AboutGCH Expertise I CAN answer questions related to defensive use of firearms, tactics, prudent modifications of firearms, utility of certain types of firearms. My greatest knowledge is in the area of handguns.
PLEASE READ BEFORE SENDING QUESTIONS:
I CAN NOT identify antique guns or those that are old and out-of-production. I CAN NOT tell you the value of your firearms. I CAN NOT tell you the history of your guns. I CAN NOT supply information about cheap, inherently unsafe firearms (e.g. Jimenez, Jennings, Lorcin).
Experience Primary Instructor, F2v (armed and unarmed self-defense); NRA Certified Instructor; NRA Distinguished Expert, Handgun; International Defensive Pistol Association certified Safety Officer; IDPA classified Expert, Stock Service Pistol Division; Multiple graduate, Practical Firearms Training, Tactical Carbine and Advanced Defensive Handgun; Blackwater Training Center, Advanced Skills Handgun; Insights Training Center, Defensive Folding Knife; Integrated Defensive Fighting Systems, Unarmed Defense and Fixed Blade Knife; Range qualified with local police department, handgun and shotgun; Kukkiwon Ildan Black Belt, ETS certified Self-Defense Instructor
Organizations National Rifle Association, International Defensive Pistol Association, Virginia Citizens' Defense League; Integrated Defensive Fighting Systems; Personal Defense Group
Publications Tactical Journal
Education/Credentials Bachelor's and Master's degrees; Graduate Practical Firearms Training, Handgun levels 1, 2, and 3, and Tactical Carbine; Kukiwan certified Ildan black belt.
Awards and Honors Multiple trophies from various tactical pistol competitions.
Alex wrote at 2006-12-09 00:48:06
Overpenetration is a myth with handguns especially with JHP or the fragmenting bullets air marshals are supposed to be using. A .357 Sig will not go through somebody and 5 people behind them. Have you ever wondered why police at one time used .357 magnum cartridges which puts an even higher velocity on the bullet?
molonlabetn wrote at 2006-12-13 21:29:50
Considering the fact that it would take far more than a small hole in a pressurized airliner fuselage to cause significant damage to the plane, or even cause dramatic de-pressurization; Over-penetration is a non-issue. Missing the target entirely is far more common than over-penetration of an intended target, anyways. Simply research shots-fired vs. misses for police shootings, it's eye-opening.
Furthermore, contradictory to the initial answer given, penetration has more to do with the design of the bullet than it does the velocity at which it strikes the target. Most people do not realize that a modern jacketed Hollow-Point bullet (which is the type of ammunition most law-enforcement and armed civilians use), will mushroom MORE in a soft target (such as flesh) as velocity increases. It is a common trait of high velocity ammunition loaded with JHP bullets to actually penetrate LESS than low-velocity ammunition with the same bullets, simply because the bullet with more energy behind it expands and transfers its energy more quickly as a result of the greater 'braking' which the expanded surface-area provides.
Regular Full-Metal-Jacket 'ball' ammunition, with a rounded nose or point, is indeed prone to over-penetration regardless of velocity. That is why FMJ ammunition is generally not used in situations with potential for collateral damage. For example, the military uses regular 'ball' FMJ ammunition, since it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing at all if one bullet went through more than one enemy soldier!
In my opinion, .40S&W is a compromise cartridge due to the lack of acceptance for its parent cartridge, the powerful 10mm Auto, but has itself only been popular in the US. The .357sig cartridge took the .40S&W idea a step further by beefing up and re-designing the case to allow more pressure, and loading lighter projectiles to higher kinetic energy without increasing recoil. The smaller, yet higher ballistic density of the .357sig projectile at near-magnum power levels increases its ability to penetrate hard barriers while retaining excellent energy-transfer in soft mediums. This is why more Federal and State law-enforcement agencies are adopting .357sig as a replacement for the .40S&W and the 9mm, and why more and more legally armed civilians are choosing the .357sig for personal defense.
173 LRRP wrote at 2006-12-13 22:04:16
If increasing the velocity of a 9 mm projectile to that achieved by the 357 SIG is overkill, then increasing the velocity of the .38 Special to that of the .357 magnum would be similar overkill. Take it back another step and there would have be no reason for the police to have gone from the .38 S&W to the .38 Special. Why shouldn't they have kept the .32 S&W which wasn't much worse than the .38 S&W. Fairly soon we have a reducto ad absurdum and no one would need anything past a .22 short.
Matt wrote at 2008-05-29 11:59:06
The initial answer to this question is a poor, uninformed answer. 9mm is NOT a poor round because of over penetration. It is a poor manstopper because of the fact it is driven at sub-.357 magnum/sig speeds AND the fact that the round has a small diameter. Edwin Sanow and Evan Marshall in their famous book "Stopping Power" list the .357 Magnum as the best all around defensive caliber (when used in 4inch plus barrels). The previous answer is wrong AGAIN when he alluded to no clear reason for the development of the .357 sig round. If he would research his history more thoroughly he would have realized that Federal and Sig Sauer (hence the "sig" part of the name)developed the .357 sig round in an attempt to replicate .357 magnum ballistics in a round suitable for semi-automatic pistols. This was clearly done if you have examined ANY ballistic table comparisons of the two. Many police agencies have switched to the .357 sig exactly for it's ability to penetrate barriers AND it's clear tendency to stay within a human target. Evidence has shown that the bullet either stays in the body or is found in the back part of the clothing on those criminals who have been shot with this round. I don't think too many police agencies would set themselves up for incredible lawsuits by choosing a round that is notorious for overpenetration whereby innocents would potentially be struck from the exiting bullet. If you review the street and lab data (which is contained in the book I mentioned) you will clearly see that overpenetration problems with the .357sig is clearly a myth and just how many law enforcement agencies are switching to this magnificent round. Also, regarding the 9mm, the most effective rounds in this caliber have been those whose speed have been the 115-124gr jhp's driven up to 1400-1500fps (just like the .357sig and .357magnum). As for the Speer Gold Dot, the bullet is Bonded, which means the jacket and core will not separate (especially when penetrating barriers). Jacket/core separation is the MAIN cause of bullet failure. The Speer Gold Dot is the main bullet, IN ALL CALIBERS, in use by a majority of law enforcement today.
