Test results
Yes, the test took place as scheduled. Here are the results.
The ammo tested:
Quik Shok
CCI Stingers
CCI Mini Mags (40 grain)
Aguila Hyper Velocity
The range:
All shots were made at five yards.
The handguns used:
Beretta 21A--1.5" Barrel Semi auto
Browning Buck Mark--5.5" Barrel Semi-auto
The test medium:
Paper Back books
The control round:
One .38 special LSWC fired from 2" barrel S&W. The control round penetrated around 1500 pages and four shiny paperback "covers." It also penetrated the 1" pine board backstop I was using and went far downrange. Many thanks to Gizmo99 for this idea.
The tested ammo:
Two Mini Mags fired from the Buck Mark penetrated more than 550 pages and five covers. Penetration was roughly equal for the two rounds. The bullets were both found intact, but badly deformed with expansion to 1/2" and 9/16" and many sharp edges.
Two Mini Mags fired from the Beretta penetrated around 350 pages and three covers. Both bullets remained intact and expanded to 1/2".
Note that the tested Mini Mags were the 40 grain solid point, not the 36 grain hollow point.
One of two Quik Shoks fired from the Buck Mark penetrated 500 pages and four covers, being stopped by the fifth. The second round achieved about 350 pages of penetration and only three covers. Both rounds fragmented on impact, with two large fragments (1/4") recovered as well as around ten tiny fragments, the smallest of which were like grains of sand.
Two Quik Shoks fired from the Beretta penetrated about 275 pages and three covers. Three fragments were recovered; one bullet was intact but badly deformed, and one had split into two pieces.
Of two Aguila Hyper Velocity rounds fired from the Buck Mark, one penetrated 500 pages and four covers and one penetrated 350 pages and three covers. One bullet was intact but badly deformed, expanding to .5". The other fragmented, penetrating less.
Of two Aguila Hyper Velocity rounds fired from the Beretta, one penetrated 350 pages and three covers and one penetrated 250 pages and two covers. One bullet was intact but badly deformed, expanding to .5". The other fragmented, penetrating less.
My conclusion is that the Mini Mags are probably the best for stopping a man-sized target, because of deeper penetration and less fragmentation. I was surprised that Stingers weren't better, but I guess the 32 grains bullet weight is best used on smaller game whose height is measured in inches.
Can you get here?
http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/mr_ldbtt...m/bc/mr_ldbttr/lst?&.dir=/TFL&.src=ph&.view=t
Regards.