Defensive Loads

[leadbutt]

Your thinking is fine, but 9mm will do every thing the 38 will,the main thing to remember is hadguns are meant to be a last resort or one to get you to a larger weapon.
And as Wyatt is qutoed as saying" speed is fine but accuracy is deadly"

[1911crazy]

S.Sumner I think most were after the 9MM for firepower(15 shot magazine) and disregarded the lesser knockdown power.  I understand what you mean.                                BigBill

[leadbutt]

As every body knows number crunchers can prove any thing any time, if you look you will find that more 9mm's are carried then any other round  by PD's,but with that said it is more than likely not because of its stellar preformance, but this is an age old argument,  at present I carry a 40 because thats what is issued. Off duty I carry a 38 super by choice. The lead load you like is realy at its best as a +p and thats why the old FBI and Chicago troops swore by it. And it does work I am living proof. 9mm double taps realy have nothing to do with a round failure,it was the up and coming thing and thats why so many dept's when with it,that and they were trying in a febale way to stop troops from going to the "spray and pray" repsonce .once they got back to training front sight and and not to pay attention to rounds every thing smooth out.

[Mikey]

Hay SS:  I read what you posted but would like to ask if some of the reported 'failures' with the 9mm duty sidearms weren't the result of the agency's ammunition choices more than the caliber.

I've read a bunch of times about the firepower output from some of the wonder nines and having been involved in a number of 'crunch' situations can well understand how easy it is to keep pulling the trigger hoping that will make the bad guy go down.

I know that the Remington +P+ (125 grain I believe at about 1200) is one of the most highly thought of Police and defensive rounds out there and that it has accounted for a number of one shot stops.  

I also understand, agree and practice with the use of a 5 shot 38 snubbie with heavy slow moving bullets, as that is my preference.  But I thought the 9mm did better than that in actual 'hit', not 'spray and pray' situations.  

Will ya correct me ifin I'm wrong.  Thanks.  Mikey.

[Charlie Detroit]

I used to carry a little 3" S&W Chief's Special in all steel. I was aware of the inadequacies of the .38 Spl, so I had 200-gr. lead RN's in the cases. I think the loss of the 3" barrel in this gun is a crime...it made the gun so much easier to holster and shoot, plus it improved the ballistics. The BEST gun of this type that I ever saw was a Colt New Service with a 2½-3" barrel and (I think) a special-order cylinder in .45 LC. Very effective weapon, and easy to carry. I don't know what ever happened to that officer, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't overcome by somebody who took all his rounds and kept coming.

[Savage]

Gentlemen,

The latest report on "Wound Ballistics" from the FBI is an interesting read.
In short, their conclusions were as follows:

1. Unless you can attain in excess of 2000fps the temporary wound channel is not a factor in incapication.
2. The most important factors are permanent wound channel dia. and depth of penetration.
3. Unless you have a CNS hit the subject must bleed out to incapacitation.
Therefore two holes are better than one (entry and exit)
4. Studies on one shot stops are largely invalid because of the differences in idividuals. ie. one person might cease aggression with a relatively minor wound while another might keep comming with multiple fatal wounds. (not CNS)

In summary: make as big a hole as you can, all the way thru and hope for the best. A small bullet might expand, but a large one will never shrink!

Stay Safe