What’s the smallest handgun that is still effective at 100m?

I regularly shoot my .45 at 100. Usually causing palpitations to the range Officer.

I’m using an old Wilson Master Grade .45. (1989 vintage).



I’m not sure about other calibers but, this quote made me realize a .45 is still pretty formidable at 100 yards.

“The military actually tested penetration into white pine during the early days (230gr. FMJ, 825fps at muzzle). It would still penetrate 4" or so at 250 yards.”

Other than long barreled revolvers, the only other “carry” gun I’ve tried shooting at 100 is an HKP7M8. That gun is phenomenally accurate.

Any gun much smaller than that would be really difficult for me to shoot at 100. Not to mention, both the Wilson and the HK have spectacular triggers. Most carry guns A: just aren’t very good for a full grip. B: a really short sight radius and C: crappy triggers.
 

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44 AMP said:
I will agree that "most people" aren't great shots. But, why does it matter what "most people" can, or can't do??

Most people don't shoot my guns, I shoot my guns, and if I can do something most people can't, then yay for me...:rolleyes: Doesn't mean most people are any less, just means I have a skill they don't.
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It's a wise man that assumes his opponent has an equal or greater skill than he himself has. Were push ever come to shove for myself, I would imagine my opponent(s) skills to be that of Bill Hickok, "Jelly" Bryce, Clyde Barrow, John Wesley Hardin, Annie Oakley- - or even better than all them combined.
 
22 LR !
Box says warning range 1.5 miles . But it all mostly depends on how well you can shoot .
A miss is as good as a mile !
 
What is the smallest handgun that is still effective at 100m?

let me put it a different way, what is the smallest handgun YOU can make hits with at 100m??

Because if the gun has the necessary accuracy, and fires a round that meets your gel penetration requirements, if YOU aren't up to making the shot, then it really doesn't matter, does it??

Given time to practice and learn the gun and ammo, it can be done with a lot of pistols. Even some pocket guns. Small guns make it more difficult, but that's a matter of degree. Like shooting long range with a blackpowder round, it can be done, but requires a level of skill different from other kinds of shooting.
 
Years ago, I read a gun magazine article (wish I could find it) where they fired a bunch of pocket and mouse guns at 100 yards, from NAA minis up to Smith j frames. The .38 snubs were the most accurate, but that was mostly attributed to having more visible sights.
 
We have a 25/50/75/100/200 meter cowboy action steel silhouette range at my club and I am comfortable out to 50 meters. I've tried 75m and I do occasionally ping the Ram but I can't spot my missed shots in the berm, therefore I call this an unsafe situation for me. I shoot my scoped 12" 460 mag out to 200m but that is off a rest and this is not really comparing apples to apples. No way would I proficiently be able to shoot a typical handgun offhand at 100m
 
Any firearm employed against someone at 100m (108+ yards) isn't considered as a self defense use because the legal system will assume that you are far enough away from the threat to escape and evade rather than use deadly force to end the threat. Therefore, any use of a pistol with the capability to wound/kill a human at that range is going to be viewed legally as attempted murder.

More importantly, there probably isn't 1 pistol shooter in 100,000 who can accurately engage a threat at 100m with a standard SD type pistol so considering a specific type / caliber of pistol for use at that range for SD is not only illegal but folly.
 
The ballistics of a typical 5" barrel in a semi-auto add up to about a 10 MOA. And that doesn't include the shooter, who probably isn't anywhere near that good at 100 yards. Not to mention that most handgun rounds are *far* from a Match or precision ELR round.

My guess is overall, a 'very good' shooter and handgun would be lucky to achieve 10" group at 100 yards. But probably not.
 
could you define effective? Do you mean whether your five dollar bullet and thousand dollar gun can knock an opponent down as effectively as a 9mm combat round at 50 feet?

At 100 yards I am going to say that no round that lacks the magnum designation could be a good round to be shooting at live meat out that far. You won't get two hits at that range unless you are performing a covert assassination.

My suggestion for a reliable round at 100 yards is a .44 magnum and nothing smaller. IF you manage to get a single round into a body at long distance you want it to be the most powerful round that you can use.

I know a goose hunter that drops gees almost out to that distance. He's too smart to think that he could drop a deer with a shotgun at that distance, no matter what load he is using.
 
My Rock Island 1911 in .22 TCM is suppose to be a flat shooter ( whatever the hell that means - LOL ) --- the next time I do a day trip to the local range -- using my 8" X 11" targets --- at 100 yrds I'll take a few shots on center & a few at the top edge of the paper --- if I hit ( see ) anything --- I'm happy
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P/S -- My next purchase will / might be either a SCCY CPX-2 or a Bersa TPR9C in 9MM -- if they cant hit the target --- I'll throw them :rolleyes:
 
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COSteve said:
Any firearm employed against someone at 100m (108+ yards) isn't considered as a self defense use because the legal system will assume that you are far enough away from the threat to escape and evade rather than use deadly force to end the threat. Therefore, any use of a pistol with the capability to wound/kill a human at that range is going to be viewed legally as attempted murder.
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This is not accurate as a blanket statement, as there are states with laws that would consider defensive firearm use at such a range perfectly legal. Know your local laws and the folk charged with their enforcement.

COSteve said:
More importantly, there probably isn't 1 pistol shooter in 100,000 who can accurately engage a threat at 100m with a standard SD type pistol...
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Might want to observe a sanctioned bullseye competition some time. Tiny groups one-handed from the unsupported standing position. Sure, not huge numbers of bullseye competitors, but given a rest of some sort and a knowledge of the bullet's trajectory, this is not rocket science. BTDT.

COSteve said:
...so considering a specific type / caliber of pistol for use at that range for SD is not only illegal but folly.
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Considering using a SD pistol at extended range is illegal? Where are you posting from?
 
Here’s a trip down memory lane for some of you. A rampage shooter attacking a courthouse was stopped by an officer who fired a single .40 JHP (one handed as the other was holding the reins of the officer’s horse) from over 100yds (as reported here... I’ve heard it was actually 80yds). Officer not indicted or arrested.

Source: https://www.policeone.com/officer-s...hooting-of-gunman-in-downtown-Austin-rampage/

Apparently, people can not only hit targets with a handgun at that distance, they can do it when the chips are down. I’d guess that officer had probably practiced a bit at distance though and didn’t just start winging rounds downrange and hoping for the best.
 
2damnold4this said:
Yep. And Staff Sergeant Andy Brown made a 70 yard head shot with an M9 on a criminal who was shooting at him with an AK rifle.
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Along with Bartholomew Roberts' example, I think the threat of an active shooter could easily be over 50 meters considering parking lots, open-area events, etc. While my primary focus would be on egressing such an area or incident as fast as possible, if pinned down your only chance may be that 30-40 meter shot; maybe even out to 100 meters. What we do know is that it's not anecdotal as we do have several examples.

If anything, it's not a wasted effort to extend your CCW shooting distances and evaluate your skill and capabilities with your CCW. Better to have practiced it and not need it than need it and not have the confidence or practice to take it.

While I'm just not skill enough out to 100 meters, I'm doing drills out to 30 meters now and will work to improve my skill out to 50 meters enough to feel confident in making a high probability hit.

ROCK6
 
I know a defensive pistol instructor who includes some 100 yard shooting in all of his classes with advanced students. They shoot at a good sized steel plate, I think it is 18" wide and 24" high, so it is comparable to a hit somewhere on the upper body.

Most people are very intimidated to shoot a pistol from 100 yards for the first time, and they don't expect to hit anything. But actually everybody hits the plate within their first magazine, and this is the point of the drill. Once they know it is hittable, they do even better their second time up.

Usually revolvers also hit the plate within the first six shots, and even 5 shot snub revolvers often hit it, though that is not guaranteed.

As a person who has done lots of target shooting at 50 yards, and some at 100 yards, I could say lots more about this subject. One thing I will mention is that a .22 target pistol is a very viable tool at 100 yards. Many .22 pistols are extremely accurate, and have either excellent sights or an optic. It is not too difficult for an experienced shooter to hit a paper plate at 100 yards with a good .22. And while a .22 may not have much stopping power, a few of them to the center of mass will still ruin anyone's day.
 
Yep. And Staff Sergeant Andy Brown made a 70 yard head shot with an M9 on a criminal who was shooting at him with an AK rifle.
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AFTER pedaling his bicycle a quarter mile to get to the scene (he was on bike patrol). The article I read said he fired 4 times, two missed, one hit the bad guy in the shoulder and one hit him right between the eyes, with a (stock) M9 service pistol and service issue ammo. The bad guy had a MAK 90 with a 75rnd drum.

Look it up. Fairchild AFB June 20, 1994

Its not common, its not easy, but don't for a minute think its impossible.
 
100M shoot outs with handguns are few and far between....
Just what are you expecting ? The biggest question is how good a shot are you .
Elmer Keith once downed a wounded mule deer at 400 yards with a 44 magnum S&W , it took a few shots to walk the bullets into the deer but the last shot anchored the deer before it could get away ....so if I could even see a target at 100M , I would say the 41 magnum might be the smallest effective handgun round at 100 meters .

The range of a 22 LR is 1 Mile ....possibly the 22 LR is the smallest !

Gary
 
I took my geezer eyes, my variable focus glasses, and my new XD9 to the range today, first time in 4 years or so. Most of my shooting was in the 5-10 meter range, but I did 20 rounds at 25 meters. Judging by my performance at that distance, bad guys at 100 meters could stand there and safely spend all their time dancing the hokey-pokey :D

D
 
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