Put it this way, is the .45ACP so much more superior to off-set the .40S&W's advantages such as higher capacity and more ergonomical and lighter weapons. IF you want a double stack .45ACP get ready for one heck of a grip. Most .40S&W are actually hotter than .45ACP loads. Some .45ACP barely have more energy than 9mm loads. The drawback to the .40 is that it has a lot of pressure and recoil. From my experience it has more recoil than the .45ACP.
What has more stopping power .45 or .40?
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juliet charley
New member
Well, it would certainly be as good as either one, but I really doubt any better. A 10mm won't make up for bad shooting and won't offer any improvement in the case of good shooting. It's just another choice (albeit a rather expensive one).
John Ringo
New member
Remember not to confuse penetration ability with stopping power.
This question is kind of a silly question overall. But my money would be on 45 ACP Hydra-Shok ammo. The 10 mm and 40 cal are essentially the same size round. At distances under 15 feet the 45 ACP is going to have a lot more "thump" than a 10 mm or 40 cal. It would be like throwing a baseball versus a golf ball at someone. At close distance the heavier round is going to feel a whole lot worse. If you move out to 50 feet then that is another story.
This question is kind of a silly question overall. But my money would be on 45 ACP Hydra-Shok ammo. The 10 mm and 40 cal are essentially the same size round. At distances under 15 feet the 45 ACP is going to have a lot more "thump" than a 10 mm or 40 cal. It would be like throwing a baseball versus a golf ball at someone. At close distance the heavier round is going to feel a whole lot worse. If you move out to 50 feet then that is another story.
Para Bellum
New member
specific
...the one you hit the spinal cord or the brainstem with more likely.
Handguns have no "stopping power". Placement has. You need penetration and expansion. And that is offered plenty enough by
9x19mm
.40
.45
.357 Sig
.357 Mag
10mm
.44 Mag
.41
yadyadya....
...the one you hit the spinal cord or the brainstem with more likely.
Handguns have no "stopping power". Placement has. You need penetration and expansion. And that is offered plenty enough by
9x19mm
.40
.45
.357 Sig
.357 Mag
10mm
.44 Mag
.41
yadyadya....
See? Placement.
John Ringo
New member
That is correct. Handguns per se do not have "stopping power". It's all in the type of ammo being used. Not much short of a shot to the spinal cord, brain, or vital organ is going to "drop" someone instantly. The rest of the time it's going to vary widely from case to case.
Bottom line...I would probably grab my 45ACP loaded with Hydra-Shok nasties if Freddy Krueger was coming up the stairs after me. Either that or my 12 gauge shotgun.
Yes, the weight of a 45 ACP bullet coupled with the dynamics of a hollow-point will do quite a bit of damage at a range of under 15 feet
Hey, it's a personal choice.
I'm outa this conversation before I say something really stupid
Bottom line...I would probably grab my 45ACP loaded with Hydra-Shok nasties if Freddy Krueger was coming up the stairs after me. Either that or my 12 gauge shotgun.
Yes, the weight of a 45 ACP bullet coupled with the dynamics of a hollow-point will do quite a bit of damage at a range of under 15 feet
Hey, it's a personal choice. I'm outa this conversation before I say something really stupid
I'm sorry but that is way out of proportion. Simply hold a .40 or 10mm next to a .45ACP. There is not that much difference especially in proportion to the size of a human torso. Now with the 10mm, some people will argue that it's not any better than .45ACP but are you actually saying that its inferior to the .45ACP? I would have to say it's equal or better than the 45ACP,especially if you go into the woods much. With the full-power 10mm you are always going to get much better penetration than the .45ACP.
Baba Louie
New member
Like driving past an auto accident, even tho' I try to NOT LOOK AT IT ON THE WAY BY...
I can't help but read the initial question and the resounding non-answers (tho there are some that are pretty well stated) and smile...
Placement
Bullet design
Placement
Kinetic Energy
Which do you prefer?
Which do you have with you right then?
Which best kills European goats who have done nothing wrong but chew grass and bleat "Why Us?"
What are we "stopping" with our little friends? Multiple BG's on crack, a single BG on heroin or speed? Known Bank Robbers and Killers we ram our cars into in FLA who are armed with rifles?
My answer is...'The biggest round I can carry and control accurately' and even then I'll be wishing I had a rifle or a shotgun or was someplace else.
Look Ma. Another Non-Answer.
Golly. If this keeps up we'll be asking about revolvers vs. semi-autos next.
I can't help but read the initial question and the resounding non-answers (tho there are some that are pretty well stated) and smile...
Placement
Bullet design
Placement
Kinetic Energy
Which do you prefer?
Which do you have with you right then?
Which best kills European goats who have done nothing wrong but chew grass and bleat "Why Us?"
What are we "stopping" with our little friends? Multiple BG's on crack, a single BG on heroin or speed? Known Bank Robbers and Killers we ram our cars into in FLA who are armed with rifles?
My answer is...'The biggest round I can carry and control accurately' and even then I'll be wishing I had a rifle or a shotgun or was someplace else.
Look Ma. Another Non-Answer.
Golly. If this keeps up we'll be asking about revolvers vs. semi-autos next.
Stopping power is a marketing term like ninja or the one I hate the most: tactical :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: 
. As far as being adequate for defence, if you can put it in the upper torso, they'll all do about the same thing. I'll take a 9mm because ammo's cheap and I can practice a whole lot.
. As far as being adequate for defence, if you can put it in the upper torso, they'll all do about the same thing. I'll take a 9mm because ammo's cheap and I can practice a whole lot.AmericanSamurai
Inactive
this is simple
The bigger bullet wins most of the time right? Why do I own a handgun, to kill those that would hurt my family or myself, period, at least that's my intent, I don't know what everyone else's reason is.
With that being said, if [expletive deleted by moderator] comes into my home with the intent to rob,rape or kill, I will rest easier knowing that the slugs I put in his head or torso is .45 as opposed to 9mm.
The bigger bullet wins most of the time right? Why do I own a handgun, to kill those that would hurt my family or myself, period, at least that's my intent, I don't know what everyone else's reason is.
With that being said, if [expletive deleted by moderator] comes into my home with the intent to rob,rape or kill, I will rest easier knowing that the slugs I put in his head or torso is .45 as opposed to 9mm.
First off, your language is a little unnecessary. I will rest easier knowing that I have put about twice as many 9mm rounds downrange and use premium HPs that offer excellent penetration and expansion and have twice as much ammunition per mag in case I run into multiple attackers.
John Ringo
New member
:-0
stopping power chart
Yes there are a lot of variables and this is debated everywhere depending on personal preference mostly. I agree it's all about what you have on hand, what you shoot well with (how you deal with recoil, size of the gun, ease of carry etc. etc.) but if you are discussing ONLY theoretically stopping power in a controlled setting check this out. Mostly this is good for a first time shooter...because you haven't grown accustomed to any certain firearm/round/load remember it takes around 600 repetitions to build muscle memory from scratch and around 1000 or 2000 to build relearn muscle memory (that is why we have a preference for certain weapons...we learn with one and it just feels more natural) imho my advice is start with a good weapon that feels right in your hand
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/849728/posts
Yes there are a lot of variables and this is debated everywhere depending on personal preference mostly. I agree it's all about what you have on hand, what you shoot well with (how you deal with recoil, size of the gun, ease of carry etc. etc.) but if you are discussing ONLY theoretically stopping power in a controlled setting check this out. Mostly this is good for a first time shooter...because you haven't grown accustomed to any certain firearm/round/load remember it takes around 600 repetitions to build muscle memory from scratch and around 1000 or 2000 to build relearn muscle memory (that is why we have a preference for certain weapons...we learn with one and it just feels more natural) imho my advice is start with a good weapon that feels right in your hand
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/849728/posts
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