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For me, the only pistol caliber cartridges I trust in FMJ would be .357mag and .45 Auto.
Yourself?
Yourself?
What cartridges (pistol) do you trust in FMJ?
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Trust? What about them do you trust.
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Wise man once said even with zero expansion a .45 still makes damn near a half inch hole.
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That I can have decent SD expectations with FMJ amo, and not have to feel like I need premium HP ammo for defense.
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I have a deadly accurate vintage S&W .38 Spl that is scary on target with the right loads, but I'm not entirely convinced that FMJ in 38 Spl is the best load for self-defense
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Whereas, a .45 FMJ and and a .357 FMJ seem to have a certain, ahem, authority, that lends them a bit more trustworthiness...
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.45ACP hardball out of a standard length barrel has a historically proven 62-65% one shot stop rate. Usually that meant shot dead, or so badly injured the fight wasn't continued with one .45ACP hardball to the chest.
It's reputation as a manstopper was hard earned and is well proven.
While I would prefer and carry modern HP, I wouldn't feel underarmed if limited to that load. Even in a compact platform.
Gray_Rider
Old Secessh
It's reputation as a manstopper was hard earned and is well proven.
While I would prefer and carry modern HP, I wouldn't feel underarmed if limited to that load. Even in a compact platform.
Gray_Rider
Old Secessh
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9mm nato
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I trust all of them to feed nicely.
Assuming, however, you were talking about stopping power, then I trust .45 ACP.
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That wise man was Clint Smith...he always advocated FMJ for the reliability factor...said he would just keep poking those 45 cal holes until the threat was stopped
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The only one I can think of that might be even marginal would be a very fast FN 10mm.
I consider pretty much any ball ammo to very "trustworthy" for putting into the dirt burm, or as a last resort.... But for any 'serious' encounters (which sums up any SD situation where a handgun is needed).... I'll "splurge" for the premium ammo DESIGNED for those encounters.
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I would have to say the .45 ACP or the .45 Colt. The .357, I think, would blow a very fast hole through somebody unless it struck bone. I think the 9MM is quite sufficient with SD ammunition. With FMJ, I'm not so sure. A friend did shoot an enemy soldier during the Gulf War and he went right down and died, but my friend said he fired a burst of three at about 20 feet from his Beretta.
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When I feebly attempt to figure all of the miniscule statistical odds of being involved in some sort of an altercation involving me shooting my firearm at another person in self defense, there are, among others, three ammunition related issues that could cause me concern:
1. Will I hit my target?
2. Will my weapon function reliably?
3. Will the ammunition used stop the threat?
Of those three, #'s 2 and 3 are probably the biggest issues concerning ammunition.
With that, I consider that ball ammunition, while seriously underperforming compared to expanding ammo, still does have some level of success in stopping a threat. Saying that "it's worthless" or some other such thing is just silly. From the soldier to the street thug, thousands of fatalities are cause by being hit my such ammo.
That being the case, I couldn't imagine anything worse than a weapon that malfunctions in a time of need. While out and about, I carry a .380, and since it's a little underpowered anyway, I'll take the reliability and slightly deeper penetration of FMJ.
At home, I keep a loaded magazine of 9mm, .300 AAC Blackout, and plain old .22 long rifle in the kitchen. I use 'em all around the acreage a lot, and just figure I'll use whatever I have handy. If things get nasty, I'll go for the bigger rifle anyway.
1. Will I hit my target?
2. Will my weapon function reliably?
3. Will the ammunition used stop the threat?
Of those three, #'s 2 and 3 are probably the biggest issues concerning ammunition.
With that, I consider that ball ammunition, while seriously underperforming compared to expanding ammo, still does have some level of success in stopping a threat. Saying that "it's worthless" or some other such thing is just silly. From the soldier to the street thug, thousands of fatalities are cause by being hit my such ammo.
That being the case, I couldn't imagine anything worse than a weapon that malfunctions in a time of need. While out and about, I carry a .380, and since it's a little underpowered anyway, I'll take the reliability and slightly deeper penetration of FMJ.
At home, I keep a loaded magazine of 9mm, .300 AAC Blackout, and plain old .22 long rifle in the kitchen. I use 'em all around the acreage a lot, and just figure I'll use whatever I have handy. If things get nasty, I'll go for the bigger rifle anyway.
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I guess the way I see it, there are so many better options in just about every application, I can't think of why, except, no other choice. FMJ's have so many marginal attributes, they go through flesh in a very streamlined manner (mostly leaving a smaller than caliber hole in their wake). They tend to steer very weird courses. Sometimes that trait can be fortuitous (Jack Ruby comes to mind), sometimes less than desirable. In any case, the shooter has less control over where it is going to end up than just about any other option.
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Oh but you do
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