Will a .45acp knock you down?
- Thread starter Brasso
- Start date
With re: to a shotgun, any waterfowl hunters? I've shot geese when I was kneeling on a slope and was toppled over with the shot.
Now I was already unbalanced and it was muddy and I was using 1-3/8 ounce of steel. So I would guess that a person wouldn't even come close to being knocked back (by force alone, not talking about the shock or the other parts) by a .45.
Now I was already unbalanced and it was muddy and I was using 1-3/8 ounce of steel. So I would guess that a person wouldn't even come close to being knocked back (by force alone, not talking about the shock or the other parts) by a .45.
Jody Hudson
New member
For a MAJOR caliber that WILL Knock the Bad Gun back hard, fast, and worse than in the movies... I'd use a loaded to the brim, 1966 International Sewage Pumping truck with 10,000 gallons of raw sewage doing 65 mph. Now that is some hard hitting s.h.eieittt 
Absolutely!
I came home with a new Sig P220ST and when the
wife saw the $770 price tag, she promptly smack
me in the head with the said .45ACP pistol and
it knocked me back and down instantly! I believe
I fell back about 4 paces, nothing like out to
space as seen in movies.
Now when I look in the mirror, I can still see a
faint imprint of "Exter,NH"
I came home with a new Sig P220ST and when the
wife saw the $770 price tag, she promptly smack
me in the head with the said .45ACP pistol and
it knocked me back and down instantly! I believe
I fell back about 4 paces, nothing like out to
space as seen in movies.
Now when I look in the mirror, I can still see a
faint imprint of "Exter,NH"
I think the 45 has more than enough momentum to knock a person down. However most of that momentum is spent puncturing the body rather than knocking (pushing) it down (essentially what JohnKsa said). It is also my understanding that it is not uncommon at all for vest wearers that have been shot, to also be knocked down. Also it should be mentioned that the often made reference to Newton’s law of equal and opposite reactions doesn’t really apply. The reaction to the shooter is in the form of wrist rotation, arm movement, slide movement, spring compression, etc, etc. The forward momentum of the bullet is NOT translated into the shooters body in a straight rearward direction (it is deflected).
Also an interesting side note, I had the same situation as blackhawk (being knocked out) except it was from the perspective of the hitter rather than the hittee (sparing match with a friend, not a fight). He stumbled for a few seconds wound up walking into (walking is hardly the word) an obstacle and fell to the ground. What I found interesting was that rather than just falling over, he sort of slide to a sitting position. Enough of his brain was still active that when he encountered an overwhelming obstacle he still retained some semblance of motor control. In fact I didn’t realize that he had been knocked out. He just looked like he was woozy, it was afterwards when he told me he didn’t remember anything after I hit him that we realized what had happened. After I got over knocking out one of my best friends I found it extremely interesting. Still do as a matter of fact.
Also an interesting side note, I had the same situation as blackhawk (being knocked out) except it was from the perspective of the hitter rather than the hittee (sparing match with a friend, not a fight). He stumbled for a few seconds wound up walking into (walking is hardly the word) an obstacle and fell to the ground. What I found interesting was that rather than just falling over, he sort of slide to a sitting position. Enough of his brain was still active that when he encountered an overwhelming obstacle he still retained some semblance of motor control. In fact I didn’t realize that he had been knocked out. He just looked like he was woozy, it was afterwards when he told me he didn’t remember anything after I hit him that we realized what had happened. After I got over knocking out one of my best friends I found it extremely interesting. Still do as a matter of fact.
the shotgun wont knock you down, either.
it USUALLY makes the shootee COLLAPSE, but even that doesnt occur about 1 time in 50 shootings, and I am talking about CENTERED hits, all the pellets striking the chest. Jim Cirillo had a guy RUN off after taking TWO 00 blasts to the chest, one at about 6 feet range, another at about 15 ft, and it's happened with 12 ga slugs as well. Shot placement is mostly bs, unless it's to the head. Anywhere on the chest is about as good as anywhere else on the chest. A "gut shot" that hits the SPINE is likely to be more effective than a heart shot
it USUALLY makes the shootee COLLAPSE, but even that doesnt occur about 1 time in 50 shootings, and I am talking about CENTERED hits, all the pellets striking the chest. Jim Cirillo had a guy RUN off after taking TWO 00 blasts to the chest, one at about 6 feet range, another at about 15 ft, and it's happened with 12 ga slugs as well. Shot placement is mostly bs, unless it's to the head. Anywhere on the chest is about as good as anywhere else on the chest. A "gut shot" that hits the SPINE is likely to be more effective than a heart shot
I was once shot in the buckle by a .45
at about a 45 degree angle, with a load of 230 gr lrn, at about 600 fps. While it dented-creased the buckle, and drove same back into my gut enough to leave an imprint, and I was completely unprepared (negligent discharge by an acquaintance, using MY gun) it did no more than make me wince. The surprise of being shot SOMETIMES makes guy's knees just buckle, but that is NOT a function of the load involved, it is a function of that particular individual's nervous system.
at about a 45 degree angle, with a load of 230 gr lrn, at about 600 fps. While it dented-creased the buckle, and drove same back into my gut enough to leave an imprint, and I was completely unprepared (negligent discharge by an acquaintance, using MY gun) it did no more than make me wince. The surprise of being shot SOMETIMES makes guy's knees just buckle, but that is NOT a function of the load involved, it is a function of that particular individual's nervous system.
u do NOT suffer total loss of blood pressure just
because you got shot in the heart, especially with a 230 gr .45, which rarely expands. Even if the heart IS blown apart, as with a hi v rifle softpt, many deer hunters can tell you that the deer often still run for several seconds, covering 50m or more. That is true because the mammalian brain KEEPS 5 second's worth of NORMAL demand of oxygenated blood IN the cranium. So the brain can "tell" the muscles what to do for several seconds, even after the heart is GONE. Note that decapitated people can blink their eyes several times before the brain shuts down. so whomever "thinks" that the .45 utterly destroys the heart is wrong, & such destruction shutting you down in .5 sec is incorrect, too. Such a shot MIGHT make a man collapse, but in quite a few cases, it has done nothing of the kind.
because you got shot in the heart, especially with a 230 gr .45, which rarely expands. Even if the heart IS blown apart, as with a hi v rifle softpt, many deer hunters can tell you that the deer often still run for several seconds, covering 50m or more. That is true because the mammalian brain KEEPS 5 second's worth of NORMAL demand of oxygenated blood IN the cranium. So the brain can "tell" the muscles what to do for several seconds, even after the heart is GONE. Note that decapitated people can blink their eyes several times before the brain shuts down. so whomever "thinks" that the .45 utterly destroys the heart is wrong, & such destruction shutting you down in .5 sec is incorrect, too. Such a shot MIGHT make a man collapse, but in quite a few cases, it has done nothing of the kind.
Jody Hudson
New member
What SHUCKS said is what I learned years ago from the Nam Vets and medics who patched them up.
"The table below shows the Hatcher "Relative Stopping Power" index for several comparative rounds as well as the .45 caliber Colt and S&W loads. While this is not an exact statistic it does help to put things in perspective.
Cartridge...............................................Hatcher RSP*
.380 ACP 95 gr JHP @ 900................................9
.38 Long Colt 148 gr LRN @ 760.....................11
9 mm 124 gr FMJ RN @ 1150...........................13
9mm 147 gr JHP @ 950...................................15
.38 Special 158 gr LRN @ 790.........................13
.38 Special 158 gr LSWC-HP @ 915................18
.357 magnum 125 gr JHP @ 1400...................20
.40 S&W 180 gr JHP @ 950.............................25
.45 ACP 230 gr FMJ RN@ 850..........................28
.45 ACP 230 gr JHP @ 850..............................35
.45 Long Colt 250 gr LRN @ 850.....................38
.45 S&W 230 gr LRN @ 770.............................32
* Modified "short form"
For those more scientifically inclined. Source http://home.sprynet.com/~frfrog/colt1873.htm
So, if anything is gonna knock you down, it's gonna be a 1911 or an old SAA
Cartridge...............................................Hatcher RSP*
.380 ACP 95 gr JHP @ 900................................9
.38 Long Colt 148 gr LRN @ 760.....................11
9 mm 124 gr FMJ RN @ 1150...........................13
9mm 147 gr JHP @ 950...................................15
.38 Special 158 gr LRN @ 790.........................13
.38 Special 158 gr LSWC-HP @ 915................18
.357 magnum 125 gr JHP @ 1400...................20
.40 S&W 180 gr JHP @ 950.............................25
.45 ACP 230 gr FMJ RN@ 850..........................28
.45 ACP 230 gr JHP @ 850..............................35
.45 Long Colt 250 gr LRN @ 850.....................38
.45 S&W 230 gr LRN @ 770.............................32
* Modified "short form"
For those more scientifically inclined. Source http://home.sprynet.com/~frfrog/colt1873.htm
So, if anything is gonna knock you down, it's gonna be a 1911 or an old SAA
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Shucks, I notice that you now refer to him as "acquaintance" and not friend...
I was once hit straight down on top of my head by the handle that raises a tailgate on a dump truck. Three foot steele bar that took about 120# to raise up. Anyway, I was 95% knocked out on my feet, but NOT knocked down. (Got stitches).
Rocks: My Dad saw me in the driveway throwing stuff at my brother and came out mad as hell and said "stop throwing rocks" (Plus explitives). I said, "..walnuts, not rocks". He just said, "OK" and went back in the house. I thought I was really going to get a whoppin!
I was once hit straight down on top of my head by the handle that raises a tailgate on a dump truck. Three foot steele bar that took about 120# to raise up. Anyway, I was 95% knocked out on my feet, but NOT knocked down. (Got stitches).
Rocks: My Dad saw me in the driveway throwing stuff at my brother and came out mad as hell and said "stop throwing rocks" (Plus explitives). I said, "..walnuts, not rocks". He just said, "OK" and went back in the house.
I thought I was really going to get a whoppin!