First, some things to remember that WON'T help you in your quest for stopping power.
Guns that people shoot often fit their hands well. Therefore, when a shooter says that gun X doesn't fit his hand well, he's only telling you that he doesn't shoot that style of pistol much. This information as it applies to YOU is pretty much useless.
Brand, action type, material composition preferences as they apply to guns are largely a matter of opinion and have a lot to do with what kind of guns a person was exposed to at the beginning of their shooting career or during their childhood. Therefore, any critique of a gun which focuses on these elements of firearms is pretty much useless.
No one has shot enough people under enough different conditions with enough different types of guns and ammunitions to draw any intelligent conclusions. The fact that someone's grandfather could kill someone faster with a .45 than a .38 (or vice versa) means pretty much nothing--there are a million variables besides the caliber choice which can not be accounted for. Therefore, any "experiential" data regarding caliber/gun performance (for self-defense) is pretty much useless.
Rifles and pistols are VERY different in terms of performance, and game animals are VERY different from humans. Therefore, any analysis of pistol self-defense performance which relies on comparisons between rifle rounds and their effects on game animals is pretty much useless.
The problem of bullet/caliber/velocity performance on game or for self-defense is tremendously complex. Therefore, any theory that condenses the utility of a gun/bullet combination into a single number is pretty much useless.
One thing you can be absolutely sure of is that the appearance of a gun has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with its performance or with the performance of the bullets exiting its barrel. Therefore, any critique of a self-defense gun which indicts the gun solely for its appearance is pretty much useless.
So, what about this "Stopping Power Formula"?
1. Pick a good quality gun that fits YOUR hand well and functions with the type of ammunition that you prefer. Shoot as many different types as possible to help you make your choice. Pick something SIMPLE. The more complex it is, the more stuff to break or mishandle during an emergency. A broken or mishandled gun has no stopping power.
2. Make sure that YOU can shoot it accurately and rapidly with the caliber you choose. If you can not shoot it as well as you feel you should, either practice more, or drop down a caliber until you can hit reliably and rapidly. A gun you can not shoot rapidly or accurately has very poor stopping power.
3. Don't try to master every action type and brand on the market, unless you have plenty of time for practice. Don't let people who [ a.) don't like your gun. b.) can't shoot your gun well. c.) whatever (choose one)] talk you into getting rid of your gun and buying the latest flavor/brand/caliber on the market. No one has the money or time to please everyone. The latest flavor/brand/caliber has very poor stopping power if you can't remember which way the little lever goes on THIS gun or if the ammo won't feed because you neglected to test it properly in your gun.
4. Shoot your gun often. If it fails to operate reliably, replace it. The best stopping power comes from a reliable gun you are familiar with.
5. If your gun is 9mm Luger caliber or above, choose a fast hollow point loading from a reputable ammo maker. If your gun is .38 Special or below, choose a heavy non-expanding bullet loading from a reputable ammo maker. Shoot the ammo you intend to carry extensively in practice--if it fails to be 100% reliable, choose another brand. Other than the testing and the quality of the ammo, this is the LEAST important of the steps in the Formula.
6. Refuse to listen to ANY shooter who tells you that there is only one caliber/brand/gun type that will meet the needs of a self-defense shooter. They are absolutely incorrect and will waste a lot of your time and money if you pay attention to them.
Guns that people shoot often fit their hands well. Therefore, when a shooter says that gun X doesn't fit his hand well, he's only telling you that he doesn't shoot that style of pistol much. This information as it applies to YOU is pretty much useless.
Brand, action type, material composition preferences as they apply to guns are largely a matter of opinion and have a lot to do with what kind of guns a person was exposed to at the beginning of their shooting career or during their childhood. Therefore, any critique of a gun which focuses on these elements of firearms is pretty much useless.
No one has shot enough people under enough different conditions with enough different types of guns and ammunitions to draw any intelligent conclusions. The fact that someone's grandfather could kill someone faster with a .45 than a .38 (or vice versa) means pretty much nothing--there are a million variables besides the caliber choice which can not be accounted for. Therefore, any "experiential" data regarding caliber/gun performance (for self-defense) is pretty much useless.
Rifles and pistols are VERY different in terms of performance, and game animals are VERY different from humans. Therefore, any analysis of pistol self-defense performance which relies on comparisons between rifle rounds and their effects on game animals is pretty much useless.
The problem of bullet/caliber/velocity performance on game or for self-defense is tremendously complex. Therefore, any theory that condenses the utility of a gun/bullet combination into a single number is pretty much useless.
One thing you can be absolutely sure of is that the appearance of a gun has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with its performance or with the performance of the bullets exiting its barrel. Therefore, any critique of a self-defense gun which indicts the gun solely for its appearance is pretty much useless.
So, what about this "Stopping Power Formula"?
1. Pick a good quality gun that fits YOUR hand well and functions with the type of ammunition that you prefer. Shoot as many different types as possible to help you make your choice. Pick something SIMPLE. The more complex it is, the more stuff to break or mishandle during an emergency. A broken or mishandled gun has no stopping power.
2. Make sure that YOU can shoot it accurately and rapidly with the caliber you choose. If you can not shoot it as well as you feel you should, either practice more, or drop down a caliber until you can hit reliably and rapidly. A gun you can not shoot rapidly or accurately has very poor stopping power.
3. Don't try to master every action type and brand on the market, unless you have plenty of time for practice. Don't let people who [ a.) don't like your gun. b.) can't shoot your gun well. c.) whatever (choose one)] talk you into getting rid of your gun and buying the latest flavor/brand/caliber on the market. No one has the money or time to please everyone. The latest flavor/brand/caliber has very poor stopping power if you can't remember which way the little lever goes on THIS gun or if the ammo won't feed because you neglected to test it properly in your gun.
4. Shoot your gun often. If it fails to operate reliably, replace it. The best stopping power comes from a reliable gun you are familiar with.
5. If your gun is 9mm Luger caliber or above, choose a fast hollow point loading from a reputable ammo maker. If your gun is .38 Special or below, choose a heavy non-expanding bullet loading from a reputable ammo maker. Shoot the ammo you intend to carry extensively in practice--if it fails to be 100% reliable, choose another brand. Other than the testing and the quality of the ammo, this is the LEAST important of the steps in the Formula.
6. Refuse to listen to ANY shooter who tells you that there is only one caliber/brand/gun type that will meet the needs of a self-defense shooter. They are absolutely incorrect and will waste a lot of your time and money if you pay attention to them.
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