can .45 caliber knocksomeone off their feet?

Nope.

How could it, it doesn't knock the shooter off his feet or dislocate his arm, does it?

Vitali Klitschko would knock you out of your socks. Mike Tyson also would. But no handgun can do that.
 
Reminds me of the joke by Ron White. If you just slow the bullet down to 55 mph, put headlights on it, and a horn that's blowing, deer (and I suppose people) will jump right in front of the bullet.
 
Reminds me of the joke by Ron White. If you just slow the bullet down to 55 mph, put headlights on it, and a horn that's blowing, deer (and I suppose people) will jump right in front of the bullet.
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:) Man, you made me laugh my socks off! :) ;)
 
Okay, everyone has fully convinced me that .45 cannot knock a man down.

Let me ask this then: Where does the idea that the .45 has more stopping power than the 9mm or .38 or the .357 has more stopping power than the .38 come from? What exactly is stopping power? I though it was the ability to knock someone back.

While we are on the subject, why did police departments a few years ago decide to start switching from the 9mm to the .40 caliber handguns? They say "The .40 has more 'stopping' power." but what exactly does that mean? I've heard it said on the history channel that they switched to .40 because of the LA shooting about 10 years ago where those two thugs with body armor from head to toe went down the street shooting it out with police who were armed with .38 special and .9mm handguns that could not penetrate the body armor. So they switched to .40 caliber. But that's nonsense because a .40 caliber bullet won't penetrate body armor either just because body armor is what it is. So why the switch?
 
Good question- they switched because getting hit with a 115 grain 9mm wearing body armor hurts, but a heavy bullet like a 230 grain .45acp or a 180 grain .40 SW will feel like getting hit with a sledgehammer...most people wearing body armor won't be able to stand very long with a barrage of 180-230 grain slugs being thrown at em. Don't forget, handgun bullets dont penetrate vests or knock people of their feet, but they can and will break bones and bruise horribly, and the perp wont be able to tolerate it eventually.
 
Good question- they switched because getting hit with a 115 grain 9mm wearing body armor hurts, but a heavy bullet like a 230 grain .45acp or a 180 grain .40 SW will feel like getting hit with a sledgehammer...most people wearing body armor won't be able to stand very long with a barrage of 180-230 grain slugs being thrown at em. Don't forget, handgun bullets dont penetrate vests or knock people of their feet, but they can and will break bones and bruise horribly, and the perp wont be able to tolerate it eventually.
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Ahhh. So I guess it is more accurate to say that a .45 caliber CAN knock someone back or down (or any bullet depending on the weight and endurance of the shootee) not because of the bullet itself but because of the damage it does to the person. In other words, if I walk up to someone and slug them across the face or in the gut, my fist isn't what knocks them down but the damage and pain from the blow that knocks the energy out of them and damages their nerves.
 
Ahhh. So I guess it is more accurate to say that a .45 caliber CAN knock someone back or down (or any bullet depending on the weight and endurance of the shootee) not because of the bullet itself but because of the damage it does to the person. In other words, if I walk up to someone and slug them across the face or in the gut, my fist isn't what knocks them down but the damage and pain from the blow that knocks the energy out of them and damages their nerves.
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essentially, yes. The bullet itself will not knock someone off of their feet, but broken bones and intense pain sure will get them on the ground pretty quickly.
 
Ahhh. So I guess it is more accurate to say that a .45 caliber CAN knock someone back or down (or any bullet depending on the weight and endurance of the shootee) not because of the bullet itself but because of the damage it does to the person. In other words, if I walk up to someone and slug them across the face or in the gut, my fist isn't what knocks them down but the damage and pain from the blow that knocks the energy out of them and damages their nerves.
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By George, I think he's got it!! :D
 
It's a little different, but that's much closer. A blow from a fist will actually push a person back much more strongly than a bullet strike will.

In the test that they did on Mythbusters, it was easy to dislodge the 200lb pig carcass with a gentle push. But even machinegunning with three subguns simultaneously didn't impart enough of a push backwards to knock it off the toggle it was hanging from. There is almost NO push applied by the impact of a bullet.
 
I didn't read the whole thread, so I hope I am not wasting space here.
I have worked as a professional paramedic for over 20 years and have seen quite a few gunshot wounds/victims close up and personal. Most gun owners would be VERY let down when they see the wounds caused by handgun cartridges.
The first shooting I ever went on was done with .45 ACP hardball. A guy asked a girl out, went to her house to pick her up, and her ex-boyfriend shot him through the thigh with a .45.
The guy didn't even care about the wound. He was far more upset about the fact that this other guy couldn't let go of the relationship with this woman. The guy had a through and through wound with no obvious external bleeding. He refused treatment and transport.
 
Ironically, I was watching the "History channel" last night as they had a show on about gunfighters of the old west, and their handguns. One of the show's "experts" stated that a .45 shot from one of the old Colt revolvers was like being hit with a 19 pound sledge hammer and would knock a person flying. How can a so called "expert" perpetuate that myth?, on the History channel no less, when most shooters know its a fallacy? Other then that the show, about gunfighters was excellent, as was the show "Wild West Tech" that followed it. Being we live in the 21st century, we can't have gunfights of course, but even back then most of the fighting stories were exagerrated, not that that should surprise anyone. ;)
 
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"...we can't carry..."

Maybe in New York, but 34+ other states allow concealed carry.
I hope you feel safer with everyone disarmed (except the BGs who carry anyway)...
 
My point was we can't have gun fights, not about carrying, although we can't carry in NY. Your comment about "I hope you feel safer with everyone disarmed (except the BGs who carry anyway)..." Where did you get that from, I didn't express any opinion on carrying? Talk about selective picking of words, the post was about the myth of bullet knockdown and the History channel. By the way, I'm not anti-carry, I'm anti-being-stupid while carrying. :D
 
PythonGuy,

One of the most distressing things about firearms is that it is one of the few fields where the "experts" spread misinformation.

I just read an article yesterday in which the supposed "expert" made a comment about the .45 Peacemaker being able to knock a person down, or something to that effect.

The sad thing is that THIS particular myth is relatively easy to disprove. The science is quite straightforward, and it can be tested without too much trouble. There are others that are much more difficult to disprove but that are just as false.
 
JohnKSa,

I agree, the old saw about "believe half of what you see and none of what you hear" still has a lot of truth to it. By the way, the "expert" on History channel was talking about the Colt Peacemaker too, I wonder if its the same guy you read the quote from?
 
Probably not, it's been repeated and written by so many people, so many times, that it's "common knowledge". False knowledge, but common, nonetheless.
 
Hey, watching the History Channel last night about Gunslingers and some cowboy action guy/ actor said the 45 Peacemake would knock you down!

It has to be true - as it is on TV!
 
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