Handgun caliber-power vs capacity argument

[TeddyBallgame]

I guess nothing would suck worse than having a firearm, only to be out of ammo...you try to prepare for the worst, then, you get regulated down to point of being behind the 8 ball yourself

another solid representation of why 10 round magazine requirements put lives in danger

[MrElectric03]

I go through this with my buddy who is an officer. He and most all at his dept carry .40 glock 22s and a glock 27 in his back pocket. The difference between .40 and 9mm is not huge, .40 has more stopping power and can carry one or two less rounds. With 9mm though you can carry +P ammo for more velocity and a couple more rounds.

For me it all comes down to accuracy. If you can't hit a person with a .40 it's not doing you any good. If you can hit fine with it then I think that would be my preference. Of my guns I'd be comparing a 9mm sig p239 to an xd40. I am much more accurate with the sig, although for duty carry I'd carry a p226/p229.

[toddytguns]

For me, caliber and capacity are concerns. However, I'll just fall back on my training and shoot to center mass of available target and shoot until the threat is over.

[Eagle Eyes]

Placement

Placement

Placement


and ohh I forgot to mention:

PLACEMENT!!!!


Does not matter if you shoot a 40mm Cannon or a pellet gun if you can not effectively control your handgun to rapidly reacquire the target for multiple shots center mass (or if they are wear a bullet proof vest center head) all you will do is wound them and get them pissed off.

The main reason for center mass shooting besides bigger target is the HEART is in the center of your chest and ANY size hole in that organ will stop anyone in there tracks in mere seconds.

The "knock down" myth is just that a myth because knocking someone down by shooting them in a arm or leg (because of not being able to control the weapon effectively using a big hard recoiling round) will not put them out of action.

All rounds are VERY effective if you follow these basic rules:

1) Use the most powerful caliber that you can easily control and do double taps center mass accurately even shooting a couple hundred rounds.

2) Practice, Practice and Practice trigger control to place consistent shots in small groupings center mass both 1 and 2 handed.

3) Use Hollow points that have a reputation of fully expanding, does not fragment and does not over penetrate.


Anyone that relies on just shooting someone one time and it is over no matter the type of firearm used is a fool that better have their life insurance paid up.



What do I use you ask:

Glock 17 using 147 grain +p Federal HST Hollow points.

• Both most reliable and largest expanding HP on the market in MANY different calibers
  
• Very well made and gives great accuracy and reliable feeding
  
• Both weight and speed behind the round to penetrate effectively for that caliber plus smaller diameter for penetrating cover better.

[Beendare]

I think shot placement wins every time.

Exactly.

So what if the cartridge has a ton of knock down power...doesn't matter if you keep missing. The same goes for # rounds....though I suppose you might get lucky eventually- grin

[ElDub1950]

Short of a M134 Minigun and a truckload of ammo, everything for self defense is a series of compromises.

It's just a flip of the coin in any particular scenario, which compromise wins or loses.

And whether a Minigun or a single shot .22 nothing will help if you can't hit a Buick at 12 feet. Take your best guess and go to the range ... often.

[colossians323]

1911 all the way..........oops. Wrong argument

[RobG]

...the heart, right lung, left lung, liver, diaphragm, and right kidney...

Curious how they know that. Would an autopsy have been done on a guy with half his head blown apart?

[WillyWilly]

I several 9mm handguns and a 10mm handgun. I don't usually carry multiple guns on me but I certainly could. Its nice to have options.

[colossians323]

Glocks are the best

[Taco King]

I like my 9mm with premium factory JHPs. I rather have more than bigger.

[Area 52]

The main reason for center mass shooting besides bigger target is the HEART is in the center of your chest and ANY size hole in that organ will stop anyone in there tracks in mere seconds.

While I agree with you about shot placement, I believe the reason for center mass targeting is that you want to hit the spine. Even if a heart hit stops an attacker in five seconds (which I sort of doubt) five seconds is a LIFETIME during a gunfight. You need to hit the central nervous system if you want to stop someone quickly.

[k1dude]

And the stupid Doc (guaranteed he's an anti-gun lib) asks why did the cop have to shoot him so many times.

[Eagle Eyes]

Area52:

???

Unless you shoot the person in the back of the neck what would shooting center mass in the front do to the spine????

In order to paralize someone's arms you would have to hit them between the lower neck/ upper shoulder area of the spine up to the head.

Center Mass shooting is taught because:

1) Largest target to aim for

2) Heart is located there right behind the chest plate (a heart is a high pressure pump in a high pressure system and a hole in the heart will have you bleed out VERY rapidly).

Unless it is a armor piecing round the chance of a handgun bullet going throught the cheat plate, heart and back muscles then penetrate the spinal colum bones without moving off course is highly unlikely and near impossible.

Like I said before if you plan to shoot someone 1 time in the center of the chest and expect them to go down NOT gonna happen in most cases regardless of caliber.

You want to put someone flat on their back and not ever come back up then shoot them with a 12 gauge Slug in the chest, anything else is a gamble without proper shot placement AND multiple shots.

[ruchik]

People make way too much fuss about this. It's not that hard.

Get the largest gun you can and are willing to carry. Get it in the biggest caliber you can shoot confidently. Get consistently accurate with it. That's all there is to it. Get the caliber that you're comfortable enough to practice with so you can send the bullets where they need to go on demand. Doesn't matter if it's a .22 or 44 magnum.

And that is the best you can do. We can argue till we're blue in the face, but the fact of the matter is, there are simply too many variables when it comes to ballistic performance. Clothing, obstacles, barriers, body build, muscle mass, positioning, etc. You can't control any of that. What you can control, however, is what happens on your end of your gun. It doesn't matter if you're rocking a .22 or a .500 S&W. If you cannot accurately hit a target with consistency, whether because you haven't practiced or you're afraid of the gun's recoil, it won't matter what caliber you're shooting. Follow the above advice, you will be as prepared as you'll ever be, and the odds will shift in your favor. Don't rely on caliber to save your behind.

Also, having ammo is good. Having more ammo is better. Having lots of ammo is mo' bettah. You don't have to carry it on your person, it could be in a bug out bag or active shooter bag. You can always leave it behind if you need to. But you can't materialize ammo when/if you need it. If you're a cop, like in the link above, your sidearm is most likely standardized across the entire department. Which means that should an active shooter situation or other emergency arise, your fellow brothers-in-arms might need more ammo too.