Handgun stopping power

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John D

New member
People seem to always be seeking the "magic bullet, one-stop shot". Just heard a story from a friend that shows this just ain't always so...

He's a retired LEO who lived in an area that was suburbs/semi-rural. His wife had taken the dog out back and was confronted by a mountain lion in their yard. The dog stayed between his wife and the cat, trying to protect her. The cat was intent upon getting to her. She was yelling for her husband; when he came out and saw what was happening, he ran back inside to get his pistol. When he came back he then shot the mountain lion twice - once in the neck and once on his side. The cat proceeded to crash through a wooden fence, stopped by a chain link fence, and they crashed back through another part of the wooden fence before disappearing.

After calling the cops, they then proceeded to try and find the cat. There was a blood trail that eventually led to a tree the cat had climbed before dying and falling out. This was a 120# lion that had been struck twice by .45 ACP hollow point rounds and still had an incredible amount of fight left in him.

So, if your assailant is a 215# guy, don't count on that "one-stop shot" ending the encounter!
 
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HighValleyRanch

New member
A 120 pound mountain lion is tougher than most 215 pound guys!
If you don't believe me, put both of them in a cage and see who will be eating dinner!LOL
 
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cjwils

New member
Many wild animals are tougher than you might think. The .223 was developed for killing men in war, but why do most of us use a gun more powerful than that for shooting a delicate-looking deer?
 
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pblanc

New member
Although there are certainly plenty of people who have been killed with a single handgun wound, historically 80-85% of handgun gunshot wound victims have survived.
 
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Cosmodragoon

New member
There are so many factors that go into being "stopped" by a shot and how fast. This might not be a complete list but you've got, in the least:

- Disruption of central nervous system
- Reaction to pain
- Reaction to realization of being shot
- Mechanical damage to involved body parts
- Disconnection of nerves to involved body parts
- Failure of circulatory system

Some of those are faster or more definite than others. Some can be a matter of degree. Some can work in concert. Luckily, every shot on target is a vector for one or more of those factors.
 
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Nanuk

New member
The .223 was developed for killing men in war, but why do most of us use a gun more powerful than that for shooting a delicate-looking deer?
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Actually it was developed from the .222, to wound, not kill.
 
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Nanuk

New member
.......and statistically more people are killed with .22's than any other caliber
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.

That has been tossed around alot since I was a kid but never saw anything to prove it.

Statistically the flu kills more people than violence does.
 
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JohnKSa

Administrator
Actually it was developed from the .222, to wound, not kill.
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To quote someone on this thread, this theory (military wants small arms to wound, not kill) has been tossed around for years, but I've never seen anything official that confirms it. ;)
 
1

1stmar

New member
You could argue the cat was stopped, not sure what happened after the first shot but the pointis to stop the attack. Yes the animal had life left but he was no longer aggressive. Story doesnt say if it was after the first shot or not. Most 215lb men shot would likely be out of the fight as well, assuming they are not “on” something.
Caliber is not a substitute for shot placement. Quite the opposite. A well placed 380 will stop better than a poorly placed 45
 
S

Sharkbite

New member
The latest and tragic mass shooting seems to refute the assertion that 45 acp is ineffective.
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When are we going to accept the fact that lethality and “stopping power” are NOT related.

The above list of effects of handgun bullets is pretty good. The basics are that handgun rounds incapacitate in 2 ways.

First, the bullet must enter the cranial vault with enough energy to destroy the brain or sever the spinal cord. This is refered to as a CNS hit. Generally, results in instant incapacitation.

The second way is thru blood loss, resulting in hydraulic failure as blood volume falls below the amount needed to oxygenate the brain, resulting in loss of consciousness.

The best explanation ive ever heard was by an edged weapons instructor i trained with. He used the analogy of “timers and switches”.

A CNS hit is a switch....immediate effect
Blood loss is a timer...it will work, but its going to take time.
 
E

Ed4032

New member
Not sure who said it, but, a pistol is just the starter gun for the fat man's race to his rifle.

As a CC I am only interested in protecting myself and loved ones. The police have an entirely different mission.
 
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