01-09-2013, 02:10 PM
LRRPF52 Wrote:Handguns are not now, nor have they ever been really good at killing. Depending on the attacker's will power, physical fitness, clothing layers, and presence of blood in their alcohol or narcotics, a handgun's effectiveness drops precipitously, unless in the hands of an exceptionally-seasoned gun-slinger.
It's one of the reasons I lean to 9mm for penetration, but really prefer 7.62x25 if stuck with only a handgun as an option. A suppressed SBR carbine in 5.56 for the house makes a lot of sense for me. If you shoot someone in the face with one, it will canoe their head unless you glance it.
100% true. We use handguns because of their portability, not killing power. I listened to a podcast a couple of weeks ago that discussed a study of officer involved shootings. There was very little statistical difference in the effectiveness from one caliber to the next. The location of the holes poked in the the bad guy and what they passed through makes the difference between a wound and a fatal shot, not the diameter of the hole or what type of projectile created it. There are many, many people taking a dirt nap as a result of a .38 caliber hole. This bad guy got lucky.