Q4355)
  • Speer Gold Dot 155gr JHP (53961)
  • Speer Gold Dot 180gr JHP (53962)
  • Federal Tactical 165gr JHP (LE40T3)
  • Federal Tactical 180gr JHP (LE40T1)
  • Federal HST 180gr JHP (P40HST1)
  • Remington Golden Saber 180 gr JHP (GS40SWB)

.44 magnum

DocGKR has evaluated the following loads out of a 5″ S&W 629 revolver and 16′ Marlin 1894P carbine:

Federal 180 gr JHP (C44B), Federal 240 gr JHP (C44A), Federal 240 gr JHP Hydrashok (P44HS1), Federal 300 gr LWC Cast Core (P44E), Hornady 180 gr JHP XTP (9081), Hornady 240 gr JHP XTP (9085), Hornady 300 gr JHP XTP (9088), Remington 180 gr JHP (R44MG5), Remington 275 gr JHP Core-Lokt (RH44MGA), Speer 270 gr JSP Gold Dot (23968), Winchester 210 gr JHP Silver Tip (X44MS), Winchrester 250 gr JHP Partition Gold (S44MP)

Out of all these loads, the Hornady 300 gr JHP XTP (9088) was judged superior to all others, with deep penetration and expansion in excess of 0.70″. Other comments: “The Hornady 240 gr and 180 gr loadings also performed well, the Remington 275 gr Core-Lokt was a good overall performer, the Remington 180 gr and Winchester 210 gr Silvertip loads had excessive muzzle flash, the Hydrashok fragmented badly, the Silvertip did well in the revolver and not the carbine, the Gold Dot did well in the carbine and not the revolver, the Cast Core has VERY deep penetration, but no expansion”. Link to picture of some of the recovered bullets.

 

Performance data for the Hornady 300gr XTP in bare gelatin:

  Velocity Penetration Recovered Diameter Recovered Length Recovered Weight
5″ model 629 1120fps 20+” 0.71″ 0.67″ 299.5gr
16″ 1894P 1338fps 20+” 0.71″ 0.59″ 291.5gr

 
.45ACP

  • Barnes XPB/TAC-XP 185gr HP loaded by:
    • Cor-Bon (DPX45185)
    • Taurus (TCB45ACP185HP)
  • Winchester Ranger-T 230gr JHP (RA45T)
  • Winchester Ranger-T 230gr JHP +P (RA45TP)
  • Federal Tactical 230gr JHP (LE45T1)
  • Federal HST 230gr +P JHP (P45HST1)
  • Federal HST 230gr JHP (P45HST2)
  • Speer Gold Dot 230gr JHP (23966)
  • Speer Gold Dot 230gr +P JHP

 

Pistol Bullet Summary By Manufacturer

If you want to skip a more detailed discussion of manufacturers, then you can refer to this chart compliments of Arfcom user soulman. He has collected the info from several places on the web that summarizes the bullet performance of many of the most popular choices:

Keep in mind that Doctor Roberts has also tested many of these loads. If in doubt, use the numbers for Doctor Roberts’ tests further down this page if there are conflicts.

BARNES

The Barnes XPB bullet offers some very good performance. It uses a very large, deep hollow-point in a solid copper bullet that seems to have no problems expanding through many barriers. Being a solid-copper bullet, the weights tend to run lighter for equivalent loads when compared to lead-core bullets, but in this case should be of no concern. The XPB is being sold by Barnes as the TAC-XP starting in 2009. There are no differences between the XPB and the TAC-XP, with the exception of changes to the TAC-XP in .44 according to Barnes customer service. The latter bullet was changed to allow for better performance in .44spl loads.

Ballistic Gelatin Performance Data from Barnes

Cor-Bon is offering the full line of Barnes bullets in the DPX line of ammunition. Taurus used to sell these as the copper “Hex” bullet in a limited range of calibers. Federal has also started offering the DPX in their handgun bullet lineup. Please be aware that Federal lists the “Barnes expander” under their “Vital-Shok” handgun hunting section, while the inferior Hydra-Shok is listed for personal defense.

This load shows excellent performance in all media thanks to its deep hollow point and solid copper construction. It tends to be lighter than conventional ammunition since no lead is used. While it does come in just slightly below 12″ of penetration, it is still recommended:

Note by Doctor Roberts: “Like the HST loads, the Barnes XPB bullets performed very well in both bare gel and 4 layer denim; the only area of concern was a propensity for the Barnes XPB bullets to have difficulties with auto windshield intermediate barriers. The Barnes bullets would frequently begin to yaw off course after only a few centimeters of travel in gel and would often veer to 90 degrees and exit the gel blocks in under 10 cm–this phenomena requires further study.”

WINCHESTER

One of the drawbacks to the Winchester Ranger-Ts are that they are generally not available to civilians, nor are the bullets available as components (neither are the inferior SXTs). Federal no longer sells the Hydra-Shok as a component either. Only the Speer Gold Dots are easy to find if you’re looking to roll your own.

Here are some recovered samples of Rangers (RA45T) after being fired through 4-layer denim:

And some more data from firearmstactical.com (RA40T/180gr).

LINK TO WINCHESTER’S COMPARISON TOOL INCLUDING BALLISTIC GELATIN SHOTS.

WINCHESTER RANGER AMMUNITION BROCHURE

FEDERAL

2010 Federal Law Enforcement Ammunition Catalog

2010 Speer Law Enforcement Ammunition Catalog

As mentioned earlier, the Hydra-Shocks are not up to par, as is clearly evidenced by this report on the .45 Hydra-Shok on firearmstactical.com. Also note that even when the Hydrashocks do expand, the expanded diameter is very small.

The new HST loads show excellent results on the other hand. Federal – on their LE website – has posted the results of a bunch of workshops they have hosted which includes primarily the HST and Gold Dot loads. I have re-hosted them on the AR15.com ammo server.

Some people like the Federal EFMJ since it’s a “FMJ” design that is supposed to expand. While it does decrease feeding issues somewhat due to its shape, there’s also a high failure rate in the neighborhood of 20% when it comes to reliable expansion. The other negative for this bullet is that it lacks sharp edges which slice though tissue and make a larger permanent cavity than a more rounded profile which tends to push tissue out of the way only to have it return to its original shape. Some pictures of Dr. Roberts results:

Apparently, some municipalities and/or states do not allow JHP bullet designs, so that’s where these might come in useful.

 

REMINGTON

While there are some Golden Sabers that make the list, be aware that the GS is an older design and may have issues with core/jacket separation. There is a new generation of GS bullets marketed to law enforcement only that has bonded jackets. No data is available that I’ve been able to find.

 

HORNADY

 

Handgun ammunition comparison tests by Doctor Roberts

 
4) RIFLE AMMUNITION

The criteria for rifle ammunition is essentially the same as for handgun bullets, and many of the same design factors apply. One important difference for rifle ammunition is that the velocities are much higher, and the effect of the temporary cavity starts contributing quite a bit towards creating damage, especially as one moves up in caliber/velocity. There are expanding rifle bullets which will do the job just like for handguns, as well as fragmenting bullets. As previously discussed, the heavier bullets perform better here also. If a bullet fragments, there should be sufficient mass in the largest fragments to ensure penetration to the 12″ level for optimum performance. This disqualifies many varmint bullets; while they show dramatic fragmentation, the fragments sometimes penetrate to only 6″ or so. This creates impressive surface wounds, but may not penetrate deeply enough.

The 7.62×39 is approximately the equal of a .30-30 rifle cartridge, but there are very few bullet designs which perform adequately unfortunately.

For comparison, here are some pictures of how some military rifle bullets perform in ballistic gelatin:

In the above diagram, the lines at 20cm and 30cm represent:
20cm (8″): The distance through a human torso in the ideal frontal torso shot.
30cm (12″): The minimum recommended penetration distance

As is readily apparent, FMJ ammunition – in general – is a poor performer. It penetrates deeply, but neither expands nor fragments. The well-documented performance of the M855 as a fragmenting bullet in the diagrams above is an exception; the fragmentation contributes significantly to its performance. Please refer to the Ammo FAQ for further discussion. You will note that M193/M855 are NOT on the recommended list below. If you want to know why, jump ahead to this link.

I’m omitting hunting rifle data, since I assume most people will not bother to use their lever-action rifles in a self-defense situation.

Note about Barnes bullets: The TSX is being sold by Barnes as the TAC-X starting in 2009. There are no differences between the TSX and the TAC-X.

 
.223

While the M855-type ammunition generally meets performance requirements, there have been quite a few reports in inadequate fragmentation. Please remember that this is military ammo, and while the fragmenting properties are well documented and understood, there is no requirement for the bullet to fragment when being tested for acceptance. There can be significant variations in constructions which could make some lots perform much worse than others. For this reason, it is not on the list. While the M193-type ammo is not nearly as complicated of a design, it is also not inherently as devastating as the heavier OTMs listed below. Since this article is about the BEST choices for self-defense ammunition, it is omitted also.

As far as ammunition choices listed below are concerned, keep in mind that some manufacturers might offer the same bullet loaded to .223 chamber pressures and also at 5.56 chamber pressures. The latter allow for approximately 100-200fps more velocity and subsequent better performance. This is the case for the Hornady TAP ammo.

An excellent article written by Molon shows the performance of various types of heavy OTMs, including all the Hornady TAP variations and Mk262 77gr OTM ammunition, velocities, accuracy, etc. It is one of the most comprehensive on the subject I have ever seen and will pretty much tell you anything you need to know. CLICK HERE TO READ THAT ARTICLE.

Included in the article are comparisons of pretty much all components that make up this ammo, including reports of the type of bullet used, the type of powder, primers, velocities through different barrel lengths, accuracy, etc. It also includes pictures of shots into ballistic gelatin of 40/55/75gr TAP, as well as some 77gr loads.

Your rifle’s twist rate plays a large part in choosing the right bullet. The most common twist rate is 1:9, and it should (make sure you test it to be sure) stabilize 75gr bullets, and some even work with 77’s. 1:8’s can stabilize pretty much everything but the longest 100 gr bullets, and 1:7’s can use any bullet listed. If you’re stuck with 1:12, your choices are narrowed down significantly.

Summarizing Doctor Roberts’ choices results in the following list (make sure to read about the importance of barrier penetration just below the list):

If Barrier penetration is NOT an important factor AND your rifle can stabilize them (1:9 minimum twist rate):

  • Hornady 75gr OTM loads
  • Nosler 77gr OTM loads
  • Sierra 77gr SMK loads

If Barrier penetration is NOT an important factor AND your rifle can’t stabilize the heavy 70+ grain bullets:

  • Sierra 69gr SMK loads
  • Hornady 68gr OTM loads
  • Winchester 64gr JSP (RA223R2)
  • Federal 64gr TRU (223L)
  • Hornady 60gr JSP

If your rifle is 1:12 twist rate and can only shoot lighter-weight bullets:

  • 55gr Federal bonded JSP load (LE223T1 or P223T2)
  • Barnes 55gr TSX/TAC-X
  • 50gr TSX loaded by Black Hills*

If Barrier penetration IS an important factor (most of these should work with 1:9 barrels, but use common sense in regards to twist rate requirements)

  • 62gr Federal Trophy Bonded Bear Claw (TBBC) bonded JSP (XM556FBIT3)*
  • 64gr Winchester solid base bonded JSP (Q3313/RA556B)*
  • 50gr TSX loaded by Black Hills*
  • Speer 55 & 64gr Gold Dot JSP(5.56)*
  • Federal 62gr Mk318 Mod0 (T556TNB1)*
  • 62gr Federal bonded JSP Tactical (LE223T3)
  • 55gr Federal bonded JSP load (Tactical––LE223T1 or identical Premium Rifle––P223T2)
  • Swift 75gr Scirocco (usually requires 1:7 twist)
  • 60gr Nosler Partition JSP
  • Remington 62gr bonded JSP
  • Federal 55gr TSX (T223S)
  • Speer 55 & 64gr Gold Dot JSP (.223)
  • Federal 62gr Fusion JSP (Same construction as the Gold Dot)

Loads marked with * are 5.56 loads and indicate preferred loadings. CLICK HERE FOR GELATIN PERFORMANCE RESULTS OF SOME OF THE AFOREMENTIONED BARRIER LOADS.

BARRIER BLIND LOADS ARE PREFERRED: There has been a shift away from fragmenting ammunition and toward barrier-blind bonded loads.

Doctor Roberts’ latest take on this: “For LE and other individuals not restricted by the Hague convention, because of their good terminal performance across a wide spectrum of potential engagement scenarios, the bonded barrier blind projectiles have moved ahead of the fragmenting OTM loads we previously recommended, as the best general purpose loads available.”

Also: “If you are, then why are you concerned about properly engineered blind to barrier 5.56 mm loads, since ALL of the current effective barrier blind ammunition penetrates NO more than service caliber handgun ammunition in the event of a miss. For that matter, the recommended 7.62 x 51mm loads for 16” rifle use, like the Rem 150 gr Core Locked Ultra Bonded, penetrate the same depth as handgun rounds…

The better bonded loads like TBBC, are definitely MORE effective than the TSX style all copper bullets, as they expand better, retain more mass, and offer a larger surface area, especially through intermediate barriers.

The current generation of LE barrier blind loads like 5.56 mm Federal 62 gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claw (TBBC) bonded JSP (XM556FBIT3) and 5.56 mm Winchester 64 gr solid base bonded JSP (Q3313/RA556B) developed for the FBI, are at 5.56 mm pressures using appropriate crimped & sealed primers, sealed case neck, same trajectory as M855 so it matches many common ACOG BDC’s, etc… The new Black Hills 5.56 mm 50 gr TSX loading is another 5.56 mm offering which offers many of these same features–it matches closely with 5.56 mm 55 gr M193 practice ammo…”

To summarize: Fragmenting loads are still fine if you can anticipate unobstructed shots, but even a home owner may have to deal with barriers and could potentially benefit from barrier blind loads. Should you panic and throw out all your heavy OTM stuff? Not at all – you might simply want to keep the above paragraphs in mind.

If using a short-barreled weapon: The same guidelines apply as for barrier penetration loads. SBRs usually have insufficient velocity to achieve fragmentation velocity.

As per Doctor Roberts: “Keep in mind, that with non-fragmenting bullet designs, heavier bullet weights are not necessarily better, especially at closer ranges and from shorter barrels. As long as penetration and upset remain adequate, it is possible to use lighter weight non-fragmenting bullets and still have outstanding terminal performance. With fragmenting designs, a heavier bullet is ideal, as it provides more potential fragments and still allows the central core to have enough mass for adequate penetration. In addition, heavier bullets may have an advantage at longer ranges due to better BC and less wind drift.”

The following pictures show the profiles of several shots into ballistic gelatin:

Note the somewhat mediocre performance of the early version of the 77gr SMK used in Mk262. It doesn’t fragment but splits into to large pieces. Newer versions are supposed to perform better.

 

In regards to barrier penetration of the Barnes bullets, keep the following in mind: When the TSX passes through auto windshield glass “the jacket ‘petals’ fold back against the core, or the ‘petals’ are torn off; this results in a caliber size projectile configured a lot like a full wadcutter, leading to deep penetration.” While acceptable, it does mean that there are better choices. The TSX/TAC-X is a very versatile bullet though, and offer good penetration. THE NEW 50gr TSX APPEARS TO BE AN EXCEPTION.

Also refer to the following posts by brouhaha and tatjana:

1) Multiple round, high velocity 5.56 75 grain Hornady BTHP vs 77 grain Nosler BTHP performance in bare gel.
2) Multiple Round, High Velocity (NATO Pressure) 5.56mm 77 grain OTM (Mk262 Mod 1) performance in bare gel.
3) High Velocity (NATO Pressure) 5.56mm 77 grain OTM performance versus NIJ Level IIIa body armor.

Why not M193/M855?

While these are not bad bullets, you will note that they are subject to large variations in neck length (distance the bullet penetrates before fragmenting); this variability is not desirable. In case of the short neck length, it is indeed an effective bullet. When 855 doesn’t begin to fragment until 8″+, it will not be very effective on front torso shots and thin individuals; this explains the dissatisfaction of US combat troops with M855 in some cases. This is due to a phenomenon recently discovered called the “fleet yaw issue”. It was first discussed in an article titled Small Caliber Lethality. There is variation from one rifle to the next about how much the bullet will yaw. The bullet leaving one rifle may exhibit more yaw than the same bullet shot from another rifle.

The bullets go through this yaw process on the way to becoming stable, and can yaw by as much as 4 degrees at short distances. You can see in the graph above that the bullet becomes very stable from about 100-400 meters, but the greatest variability – unfortunately – is within CQB range. The angle of attack has a profound impact on how a bullet behaves when striking tissue. Consider the two bullets in the picture below::

When you overlay a low-AOA bullet on a human torso, you can see that this might mean the bullet won’t begin it’s yaw cycle and fragment until after it leaves the body, making a hole not much bigger than a conventional .22LR:

You could engage a target at one distance with a large AOA and great bullet performance, while a few yards more might mean a smaller AOA and poor bullet performance. When M855/193 fragment quickly, they can be very effective. Unfortunately, they could just as easily exhibit poor performance without the end user really knowing how well his particular rifle/ammo performs.

 

6.8mm SPC

The following data is verbatim from an article by Doctor Roberts on M4Carbine.net:

Barnes 85 and 110 gr TSX JHP — These all copper, lead free bullets bullets offer good expansion and penetration. They would be useful as both an LE barrier load and for hunting medium game.

Hornady 110 gr VMAX PT — This is a great fragmenting bullet and is perfect for CQB/LE SWAT entry work; it is also a good choice for light to medium game:

Hornady 110 gr OTM (loaded by Hornady) — This is a good fragmenting bullet for military use where PT bullets like the AMAX are prohibited, as it offers similar terminal performance to the 110 gr AMAX. It has far better terminal performance than the SMK 115 gr OTM. In addition, it has better glass performance than the 115 gr OTM’s.

Hornady 115 gr OTM (loaded by Remington) — This load has dominated recent military terminal performance testing because of it’s early yaw and superb fragmentation, even at reduced impact velocities. It has far better terminal performance than the SMK 115 gr OTM.

Sierra 115 gr OTM (without cannelure) — This first generation SMK is very accurate, but offers somewhat variable terminal performance and is not a great combat, LE, or hunting choice–it is best suited for match target shooting.

Pictures of the preceding two loads in ballistic gelatin:

Sierra 115 gr OTM (with cannelure) — This second generation SMK offers improved feeding reliability and much more consistent terminal performance with early yaw and ideal fragmentation. It is a good choice for military combat and non-barrier LE use.

Remington 115 gr JSP — Good expansion and penetration make this an excellent choice for law enforcement use through glass and other intermediate barriers, as well as into vehicles. It is also an excellent choice for hunting medium size game.

Sierra 110 gr Pro Hunter JSP — This is a good bullet for law enforcement use through glass and other intermediate barriers and would be a great load for Highway Patrol and State Police who are working primarily around vehicles. It is also a great hunting load for medium size game.

Just like making sure your AR15 has a true 5.56 mm chamber and proper barrel twist, it is also critical in 6.8 mm to use the original AMU/”Murray” chamber, as well as the superior 3 or 5 groove 1/11 or 1/12 barrel twists–the Remington SAAMI spec chamber is too tight (like a .223 chamber) and the 1/10 6 groove barrels needlessly increase pressures and reduce velocity.

It is very important to keep in mind that the proper 6.8 mm velocity is 2600 fps +/- 50 fps for 110-115 gr projectiles when fired from a 16″ barrel. Government organizations who purchase 6.8 mm should specify in their purchase contracts a minimum acceptable velocity of 2500 fps with an objective velocity of 2600 fps for 16″ barrels firing the 110-115 gr projectiles. For duty use, flash suppressed powder, crimped primer, waterproofing, and bullet cannelure should be mandatory requirements.

Also refer to this presentation by Doctor Roberts for the 2008 NDIA symposium.

.30 carbine

From Doctor Roberts: “The best ammunition choices for the M1 Carbine are the Remington 110 gr JSP (R30CAR) and the Corbon 110 gr JHP DPX loading using the all copper Barnes X bullet. The Remington load has an average velocity of 1864 f/s, expands to around .54” to .58” and penetrates 13” to 16” whether in bare gelatin, through automobile windshields, or Level IIIa body armor. This is comparable intermediate barrier performance to many good .223 loads. Likewise, the Corbon DPX load penetrates 18.9″ and expands to 0.56″ in bare gelatin. The Winchester 110 gr JSP also works reasonably well, but has a bit smaller permanent wound channel compared to the Remington or Corbon DPX load. In addition, the new Speer 110 gr Gold Dot carbine load appears very promising based on the factory test data released at SHOT 2009”

New data shows that the 110gr Speer Gold Dot bonded soft point load is also a very effective performer. Penetration is in the 16-17″ range through most of the FBI barrier test with near perfect expansion. Velocity at 10ft averages right at 2000fps.

7.62×39

  • Lapua 125gr JSP
  • Winchester Super-X 123 gr Power-Point (X76239)
  • Hornady 123gr VMAX

These loads show good terminal performance in bare gel and through car windows.

The recent loading of the 124gr Wolf “Military Classic” HP shows promising performance. This ammo is made by Ulyanovsk using their 8M3 bullet, and has been shown to fragment in several tests:

7.62x39mm Sapsan 124 gr JHP (Ulyanovsk Machinery Plant) from 16” AKMS
BG: vel=2297 f/s, pen=15.0”, Max TC=10cm@18cm, RD=0.63”, RW=100.5gr

Note that Russian ammunition manufacturers change components frequently and do not notify customers. The Military Classic line could change without anyone being aware of the change.

FORE MORE INFORMATION ON THE WOUNDING EFFECTS OF RUSSIAN RIFLE CALIBERS, PLEASE READ THIS POST.

.308

  • Hornady 155 gr TAP (with AMAX bullet)
  • Federal 150 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip
  • Winchester Supreme 150 gr Ballistic Silvertip
  • Loads using the 165 gr Sierra Game King

The preceding list is by no means complete; there are other “ballistic tip” type loads that are close enough in performance to the Federal load, for example. Read on for more information.

When moving up to the .308, some truly devastating are available and the wound profile is impressive. Notice – once again – the underpenetration of the lightweight bullet in the bunch:

 

Some of the preferred bullets used by the long-range community are the 168 and 175SMKs. These do not make the best choices for shorter-range shots where instant incapacitation is needed due to the variability in their terminal performance:

If barrier penetration is needed, the Nosler 180gr Accubond is the best choice, also having superior accuracy. Be aware that this bullet will penetrate through-and-though in almost all cases.

In summary from Doctor Roberts (source):

— For military snipers and others needing long range accuracy, the SMK 175 gr OTM is the way to go.

— For intermediate barrier penetration, the bonded rounds like the BH loaded Nosler Accubond, Federal loaded TBBC, Hornady Interbond, Swift Scirroco, as well as M993 AP are the best choices.

— At this time the Hornady 155 TAP offers outstanding accuracy nearly on par with SMK’s, as well as more consistent terminal performance, better incapacitation potential and superior performance through glass intermediate barriers than SMK’s; as a result, the Hornady 155 gr TAP using the polymer tip AMAX bullet is the probably best general purpose choice for LE snipers. BH also loads AMAX bullets. The Nosler 150 gr Ballistic Tip PT, Hornady and Nosler 155 gr OTM, Federal 165 gr TRU JHP, Sierra Game Kings, and Weapons Unlimited Hostage Rescue JHP also work well.

The current .308 rifle loads that best meet these requirements when fired from a 16″ barrel semi-auto, include the Remington 150 gr Core-Lokt Ultra Bond JSP, followed by the Speer 150 gr Gold Dot JSP, and Swift 150 gr Scirroco bonded PT.

 

Rifle data by manufacturer

BARNES

The following information is data from Barnes that I’ve rehosted on this server. Please be aware that the PDF files are very large and may take some time to download.

FEDERAL

HORNADY

WINCHESTER

 

Rifle ammunition comparison tests by Doctor Roberts

5) SHOTGUN AMMUNITION

There is now a separate Shotgun Ammo FAQ available here. It incorporates most of the data below.

The single biggest mistake people make is to assume that the power of the shotgun is such that it negates having to select proper ammo. Through no experience or research they might come to the conclusion that birdshot is a perfectly acceptable choice for self defense? Why? Because the “feel” it’s adequate for the most part.

Nothing is further from the truth. Once again, the shotgun ammunition needs to perform the same function as rifle and pistol ammo, which is to penetrate about 12″ into ballistic gelatin. Fragmentation/expansion are usually not an issue in shotgun ammo, so that factor can be ignored for the most part.

For an excellent article which explains it better than I could, please read “Shotgun Home Defense Ammunition on firearmstactical.com.

The summary from that article states:

 

Number 1 buck is the smallest diameter shot that reliably and consistently penetrates more than 12 inches of standard ordnance gelatin when fired at typical shotgun engagement distances. A standard 2 ¾-inch 12 gauge shotshell contains 16 pellets of #1 buck. The total combined cross sectional area of the 16 pellets is 1.13 square inches. Compared to the total combined cross sectional area of the nine pellets in a standard #00 (double-aught) buck shotshell (0.77 square inches), the # 1 buck shotshell has the capacity to produce over 30 percent more potentially effective wound trauma.In all shotshell loads, number 1 buckshot produces more potentially effective wound trauma than either #00 or #000 buck. In addition, number 1 buck is less likely to over-penetrate and exit an attacker’s body.

For home defense applications a standard velocity 2 ¾-inch #1 buck shotshell (16 pellet payload) from Federal, Remington or Winchester is your best choice. We feel the Federal Classic 2 ¾-inch #1 buck load (F127) is slightly better than the same loads offered by Remington and Winchester. The Federal shotshell uses both a plastic shot cup and granulated plastic shot buffer to minimize post-ignition pellet deformation, whereas the Remington and Winchester loads do not.

Second best choice is Winchester’s 2 ¾-inch Magnum #1 buck shotshell, which is loaded with 20 pieces of copper-plated, buffered, hardened lead #1 buckshot. For those of you who are concerned about a tight shot pattern, this shotshell will probably give you the best patterning results in number 1 buck. This load may not be a good choice for those who are recoil sensitive.

 

While #1 buck might be ideal IF the the shot is hardened, the reality is that these loads might be hard to find. If finding hardened #1 proves elusive, 00 buck is a great choice instead.

 

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

 

All content is copyrighted by AR15.com. A lot of the data (pictures, charts) come from Dr. Gary Roberts, and I have obtained his permission in posting it. I have also re-hosted some of the PDFs from various manufacturers so I don’t have to re-adjust links as the source documents are moved around or deleted; I always give credit where credit is due and have not attempted to hide where it came from. If you are the owner of any of the information and believe a copyright has been violated, let me know right away so I can fix the problem.
REVISION HISTORY

10/27/2006: Initial release.
10/30/2006: Incorporated feedback from Doctor Roberts, including major updates to 6.8mm, .30carbine, and .308 section. New bullets added for 9mm, .357SIG, .40S&W and .45ACP.
11/10/2006: Updated information on Barnes bullets to list Cor-Bon as the primary distributor.
12/26/2006: Minor update to list of 9mm ammo
1/3/2007: Update to include paragraph to point out bullet performance is measured in shades of gray.
1/5/2007: Added Wolf MC to the list of 7.62×39 ammo
2/5/2007: Added links to more Federal HST workshops, added more info on .38spl Gold Dot.
2/17/2007: Changed some links to diagrams of military rifle bullets performance in gelatin
4/4/2007: Updated availability of Barnes XPB loaded ammo to include Federal
5/14/2007: Added russian rifle caliber wounding effects link
5/28/2007: Added info from OddJob’s post in TheFiringLine
1/26/2008: Correction to Speer .40 180gr GDHP load (thanks to mcornell)
4/18/2008: Added data for .44 magnum
4/23/2008: Changed links of DocGKR’s photos to point to the Arfcom server
5/8/2008: Rev 2.0, moved into HTML format

6/19/2008: Added pics of 75gr gelatin shots, updated recommended pistol bullets.

6/21/2008: Added pics of Molon’s pistol bullet comparison

10/21/2008: More info/pics about .38spl and .44mag

10/31/2008: Added some info from DocGKR about short barrel ammo.

11/20/2008: Added links to Federal’s wound ballistics worksops

1/26/2009: Added Speer Gold Dot .30 carbine load

2/4/2009: Updated .223 rifle loads by DocGKR, minor cosmetic changes

2/16/2009: Improved formatting, added bookmark quick links

2/19/2009: Added new test info by Doctor Roberts

2/21/2009: Updated 6.8SPC info, simplified the look of a few reviews

2/22/2009: Minor update to Barnes stuff, shotgun load selection.

2/28/2009: Minor update to the Federal/HST info.

3/15/2009: Added info for 200gr GDHP

5/21/2009: Added info for M855/193 and fleet yaw issue

8/1/2009: Added section about overpenetration

1/4/2010: Added link to Shotgun Ammo FAQ.

2/4/2010: Added Hornady LE rifle ammo.

2/5/2010: Added Federal/Speer catalogs.

10/5/2010: Revised recommended loads for .223

3/1/2011: Revised recommended barrier loads per Dr. Roberts’recommendations

4/23/2011: Added PDF for Barnes ballistic gelatin data.

9/9/2011: Added numerous DocGKR tests to handgun and rifle sections.

11/18/2011: Some major cosmetic changes, started a section of ballistic gelatin

12/3/2011: Added more info to Hornady’s ammo information.

2/9/2012: Added comaprison chart by soulman

5/10/2012: Updated preferred pistol bullet list

5/26/2012: Added Winchester Ranger catalog

7/6/2013: Added new data on 6.8/.300Blk and Hornady CD rounds from DocGKR

Best Handgun Calibers and Rounds for Self Defense

Best Handgun Calibers and Rounds for Self Defense

 Article Posted: Septermber 10, 2012

 


.22 LR
.22 WMR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 Smith & Wesson Long
.32 H&R Magnum
.327 Magnum
7.62x25mm
380 ACP
9mm
9mm Makarov
.38 Special
.38 Super
.357 Magnum
.357 Sig
.40 Smith & Wesson
10mm Auto
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP (Regular 45)
.45 Colt

Self Defense Rounds

 This is an excellent comprehensive summary of the 20+ most common handgun calibers, this article will help you choose the best loads for use in self defense situations.

If you are new to shooting and self defense this will become one of the most important articles you ever read. If you’ve been around awhile this will still shed some light on a few things we are sure. The article is based off original work from Evan Marshall, Massad Ayood, and Ed Sanow. It has been rewritten and updated as needed. These guys are the best in the world at cartridge and round analysis. This page will also tell you which loads to carry and which loads to avoid at all cost due to their ineffectiveness. These facts are the real deal and not some forum ranting. Bookmark this page by hitting Ctrl + D. Be sure to share with your friends and love ones, help keep them informed and safe.

If you want more information on a specific round click on the “Learn more about” link at the bottom of that cartridges summary. Thanks for reading.



.22 LR
.22 WMR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 Smith & Wesson Long
.32 H&R Magnum
.327 Magnum
7.62x25mm
380 ACP
9mm
9mm Makarov
.38 Special
.38 Super
.357 Magnum
.357 Sig
.40 Smith & Wesson
10mm Auto
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP (Regular 45)
.45 Colt

(Note: for an excellent and comprehensive look at the best handgun rounds by caliber, see the article ‘What Are The Best Loads For Defense?’ by Ed Sanow in the July, 1995 issue of Petersen’s ‘HANDGUNS’ magazine)

22 LR

22 LR CartridgeIt is recommended that people carry something bigger than .22 LR for self-defense purposes due to how small the rounds are in addition to the lack of stopping power compared to higher caliber cartridges available on the market. There are .22 pocket autos that are a good firearm to carry for women who are uneasy about being able to carry a larger caliber pistol. Choose any Federal, Remington, Winchester or CCI copper-plated 37 grain (or lighter) high velocity hollow point round. I recommend CCI “Stinger” 32-gr. or Remington “Yellow Jacket” 33-gr. hollow points, as they have been very reliable in my Beretta 21A and Walther TPH pistols and have the highest stopping power ratings.

Ammunition is inexpensive for .22 LR, so it is best to shoot a lot of rounds through the self-defense .22 to determine what round is the most reliable in getting the job done. There are high-velocity and standard velocity bullets, and if one type does not cycle through your pistol try the other to see which performs best during practice sessions. In addition, practice being able to draw the firearm and being able to fire it at a target that is at a distance of around 10 feet. Pistols can get dirty while carrying them around as protection. Be sure to clean and inspect a self-defense pistol every day after carrying it around so it does not get dirt and gunk in it that could possibly cause it to jam.

Learn more about the 22 LR



.22 LR
.22 WMR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 Smith & Wesson Long
.32 H&R Magnum
.327 Magnum
7.62x25mm
380 ACP
9mm
9mm Makarov
.38 Special
.38 Super
.357 Magnum
.40 Smith & Wesson
10mm Auto
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP (Regular 45)
.45 Colt

 

22 WMR

22 WMRThis is a better caliber to use than the .22 LR and could be considered to be better than most other calibers smaller than .35. The 40 grain JHP load is the most common choice. This includes Winchester 40 grain JHP load, which scores higher than other cartridges in a 4 inch or longer test barrel. The 40 grain Speer GDHP-SB is more suited for smaller pistols or mini revolvers that have 2 inch or shorter barrels.

 

Learn more about the 22 WMR



.22 LR
.22 WMR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 Smith & Wesson Long
.32 H&R Magnum
.327 Magnum
7.62x25mm
380 ACP
9mm
9mm Makarov
.38 Special
.38 Super
.357 Magnum
.40 Smith & Wesson
10mm Auto
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP (Regular 45)
.45 Colt

.25 ACP/6.35 MM

25 AutoThe best load for the .25 ACP is the Hornady 35 grain XTP-HP round. If that round does not work well in your particular firearm, then use Federal, Remington, or Winchester 50 grain ball rounds. Another reliable round is the Winchester 45 grain “Expanding Point” that works ok in pistols such as the Beretta 950. There isn’t any improvement in performance over the .50 grain round balls though. The Walther TPH should be loaded with ball rounds.

Hornady has a 35 grain JHP that can be considered 100% reliable in owner’s pistols. Owners should use well over 150 rounds to see the reliability of the 35 grain JHP. Ed Sanow Recommends the MagSafe 22 grain “Defender” and Glaser 40 grain Safety Slug rounds.



.22 LR
.22 WMR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 Smith & Wesson Long
.32 H&R Magnum
.327 Magnum
7.62x25mm
380 ACP
9mm
9mm Makarov
.38 Special
.38 Super
.357 Magnum
.357 Sig
.40 Smith & Wesson
10mm Auto
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP (Regular 45)
.45 Colt

.32 ACP (7.65x17mm, 7.65 mm Browning )

.32 AutoThe Winchester 60 grain Silvertip Jacketed Hollow Point (X32ASHP) can be tested for reliability in firearms. The recommended firearm for the Silvertip is the Seecamp LWS .32. The .32 autos are only reliable at shooting with 71 grain ball rounds such as Llama, Walther PP and PPK, Czech CZ-24 and CZ-70, David P-32, Colt Pocket Model, and the Mauser HSc in addition to other pistols.

 

Learn more about the .32 Auto



.22 LR
.22 WMR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 Smith & Wesson Long
.32 H&R Magnum
.327 Magnum
7.62x25mm
380 ACP
9mm
9mm Makarov
.38 Special
.38 Super
.357 Magnum
.357 Sig
.40 Smith & Wesson
10mm Auto
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP (Regular 45)
.45 Colt

.32 Smith & Wesson Long

.32 Smith and Wesson LongThe best load is the Federal .98 grain lead wadcutter. The revolver has become obsolete though and should be replaced with a more up to date self-defense firearm.

 

Learn more about the .32 Smith and Wesson Long



.22 LR
.22 WMR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 Smith & Wesson Long
.32 H&R Magnum
.327 Magnum
7.62x25mm
380 ACP
9mm
9mm Makarov
.38 Special
.38 Super
.357 Magnum
.357 Sig
.40 Smith & Wesson
10mm Auto
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP (Regular 45)
.45 Colt

.32 H&R Magnum

32 H&R MagnumYou should use Federal 85 grain Jacketed Hollow Point (C32HRB).

 

Learn more about the .32 H&R Magnum



.22 LR
.22 WMR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 Smith & Wesson Long
.32 H&R Magnum
.327 Magnum
7.62x25mm
380 ACP
9mm
9mm Makarov
.38 Special
.38 Super
.357 Magnum
.357 Sig
.40 Smith & Wesson
10mm Auto
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP (Regular 45)
.45 Colt

.327 Magnum

.327 MagnumYou should use Federal Premium 85 grain Hydra-Shock Jacketed hollow point rounds.



.22 LR
.22 WMR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 Smith & Wesson Long
.32 H&R Magnum
.327 Magnum
7.62x25mm
380 ACP
9mm
9mm Makarov
.38 Special
.38 Super
.357 Magnum
.357 Sig
.40 Smith & Wesson
10mm Auto
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP (Regular 45)
.45 Colt

7.62x25mm (7.63 Mauser)

This caliber is considered obsolete, but if a shooter chooses to use this caliber use the Fiocchi 7.63 Mauser ball. 87 Ball grain ammunition is available and pistols are CZ-52 or the Chinese Tokarev.



.22 LR
.22 WMR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 Smith & Wesson Long
.32 H&R Magnum
.327 Magnum
7.62x25mm
380 ACP
9mm
9mm Makarov
.38 Special
.38 Super
.357 Magnum
.357 Sig
.40 Smith & Wesson
10mm Auto
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP (Regular 45)
.45 Colt

.380 ACP (9mm Short, 9x17mm, 9mm Kurz)

380 ACP CartridgeThis is first caliber that is considered decent in stopping power. The three best out of four .380 JHP rounds have better stopping power than ANY bullet fired out of a two inch barrel .38 Special snub-nose. All of the five main stream manufactures make reliable hollow points for this caliber. The Remington 88 grain JHP is the more reliable cartridge when it comes to feeding hollow point rounds into a chamber , but is also considered a little less effective than the Hydra-Shok or CorBon. Testing rounds for their reliability in your firearm is necessary to determine which best suites the firearm you prefer to carry.

I recommend the following two cartridges above all others:

-Federal 90 gr. Hydra-shok (P380HS1 H) – the best standard-pressure .380 JHP load, period.

-Cor-Bon 90 gr. JHP – the most powerful .380 hollow point, bar none.

These are the two best .380 loads, and I recommend them for these guns:

SIG/Sauer P230, Beretta 84/85, Browning BDA, CZ-83, H&K P7K3, Walther PPK and PPK/s. The Russian, East German, Chinese and Bulgarian Makarov pistols are apparently perfectly reliable with the hot Cor-Bon, and the strong all-steel construction of these guns should stand up to an infinite amount of these potent rounds. I have heard that the Colt does also well with the hot Cor-Bon JHP, which you should definitely look into if you own a Colt .380. You have better stopping power than any .38 snub-nose revolver (the long-time favorite concealment sidearm) when you load your .380 with these two rounds.

Other good .380 ACP jacketed hollow points:

Remington 102 gr. Golden Saber BJHP (GS380M) – Another excellent .380 load (the BJHP stands for “Brass Jacketed Hollow Point”), the heaviest one available. I prefer the Cor-Bon and Hydra-shok, but many (including Sanow) like this new Remington round for its deeper penetration. I’ll stick with the Cor-Bon and Hydra-shok, but the choice is yours.

CCI-Speer 90 gr. Gold Dot JHP a good all-around hollow point.

Remington 88 gr. JHP (R380AI): A good high-velocity hollow point that feeds well in: Colt Government Model .380, H&K HK4, Taurus PT-58, older PP and PPK, Bersa .380, Beretta 70s, Makarov and Hungarian FEG. These are all good guns that might choke on other hollow points but they will probably feed the Remington fine. This hollow point was redesigned in 1993 and gives excellent performance while retaining its rounded shape for positive feeding. If your .380 chokes on other JHP loads, try fifty rounds of the Remington 88 gr. through your gun and see if it improves.

.380 ACP hollow points to avoid:

-Winchester 85 gr Silvertip (X380ASHP) We really cannot recommend this weak and jam-prone round. It works reliably in a few modern European guns (e.g. SIG 230, Beretta 84F), but every load named above offers better performance. The Silvertip will likely jam in any American-made .380 automatic. Russian .380 Makarovs and PPK series guns may jam with the Silvertip, as well. The .380 Silvertip was once state-of-the-art, but has since been superseded by superior designs. It is also quite expensive. Look elsewhere.

PMC-Eldorado Star fire 95 gr. JHP This round is similarly weak and jam-prone.

Federal 90 gr. JHP (380BP) (see below)

Hornady 90 gr. XTP-HP (9010) Both the Federal 380BP and the Hornady XTP-HP never expand and may jam many guns due to their truncated-cone bullet nose profiles. Pass by these two.

95 grain ball

Davis P-380, Accu-Tek, EAA .380, Tanarmi, AMT/OMC/TDE “Back-Up,” Heritage, FIE, Jennings, Bryco, Lorcin, Llama, or “other.” Hollow points should never be used in these low-priced guns.



.22 LR
.22 WMR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 Smith & Wesson Long
.32 H&R Magnum
.327 Magnum
7.62x25mm
380 ACP
9mm
9mm Makarov
.38 Special
.38 Super
.357 Magnum
.357 Sig
.40 Smith & Wesson
10mm Auto
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP (Regular 45)
.45 Colt

9mm Makarov (9x18mm)

-Cor-Bon makes an excellent 95 grain JHP that is totally reliable in all East Bloc pistols.

-Hornady offers a 95 grain JHP/XTP (#91002).



.22 LR
.22 WMR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 Smith & Wesson Long
.32 H&R Magnum
.327 Magnum
7.62x25mm
380 ACP
9mm
9mm Makarov
.38 Special
.38 Super
.357 Magnum
.357 Sig
.40 Smith & Wesson
10mm Auto
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP (Regular 45)
.45 Colt

.38 Special

38 SpecialThe .38 Revolvers with barrels four inches or longer : The number one .38 Special defense load for your 4″ barrel revolver is the Cor-Bon .38 Special+P 125 grain JHP. It has a high pressure load and should only be used in modern six-shot revolvers. The recoil and muzzle flip is lower than the second choice listed below. When carrying a .38 with a four inch barrel it should be loaded with this.

The second choice is the .38 Special +P 158 grain lead semi-wadcutter hollow point (LSWCHP) available from Federal, CCI, Winchester and Remington. Ayoob has found the latter to have the greatest expansion, so I would choose Remington. The unjacketed around is all-lead and is often referred to as the “FBI load” or “Chicago load”, and it is a proven man stopper when it is fired from a 4 inch barrel. A fixed sight .38 revolver can shoot point-of-aim with this load in most cases. Lighter bullets will normally shoot low or very low in some cases. All fixed sight .38’s are regulated at the factory to shoot accurate with standard factory loaded 158 grain bullets, because this is the standard the Canadian and American police forces use to use in their loads.

Federal makes the FBI load in their Nyclad line covered with a thin Nylon jacket to prevent leading (#P38G). This is now a police only load. The all-lead version is #38G. CCI offers the famous FBI load in their economical aluminum-cased Blazer line (#3523). This is a bargain. What I really recommend, however, is that for practice you use the CCI Blazer 158 grain JACKETED hollow point (#3526) because it duplicates the ballistics and recoil of the FBI load without fouling your barrel with hard-to-scrub-out lead deposits. This makes them difficult and painful to clean, although you can use Flitz metal polish with good results. This also removes “burn rings” that are unsightly to look at from the cylinder face of a stainless steel revolver.

The .38 Special ammunition is loaded with two pressure levels, which are the standard pressure and the +P. The standard pressure loads can be used in any .38 Special Revolver, while the +P loads should be fired extensively only in steel-frame .38 Special Revolvers. Firing under 50 +P loads in an aluminum frame .38 Special revolver will not destroy the frame or cause it to explode, but it will damage the frame of the revolver if more than 100 rounds are fired through it. The problem with carrying +P .38 Special loads in an aluminum frame revolver for the .38 Special is the recoil is heavy and slows the ability to fire repeated shots at a target. This makes the standard pressure ammunition better for use when considering carrying for self-defense purposes since it is easier to fire extra shots after each round is fired.

Other .38 Special Loads for 4 inch Barrel Revolver

IMI-Samson also offers a lightweight, very high pressure load, the 110 gr. +P+ JHP. This is said to be a ballistic duplicate of the law-enforcement-only “Treasury” load that T-men used to carry. Who cares? The Cor-Bon 125 gr. +P load is superior. And never use any 147 grain bullet in any caliber. They are cursed.

All major manufacturers catalog light .38 +P hollow points, from 95-129 grains. None of these are as successful as the Cor-Bon .38 Special +P 125 grain JHP or 158 grain +P LSWCHP, so why carry them? Light +P loads only make sense in a 2″ barrel snub (more on this later). The Federal Hydra-shok and Winchester Silvertip may look cool, but the boring-looking Cor-Bon and FBI loads do the job in a 4″ revolver. Stick with them.

The 66 grain bullet made by PMC is not recommended. Also avoid the Remington 95 grain +P SJHP (R38S1) due to inadequate penetration.

The Glaser Safety Slug is a recommended choice for use in a .38 revolver with any barrel length. Owners should be aware that keeping the chambers and frame interior 100-percent free of oil and solvents is necessary when carrying Glasers. The CLP can leak into the primer pockets causing the round to become defective and not fire. This is also important for consideration on all rounds that are being carried for self-defense purposes, but Glaser isn’t known for particularly good sealing against such incidents happening. Owners should also consider carrying two Glasers as the first rounds to be fired, and JHP loads for the rest. This is because JHP rounds have better penetration in case an attacker hides behind an object such as a doorway or sheet rock wall that a JHP bullet can penetrate.

The Snub-Nose .38 revolvers with 2 or 3 inch barrels loaded with Cor-Bon Special +P 125 grain JHP and 158 grain LSWCHP FBI load are not as good as other choices for 2 or 3 inch barrels on revolvers. The short barrel does not allow for enough muzzle velocity to enable proper expansion on bullets with these loads. The recoil also is a factor due to its hard to control kick that decreases the accuracy and has been known to hurt people’s hands when firing.

Good +P choices for a steel-frame 2″ .38 snub-nose revolver are:

Federal 125 grain +P Nyclad LSWHP (P38N) – my preferred .38 2″ barrel snub-nose revolver load (a.k.a. the “Chief’s Special” load, now available only to the police).

Federal 129 grain +P Hydra-shok JHP (P38HS1)

Remington 125 grain +P Golden Saber HPJ (GS38SB)

Cor-Bon 110 grain +P JHP – I would recommend this high-pressure load only for the sturdy (and heavy) Ruger SP101 snub-nose .38 or .357 Magnum revolver.

Standard Pressure (non +P ) Loads.

For those who carry a aluminum frame snub nose .38 such as a Smith & Wesson M38 Bodyguard or a Colt Cobra, it is best to use standard pressure .38 caliber rounds and not +P rounds. The Federal 125 grain Nyclad lead hollow point (P38M) is the best standard pressure load currently on the market. It is known as the “Chief’s Special Load” and was designed to expand at lower velocities. It is the best choice and currently is only available for police department use for officers only.

The Winchester Silvertip 110 grain JHP (X38S9HP) is another standard pressure load that can be used for the .38 aluminum frame snub nose revolvers. The third choice is Federal Low Recoil Personal Defense 110 grain Hydra-Shok JHP load (PD38HS3 H).

Note well: if you have a J-frame Smith & Wesson snub-nose .38 (i.e. the five-shot Model 36/37 Chief’s Special, Model 38/49/649 Bodyguard, the 640/642/442/940 Centennial) you can greatly improve the controllability of your gun by installing Uncle Mike’s “Boot Grip.” This is a $14 godsend. The skinny little wooden grips that come on these guns are worthless. Installing good grips does wonders for your ability to control your .38 snub-nose revolver in rapid fire for more hits.



.22 LR
.22 WMR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 Smith & Wesson Long
.32 H&R Magnum
.327 Magnum
7.62x25mm
380 ACP
9mm
9mm Makarov
.38 Special
.38 Super
.357 Magnum
.357 Sig
.40 Smith & Wesson
10mm Auto
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP (Regular 45)
.45 Colt

9mm Cartridge9mm Parabellum (9mm Luger, 9x19mm, 9mm NATO, and known as the “9mm”)

The 9mm is the most popular pistol round in the world. This has allowed it to be subject to a large amount of experimentation over the years, because the 9mm ball is used by every Army in the Western world has been shown to be a low quality man stopper compared to other caliber rounds. Jacketed hollow points are necessary if an owner wishes to use the 9mm as a self-defense round. Ball ammunition should be used for practice shots on a pistol only.

The 9mm is available in standard pressure load along with the +P load. The +P load should only be used in firearms that were made after 1985. They should also be used sparingly compared to standard loads. There are special loads available to law enforcement personnel, but commercial loads are just as good and in some cases better than the restricted loads reserved for law enforcement officials.

The 9mm Luger is considered the best self-defense pistol to use with Cor-Bon 9mm 115 grain +P Jacketed Hollow Point bullets. This is the most powerful cartridge available and a proven man stopper for the 9mm caliber of bullets. The muzzle velocity is 1,340 ft/s and the high pressure round is more effective than the non-commercial market rounds law enforcement officials have at their disposal.

Unfortunately, it is also likely to jam many older guns. For this reason I add a table at the end of the 9mm section discussing round suitability for different guns. Modern hollow points may either (a) jam, or (b) be too powerful for some older guns. This load is suitable only for First Class pistols (see table).

The Federal 115 grain JHP (98P) is the best standard pressure 9mm cartridge on the market. It is effective and accurate, which makes it the set-standard across the globe. Other excellent 9mm standard pressure cartridges are Winchester Silvertip 115 grain (X9MMSHP), and Federal factory load 124 grain Hydra-Shok (P9HS1).

Remington also offers a cartridge for shooters who may have issues with jams on the ones listed above. The Remington 115 grain +P JHP (R9MM6) is good for firearms after 1985 and standard pressure 115 grain JHP can be used on all pistols before or after 1985.

Bad 9mm Loads to avoid (and certainly NEVER carry). Numbers given:

Federal Gold Medal 9mm 147 grain JHP (9MS)

Federal Hydra-Shok 9mm 147 grain JHP (P9HS2)

Winchester 147 grain 9mm Silvertip Subsonic JHP (X9MMST147)

Winchester 147 grain 9mm Super-X Subsonic (XSUB9MM)

Remington 147 grain 9mm JHP (R9MM8)

Remington 147 grain 9mm Golden Saber JHP (GS9MMC)

Remington 140 grain 9mm JHP (R9MM7)

Remington 88 grain 9mm JHP (R9MM5) this bullet is far too light.

CCI Lawman 147 grain 9mm PHP “Plated Hollow Point” (3619)

Table of 9mm Pistols

(Note: just because your pistol appears in Class 3, say, doesn’t mean it is unreliable: it may indeed feed hollow points. But you must fire at least 200 rounds of your chosen JHP carry load to determine if your pistol will feed them properly. I have placed pistols in each category according to reputation and experience. These are only meant as guidelines – your pistol may feed JHP rounds better – or worse – than this table indicates)

First Class Pistols:

They are considered very reliable and high-quality new firearms that can feed any hollow point along with tolerating +P factory loads with no problems.

SIG/Sauer P220 series. Czech CZ75 and CZ85. Walther P5, P5C, and P88. Heckler and Koch USP and P7 series. All Glocks. All Ruger 9mm pistols. Taurus PT-99, PT-92 and PT-92C. Steyr GB. Beretta 92 series. Browning BDM and Hi-Power (if it says “Portugal” on the slide). All Smith & Wessons with a four-digit model number (e.g. 5906, 3913, 6904, 5903) and the Smith & Wesson 900 series. Star M28, M30, M31, and all Firestars, Megastars, and Ultrastars.

Second Class Pistols:

They are also high-quality guns that may not feed all hollow points with the same reliability as first class pistols. Remington 115 grain hollow points are the recommended cartridge of choice for these firearms.

Smith & Wessons with two or three digit model numbers (e.g. 659, 39-2, 469, 59, and 39). Heckler and Koch VP70 and P9S. Beretta “Brigadier” M1951 and the Egyptian copy, the Interarms “Helwan.” Colt M2000 “All-American” (now discontinued, for good reason), Colt Series 70 Government Model, Series 70 Commander. Astra A-70, A-75 and A-100. AMT “On Duty.” Daewoo. Bersa ‘Thunder 9’. EAA Witness, and all other CZ-75 copies (e.g. Tanfoglio, Tanarmi, Springfield Armory P9). Taurus PT-908. Walther P4. Star BK, BKM, Model B and ‘Super.’ Browning Hi-Powers without the word “Portugal” on the slide. Llama Model 82. IMI “Jericho” and “Kareen.”

Third Class Pistols:

Ball rounds are the most reliable rounds for these pistols. Practice will let you know what works best for your particular pistol for self-defense use in a real life situation.

Walther P38, P4 or P1. Luger. Llama. Maverick. MKS Model JS. Intratec CAT-9, DC-9, KG-9, etc. SWD Cobray Model 11/9 and similar models. Scarab Scorpion. Kimel AP-9. Bryco Jennings Model 59. All KBI Hungarian pistols (e.g. GKK, PJ9C, P9HK and other “FEG” products). “Norinco” or “Sportarms” Chinese Tokarev pistols. Lahti. Radom. MAB P15 and Model 1950.



.22 LR
.22 WMR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 Smith & Wesson Long
.32 H&R Magnum
.327 Magnum
7.62x25mm
380 ACP
9mm
9mm Makarov
.38 Special
.38 Super
.357 Magnum
.357 Sig
.40 Smith & Wesson
10mm Auto
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP (Regular 45)
.45 Colt

.38 Super

38 Super Auto Colt CartridgeCor-Bon, Winchester and Remington make good jacketed hollow point rounds in the .38 Super. The Cor-Bon 115 and 124 grain hollow points are considered the best for self-defense. The Remington feeds more smoothly in many guns. The Colts however, including the Colt M1911A1 such as the Springfield Armory and Auto-Ordnance. The Llama .38 Super has a tendency to jam with any other cartridge except ball rounds.



.22 LR
.22 WMR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 Smith & Wesson Long
.32 H&R Magnum
.327 Magnum
7.62x25mm
380 ACP
9mm
9mm Makarov
.38 Special
.38 Super
.357 Magnum
.357 Sig
.40 Smith & Wesson
10mm Auto
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP (Regular 45)
.45 Colt

.357 Magnum

.357 Magnum CartridgeThe most effective handgun round currently on the commercial market is the Federal .357 Magnum 125 grain jacketed hollow point (357B). The .357 Federal load has more stopping power than any other handgun bullet including more powerful rounds such as the .44 Magnum. All experienced revolver men should carry the Federal 357B in a .357 Revolver, or the Remington full-power 125 grain semi-jacketed hollow point is just as good (R357M1).

The 357B has one warning though. The .357B along with other .357 Magnum cartridges have a large kick that may make it uncomfortable for some people to carry. The noise is also an issue, some shooters may not be comfortable with the loud noise it produces compared to other rounds. There are lower recoil rounds for the .357 on the market though for people who do not feel they want to carry the .357B in a revolver, in addition they will have less kick that will make it easier to fire off more rounds with better accuracy. Every .357 load has a good amount of stopping power for self-defense purposes.

In descending order of severity of recoil (i.e. the Silvertip kicks the most) I recommend the Winchester Silvertip 145 grain JHP (X357SHP), The Remington Golden Saber 125 grain JHP (GS357MA), Federal 110 gr. JHP (357D), Remington Medium Velocity 125 grain Semi-Jacketed Hollow point (R357M11) and the Cor-Bon 110 grain JHP. The latter two are excellent rounds I strongly recommend for .357 Magnum 2.5″ and 3″ barrel snub-nose revolvers like the S&W Models 66, 19, 65, 13, the Colt King Cobra, the Ruger GP100 and especially the small-frame Ruger SP101. If you still find that your .357 kicks too much, carry the Cor-Bon .38 Special+P 110 grain JHP discussed above. Two or three hits with good .38+P slugs beat any number of misses with .357 slugs.

Caution: Shooters that are using factory wood stocks on Smith and & Wesson along with Taurus .357 revolvers should get a set of rubber replacement grips. Ruger and Colt .357 Magnums come factory-equipped with recoil-absorbing ergo dynamic rubber grips, and the S&W along with the Tuarus put wood grips on their .357 versions. The control between the two types is substantial when firing rounds. Compact rubber grips from Uncle Mike’s or Pachmayr work well with .357 revolvers. They are inexpensive and will cut down on any firing issues, along with increased accuracy after replacing the wood stock.

Other Good .357 Magnum Loads to Consider

The 125 grain jacketed hollow points by Cor-Bon, Winchester, and CCI are all good stoppers. The CCI Blazer 125 grain jacketed hollow-point is a very good buy, both for practice and self-defense use. The 110 grain jacketed hollow points by Winchester, CCI and Remington are all good for use in snub-nose revolvers, or for those sensitive to recoil. You never go wrong with a 110-125 grain .357 jacketed hollow point from the Big Five. All are great stoppers.

Crappy .357 Magnum loads you should not carry for self-defense.

Never carry soft-points, semi-wadcutters, or any of the 158 grain or 180 grain jacketed hollow points – these are solely for hunting or target use. Stick to jacketed hollow points under 150 grains in weight. The heavier bullets kick heavily and will shoot high and confuse you. All-lead bullets are okay for practice but you will have to spend twice as long cleaning your gun.

Learn more about the .357 Magnum



.22 LR
.22 WMR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 Smith & Wesson Long
.32 H&R Magnum
.327 Magnum
7.62x25mm
380 ACP
9mm
9mm Makarov
.38 Special
.38 Super
.357 Magnum
.357 Sig
.40 Smith & Wesson
10mm Auto
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP (Regular 45)
.45 Colt

.357 SIG

357 Sig CartridgeThe .357 is a good man stopper. The .357 SIG ballistics show that is has good muzzle velocity and wound penetration on targets. Suggested loads are as follows:

-Federal 125 grain jacketed hollow point (P357S1)

-Hornady 124 grain JHP/XTP (#9130)

-Remington 125 grain JHP (R357S1)



.22 LR
.22 WMR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 Smith & Wesson Long
.32 H&R Magnum
.327 Magnum
7.62x25mm
380 ACP
9mm
9mm Makarov
.38 Special
.38 Super
.357 Magnum
.357 Sig
.40 Smith & Wesson
10mm Auto
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP (Regular 45)
.45 Colt

.40 Smith & Wesson

40 Smith and Wesson CartridgeThis is a tested caliber that has been proven to be effective in having stopping power against attackers. Smith & Wesson and Winchester did a thorough job on research when developing the .40 S&W. The 180 grain jacketed hollow points and the 135-155 grains from Cor-Bon, Winchester, Federal, CCI or Remington are the best choices. All have the stopping power needed for self-defense use, and the lighter weight bullets are known to have the best stopping power according to records from people using them in real life situations.

The real-world shooting database clearly favors the lighter 135-155 gr. JHP loads. It is recommended owners carry the potent Cor-Bon 135 or 150 grain jacketed hollow point or the Winchester Silvertip 155 grain jacketed hollow point (X40SWSTHP). The 135-155 grain JHP kicks less and has higher kinetic energy and stopping power than the 180 gr. JHP loads. The 135 gr. JHP appears to be a real stopper.

In short, you cannot go wrong with the .40 S&W – unless you carry ball. Choose a good hollow point and stick with it. Leave the ball for practice (the CCI Blazer 180 grain TMJ is a good inexpensive practice round).



.22 LR
.22 WMR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 Smith & Wesson Long
.32 H&R Magnum
.327 Magnum
7.62x25mm
380 ACP
9mm
9mm Makarov
.38 Special
.38 Super
.357 Magnum
.357 Sig
.40 Smith & Wesson
10mm Auto
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP (Regular 45)
.45 Colt

10mm Auto

10mm CartridgeThe 10mm is a heavy duty cartridge originally designed to be the FBI’s primary cartridge. It was however more than most agents could handle so it was cut down short and made into the 40 Smith & Wesson. If you can handle this round it’s a great choice.

The 10mm Auto ammunition is available in two power levels for people to purchase. The first is called “full-house” and second “medium velocity”, which is used by the FBI and called “10mm Lite”. The “full-house” loads are designed for hunting purposes and have a heavy recoil and large wound penetration, in addition to causing a lot of wear on firearms. The medium velocity ammunition is better suited for self-defense purposes. Pick the Cor-Bon 135 grain Nosler JHP, Federal 155 grain JHP (10E), or Federal Hydra-shok 155 gr. JHP (P40HS2). The “FBI load” is the 180 grain subsonic JHP, and Federal, Winchester, and Remington all produce good ones. Take your pick, but you are silly to ignore the superior real-world performance of the lighter 135-155 grain jacketed hollow points. The potent Winchester Silvertip 175 grain JHP (X10MMSTHP) is close in power to the “full-house” loads, and may be a good choice for an experienced shooter who is used to heavy recoil. Carrying the Silvertip or “full-house” loads are recommended for shooting animals.



.22 LR
.22 WMR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 Smith & Wesson Long
.32 H&R Magnum
.327 Magnum
7.62x25mm
380 ACP
9mm
9mm Makarov
.38 Special
.38 Super
.357 Magnum
.357 Sig
.40 Smith & Wesson
10mm Auto
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP (Regular 45)
.45 Colt

.41 Magnum

.41 Magnum CartridgeThe best defense choice for this hard-kicking caliber is the Winchester Silvertip 175 grain JHP (X41MSTHP2). The Remington 170 grain Semi-Jacketed Hollow point (R41MG3) is also a good round.



.22 LR
.22 WMR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 Smith & Wesson Long
.32 H&R Magnum
.327 Magnum
7.62x25mm
380 ACP
9mm
9mm Makarov
.38 Special
.38 Super
.357 Magnum
.357 Sig
.40 Smith & Wesson
10mm Auto
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP (Regular 45)
.45 Colt

.44 Special

.44 Special CartridgeBy far the best choice for your .44 Special revolver is the Cor-Bon 180 grain JHP. Glasers or the Winchester Silvertip 200 grain JHP (X44STHPS2) are also good rounds, particularly for any 5-shot .44 revolver.

Learn more about the 44 Special



.22 LR
.22 WMR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 Smith & Wesson Long
.32 H&R Magnum
.327 Magnum
7.62x25mm
380 ACP
9mm
9mm Makarov
.38 Special
.38 Super
.357 Magnum
.357 Sig
.40 Smith & Wesson
10mm Auto
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP (Regular 45)
.45 Colt

.44 Magnum

.44 Magnum CartridgeThe .44 Magnum has a recoil problem from the force it produces while shooting. This makes it a poor choice for a self-defense caliber. Cor-Bon and Federal have 180 grain medium velocity JHP bullets that are the best choices for the .44 Magnum. Glasers along with Winchester’s Silvertip 210 grain JHP (X44MSTHP2) and Federal’s 240 grain Hydra-Shock (P44HS1) are also good choices that will work well for self-defense purposes.



.22 LR
.22 WMR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 Smith & Wesson Long
.32 H&R Magnum
.327 Magnum
7.62x25mm
380 ACP
9mm
9mm Makarov
.38 Special
.38 Super
.357 Magnum
.357 Sig
.40 Smith & Wesson
10mm Auto
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP (Regular 45)
.45 Colt

.45 ACP (11.43x23mm)

.45 ACP CartridgeThe .45 ACP is a proven man stopper, and there are a variety of acceptable loads for this pistol. Some of the best cartridges include:

Federal 230 grain Hydrashok JHP (P45HS1): a great load, and my #1 choice. It gives the most stopping power in this potent caliber.

Federal 185 grain JHP (45C) another top-notch load from Federal. I would choose this round for a compact, short-barreled .45 like the Colt Officer’s ACP or the S&W 4516. It has lighter recoil than the Hydrashok or CCI 200 JHP, and its higher velocity makes it more likely to expand out of a short 3.5″ barrel.

Cor-Bon 185 grain Sierra JHP

CCI Lawman 200 gr. JHP (3965). a.k.a. the “Inspector” or “Flying Ashtray.”

CCI Blazer 200 gr. JHP (3568). The “Flying Ashtray” in an economical aluminum case. Both of these CCI loads use a wide-mouth hollow point bullet that may jam some guns. It is 100% reliable in newer guns like the current production “enhanced” Colt 1911A1, the SIG/Sauer P220, Star M45 Firestar and Megastar, and all Smith & Wesson, Para-Ordnance, and Ruger .45 automatics and the Smith & Wesson Model 625 revolver. (Note well: if you are one of those knuckleheads who install light springs in your gun to get a lighter trigger pull you are asking for trouble. Never use CCI ammo in such a gun, as CCI uses especially hard primers and your hammer might not be able to detonate the round reliably, now that you have monkeyed with it.)

Remington 185 grain JHP (R45AP2). This is the best choice for older guns that may jam with other hollow-points. I would select this load for the Heckler and Koch P9S, Browning BDA, Springfield Armory, AMT and Thompson M1911A1, Llama, Star PD, etc.

Cor-Bon and Remington .45+P 185 grain JHP (R45AP6). These cartridges are very powerful and have a hard recoil when fired. They are best suited for experienced shooters who can handle the recoil during a high stress situation. They are also hard on guns, including aluminum frame pistols such as SIG/Sauer P220 or the Colt Lightweight Commander. The +P rounds are the second best choice for stopping power behind the Hydra-Shok rounds.

Other Good .45 ACP loads include:

The Winchester Silvertip 185 grain JHP (X45ASHP2), CCI Gold Dot and Remington Golden Saber (GS45APB) are all good choices. If you like them, fine, but they have no edge over loads

mentioned above.

Ball.

Save the 230 grain ball (FMJ) loads for practice; carry FMJ ammo only if you must because your gun jams with hollow points. The Llama, Federal Ordnance, AMT, and Auto-Ordnance M1911A1 copies often jam with anything except 230 grain ball. Never compromise when it comes to reliability: if your gun only feeds ball, then ball is what you carry.



.22 LR
.22 WMR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 Smith & Wesson Long
.32 H&R Magnum
.327 Magnum
7.62x25mm
380 ACP
9mm
9mm Makarov
.38 Special
.38 Super
.357 Magnum
.357 Sig
.40 Smith & Wesson
10mm Auto
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP (Regular 45)
.45 Colt

.45 Colt

The self-defense .45 Colt should be a good double-action design like the Smith & Wesson Model 25 and not some single-action hunting gun. Load your revolver with the Cor-Bon 200 grain JHP. The Federal 225 gr. Lead Semi-Wadcutter Hollow point (45LCA) or Winchester 225 gr. Silvertip JHP (X45CSHP2) are also good choices for self-defense cartridges.



.22 LR
.22 WMR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 Smith & Wesson Long
.32 H&R Magnum
.327 Magnum
7.62x25mm
380 ACP
9mm
9mm Makarov
.38 Special
.38 Super
.357 Magnum
.357 Sig
.40 Smith & Wesson
10mm Auto
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP (Regular 45)
.45 Colt

 

Contributing Author: Jason Brumett. Based off original work from Evan Marshall, Massad Ayood, and Ed Sanow

– See more at: http://gundata.org/blog/post/best-handgun-caliber-and-round-for-self-defense/#sthash.Axrrv1VK.dpuf