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.45 STOPPING POWER?

fmlfml Member Posts: 78 ✭✭
edited February 2003 in Ask the Experts
DOES THE .45 HAVE MORE STOPPING POWER THAN THE .40 IN GENERAL AND IF SO, IS THE .45 WORTH THE EXTRA SIZE AND WEIGHT? THANKS
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    sundownersundowner Member Posts: 1,198 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The .45 has more stopping power than a .40 (size does matter) -- but I also think that with quality hollowpoints either will get the job done well. Worth the extra size and weight? That's a personal call, IMHO.


    ". . . let me forget about today until tomorrow"
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    rldowns3rldowns3 Member Posts: 6,096
    edited November -1
    the .40 and .45 are both fine cartridges for self defense. Either one will suffice for that purpose. The .45 is a lower velocity round but heavier than the .40 (in general unless you have some suped up rounds) and the .40 is just the opposite, lighter and faster. Just get a sidearm you are comfortable with that you enjoy shooting and carrying and either cartridge will do.

    *side note*

    Personally, if you are buying a *new* gun my opinion is that it dosen't matter the capacity of either gun because you can't purchase new guns and clips with a capacity of more than 10 rounds unless you are a LEO or you find some prebans (preban means more $$$$$), so if you buy a high cap .40 cal pistol with 10 rounds or the usual .45 with 7 or 8 round clips or a high cap .45 in 10 round clips I don't see capacity as a real issue. (sorry for the babbling I'm tired)
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    DarrellDarrell Member Posts: 733 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    There is NO scientific source to show one over the other. It boils down to placement.
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    Jim RauJim Rau Member Posts: 3,550
    edited November -1
    The 45 does not have the volicity to:
    1. Break the femur of an adult.
    2. To penatrate the frontal bone.
    3. To penatrate a windshield.
    4. To penatrate the tires of most motor vehicles.
    The 45, usualy requires a larger frame gun.
    The 40 is a good compermise between the 'heavy, large dia, slow' camp and the 'light, small dia, fast' camp.
    I have disagree with Darrell, 'scientific' is in the eye of the beholder. I have shot, witnessed, and investigated the shooting of MANY 'animals' and IF THE SHOTS ARE WELL PLACED THERE IS STILL A GREAT DIFFERANCE IN THE EFFECT ON THE ANIMAL. If you adapt this mind set a 22 short or a 223 would not have cause any differnt effect on an animal if they are placed in the same spot. Common sense will tell you other wise. If this is true the best defence hand gun would be a 22 rf or a 25 auto, but agin common sense says different.
    If I were you I would go with the 40, but either of THESE TWO WILL WORK WELL WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN. The one YOU shot best and YOU have the most confidence in is the one YOU should carry.

    Self defence is an ablsolute and natural right. Keep your powder dry! J. Rau, Alaska
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    punchiepunchie Member Posts: 2,792 ✭
    edited November -1
    Personal choice is the 45 but the 40 is a very good personal defense round also. Extra size weight for a 45? Check out the Colt Defender. It has been offered in both 40 and 45, 22oz is not heavy and the size is comparable to most small 40s.

    AN ARMED SOCIETY IS A POLITE SOCIETY
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    gap1916gap1916 Member Posts: 4,977
    edited November -1
    Jim Rau: I will have to disagree with some of what you posted. My factory .45acp load is 200gr sjh moving at 1050fps. This will penitrate that which say it will not. There are hotter .45acp on the market today. My 2 cents. [8D]

    Greg
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    fmlfml Member Posts: 78 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by gap1916
    Jim Rau: I will have to disagree with some of what you posted. My factory .45acp load is 200gr sjh moving at 1050fps. This will penitrate that which say it will not. There are hotter .45acp on the market today. My 2 cents. [8D]

    Greg
    THANKS VERY MUCH FOR ALL THE REPLYS, THIS DOES HELP ME. THANKS FML
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    SunraySunray Member Posts: 773 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    "The 45 does not have the volicity to:
    1. Break the femur of an adult.
    2. To penatrate the frontal bone.
    3. To penatrate a windshield.
    4. To penatrate the tires of most motor vehicles"
    Who told you this? This is nonsense. And spelling counts.
    Neither the .45 ACP or the .40 S&W will reliably stop anything every time. No pistol calibre is 100% reliable.
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    NighthawkNighthawk Member Posts: 12,022 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I'll throw my experience with windshields in.Ive seen numerous windshields shot with a Handgun.Not once have I saw one penetrate a car windshield,they were always deflected up and only left an imprint on the windshield.A bullet will follow the path of least resistance.Its documented that the angle of a windshield will direct the bullet upward.A High Powered Rifle is a different story.HTH


    Best!!

    Rugster


    Toujours Pret
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    rldowns3rldowns3 Member Posts: 6,096
    edited November -1
    I'll have to side with rugster here, a auto windshield is a very hard angled and curved piece of glass that will deflect most handgun rounds at least once or twice in the same spot. I've shot a few windshields on vehicles that I towed out to the desert for purposes of testing and I've seen windshields deflect a .44spl, .357mag, .45, lots of 9mm deflected. Yes, when they hit it does bust up the windshield pretty good and a 2nd or 3rd round will usually penetrate if shot in the same spot but you have to ask yourself are you willing to stand in front of a moving vehicle long enough to aim a second or third shot? Or even if the vehicle isn't moving are you willing to stand there and take careful aim and make an easy target for whoever is hiding behind the windshield?

    And I'll have to add, a .45 will bust up a femur and pelvis pretty good, ask the guy that broke into my home two years ago who's now in a wheel chair permenantly at the Maricopa County Madison Street Jail.
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