The above data is drawn from various sources including the book handgun stopping power by marshall and sanow, and various articles in magazines such as handguns for experienced shooters the headings of most of the columns above are probably selfexplanatory. The above data is drawn from various sources including the book. Stopping power is the capacity of a firearm to incapacitate an attacker when he is shot. Julian hatcher, a former technical editor at american rifleman, based his theory of relative stopping power on this study and concluded the. Both books predicted the effectiveness of all types of ammunition by studying the results of reallife shootings rather than relying on laboratory tests that ignored the dynamics of an actual gunfight. Mar 03, 2019 back in the day before we knew better, conventional wisdom on handgun stopping power held that reliable effective hydrostatic shock was achievable for defensive carry of le duty andor concealed carry handguns, and that man stopping power was generated by bigger, faster, or a combination of the two. An alternative look at an alternate look at handgun stopping. For example, the muzzle velocity of an m16 rifle is almost four times greater than a colt m1911a1 pistol source. Handgun stopping power is a matter of the speed of incapacitation of a deadly human opponent. When marshalls first book came out in 1992, i ordered it immediately, despite the fact that i was a college student and really couldnt afford. How does stopping power vary amongst handgun cartridges. My adversary panicked upon realizing he had been hit in the chest, abandoned his weapon and ran a full sixty yards in the opposite direction before he. An alternate look at handgun stopping power buckeye. The definitive study will bring you to definitely the new experience of reading any book.
Stopping power contrasts with lethality in that it pertains only to a weapons ability to incapacitate quickly, regardless of whether or not death ultimately occurs. He came out with his own stopping power data around the time marshall published handgun stopping power. In reality, few people have conducted relevant research in this area, and fewer still have produced credible information that is useful for law enforcement agencies in making informed decisions. I think that the article named the myth of handgun stopping power is a bit misleading.
This rational preps video uses the data from greg ellifritzs 10year stopping power study of realworld gun fights to shed the light of actual data on several common beliefs about handgun. The best stopping power is a complex mix of many different factors, including how fast the round is traveling and what it does when it enters the attackers body. Mar 01, 2001 evan marshall and ed sanow rocked the firearms world with the release of handgun stopping power and street stoppers. For experienced shooters the headings of most of the columns above are probably selfexplanatory. Handgun caliber choice and the myth of stopping power the. Stopping power download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. The author style to explain the idea is very unique. Back in the day before we knew better, conventional wisdom on handgun stopping power held that reliable effective hydrostatic shock was achievable for defensive carry of le duty andor concealed carry handguns, and that man stopping power was generated by bigger, faster, or a combination of the two. Video armed cop learns a hard lesson about handgun. The ability to stop a fight with a handgun bullet is often a difficult goal to achieve. The definitive study marshall, evan, sanow, edwin j. Handgun ammunition stopping power update free republic. An alternate look at handgun stopping power buckeye firearms. A practical analysis of the latest handgun ammunition and used with permission from the author.
Sep 21, 2014 handgun stopping power is simply a myth. This is one of the oldest firearm calibers in existence. From the classic colt revolvers of the 19 th century to john brownings beloved 1911 design and beyond, handguns occupy a special place in american culture. Ive been interested in firearm stopping power for a very long time. Stopping power the simple truth of terminal ballistics. Firearm stopping power fact, fiction and anecdotes.
All data taken from evan marshall and ed sanows book. Pdf a method for testing bullets at reduced velocity researchgate. The handgun caliber comparison chart and guide that will. For at least 50 years gun writers have been absorbed with the issue of which handgun has the most stopping. May 22, 2016 why the fbi now says the 9mm is the best law enforcement handgun round in laymans terms duration. Reference scale for ammo stopping power as rated on the hatcher scale. An alternate look at handgun stopping power active response. Handgun caliber choice and the myth of stopping power by greg drobny. A basic firearm tutorial american board of medicolegal death. What pistols have the best stopping power and controllability.
I remember reading handguns magazine back in the late. The point is to cause a bad guy to cease hostile action, even though he does not not want to. Oct 14, 2014 wyatt earp confronted frank stilwell, believed to be the murderer of his brother morgan earp, at the train station in tucson, arizona. As a handgun round, its pretty much worthless for anything except for training or target shooting. Why the fbi now says the 9mm is the best law enforcement handgun round in laymans terms duration.
When it comes to the various handgun studies, we must consider their validity. Stopping power is the capability of a bullet to disrupt nervous system function enough that somebody loses consciousness. We also discuss why stopping power of a pistol round is a myth. Its been a while since i read the article you referenced i dont think the link goes where you intended it to go, by the way but it was one of the first articles i read on my journey into concealed carry and i found it made so much more sense. Jan 15, 2015 all data taken from evan marshall and ed sanows book. Stopping power of handgun cartridges bushcraft usa forums. Remember, its not the size of the bullet, its how many times you can effectively hit your target in the vital areas. The above data is drawn from various sources including the book handgun stopping power by marshall and sanow, and various articles in magazines such as handguns. I talked to the participants of gunfights, read police reports, attended autopsies, and scoured the newspapers, magazines, and internet for any reliable accounts of what happened to the human body when it was shot. The best known of the handgun stopping power studies are those of evan marshall and the police. Yet the figures expressed are often quoted in the popular press as gospel.
Stilwell grabbed the barrel of earps shotgun in an apparent attempt to disarm him. All experienced revolver men should carry the federal 357b in a. The best handgun caliber for your concealed carry weapon. However, as we say in our advanced stopping power secrets report, a handgun is a relatively ineffective weapon against a humansized aggressor especially when your attacker is bigger. Sep 03, 2016 we also discuss why stopping power of a pistol round is a myth.
Aug 26, 2014 i think that the article named the myth of handgun stopping power is a bit misleading. The myth of handgun stopping power the shooters log. Handgun studies overall do not report a much statistical difference in stopping power between 9mm. Handgun wounding factors and effectiveness special agent urey. Wyatt earp confronted frank stilwell, believed to be the murderer of his brother morgan earp, at the train station in tucson, arizona. Free pdf handgun stopping power the definitive study youtube. Jun 09, 2010 stopping power is the capability of a bullet to disrupt nervous system function enough that somebody loses consciousness.
Nov 27, 2015 handgun ammunition stopping power update. However, the ability to select ammunition designed to protect both officers and citizens is too critical a task to rely on artificial test mediums in sterile lab environments. Handgun wounding factors and effectiveness special agent. The variables that i can identify are shot placement, projectile shape, projectile velocity, and the mental state of the person being shot. Rifles deliver more stopping power than pistols because they have much higher muzzle velocities. The fbi did a study back when revolvers were the choice for most police departments. Handgun stopping power handgun cartridge power factor 2. An article by greg ellifritz, titled an alternate look at handgun stopping power, caused some waves a few weeks back. Earp levered the butt of the shotgun down and the muzzles up, jammed the twin barrels into stilwells midsection and cut. Written by greg ellifritz since my handgun stopping power study was published last month in american handgunner magazine, ive received several questions from readers about my data.
He suggested that if people didnt believe his data, they should collect their own and do their own analysis. It survived the jump from black powder to smokeless as chambered in every short of a firearm made available today. Pdf reconstruction of shooting events occasionally requires testing of bullets at velocities. I remember reading handguns magazine back in the late 1980s when evan marshall was writing articles about his stopping power studies. The term handgun stopping power generally relates various opinions about the ability of handguns to create ballistic wounds sufficient to incapacitate a target. Aug 08, 2018 handgun stopping power is simply a myth the single most important factor in effectively wounding a human target is to have penetration to a scientifically valid depth fbi uses 12 18. Stopping power the simple truth of terminal ballistics abe october 27, 2015 shooting basics 7 comments stopping power rightly called terminal ballistics is actually a very simple and easily understood topic thats been muddied by over a century of pseudoscience and wisdom about bullet lethality. And, in 1985, fuel was added to the fire when the u. To me, the word caliber as it pertains to firearms is a label not just a measurement of a bullet or a bores dimensions but a way to identify the intrinsic qualities of a cartridge that makes it unique. Jun 19, 20 stopping power is the capacity of a firearm to incapacitate an attacker when he is shot. By greg ellifritz over a 10year period, i kept track of stopping power results from every shooting i could find. I expected to be castigated by all the big bullet aficionados for reporting honest data about the mouse gun calibers.
Stopping power is the ability of a firearm or other weapon to cause a target human or animal to be incapacitated. If he doesnt stop you dont stop pulling the trigger. From the classic colt revolvers of the 19 th century to john brownings beloved 1911 design and beyond, handguns occupy a special place in american culture everyone has their favorite, of course, and often that shows by way of. Handgun caliber choice and the myth of stopping power. The first handgun failuretostop fts i experienced was with a 4inch. Ballistic pressure wave contributions to rapid incapacitation. This article was first published in unapologetically american. The argument took on new life in the 50s and 60s, when some law enforcement agencies adopted a 9mm handgun as a duty weapon. Jul 10, 2010 reference scale for ammo stopping power as rated on the hatcher scale. The only way to stop a threat with a handgun is to keep shooting until the threat stops. Both books predicted the effectiveness of all types of ammunition by studying the results of reallife shootings rather. Sep 30, 2019 handgun caliber choice and the myth of stopping power by greg drobny. Ll the stopping power of different handgun cartridges 2222003 posted on saturday, february 22, 2003 10.
1379 1444 531 1464 538 757 1226 182 717 638 314 248 105 937 813 1327 491 1259 471 782 698 933 417 773 1062 320 872 1116 619 48 55 1303 627 657 1201 1361 1419 902