Self-Defense Ammunition: Myths and Magic!

[Sam Browning]

Its a great article. I would simply add the following observation.

The vast majority of police and law enforcement agencies in America which have selected a shooting firearm have used one of the following five calibers.

1) 38 Special (revolver)
2) 357 magum (revolver)

3) 9 mm (auto pistol)
4) 40 caliber (auto pistol)
5) 45 acp (auto pistol)

Within these five calibers there are more then enough variations of bullets and loads to keep anyone happy. Now if you are shooting big game animals, the calculus changes, but these choices will keep most beginners happy.

[hungryjoe]

2: Thou shalt practice often.

This means that you select a weapon and round that you can afford to practice with often. Once a year is not enough, people. I like to get to the range twice a month in the good weather, and typically get through 300-500 rounds. This can get pricey with some calibers, but .357 magnum can chamber the much cheaper .38 special, and low-cost reloads are readily available for most defensive calibers. Bargain hunting is key. Buy in bulk whenever possible. If you can’t afford to practice with it, you can’t afford to carry it. Guns are not jewelry, take them seriously or don’t carry one.

Quoted for emphasis.

Big is only better if you can put it where it needs to be.

Personally, I like big and fast, within the limits of my small self.

[willieo]

I really expected people to be shouting at all the things I got wrong by now...

Where are the Dirty Harry's and Tactical Ted's?

Evolution wasn't "clever" in making the human skull thick, and hiding organs behind bone. Its pretty much a random process, with no concious goals or any real conciousness at all.

No need to thank me.

Oh, and the bullet stuff was really cool and interesting.

[Petter]

Evolution wasn't "clever" in making the human skull thick, and hiding organs behind bone. Its pretty much a random process, with no concious goals or any real conciousness at all.

No need to thank me.

Certainly not; it’s dead wrong. It’s very true that evolution is unconscious and has no goals. It’s completely untrue that it is random. You may have heard of something called natural selection—it is a distinctly non-random process.

[Mtripp]

Outstanding sir...

[AMF]

That whole article just made my day.

[Wing-Kwan-Fu]

I can only shout about physics: foot-pounds are units of energy, not force (otherwise what would pounds be?); you can't alter momentum transfer by reducing impulse (the bad guy won't fly back no matter how elastic the collision, unless you fly back the same distance when firing the gun); you consider the speed, not acceleration, of a projectile (or else they would cause undamage, because they only decelerate after leaving the gun); blah blah blah maybe you're a chemical engineer?

Otherwise good article! I'm-a go get a Desert Eagle will 30 rounds of .22

[Wing-Kwan-Fu]

it is a distinctly non-random process.

He means that all genetic combinations are assembled randomly* out of existing genes, even if the following selection of adaptive combinations is non-random.

*Sexual selection only makes it a little less random, until Gattaca happens.

[omoplatypus]

i was actually hoping to read about all the mediafrenzy ammo, like black talons, "armor piercing", and flux capacitor bullets.

[Mtripp]

i was actually hoping to read about all the mediafrenzy ammo, like black talons, "armor piercing", and flux capacitor bullets.

Black Talons were featured on this weeks "Breaking Bad."

Where were the brass bullets dipped in teflon?