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Rayndeon · January 13, 2010, 10:35 PM

LOL funny okie. I like!

More seriously though, you DO often need to shoot more than once. Shooting once, and pausing and expecting the subject to stop can be a dangerous behavior that can very well get you killed.

Example: Officer Borders shot a perp 8 times with .45 ACP from a Glock 21 with little to no effect - the perp still kept fighting strong - before an extremely well-aimed headshot through the eye dropped the assailant instantly.

I think cases like these really support what was stated in the OP.

On the flip side of things, Trooper Mark Coates hit his assailant, Richard Blackburn, 5 times in the chest with a .357 Magnum failing to stop him. Blackburn fired twice with a .22 LR NAA mini-revolver. The first shot was stopped by Trooper Coates' body armor. The second shot entered under the armpit, bounced off the bone, and entered the heart, killing Coates in a matter of moments. With exceptionally lucky shot placement, a puny .22 LR tragically fell Trooper Coates. With exceptionally unlucky shot placement, the venerable .357 Magnum failed to stop Blackburn, who lived and was sentenced to life in prison.

So yeah, Shot Placement + Penetration* and size of wound channel in that order are paramount for pistols.

*If you have poor penetration, even exceptional shot placement can do little if the bullet stops 1 or 2 inches short of hitting a vital organ. Likewise, all the penetration in the world is useless if you miss. Pretty obvious, but worth spelling out.

January 13, 2010, 10:35 PM	#16
Rayndeon Senior Member Join Date: December 16, 2008 Posts: 128	LOL funny okie. I like! More seriously though, you DO often need to shoot more than once. Shooting once, and pausing and expecting the subject to stop can be a dangerous behavior that can very well get you killed. Example: Officer Borders shot a perp 8 times with .45 ACP from a Glock 21 with little to no effect - the perp still kept fighting strong - before an extremely well-aimed headshot through the eye dropped the assailant instantly. I think cases like these really support what was stated in the OP. On the flip side of things, Trooper Mark Coates hit his assailant, Richard Blackburn, 5 times in the chest with a .357 Magnum failing to stop him. Blackburn fired twice with a .22 LR NAA mini-revolver. The first shot was stopped by Trooper Coates' body armor. The second shot entered under the armpit, bounced off the bone, and entered the heart, killing Coates in a matter of moments. With exceptionally lucky shot placement, a puny .22 LR tragically fell Trooper Coates. With exceptionally unlucky shot placement, the venerable .357 Magnum failed to stop Blackburn, who lived and was sentenced to life in prison. So yeah, Shot Placement + Penetration* and size of wound channel in that order are paramount for pistols. *If you have poor penetration, even exceptional shot placement can do little if the bullet stops 1 or 2 inches short of hitting a vital organ. Likewise, all the penetration in the world is useless if you miss. Pretty obvious, but worth spelling out.