The 9mm travels a great deal faster than the. 45 ACP with the 9mm round for its standard sidearm. Among other things, this makes it ineffective against body armor. 45 ACP round is large, it’s also relatively slow, with an average velocity of 850-900 FPS for most types of ammo. The best stopping power is a complex mix of many different factors, including how fast the round is traveling and what it does when it enters the attacker’s body. It turns out, however, that things aren’t that simple. Think of hitting a person in the chest with a broom handle, then picture striking the same spot with a 5 lb. This is accomplished through simple physics a larger bullet imparts more force into its target than a smaller one. Its round is designed to not only kill the attacker but also to stop him in his tracks. 45 ACP pistol as its standard sidearm in 1911. This gave the enemy a chance to still bury a spearhead in the shooter’s chest, before finally collapsing from internal damage and blood loss.įactors like these led to the military adopting the Colt. They found that their guns wouldn’t stop the insurgents charging at them, until seconds or minutes after the bullets entered their adversaries’ bodies. However, in a self-defense situation, the object isn’t to kill your attacker it’s to end their ability to cause you harm as quickly as possible.Īmerican troops in the Philippines discovered this important distinction in the late 19th century. Any round can accomplish that, even the much-maligned. It definitely doesn’t mean the ability to kill the target. This article will define what the question “which handgun round has the best stopping power?” means, and offer unbiased information that will help the readers to make up their own minds on the subject.įirst off, it’s important to understand what the term refers to. It’s certain to elicit a wide variety of opinions and almost as likely to stir up an argument. Asking that question around gun owners is like bringing up religion or politics at a party.

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