06-06-2011, 04:14 PM
noone Wrote:The FBI did extensive testing following the shooting where agents were badly outgunned by 2 outlaws in Florida I think. The conclusion was that a handgun should be around 40 caliber, bullet weighing around 180 grains, and going around 1000 FPS.
And yet (from memory) the fatal shots on the bad guys were a 9mm and a .38 spec (fired from a .357).
My read of that situation says more about how prepared the bad guys were than weapons. They did not have super weapons against a superior force.... modest shotgun, .357, and a mini-14 with no tacticool accessories. Yet read the internut forums where mini's are incapable of performance, etc.
The good guys had two shotguns as well, which were fired with virtually no effect. Not that they are ineffective, just they were fired with no effect.
After recently watching an experienced LEO shoot fairly poorly at the range with a $2k carbine loaded with tacticool, it made me realize that training & practice mattered more than the accessories. He was enamored with the cheek weld the VLTOR stock offered, but you would not know it from his 50 yd targets! No offense to the gent, he was super nice and sincere. And I expect is not given enough practice ammo, underpaid & overworked, etc. And he was at the range practicing, to his credit.
Would the '86 shootout have ended differently if all the cops had patrol carbines? Quite probably. But I suspect the bad guys would have up-gunned as well.