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The only reason I am even bringing this up (and probably 50% of the reason for the website), is because I wish someone would have passed the knowledge to me before I dumped 600 bucks into a pistol that really didn't meet any of my needs. At a minimum, I wish I would have known what questions to ask before dropping hard earned money on something I may not have wanted/needed. When I talk to friends, family, customers, hitters, or anybody that asks me my opinion for gear/weapons, I always ask what their objectives are. It is not a one size fits all solution. However, once the individual really hammers down what the objectives or goals are, and we have a quick discussion, solutions begin to present themselves. We also have to cultivate an objective thought process. We have got to ditch the "that's the way we've always done it" mentality, and start asking the right questions. There are three concepts to understand before we should go out and find our pistols. Firstly, what caliber should we choose and why? Secondly, what is the purpose of the pistol and what exactly am I getting myself into? Finally, what are the best recommendations given the current "climate" and why? Since this may take a while, we will only address the first part of the question in this blog. What caliber should I choose and why? Once again, I AM going to break some hearts in this post. Spoiler alert: stopping power is a myth when it comes to handguns.
Caliber. I love this discussion. Throughout this discussion, keep in mind that I do not have any "favorites". We should distance ourselves from thinking in terms of what is the biggest or the best and begin thinking in terms of what allows me to effectively complete my objectives. Everyday that I appendix carry my Glock 23 (with 9mm conversion), I have the same goal. Given a Deadly Force Encounter, I want to be so fast, so well trained, so smooth, that it is not even fair for the other party involved. In terms of caliber, what do I need to accomplish MY goals? I need the training, of course, but this post isn't about training. This post is about caliber. Assuming I have the training, and I am the fastest and most well-trained bubba out there (I'm not, but just pretend with me for a moment), what do I need? I need to examine Terminal Ballistics with regards to incapacitating a human being.
According to the FBI, five crucial elements comprise Terminal Ballistics. The elements of Terminal Ballistics are; bullet penetration, temporary wound cavity, permanent wound cavity, bullet fragmentation, and accuracy of the shot. In short, I need all 5 of these elements to get an "effective hit". Whichever round we choose, as far as penetration goes, the round should travel between 12 and 18 inches (insert dirty joke). The permanent wound cavity is the actual path the round carves out travelling through the body. The initial trauma and tearing that surrounds the permanent wound cavity is the temporary wound cavity. Keep in mind that the temporary wound cavity is "temporary", meaning that the elastic properties of the skin and transdermal meat will eventually close back in on the permanent cavity. Fragmentation of the round, once it comes in contact with the intended target, creates more damage and shreds/cuts tissue. Finally, we have accuracy of the shot. Essentially, there are two viable targets to incapacitate a human being; the heart and the brain plus the spinal column that runs from the upper chest to the brain. We call the heart a "timer" because a hit on the heart will cause hemorrhaging and we have to wait for the threat to lose enough blood for incapacitation. We call the brain a "switch" because an accurate shot to the brain will immediately incapacitate the threat.
What about "stopping power"?!?! Notice how the FBI fails to mention anything about kinetic force transfer, or "stopping power" in their Terminal Ballistics discussions. There is no such measurable thing as stopping power, with regard to handguns. At its base, this myth was created out of accuracy failures. Why take all the time, effort, money, and training to get more accurate when I can carry a caliber that stops the threat even when I miss? The stopping power concept is a byproduct of a bigger problem. Subconsciously, this is a shortcut mentality. I don't have to work to get more accurate and be proficient when I buy a .45 ACP and a hit anywhere will "stop" the threat. Nothing could be further from truth. Misses, regardless of caliber, DO NOT GUARANTEE INCAPACITATION. The only guaranteed means of human incapacitation are "timer", or "switch" hits. A miss with a larger caliber round is not a solution. The .45 ACP is .10 of an inch larger than its 9mm counterpart. Pistol engagements are typically within 100 meters. At this close of a distance, kinetic force transfer does not come into play and is not an element of the FBI's Terminal Ballistics. If "stopping power" is your primary argument, then by the transitive property of mathematics, you should be carrying a recoilless rifle in your pants.
To conclude Part 1, our main goal here is to move away from one-dimensional thinking (bigger is always better, and accuracy shortcuts) into an objective based and goal oriented mindset. What am I trying to accomplish? I should not be comfortable with thinking, "if I hit him once in the shoulder with my .44 Magnum, its gonna blow his arm off and the threat will stop...". Our thought process should be, "I need to place 4,8,12, or 15 well aimed shots into the center mass, or head of the threat, until the threat drops." The latter school of thought is going to be pretty hard to do when you can only carry 7+1 ;) If it were me, I would rather carry 17+1 because I may need those extra rounds. More rounds equal more dead bad guys and more opportunities. Here is a quick story to illustrate my point. I am reminded of a shooting course I went to with some of my teammates. Before the next course of fire, my buddy pulled out his super sexy competition, single stack, .45 caliber, 1911. It was gorgeous, a real "Cadillac" of a pistol. Then, the instructor laid out the next course of fire, which called for a 14 round shot string. My buddy looked at me, then at the target, then at his 1911, then at the instructor. He asked, "Hey what about the single stack guys? What do you want us to do since we can only gas up 7+1 rounds at a time?" The instructor grinned like a Cheshire Cat and replied, "Sounds like you have a real problem..."
*I know that the FBI is in everyone's crosshairs right now, but they did get a couple of things right. Check this link out if you still think I'm full of it, or if your argument is still, "but muh stoppin powa".
http://soldiersystems.net/2014/09/25/fbi-9mm-justification-fbi-training-division/