Handgun calibers
Welcome back to Madman Review. There's a ton of confusion out there about how different handgun calibers actually stop threats. For years, this topic was just filled with myths and a bunch of bad info, mainly because there wasn't much science involved. Even today, some folks think A three 80 is as harmless as a bee sting, and there's this weird idea that sends a 45 a CP bullet weighs 230 grains. You need to shoot two nine millimeter bullets, each 115 grains to stop the same threat. So let's talk about how handguns stop threats. First off, we got to admit that the whole idea of stopping power is kind of a big myth. In the handgun world, the term stopping power isn't something you can measure. It's often used to hype up bigger calibers and downplay smaller ones. The truth is there's no scientific way to measure or evaluate stopping power.
Self-defense situations
Like why a 45 A CP would be better at stopping a threat than a nine millimeter. In this video, we'll talk about handgun calibers and bullets, the truth surrounding their use in self-defense situations. That's not a lot of people seem to know about our FMJ is effective when it comes to self-defense ammo. You want something that can go 12 to 18 inches deep in ballistic gelatin and expand by at least 50%. That's what the FBI recommends of the two. Getting deep enough is more important. You've got to hit the vital organs to really stop someone. A big wound that's not deep enough isn't going to cut it. FMJ bullets don't expand and they're great at penetrating the downside. Sometimes they go too far, which is where a good JHP bullet comes in handy. It can penetrate deep enough and also expand. Now, don't get me wrong, I like FMJ bullets for certain situations, but I'm also into hollow points, flat noses and FTMs depending on what's going on.
FMJ
We'll talk more about FTMs later. I use FMJ in my nine millimeter when I'm at my weekend spot doing maintenance. Where I'm at, there are poachers and vandals around, usually armed and up to no good. I go with FMJ because I've got a house, a bunk apartment, storage barns, a hay barn, and a mechanic shop on my property. If these troublemakers try to hide behind a wall and trust me, there are plenty of walls I need to be able to shoot through that wall. Or if they're behind their vehicle, I need my bullets to go into that vehicle. What's the deal with J hps? So if you've got a round that can go deep enough into an attacker. The next thing is picking the right bullet for defense. For most situations, a jacketed hollow point is your best bet. jjps are great because they expand and more expansion means a bigger wound.
If all a handgun bullet does is tear through tissue, then a bullet that gets bigger and makes a larger hole is definitely a plus. But does a bigger expanded bullet make a huge difference if it doesn't hit something crucial? Not exactly, but it could make the attacker bleed out quicker. A big plus of J hps is they usually don't go straight through the target and risk hitting someone else. But remember, some hollow point designs are just gimmicks. Your job is to pick a good one. Now, hollow points aren't perfect for every gun and caliber. For example, the 32 A CP, it's not great with J jhs and 32 A CP JHS tend to expand too soon, slowing the bullet down and not going deep enough. They might work better in a gun with a longer barrel, but long barrelled 32 acps aren't common. The same applies to 22 LR in small guns.
FTMs
In some cases, you're better off with an FMJ to make sure the bullet goes deep enough. What's the scoop on fluided bullets? AKA FTMs. So there's this cool new bullet tech ammo makers refer to as FTMs, which stands for fluid transfer monolithic. It's really shaking up how we think about hand gang calibers for self-defense. Ones like the Lehigh Defense Extreme Defense and extreme penetrator. The interceptor A RX and the Norma Nxd, all of which are non expanding, have this unique nose shape that allows for deep straight penetration and creates a wound cavity even bigger than some expanding bullets. These bullets cause serious damage when they hit the secrets in their nose design, the fluid transfers flutes push the hydraulic energy inside, and then as it squeezed, it bursts out, causing high pressure spikes and a lot of damage to the surrounding tissue. This sudden increase in fluid movement makes cavitation and does massive tissue damage.
Similar to the best hollow points out there. What you end up with is a wound cavity that's bigger than what you'd get with flat or round nose bullets and often even larger than traditional or solid copper expanding bullets. These fluted bullets can create a huge permanent wound cavity and still hit that ideal 18 inches of penetration. This rapid increase in fluid flow can cause cavitation and huge tissue damage, kind of like what you see with the biggest hollow points. But here's a key thing to remember. Of all the FTM bullets out there, there was the solid copper ones like the Lehigh Defense Extreme Defense and extreme Penetrator bullets that really showed their worth during the 20 16 17 joint agency ballistic test for defensive handgun ammunition, which was a big test done by a bunch of federal, state and local agencies, security teams and ballistics experts stopping a threat in self-defense situations.
Stop a threat
When it comes to self-defense, there are basically three ways you can stop a threat. The first is hit the really important parts like the brain, heart or lungs. It's the fastest way to stop a threat. Second is just hitting the bad guy, making him change his mind. The bullet doesn't even need to be lethal. Just getting hit can make them change their mind. Sometimes you don't even need to fire showing your gun can be enough to scare them off. The third is hitting the bad guy and cause a lot of bleeding, but this might take a while. The body needs all its blood to function, and the more blood someone loses, the quicker he'll pass out and eventually well die. Here's the thing, A 45 bullet to the brain works the same as a 22 LR to the brain and no, despite what you might read online, a 22 LR bullet doesn't bounce around inside causing extra damage anymore than other bullets do.
The same rule applies a hit in the heart or lungs. The size of the bullet isn't as critical as its ability to hit the right spot. What's really important is how good the shooter is at getting those bullets where they need to go. The most important thing to consider in handgun calibers, it all boils down to how deep the bullet can go. With handguns, it's all about the damage the bullet does. When it hits something, there aren't any fancy extra effects. With regular handguns, they don't create a shockwave that causes more damage. They don't dump a bunch of energy into the target. Sure, handgun covers a lot of ground, but we're talking about your usual handguns here, not something like AR pistols. A bullet from a pistol should be able to go through at least 12 inches of 10% ballistic gel. That's set up right.
FBI standard figure
We're not made of gel, but the FBI who came up with this standard figured out that if a bullet can get that deep in the gel, it's likely to hit the important stuff inside a person that if hit can stop them in their tracks. Even smaller calibers like the 22 lr, 32 a CP and three 80 A CP can do this. If you pick the right kind of bullet arguments about the minimum caliber. Let's talk about the minimum caliber debate. This is about what's considered the smallest caliber you should use for defense. People often say one round is the least you should go, and anything bigger is obviously better. Sometimes folks say nine millimeter is that minimum. Other times it's three 80 a CP, also known as nine millimeter short. Honestly, I think this minimum caliber debate, it's kind of pointless. There are calibers. I wouldn't use like 25 A CP, which is pretty tiny, but I also wouldn't go for a 44 magnum. There's more to it than just size. The 25 a CP, it's not great at penetrating and the 45 Magnum.
It kicks like a mule and is loud, making it hard to shoot accurately again quickly. Plus, think about the size of the gun and how hard it is to hide. But I totally use a 22 LR with a right ammo in gut. I two carry a three 80 a CP every day, and with the right ammo and proper shot placement, it can stop a threat just as fast as a 45 a CP. Why don't we all just carry 22 LR then? Well, for starters, rim fire calibers are nowhere near as reliable as center fire calibers. But the real question is why has nine millimeter become the go-to round for most gun owners in the industry? It's a solid cartridge for sure. It's super common, the standard for NATO and is usually pretty cheap and easy to find. Plus nine millimeter guns can hold a lot of rounds, and when it's in hollow point form, it's pretty effective for people like police officers and soldiers.
Nine millimeters also good at getting through stuff like glass car doors, thin walls, and heavy clothes. That might not be a big deal for everyday folks carrying concealed. But for law enforcement and military, it's important. Basically nine millimeter is like the Swiss Army knife of bullets. So what about rounds like 40 s and w, 3 57, 6 and 10 millimeter? What's their edge over the nine millimeter or other calibers like the 22 lr? They're better at getting through barriers and tend to go deeper, but when does that extra depth really matter? If a nine millimeter can hit the vital organs, why do you need a bullet that goes deeper? Take the 1986 Miami Shootout, which led the FBI to start using 10 millimeter. A nine millimeter bullet missed a criminal's heart by just an inch. Back then, nine millimeter ammo wasn't as good as it is now, and that bullet had to go through the guy's arm first, which slowed it down.
So in weird shooting angles, the deeper penetration of 40 s and W 3 57 sig and 10 millimeter can be a plus. But remember, it's a can be situation, not a will be. There are too many variables to guarantee that extra penetration will always make the difference. Bigger bullets for bigger problems, let's just get something straight. We're mainly talking about handling human threats here, but if you're in a situation where you're against something like a bear, that's a whole different ballgame. In that case, I definitely recommend packing something like a 44 magnum or a 10 millimeter loaded with hard cast LED bullets. Bears are a whole different story. They're way bigger, tougher and harder to get through than any human, which is way beyond what the FBI was thinking about when they came up with those gel block tests. Final thoughts to sum it up, for self-defense against people, the size of the bullet isn't the be all and n all.
How deep the bullet can go?
What really matters is how deep the bullet can go and where you hit this whole idea of stopping power and hydrostatic shock or bullets dumping energy, that's not really a thing with handguns. And no, you don't need to double tap someone with nine millimeter just because it's lighter than a 45 a CP bullet. A well placed three 80 a CP round can be just as effective at stopping a threat as a nine millimeter 40 s and w or 45 a CP. Sure, having a bullet that expands is cool, but it's never going to beat accurate shooting and making sure your bullet goes deep enough. So if you're gun and ammo can penetrate well enough and you're good at hitting your target, you're all set. And that's it for this video. If it was helpful or entertaining, please consider leaving a like subscribing and sharing this video with your friends. Tap that bell icon too for more. Thanks for watching. Stay safe out there.
Credit: MadMan Review
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