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A .45 is not enough gun!

5K views 37 replies 20 participants last post by  Clipper 
#1 ·
The .45 ACP is not a very powerful cartridge. But a .45, or a .44 are the only calibers I feel comfortable with.

Jim Higginbotham

The mission, in our case, is obvious but, never the less, must be stated. The mission of the defensive pistol is to save the life of its user - or an innocent third party he is authorized to use lethal force to protect. In more specific terms it is to end a lethal attack as expeditiously as possible. Since it takes very little time for an attacker to strike a potentially mortal blow (either with a firearm, edged weapon or blunt instrument) then it is imperative that the cartridge chambered in your sidearm be as effective as practicable - for you may not have the luxury of more than one or two shots before the blow is struck.. In truth, no handgun round is effective enough on a determined human attacker to achieve this goal unless the central nervous system is disrupted (this does not mean just hit - it means serious damage must be done to the brain or spine). Unfortunately, these targets are extremely hard to locate on a three dimensional target in a dynamic situation and are next to impossible to hit reliably. http://www.sightm1911.com/lib/other/jh_45acp.htm
 
#4 ·
Click on the link I provided, read what Jim has to say. I agree with him 110%!
 
#8 ·
Please read the link in the first post before you post to this thread, Please!
 
#10 ·
What I got was NOT to expect instant incapacitation from most all handgun rounds, shock is Not a major factor since it takes time for shock to set in. Massive blood loss is the most reliable way to stop a attacker quickly. So a wound channel is important, it must approach a massive flow or sever a major artery. next beat is nervous system destruction, stop the flow of commands through the body and it stops moving.

In short you need a shotgun..don't use slugs use buckshot..at close ranges it will create the massive wound channel needed for the massive blood loss needed. and with multiple pellets you have a better chance of severing a artery or disrupting the central nervous system. But who is going to carry a shotgun around at all times?

the final idea I got was since the majority of people cannot carry a shotgun around and have problems handling the recoil from large caliber handguns, use what you can comfortably handle and practice placement often. Practice, practice, Practice!!
 
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#12 ·
What I got was NOT to expect instant incapacitation from most all handgun rounds, shock is Not a major factor since it takes time for shock to set in. Massive blood loss is the most reliable way to stop a attacker quickly. So a wound channel is important, it must approach a massive flow or sever a major artery. next beat is nervous system destruction, stop the flow of commands through the body and it stops moving.

In short you need a shotgun..don't use slugs use buckshot..at close ranges it will create the massive wound channel needed for the massive blood loss needed. and with multiple pellets you have a better chance of severing a artery or disrupting the central nervous system. But who is going to carry a shotgun around at all times?

the final idea I got was since the majority of people cannot carry a shotgun around and have problems handling the recoil from large caliber handguns, use what you can comfortably handle and practice placement often. Practice, practice, Practice!!
You're close. I watched a deer shot with a 45/70 rifle shooting a 405 grain slug. The shot was a perfect hit for a heart lung shot, right behind the right shoulder. The bullet went all the way thru, leaving a very large exit hole, and the deer ran almost 100 yards before blood pressure dropped enough to drop the deer. It was right at dark, and we soon discovered that there was no blood trail to follow, well almost none. It took me over an hour to find that deer in the dark. So what happened?

If you are going to stop a man sized target, intent on stopping you, there are two ways to stop that threat fast. A hit to the central nervous system, or a very fast drop in BP. You need a bullet that will consistently get to the central nervous system, every time! Or you need a bullet that will make large holes, severing arteries, and/or puncturing the heart. What Jim is trying to tell us is that hand gun bullets just don't cut it! The more hits made to the central nervous system, gives us a better chance to shut it down, or a lot of big holes to allow for more rapid blood loss. And the .45ACP, though it's one of the best one shot stoppers out there, still, most time, ain't enough gun! Any gun might be better than no gun at all. But even though you have a gun, it might not mean anything if it's not capable of stopping a threat in a short period of time.
 
#14 ·
It might have started with a .380, but it didn't stay there! Like you a .45 is what I carry most times. Other times it's a .44 special.
 
#16 ·
My brother has a FNS .45 desert cammo. I'm thinking 14 rounds in the mag, and 1 in the pipe. I've looked all over the internet for a pistol like his, and simply can not find one. It's heavy!
 
#17 ·
I think Sergeant York might disagree with the criticism of the .45 ACP. Killed six Germans charging him. And believe me, they would have been well motivated.
 
#18 ·
Read the link in the first post.
 
#19 ·
What I took away from the article was not to blindly put your trust in any of the "miracle" self defense rounds to the point that you are confident that one or two of these babies placed in center mass are gonna stop the bad guy dead in his tracks. I also took from the article that I ought to have a well placed baseball bat handy just in case!
 
#22 ·
I have given much thought to carrying a lesser caliber that has a high capacity of bullets. I have never owned a 9mm, but I do have a couple of .380's. One, the LPC, has only 7 rounds in it, but the other is a 21 round .380 APC from Taurus. This article made up my mind for me. Will a .380, or a 9mm be capable of a one shot stop? Yeah, but that one shot stop is not reliable! I am much more likely to get that one shot stop with a really large caliber bullet, and the .45 APC is about as large as I can carry! That does not mean that I will get it, it just gives me a better chance. Do I really want that better chance? You bet I do! That's why I carry in the first place. Always have the biggest gun on you that you can carry, and shoot. Don't settle for anything less!
 
#25 ·
The best self defense gun is the one you never have to pull the trigger on. Regardless of all the stories we tell at the bar and in the locker room, once that firing pin strikes the primer there are no mulligans or do-overs. The 1911 has a high intimidation factor which may result in you not having to pull the trigger.
 
#33 ·
"Hydra-static shock." Isn't that what they put in GM suspensions?
I don't put much stock in anyone who doesn't research what they write. It's "hydrostatic."
Bill, you know that has to be a typo! I can't say who did it, might have been Jim, but it could have been a proof reader as well.
 
#34 ·
My preferred carry is a snub 44. I am not too concerned about only having five shots. If someone is about to stab or shoot me I will only have a moment to respond. If my first couple of shots don't settle things I can have a theoretical discussion with my grandfather in the afterlife about whether it mattered that there were only three rounds left in my gun instead if thirteen.
 
#37 ·
My preferred carry is a snub 44. I am not too concerned about only having five shots. If someone is about to stab or shoot me I will only have a moment to respond. If my first couple of shots don't settle things I can have a theoretical discussion with my grandfather in the afterlife about whether it mattered that there were only three rounds left in my gun instead if thirteen.
.44 special, and the .45 ACP cartridges run right along in there together. Both deliver about the same energy on target. Not only will you have only a moment to respond, but the BG will already have his weapon of choice in his hands. Do not be a static target, move! Move while you draw. Move to cover if at all possible, but move. Draw your weapon while on the move. Learn to hit while you are on the move. Your life depends on it, just like mine does. Take every advantage you can, the BG will!
 
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