the 9mm by no means is a joke but IMO a 45 to 40 is still better. the amount of energy in a 45 is so much more that a not so well places shot is still enough to end a fight. keep in mind that studies have shown that the majority self defense shootings happen within 7 to 10 feet. and also remember that most police officers are taught that 25 foot rule (if a person is at or within 25 feet of you they have the ability to get to you faster than you can pull your firearm and get on target. and thats a cop who doesnt have his concealed and doesnt have to pull his shirt out of the way.)

 

True to a point....but again if you use premium bullets the difference it makes will never matter you the good guy....or the goblin...

I've seen a few GSW's, funniest one was a drug dealer shot in the hand at contact distance with a 40... and the guy who trained me in the ER worked on a guy the Sheriff shot in the heart with a 40....

He lived long enough for the ambulance to get him to the hospital where he finally died about 30 min later...

This guy was shot in the heart with a 40 short and weak....my friend held his heart in his hands in the ER trauma room as the surgeons tried repairing it to keep him alive...

Sure he died, at least 30 min after he was shot in the heart with a 40 short and weak loaded with premium JHP bullets....

 

I have always been a fan of Ruger. Have owned several and never had any issues.

Sent from my Droid2 @ 1.4ghz

 

meh I have never liked the feel of a ruger too heavy

 

Funny you mention this... I have a friend who is a ME for this area (along with his wife, I bet that makes for interesting dinner conversation). I had heard the same thing you are saying somewhere else (in more detail) and asked him about it. He said that when doing an autopsy that they can no tell the difference between a 380, 9mm, 40, 45, ect... They all inflict about the same damage , punch about the same hole (tissue and orgons are elastic remember) and it is ALL about shot placment. He has seen one round from a 380 kill a guy and then it take 14 rounds of 45 to kill a guy. He did also say that the difference between FMJ and JHP is huge (obviously). The stopping power of a round is SOLEY hinged on the targets ability of absorbing the energy. If you punch through a target you did not transfer all the avalible enery that round had.

I've got a interesting PDF on it thats on teh other computer I'll post it up.

And a 380 id far form a pop gun, its the gun of choice for some law in other countries. I've seen my wifes PK380 do plenty of damage to small game and watermelons.

 

Yes the 380 is the choice of sidearm for some other countries, but they also carry a sub gun with them and the sidearm is more of a show item....at least where I've seen the cops carry sidearms....

We had a guy shoot himself in the back of the head with a 25 auto at point blank range...when we went to put on the C-Collar the bullet fell out...it had not even penetrated the skin fully....and this was with the muzzle resting on the back of his head/neck......

The GSW's I've seen that were 380......walked away from the shooting...and walked into a Dr's office/ER later...couple times days later....small game and watermelons are not exactly the same as humans...up close at sharp stick in the eye range if the shooter does their part and the bad guy allows the bullet to effect them then it might win....but as a rule nothing less than 38spl.....it's like taking a booster line as a primary attack line into a fully engulfed double wide mobile home fire....sure it might get the job done....but in a timley manner saving lives and property....doubt it....

Few years back I came fact to face with pure unadulterated evil...the kind of evil that would just as soon skin you alive and eat you while raping your wife and kids....just pure evil.....it was not the 357sig I was carrying that I wanted, but the 45auto...with those big comforting 230gr JSP's......was funny how that worked....

But yes, if you (I) do not so our part in placing the bullets where they need to go they will not do what is required to stop the action of the person who forced you to shoot them....

 

I will agree placement and the "type" of ammo is the key in a successful stopping

If you have a .22 .380 .25 whatever if you place it right you will kill someone end of story

 

My ME buddy also said he has seen a 22 LR DESTROY a liver, damage like you would never believe.

I can shoot you with a .45 and you would never need to go to the ER, a band aid would be fine....

 

Here is that report I was talking about. Attachment below

**Some graphic photos**

I think this quote from it says it all...

 

A shot in the head or "T" area will cause total havoc on the central nervous system (death) a shot out side of this area will also make the CNS freak out, but instead of shutting down it will quit sending signals such as pain.