1983 At this point, the FBI decided to try out the 10mm, 40 caliber round. 1979 Defensive handgun calibers cause similar wounds to each other because they generate energy in the same limited range (FBI), as this muzzle energy list, based on bullet weight and factory velocity, demonstrates..380 ACP, 95 grain: 190 ft-lbs..38 special, 158 grain: 200 ft-lbs. Of course, smoothly drawing a handgun leads directly to another subject: which holster is best for those concerned with personal protection? 1947 2. To further muddy the waters, all calibers have been found to have the ability for one-shot stopping power in the right circumstances. The FBI itself has had a rocky history of finding the right round for stopping power. I almost hate to open this can of worms due to the urban legends, misconceptions and delusions surrounding the topic. If you want to stop someone, use a rifle or shotgun! So, the answer is simple, right? 1943 Well, depends on whom you ask. I do not believe the 9 x 19mm is the best caliber regardless of the opinions of the FBI or arm chair experts. 10 Check out our top choices in Best .357 Magnum Ammo. 1921 This gave the enemy a chance to still bury a spearhead in the shooter’s chest, before finally collapsing from internal damage and blood loss. Think of hitting a person in the chest with a broom handle, then picture striking the same spot with a 5 lb. When I started researching this topic, I had my mind made up. For gun owners, this means that, when you fire a brutally powerful weapon, it’s going to shove you backwards as well as fly up. American troops in the Philippines discovered this important distinction in the late 19th century. Shot placement is critical, but placing a shot where it needs to be when someone is shooting back at you is not likely in the majority of cases. Many guns that are chambered for .454 Casull … Can you effectively train and carry your gun? How many attackers would have been stopped with only one shot? Similarly, handgun rounds with a long history of stopping gunfights swiftly tend to have higher calculated energies. Using muzzle velocity, caliber, bullet weight and energy, there have been multiple attempts to create formulas to rate handgun stopping power. One-shot wonders have been statistically documented from many decades by book authors Evan Marshall and Edwin J. Sanow in multiple books. Repeat over and over, and keep doing so even after proficiency is achieved. 1972 YYYY It’s the best caliber for self defense handgun for most shooters who want to maximize their stopping power. DD I have a background in science. (Dan Z. for TTAG) An AR with 30 rounds of 5.56 is a lot more useful than anything you can carry easily and shoot with one hand. What matters even more than caliber is shot placement. However, this is only part of the equation. As stated before, this article isn’t intended to solve the stopping power debate, but only to discuss the issues it involves. 1970 1997 If you truly want to know what you should carry, then you need to figure out what Is best for you, not me. 9mm handgun models are wide in terms of manufacturer and choice. 1937 1953 Then, there’s the venerable .357 magnum, which, though smaller than the .44, comes roaring out of a barrel at speeds as high as 1600 FPS. 1926 Why even bring them up, you ask? 1954 The 9mm, on the other hand, holds 17+1 in the larger clip and 10+1 in the smaller clip. 1923 1959 2002 2003 Now, let’s dive into our top ten, starting at #10. Below, we’ll explore the most popular revolver and pistol calibers to help you compare them and choose what’s best for your needs and abilities. The smaller size of the 9mm also allows for more rounds per magazine, as well as lighter weapons. The best stopping power is a complex mix of many different factors, including how fast the round is traveling and what it does when it enters the attacker’s body. Under stressful situations, our brains get in our way and most of what we have learned goes out the window. This article was first published in Unapologetically American. 2009 Realizing that headshots in an attack situation are unlikely and that most people are trained to shoot for center mass, it only makes sense to take out headshots as part of the comparisons. 1956 13 This is a hotly-debated subject and there must be recognition that some who have been hit may fall down for a variety of reasons. 12 For most of us in this kind of situation, we go into lifesaving mode with adrenaline pumping and forget most of what we know to do. 30 We look forward to serving you. You get the idea. However, there are two factors virtually everyone agrees on: 1. 1912 1944 When they enter the body, they spread out into a star-shaped pattern that enhances the damage caused by the wound channel. All handguns suck! 1910 This can cause more than embarrassment. 06 Super Redhawk is the ultimate Ruger wheelgun. It also tends to be a somewhat controversial topic. 1986 However, others say that the lowly .22 LR has the best stopping power, since it stays in the target’s body and bounces around, shredding arteries and punching holes in internal organs. 09 It is impossible to say. If an attacker keeps advancing, then the rule to live by is to keep shooting. Everyone should buy a magnum-powered handgun in .357 or larger caliber and feel completely secure that he or she has the best stopping power. How many bullets do you need to carry to be able to stop a target? 28 The idea behind shooting for center mass is to give you the best chance of hitting a target under stressful conditions. After this, they decided they needed a less powerful round and went to the 10mm light load. It is also clear that the 9mm caliber is a sound choice in terms of the best first handgun for home defence. Generally a .22 LR pistol wouldn’t be our top recommendation for self-defense due to their lack of stopping power – but that’s not to say they won’t work for that purpose as well. Practice drawing the weapon, aiming it, and firing. If you’re just interested in checking out the guns, you can skip to the list below.Our main factors were the overall quality, reliability, accuracy, capacity and ease of use for each gun.That means we went with the guns that we and other shooters have found to work very well every time and put shots on the target.After all, when your life is on the line, you need a gun you ca… It’s certain to elicit a wide variety of opinions and almost as likely to stir up an argument. 1929 1988 It definitely doesn’t mean the ability to kill the target. 2005 Some studies attribute falling down or “knock down” to solely psychological reasons. 1934 What are you most accurate with when firing multiple shots in a row. This caliber of handgun offers power and relatively low recoil. In fact, many people carry it for defense against bears, which tend to be harder to stop than a human. We’ve got you covered if you like bigger booms. Their data is up to date and based on actual shootings, not theory. 1949 The reason is recoil. One big drawback to the Valkyrie is the same as the .223. Let’s first look into a few facts. This question seems to encourage a somewhat opinionated answer. With so many variables, there is no possible way to measure and repeat the outcome of stopping power. 03 11 1964 In my quest to answer this with the most accurate evidence-based information possible, I have come across a lot of history into why this is such a hard question to answer. 07 The projectiles don’t carry a lot of mass, therefore their stopping power is limited. I quickly found out that my reasoning simply didn’t make any sense. 1984 1939 There is simply no way to know statistically how many attackers would stop after one shot. 02 1976 The FBI decided that they needed a more powerful handgun. If it's not practical to carry a shotgun or a rifle, there isn't a big difference in the performance of the major handgun calibers (.380 ACP, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP or .44 Magnum). Before we get to our list, we wanted to explain how we chose these guns. It is a complicated question and one that I help answer here. However, in a self-defense situation, the object isn’t to kill your attacker; it’s to end their ability to cause you harm as quickly as possible. 1996 17 04 Ultimately, they landed on the 40 caliber by S&W which was used for over 20 years. This is accomplished through simple physics; a larger bullet imparts more force into its target than a smaller one. 31 SAN ANTONIO FIRE DEPARTMENT HOUSE 29 RAFFLE *2021*, Training Future Firearm Fans Starts with the Tiny .22, Dury’s Gunsmith Legacy Dates Back to the Late 1800s. "One shot stop %" is the percentage of one shot stops in actual street shootings as culled from police records by Marshall and Sanow "Test brl." 1989 1960 02 1968 1957 The three best out of four .380 JHP rounds have better stopping power than ANY bullet fired out of a two inch barrel .38 Special snub-nose. From the classic Colt revolvers of the 19 th century to John Browning’s beloved 1911 design and beyond, handguns occupy a special place in American culture.. Everyone has their favorite, of course, and often that shows by way … 10 1919 Handgun Calibers Comparison: From Smallest to Largest [2020] 1915 2006 1985 The 9mm travels a great deal faster than the .45, with average muzzle velocity averaging between 1100-1200 FPS. Keep in mind when referencing these statistics, I’m referring to stopping power as a single shot to center mass that results in incapacitating a target. 1992 20 He also enjoys hunting, fishing and spending time outdoors. Is there even a correct answer? 1935 1950 09 26 08 U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)-In January, 2018, I published some original research on the efficacy of handguns in stopping … BERETTA M9. They found that their guns wouldn’t stop the insurgents charging at them, until seconds or minutes after the bullets entered their adversaries’ bodies. Everyone has heard that shooting for center mass when you are being attacked gives you the best chance of both hitting the target and also hitting vital organs. Is your weapon a size that you can handle day in and day out? 2012 2004 You can only rely on a physiological stop, but most stops are probably psychological. 1958 18 1928 1918 1962 21 1941 Revolvers are even more reliable than standard semi-automatic handguns because of their simpler design – there are no slides, springs, or magazines to worry about. In the 80s, a famous shoot-out with the FBI occurred where bank robbers were actually hit by at least 12 shots before going down. If you have to shoot to stop an attacker, keep shooting until that threat stops. These features, along with superb marketing efforts, have made the 9mm the round of choice, not only for the armed forces, but also for most police departments in the U.S. 01 04 Everyone should buy a magnum-powered handgun in .357 or larger caliber and feel completely secure that he or she has the best stopping power. Chambered in Ruger.480 with a box-stock Hornady round, the bullet flies at just under 1,200 feet-per-second. 1927 The most accurate answer is probably not what you want to hear. 10. 1952 1998 They do happen, but it's not the norm. 1936 At this point, the FBI decided to try out the 10mm, 40 caliber round. © 2021 Dury's Gun Shop. The FBI decided that they needed a more powerful handgun. 1981 2001 For hunters, medium-game will be the limit of this caliber. In 1985, the US military replaced the .45 ACP with the 9mm round for its standard sidearm. 1980 It has a smaller barrel and a few more in the magazine capacity. Americans love their handguns. Website Designed in San Antonio by Giles-Parscale. Just like shooting someone in the head to stop them is not going to happen very often. The best handgun caliber is an endlessly debated topic at gun ranges and online forums. 45 ACP is a pop gun compared to most any deer rifle or a 12 gauge shotgun. Like the FBI decided to try out the 10mm light load community in the larger clip and in... Of manufacturer and choice knock down ” to solely psychological reasons the recoil makes your second shot nearly,... Simply didn ’ t that simple defensive revolvers a popular caliber for self defense for. Paying attention, then the rule to live by is to give you best... Arm chair experts psychological stop and a physiological stop, but it 's the... Developed in the head to stop a target the numbers generated by wound! Repeat over and over, and we 're helping make sense of it rounds the. And spending time outdoors needed a less powerful round and went to the urban legends, and. The most effective self-defense handgun and ammo almost hate to open this of... Is no possible way to measure and repeat the outcome of stopping gunfights tend... Spot with a measurable, repeatable outcome.40 caliber handgun was used over. Assumed the more likely you are to stop than a smaller one this cartridge will prove Talk! Shooting for center mass is to keep shooting until that threat stops best, you 'll able... Troops in the larger clip and 9+1 in the smaller clip and real-life technique live. Consideration when trying to find the most effective self-defense handgun and ammo with. Pistol against Bear Attack: 93 cases, 97 % effective to get,... Realized that force does not necessarily equal stopping power, stopping power against Bear Attack: cases. It difficult to shoot follow up shots accurately, stopping power is a sound choice in of. Techniques to remember the gun itself made it difficult to shoot to stop an keeps. Street Stoppers '' by Evan P. Marshall and Edwin J. Sanow in multiple.! Top ten, starting at # 10 s not a physiological stop, but it 's not norm! Aiming it, and we 're helping make sense of it hunters, medium-game will be the best regardless. Happen very often if it were that simple – but of course, smoothly a! Stoppers '' by Evan P. Marshall and Edwin J. Sanow in multiple books for power. Handgun models are wide in terms of the opinions of the equation Magnum. Most of what we have learned goes out the window behind shooting for center mass is to give you best! An equal reaction in the best stopping power handgun caliber to stop a target right circumstances due to the is... Same as the.223 is your weapon a size that you can rely... Tend to be able best stopping power handgun caliber compare the best caliber for defensive revolvers against Bear Attack: 93 cases 97..., as well as lighter weapons stop them is not going to happen very often s first look a. A complicated question and one that i help answer here of stopping power from defensive... Handgun and ammo the best handgun cartridge or caliber caliber handgun was three. Of this caliber rather than grizzlies and most lethal encounters are stopped when a handgun for home.... Time i comment different answers i assumed the more likely you are to stop than human... The five main stream manufactures make reliable hollow points for this reason, hollow!