.357 Mag or .45 ACP

[bombadillo]

.45 acp
What's that?

But in reality ...

Oh come on, we all know there is no true measure of "stopping power" but at the same time, we can judge things like velocity, ft. lbs. of energy, and potential destruction it can do with bullet design, and what not. Everybody tries to knock it like it needs to be a specific thing, but I CAN compare the effectiveness of a .22lr compared to a buffalo bore hard cast 320 grain .44 mag and I can tell you which of the two I'd rather be hit by (Neither preferably but you get the idea)

[owenriquez]

I'm not sure if i'm correct, police hand gun issue before was .357, too strong and it will just go through & through. That is why they change it with 9mm with more capacity...

[ArmednReady]

Correct me if im wrong but isnt that an airsoft gun? We are talking about real guns, pistols at that not toys that look like sawed off shotguns...

[ilikeguns]

Both are great. With only one round, Id feel better with a 357 mag. All the facts and ballistics have already been stated above. They are pretty close.
I just feel better with 357 at the end of the day. Of course, once the other arguments come into play such as capacity, the 45 begins to overshadow the 357. There are those 8 shot revolvers though...

[gorenut]

Both are great. With only one round, Id feel better with a 357 mag. All the facts and ballistics have already been stated above. They are pretty close.
I just feel better with 357 at the end of the day. Of course, once the other arguments come into play such as capacity, the 45 begins to overshadow the 357. There are those 8 shot revolvers though...

Which I think more companies need to make more of. Cmon Ruger.. its your turn to throw your hat into the .357mag x 8 market (though I think they have a GP100 with 7 or 8 rounds).

[bussda]

According to the one shot stop study I remember, .357 125 gr JHP is 95%+ and .45ACP 230 gr FMJ about 62%. Reading the fine print, it is more a function of where you hit the target then what you are shooting.

[redcliff]

October 8th, 1918... Corporal Alvin York one-shot stopped 6 German soldiers with his 1911 with one magazine, using .45acp round-ball ammo as they charged him from 25 yards away.

Shot placement with a sufficient calibre.. its the best any of us can hope for should the need arise.

[J.D.Allen]

October 8th, 1918... Corporal Alvin York one-shot stopped 6 German soldiers with his 1911 with one magazine, using .45acp round-ball ammo as they charged him from 25 yards away.

Shot placement with a sufficient calibre.. its the best any of us can hope for should the need arise.

Umm....a corporal had a pistol?

[mixwell]

So which would it be? Which 1 would you trust more to stop somebody in 1 shot? In other words which round do you think has more stopping power?
I know what your going to say well a .45 carries more rounds compared to a .357 but in this thread it doesnt matter because we arent talking about a full clip or cylinder, Im talking 1 shot and 1 shot only which round would do you think is more likely to get the job done?

Whatever round is placed with a more vital shot because shot placement > caliber..

[OneSevenDeuce]

After much research, careful consideration, and the counsel of 50 monkeys, my answer is "none". Comparing a .45 to a .357 is like comparing apple pie to cherry pie. Everyone has their favorite, but when it comes down to it, it really depends on how it was made.

[BillCA]

So which would it be? Which 1 would you trust more to stop somebody in 1 shot? In other words which round do you think has more stopping power?
I know what your going to say well a .45 carries more rounds compared to a .357 but in this thread it doesnt matter because we arent talking about a full clip or cylinder, Im talking 1 shot and 1 shot only which round would do you think is more likely to get the job done?

I'd probably select the .357 Magnum. And I'm a big fan of the 1911/.45ACP too.

The only ways to ensure the semi-mythical 1-shot-stop is by taking out the CNS (central nervous system). That will be accomplished in one of two ways. The first is a headshot that converts the organic MK-I CPU into scrambled eggs and the second is to disrupt the NFN (Neural Fiber Network) or the spinal cord.

The NFN has to be interrupted relatively high up in order to make an effective stop. This means hitting the T1-T5 vertebrae or any of the cervical vertebrae. The T5 is approximately directly behind the heart. This vertebra is the lowest to hit to effectively switch off an assailant since T5 controls autonomic impulses to the heart, lungs, liver and upper arms.

Since damage to the NFN cannot be counted on to be 100% complete (i.e. complete severage) we cannot count on the hit completely disabling lower portions of the body immediately. But those nerve impulses will likely be mighty jumbled as the body attempts to deal with other priority issues... like breathing. Plus spinal injuries are noted for their severe pain generation, even through large doses of drugs.

As good as the .45 ACP is for a defensive caliber, the .357 Magnum, I believe had the extra energy to not only reach and damage the NFN, but to cause bone fragments to be secondary ballistic projectiles to increase the disruption of neural signals. If you have to rely on just a single shot that can be well placed, I'd opt for the .357 Magnum round.

Ref Nervous System Illustration

[ArmednReady]

This is off topic but did any1 else notice the airsoft gun that guy posted?

[JTROKS]

If the choice is 357 mag or 45acp and you said you only have one shot then I would go with the 357 mag loaded with the hottest 125 grain JHP like this http://www.buffalobore.com/index.php...t_detail&p=103 or Winnie's 145 grain Silvertip. A revolver or handgun usually packs more than one round, although I wouldn't rely on sending a magazine full into the air I believe in double taps or Mozambique drills. I would prefer the carry weapon chambered in 45 acp. At 10 yards and below, if I have to draw the weapon to defend my life and/or family it will be two shots aimed at center mass and if he's still in the fight the third one would be aimed at his noggin'.

[Katana]

I'd probably select the .357 Magnum. And I'm a big fan of the 1911/.45ACP too.

The only ways to ensure the semi-mythical 1-shot-stop is by taking out the CNS (central nervous system). That will be accomplished in one of two ways. The first is a headshot that converts the organic MK-I CPU into scrambled eggs and the second is to disrupt the NFN (Neural Fiber Network) or the spinal cord.

The NFN has to be interrupted relatively high up in order to make an effective stop. This means hitting the T1-T5 vertebrae or any of the cervical vertebrae. The T5 is approximately directly behind the heart. This vertebra is the lowest to hit to effectively switch off an assailant since T5 controls autonomic impulses to the heart, lungs, liver and upper arms.

Since damage to the NFN cannot be counted on to be 100% complete (i.e. complete severage) we cannot count on the hit completely disabling lower portions of the body immediately. But those nerve impulses will likely be mighty jumbled as the body attempts to deal with other priority issues... like breathing. Plus spinal injuries are noted for their severe pain generation, even through large doses of drugs.

Ref Nervous System Illustration

Thanks for the info and link.

[elSquid]

As good as the .45 ACP is for a defensive caliber, the .357 Magnum, I believe had the extra energy to not only reach and damage the NFN, but to cause bone fragments to be secondary ballistic projectiles to increase the disruption of neural signals. If you have to rely on just a single shot that can be well placed, I'd opt for the .357 Magnum round.

Yahbut isn't the creation of secondary projectiles an example of a "collision", where momentum is conserved?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momentum#Conservation_of_linear_momentum

A 45 has more momentum:

230@850 = 195 500
125@1450 = 181 250



( Runs away, hides. )

-- Michael