I just got a copy of my American Rifleman Magazine in the mail and it is one of the best yet chock full of great information.
One great article was on handgun stopping power where a combination of penetration and expansion was tried to be achieved by using different ammo from different manufacturers and shooting into ballistic gelatin only a few ammo types of different calibers made the cut.
Another great article was on the new Hornady ammo that uses a heavier bullet which I always recommend and shooting through clothing and windshield glass, and steel for a car door, and drywall etc with ballistic gelatin behind all of these mediums to test for penetration and expansion a great test that included not only clothing but barriers or concealment or cover.
Both of these articles and tests were some of the best I have seen, I also like the Box O Truth for some of his tests.
However in these tests and all the ammo tests that I can remember there is a flaw in my opinion. To get to a man's brain you have to shoot through his skull the get to a man's heart or even his lungs you have to shoot through his ribcage. Shots to a man's body anywhere else can incapacitate or kill but probably not before a determined attacker has ample chance to kill you.
I think a medium should be found that replicates human bone the skull or ribcage of the average man and bullet tests should shoot through that and into ballistic gellatin to test for penetration and expansion. In other words the test through auto glass would be through the auto glass through the material simulating bone and through the ballistic gellatin.
I also see arguments on this forum and others about over penetration and the dangers of it, and while it concerns me, shooting through my house or through a bad guy on the street while a concern, is less of a concern than having adequate penetration in an attacker or in an attacker behind auto glass, a car door, a wall or door or tree or whatever. To me Penetration is the most important then expansion and I would rather over penetrate than lose my life or the life of a loved one due to a bullet that did not penetrate far enough.
After being hit by a hand grenade I am thick skinned so please feel free to shoot holes in my argument.
One great article was on handgun stopping power where a combination of penetration and expansion was tried to be achieved by using different ammo from different manufacturers and shooting into ballistic gelatin only a few ammo types of different calibers made the cut.
Another great article was on the new Hornady ammo that uses a heavier bullet which I always recommend and shooting through clothing and windshield glass, and steel for a car door, and drywall etc with ballistic gelatin behind all of these mediums to test for penetration and expansion a great test that included not only clothing but barriers or concealment or cover.
Both of these articles and tests were some of the best I have seen, I also like the Box O Truth for some of his tests.
However in these tests and all the ammo tests that I can remember there is a flaw in my opinion. To get to a man's brain you have to shoot through his skull the get to a man's heart or even his lungs you have to shoot through his ribcage. Shots to a man's body anywhere else can incapacitate or kill but probably not before a determined attacker has ample chance to kill you.
I think a medium should be found that replicates human bone the skull or ribcage of the average man and bullet tests should shoot through that and into ballistic gellatin to test for penetration and expansion. In other words the test through auto glass would be through the auto glass through the material simulating bone and through the ballistic gellatin.
I also see arguments on this forum and others about over penetration and the dangers of it, and while it concerns me, shooting through my house or through a bad guy on the street while a concern, is less of a concern than having adequate penetration in an attacker or in an attacker behind auto glass, a car door, a wall or door or tree or whatever. To me Penetration is the most important then expansion and I would rather over penetrate than lose my life or the life of a loved one due to a bullet that did not penetrate far enough.
After being hit by a hand grenade I am thick skinned so please feel free to shoot holes in my argument.