Stopping the Threat!

If you have spent any time reading the articles in my newsletter, on any number of self-defense related websites, and/or in gun magazines, you’ve come across a multitude of articles (opinions?) on which caliber is best, the importance of “stopping power”, etc. Which is better, the .45 ACP or the 9mm Parabellum? How about the .357 Magnum or the .44 Magnum? Should I use hit the target where it will produce the destandard or “+P” ammunition? It just goes on and on. No one author seems to agree with another so you are left wondering “who is right?”

I have come to respect the opinions of fellow firearms trainers like Dave Spaulding, Tom Givens, and Greg Ellifritz when it come to the “ammo stopping power” debate. I trust their thoughts because all three have current or prior law enforcement experience and they base their conclusions on data from actual shootings.

When it comes to “stopping the threat”—that is our goal after all when it comes to ending a violent encounter—they all conclude that having a gun is better than not having a gun and that a handgun chambered in 9mm Parabellum/Luger/9X19 NATO is probably the best compromise caliber. (Even the FBI and many local law enforcement agencies have decided to switch from the .40 S&W to the 9mm as their standard ammunition caliber.) It is a “compromise caliber” because it is powerful enough with modern bullets and gun powders to have a reasonable chance of penetrating sufficiently into the target to have the desired effect on the central nervous system or the cardio-pulmonary system to eventually cause your assailant to stop. It is a small enough cartridge to enable you to carry more rounds in your gun than a larger caliber would allow—given that the guns are physically about the same size. Finally, the recoil produced when firing the cartridge is manageable by most people, allowing rapid follow-up shots to be made.

The most important thing in “stopping the threat” if shooting your gun is required is to get the desired result. This can be achieved by disrupting the central nervous system, or by causing sufficient blood loss that the brain is deprived of oxygen resulting in unconsciousness. Disrupting the central nervous system will produce the most immediate affects in stopping the threat. However, the places you need to hit with your bullet(s) are very small and tend to be well protected by the skeletal structure so you have to be able to precisely place your shots. That is something that will be very difficult to do during the stress of a violent encounter when the “spray and pray” shooting technique seems to dominate even among experienced shooters.

Causing sufficient blood loss to bring about unconsciousness takes time. Even a person shot directly in the heart can continue to function for 1-2 minutes—and continue with their attack during that time. That is why multiple hits are usually required to increase the rate of blood loss. But, smaller diameter bullets produce less blood loss than larger diameter bullets do so more smaller bullet holes may be required to produce the same results that fewer larger bullet holes cause. Once again, precise shot placement is important because during high stress situations the blood in the human body flows away from the extremities towards the body’s core. Thus hitting someone in the arms or legs has a less desirable affect then hitting them in the high center chest area where the heart, lungs, and major blood arteries and veins are located.

Many times it is not the physical effects of being shot that stops the threat, but rather the psychological effects. Being shot hurts, but this pain may not be noticeable right away to someone that is under the influence of drugs or that has a lot of adrenaline flowing through their body. Other individuals may immediate stop when hit in the arm or leg by a small .22 caliber bullet—studies have found that the .22 Long Rifle cartridge is powerful enough to stop the fight, but only about half of the time it is used. The challenge you face as a concealed carry holder is that you will not know in advance if your assailant will be susceptible to a “psychological stop” or if it will require multiple hits to a vital area of their body to cause them to stop what they are doing.

So, you should rush right out and get a 9mm handgun for your self-defense needs...? Maybe “yes”, but maybe “no”. If you have enough strength to manage the recoil of the 9mm cartridge—or something larger—then by all means use it. However, if you cannot accurately place your hits on target because of the recoil and muzzle blast, look for something else with less recoil and muzzle blast. This could be a .38 Special, .380 ACP, .32 ACP, .25 ACP, .22 WMR, or .22 Long Rifle. It also means that you need to practice your shooting a lot to attain and maintain the necessary level of accuracy with your firearm. After all, hitting your target where you need to is more important in stopping the threat than the diameter of the bullet you use is.

Gary Evens is an NRA-Certified Instructor and Range Safety Officer.