One Shot Stopping Power Article #1 ONE-SHOT STOPPING POWER How do popular combat loads stack up? Here are the latest results of thousands of actual shootouts. BY EVAN P. MARSHALL Reprinted with permission from Petersen's Handguns, November, 1988 The first comprehensive report on my efforts to collect and analyze actual shooting data was published in the premier issue of this magazine. The reader response was overwhelming! I received over 100 letters and probably almost as many phone calls. Fully 98 percent of the correspondence was favorable, while the rest contained varying criticisms. The criticism fell into a few general areas: (1) "The data sample is too small." When I indicated that I had to have at least five shootings with a particular load before I would include it in my study, a number of people assumed that most if not all of the loads included were in this category. A couple of writers attacked the study on these grounds, which I frankly find hilarious, since these same gentelemen have pontificated on the superiority of the .45 auto with no database at all! Their "proof" is based on sea stories or anecdotal information. (2) "Marshall is anti-.45 auto." Frankly, when it comes to saving my life, I'm anti-handgun! Pistols, regardless of caliber, are generally not really good fight stoppers. When we know that we're about to go in harm's way, we had better get a long gun and a lot of help! Readers should remember that when I started this study I was an IPSC Section Coordinator and a staunch advocate of the big-bore handgun. As the results from actual shootings began to come in, I soon realized that the .45 ACP fell short of all the propaganda certain gun writers had been spreading far and wide! (EDITOR'S NOTE: PLEASE SEE MY COMMENTS IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE 45ACP SECTION WHERE HE LISTS "FAILURES" that he"forgot" to include on all the other calibers. Biased B.S.) (3) "Marshall only advocates the 9mm because his department won't let him carry a .45 auto." This refers to a comment in an article in another publication. The article was written long before I had enough data to make any intelligent comments. Unfortunately, the magazine in question did not publish it until several years later. My department (Detroit PD) currently approves the S&W Model 645 for on and off duty use, but I still carry my high-capacity 9mm. (4) "Head shots shouldn't be included because anything works well in a head shot." Actually, this criticism has some merit. While sitting on the FBI's Wound Ballistic Panel last year at Quantico, fellow panel member Dr. Carroll Peters of the University of Tennessee made the suggestion that I restrict my results to torso hits only. I thought that suggestion was a good one, so the results listed here are torso hits only. (5) "Marshall's 9mm results don't agree with reports from men I know and trust." This comment was made by a Florida cop who was horrified by my recommendation of the Winchester 9mm Silvertip. What this officer is saying is that he would sooner base his survival on "war stories" than documented results. Well known gunwriter and good friend Mas Ayoob collects shooting results from sources independent from mine. We compare notes from time to time and there is very little difference in our results. Furthermore, a rather well known counter terrorist unit shot live pigswith 9mm and .45 ACP handguns. The results were videotaped and I'veseen the tape. Pigs shot with 9mm Silvertip and .45 ACP Silvertip reacted exactly the same way and collapsed at the same rate. Pigs shot with 9mm ball went down farther than those shot with .45 ball. Lastly, a classified study exists on actual shooting results with .38 Special and .357 Magnum. Their findings virtually mirror my results in these calibers. CRITERIA In order to understand why a shooting is included in this study, readers need to know what sort of information I require: (1) REPORTS -- before I'll include a shooting in this study, I have to have access to all the reports. If it's a fatal shooting, I want to look at and copy (if possible) the homocide file. Autopsy reports are also required. (2) INTERVIEWS -- I talk to as many people involved as possible. Shooting survivors and the doctors who treat them are especially important. (3) BULLETS -- whenever possible, I was to either see the recovered slugs or at least photos of them. (4) RECORDS -- In survivable shooting I want to see the treatment records. These stringent requirements, of course, eliminate the "Me & Joe went on patrol" type of reports. It also means that the compilation of data is a difficult and slow process. If it weren't for a network of sources across the country and overseas, I would never have accumulated enough data to reach any conclusions. Included in each segment by caliber is a brief description of an actual shooting where the load was used. (Contributor's Note: Case Studies were deleted in the interest of space.) DEFINITION OF A STOP For the purpose of this study, a stop is defined as follows: (1) If the person shot was engaged in an assault when shot, he or she is unable to continue. In other words, no more shots are fired or no more blows are struck. (2) If the person shot is fleeing, they collapse within ten yards. SHOOTING RESULTS BY CALIBER
.32 ACP Frankly, I had no intention of including anything smaller than the .380 auto, but I kept stumbling across cases where Winchester's excellent Silvertip load in this caliber was used. The darn thing always seems to expand in soft tissue. At least, I haven't been able to find a single instance where it has failed to do so.
LOAD                        TOTAL     STOPS      PERCENTAGE

W-W STHP                     12        7            58

.380 ACP This caliber was generally ignored as a serious choice for defensive purposes until Lee Jurras burst on the scene with the Super Vel line of ammunition. Lee reasoned that the best approach to handgun stopping power was to reduce bullet weight, make it as fragile as possible, and drive it at increased velocities. While the .38 Special was the greatest beneficiary of this approach, the .380 auto also benefited. Super Vel's offering in this caliber was an 88-grain jacketed hollow point at 1,022 feet per second from my pre-war Walther PP. In actual shootings, the SV load rarely expanded evenly. Generally, it would peel down one side making a sort of "half mushroom." Only when it hit heavy bone would it provide the shape we all hope for from our hollow points. Currently, of course, Super Vel is out of production. Today, we can shose between hollow point offerings from Winchester, Federal, Remington, CCI, and Hornady. Of the currently commercially available rounds, Silvertip has proven to be the best performer. It is a favorite of undercover narcs, off-duty officers, and civilians, who like a small pistol for defensive or second gun purposes. Of all the current .380s, I like the SIG P-230 the best and carry it as a backup to my 9mm.
LOAD                         TOTAL     STOPS     PERCENTAGE

Federal FMJ                   27        15           55
Federal JHP                   22        13           59
CCI JHP                       18        10           56
W-W STHP                      31        19           61
R-P JHP                       17        10           58
Hornady JHP                    9         5           56

.38 SPECIAL Long the traditional police caliber, this round received a real boost from the genius of Lee Jurras. Lee decided that since a change of caliber by police agencies was generally too expensive, the best approach was to upgrade the ammunication. Lee reduced the bullet weight from 158 grains to 110, hollow pointed the bullet, and made it rather fragile by utilizing a thin jacket and soft lead core. The round produced an honest 1,100+ fps from the four-inch barreled service revolver and expanded well in soft tissue. Producing in excess of 1,000 fps from the two-inch barreled revolver, expansion was an iffy proposition from this barrel length. Shortly after the introduction of the Super Vel line, the other manufacturers were forced to follow suit. Today, of course, we have a bewildering variety of "high performance" offerings. In spite of al the high velocity, light bullet weight hoopla in this caliber, the best performers in actual shootouts have been the +P 158-grain lead hollow point loads produced by Remington, Winchester, and Federal. These three loads have produced virtualy identical results. Producing a velocity in excess of 800 fps from the two-inch barrel, they are reliable expanders in soft tissue without hitting bone. 2-INCH BARREL
LOAD                        TOTAL     STOPS     PERCENTAGE     
W-W 158-grain LHP            29        18           61
Fed 158-grain LHP            23        14           61
Rem 158-grain LHP            16        10           61
Fed 125-grain JHP            26        15           60
Rem 125-grain JHP            39        23           58
CCI 125-grain JHP            18        10           57
W-W 125-grain JHP            24        13           56
Fed 125-grain JSP            48        26           55
Fed 158-grain SWC            53        27           50
Fed 158-grain RNL           112        57           50
Rem 95-grain JHP             58        30           50
W-W 110-grain JHP            50        25           50
4-INCH BARREL
W-W 158-grain LHP            82        53           65
Fed 158-grain LHP            66        42           64
Rem 158-grain LHP            58        37           64
Fed 125-grain JHP            39        24           63
Rem 125-grain JHP            28        17           61
CCI 125-grain JHP            21        13           60
W-W 125-grain JHP            20        12           60
Fed 125-grain JSP            52        30           58
Fed 158-grain SWC            68        37           55
Fed 158-grain RNL           109        60           55
Rem 95-grain JHP             84        46           55
W-W 110-grain JHP            54        30           55

9MM PARABELLUM This caliber was seldom seen in law enforcement circles until the Illinois State Police and Salt Lake City PD adopted the S&W Model 39 pistol. Most departments, however, looked at such usage as an aberration, and it was not until the Model 59 arrived upon the scene that the 9mm began to receive serious sonsideration. The use of high-capacity pistols in this caliber by bad guys increased the interest and demand for the high-capacity 9mm semi-auto pistol. The U.S. military's change to this caliber was the final straw. Today, of course, it is the overwhelming choice of departments switching to other calibers of handguns. Super el introduced high-performance loads in this caliber, but the stubby 90-grain JHP was not a reliable feeder in the original Model 39s. Eventually, as the pistols in this caliber became popular, Winchester game us the Silvertip and Federal and Remington gave us comparable loads. Winchester's 115-grain Silvertip got a bad rap from various "experts" after the Miami Shootout. Contrary to rumors, the bad guy was struck by two Silvertips not thirteen. One struck him in the thoracic cavity, and the second in the arm. The first hit was a non-survivable wound, while the second blew out the brachial artery and was potentially fatal. Both rounds did what they were designed to do -- they expanded in soft tissue. The argument that the agents would have survived in they had had .45s is nonsense.
LOAD                        TOTAL     STOPS     PERCENTAGE     
W-W 147-grain JHP            10         8           80
W-W 115-grain JHP+P+         29        23           78
Fed 115-grain JHP            56        40           72
W-W 115-grain STHP           89        63           71
R-P 115-grain JHP            64        45           70
CCI 115-grain JHP            40        28           69
Horn 90-grain JHP            12         7           58
Horn 115-grain JHP           19        13           68
W-W 115-grain FMJ            63        38           60

.357 MAGNUM This caliber was introduced in the mid-1930s as a higher powered version of the .38 Special. Not originally developed with law enforcement in mind, it gradually found a niche in police/defensive circles. Prior to the Super Vel line, the only "high performance" .357 load was the Remington 158-grain jacketed soft point. Not specifically designed for police use, it produced only marginal expansion against human targets. Today, of course, we have a wide variety of offerings in this caliber in a wide spectrum of bullet weights and styles to choose from. While some very impressive claims are made about them, most are really not that spectacular of performers in actual shootings. There are a few, however, that produce stopping power results that should bring .357 carriers a feeling of real security.
LOAD                         TOTAL     STOPS     PERCENTAGE

Fed 110-grain JHP             39        32           82
Fed 125-grain JHP             48        41           91
Fed 158-grain JHP             26        19           73
Fed 158-grain SWC             24        17           71
R-P 110-grain JHP             19        15           80
R-P 125-grain JHP             37        33           89
R-P 158-grain JHP             19        14           74
R-P 158-grain SWC             38        25           66
R-P 158-grain JSP             23        17           65
W-W 110-grain JHP             31        26           84
W-W 125-grain JHP             53        45           85
W-W 145-grain STHP            26        20           80
W-W 158-grain JHP             51        36           71
W-W 158-grain SWC             64        46           72
CCI 110-grain JHP             18        15           83
CCI 125-grain JHP             24        21           87
CCI 125-grain JSP             14        10           71
CCI 140-grain JHP             23        17           74
CCI 158-grain JHP             20        14           70
CCI 158-grain JSP             18        12           67
Fed 158-grain NHP*            11         8           73
Fed 158-grain SWC*            14         9           65

*Nyclad rounds

.41 MAGNUM This caliber was developed in the mid sixties as the "ultimate police cartridge." Unfortunately, a series of mishaps doomed it almost from the beginning. One department switched to the S&W Model 58 revolver in this caliber and then issued the jacketed soft point ammo instead of the moderate-velocity lead semi-wadcutter offering. The recoil differences between the full power magnum loads and the .38 Special they had been carrying were dramatic and qualification scores plummeted. Another department carried the SWC load, but compared their qualification scores fired with factory .41 ammo with scores fired when they were using N-frame .357s with .38 wadcutter reloads.
LOAD                        TOTAL     STOPS      PERCENTAGE

R-P 210-grain SWC            20        15           75
R-P 210-grain JSP            11         9           81
W-W 210-grain JHP             9         7           77
W-W 210-grain SWC            19        14           73
W-W 175-grain STHP           14        12           85

.44 SPECIAL Just as the .38 Special preceded the .357, the .44 Special was the forerunner of the .44 Magnum. People like Elmer Keith developed heavy handloads for this caliber that eventualy generated enough interest for the .44 Magnum to come into begin. Of course, once the .44 Mag was a reality, interest in the Special waned. The only load available in this caliber was the 246-grain round nose lead load, until Charter Arms produced the .44 Special Bulldog. Subsequent to that, S&W re-introduced the Model 24 and only increased the demand for high performance ammunition in this caliber. Even the hottest .44 Special loads in this caliber are mild when fire in the N-frame Smith.
LOAD                        TOTAL     STOPS     PERCENTAGE

W-W 246-grain RNL            24        18           65
Fed 200-grain LHP            19        13           68
W-W 200-grain STHP           20        14           70
R-P 200-grain SWC            10         7           70

.44 MAGNUM This round was not given serious consideration as a law enforcement/defensive caliber, until the advent of the "Dirty Harry" films. Then everyone had to have one! It didn't matter that few could control this revolver in rapid double-action fire with full power loads, people just had to have them. The introduction of loads like Remington's medium-velocity offering, Winchester's Silvertip (a sort of three-quarter magnum load), and Winchester's medium velocity SWC offering, have made this caliber an interesting alternative for police or civilians who prefer the big-bore revolver.
LOAD                        TOTAL     STOPS     PERCENTAGE

W-W 240-grain SWC            30        24           80
R-P 240-grain SWC            38        31           82
W-W 240-grain JHP            26        21           81
W-W 210-grain STHP           20        17           85
Fed 180-grain JHP            16        13           81
Fed 240-grain JHP            21        18           85
R-P 240-grain JHP            12        10           83
R-P 240-grain SWC*           40        28           70

*Medium velocity

.45 ACP The big auto, of course, is a very popular defensive handgun. Not seen that widely in law enforcement, it is nonetheless what most knowledgeable people consider a superior choice to save one's life with. I have carried one, and there is a certain emotional tie to that big old jacketed slug. The actual facts, however, do not support all the mystical qualities that have been ascribed to it. I don't have any problems with those who prefer it to other sidearms, but I do object to lies, myths and unsubstantiable anecdotal stories about it. Carriers of this round are extremely smug about the fact that none of the horror stories are told about stopping power failures with other calibers exist about the .45 ACP. Well, I hate to burst anyone's bubble, but read on.
Editor's Note: Evan Marshall did not include a "failure" list for any of the other calibers he included in his "study". He is a renoun 9MM fan, and has done (too) much to cause a big debate among 9MM vs 45acp shooters as to which is the better cartridge for personal defense. My feelings are that the handgun, when compared to the power of rifles and shotguns, are wimpy. HONESTLY now, when comparing all handgun calibers for personal defense, they ALL perform basically the same.... At the bottom line you'll find BULLET PLACEMENT far and above the most important criteria when looking at Evan's "statistics". Since he did not include failures on any of the other calibers, he has sterilized the relevance in this report, and you should take his "facts" with a grain of salt (at least until he grows up and includes 9MM failures.) Whether he wants to acknowledge it or not, the 45ACP has been proven on the battlefield of world wars and military conflicts since 1911, a "statistic" that he can neither void or cover up. Other calibers such as the .380 and 9MM can only wish they had as many hardcore followers, or as much time on the battlefields as the .45ACP. Marshall basically became famous when he published this hodgepodge of facts and figures, so do you blame him for starting a controversy? Not really.
FAILURE #1: A southern cop, he was on midnight patrol in the downtown area alone. Driving past an alley, he saw two men standing with their back to him at a doorway. He called for backup, but decided to investigate matters before his help arrived -- an almost fatal error. He yelled at the two men to turn around. They did and opened fire with the .45s they carried. The officer took five torso hits with .45 ball and collapsed. He told me from his hospital bed, "Evan, I knew I was going to die in that alley, and then I heard those bastards laughing at me." Pulling himself to one knee, he pulled his duty revolver and killed them. His weapon? A S&W Model 10 loaded with 158-grain round nose lead ammo! FAILURE #2: The rooming house residents had been arguing all day. Finally, two of them had traded blows and vowed to go and get their guns. They met in the hallway. One was armed with a Government Model Colt loaded with hardball, while the other had a cheap .22 caliber revolver. Our .45 lover laughed and opened fire After he emptied his gun, he looked in amazement as the .22 carrier pointed his small revolver at his chest and fired once. The auto dropped from his hand as he died. The .22 carrier went to his room, changed clothes and then took two different buses to the hospital where the doctors removed seven rounds of .45 ball from his chest. FAILURE #3: A motorcycle cop, he carried a Colt Gold Cup loaded with 200-grain jacketed hollow point ammo. Making a traffic stop for a minor violation, he was suddenly confronted by a revolver-armed motorist. The officer fired twice and then game chase as his attacker took of on foot. The foot pursuit lasted for 13 block, until the bad guy ran into a garage and, sticking the gun in his mouth, took his own life. The autopsy found a .38 slug in his head and two expanded .45 hollow points in his chest!! FAILURE #4: A U.S. military member with counter-terrorist responsibilities, he carried a cocked and locked .45 everywhere he went. He and his wife were walking to their car in the theater parking lot when he was confronted by three long-haired youths. They demanded his wallet, and when he told them to forget it, one pulled a knife. The soldier's response was swift and sure. He pulled his .45 and double tapped the kid with the knife. Turning his attention to the other youth, he suddenly heard his wife scream his name. Turning, he saw the knife sticking from his wife's stomach. He shot the stabber again and grabbed his wife. While in the process of providing first aid for her, he heard a car start and saw the youth drive away. His wife was rushed to the hospital where emergency surgery saved her life. While leaving through the emergency exit, he saw her attacker walking in for treatment. The 16-year-old holdup man had taken four rounds of .45 ball in the chest and was still mobile four hours after the incident! FAILURE #5: A citizen was in his living room, when he heard sirens on his quiet residential street. Looking out the window, he saw a sheriff's deputy struggling with a man. A reserve deputy and IPSC shooter, our hero grabbed his Lightweight Commander and ran outside. He had just reached his driveway, when he saw the bad guy had the deputy's Magnum. The reserve quickly fired three shots from his Commander. To his horror, the bad guy quickly shot the deputy and opened fire at the reservist. The bad guy then jumped in the deputy's vehicle and escaped. He was found three days later by the state patrolin a gas station. He had to be forcibly subdued before they could take him to the hospital where the doctors removed three rounds of .45 ball from his back!
LOAD                        TOTAL     STOPS     PERCENTAGE

W-W 230-grain FMJ            79        51           63
W-W 185-grain STHP           30        21           70
Fed 185-grain JHP            36        25           69
R-P 185-grain JHP            26        18           69
CCI 200-grain JHP            46        34           74

.45 COLT This caliber was generally neglected by those seeking a defensive handgun until two things happened. First, S&W introduced the Model 25-5 in this caliber. It is a moderate recoil gun that throws a big old heavy lead slug that a lot of people find comforting. Second, Winchester and Federal gave us hollow point loads for this weapon. It is very popular among cops who either cannot carry a Magnum or who are recoil conscious. Guys and gals in my department buy and carry a lot of these revolvers.
LOAD                        TOTAL     STOPS     PERCENTAGE

W-W 255-grain RNL            64        41           64
W-W 225-grain STHP           29        20           69
Fed 225-grain LHP            30        21           70

CONCLUSION This is where things stand as of July 7, 1988. Careful readers will not there have been some substantial changes in some calibers and loads. Again remember, this is not "Marshall's Theory of Stopping Power." My ego is not tied to any of this, and I will follow it wherever it leads me. I have no axe to grind and the whole purpose of this study is to provide good guys and gals with enough reliable data to make an intelligent decision. The information provided here is just a small portion of what will be contained in a stopping power book I'm in the process of finishing. ******************************************************** --Frugal Squirrel's HomePage for Patriots, Survivalists, and Gun Owners