Second Firearm Thread...

[nutcracker]

Originally Posted by TNT009

So many variables with that... I've seen .45s bounce off skull and guy lived, but a .22 pierce the skull and scramble the brain. I know my wife couldn't handle the .45, but rocks the 9.

Wound ballistics is actually quite complex - the injury is a factor of the kinetic energy imparted - which in turn in determined as follows:

mass x velocity (squared) at entry - mass x velocity (squared) at exit.

Hence a relatively small round from a high velocity rifle is devastating. In an operational area I treated deceptively small wounds from AK47 rounds that had caused devastating injuries. (There are of course 50 cal rounds that would pretty much take your head off.) Military rounds often don't have much "yaw" and "tumble", but a lower velocity round can be manipulated to do all kinds of gyrations based on bullet design. A 9mm can do a whole lot of hurt.

Obviously where you strike your intended victim is also important, and I'm sure you LE guys could advise us, but the percentage shot in my book is two in the torso. I'm far less likely to miss!

In a "domestic setting" with a handgun,- I guess you want to stop someone cold - so I suppose the biggest you can handle would be my rule of thumb.

Personally I think a nice semi auto shotgun would settle most disputes.