Defensive ammo in a 1911?

[44 AMP]

The hard ball 230 grain load was known to knock a man down with one well placed hit.

Utter nonsense. Why do people keep perpetuating this myth? It shows a lack of understanding of basic physics.

Perhaps it shows a lack of understanding basic physics, but it does explain what people have seen.

Guys gets shot, gets knocked down. (and note that knocked down is not the same as falls down). It DOES happen.

But I don't think it happens, when it does happen (and it doesn't happen every time) because of what many people think. It's not the energy of the bullet that does it. I believe it is the energy of living tissue reacting to the bullet strike. Think of it as an involuntary massive muscle "twitch" that does it.

At the risk of beating a dead horse, shoot a dead animal. All you get is a twitch of the flesh where the bullet impacts. A live animal may react the same way, or it may be "knocked down", knocked off its feet, etc.
or it may react somewhere in between. Its NOT bullet energy alone that does it.

[KyJim]

I think most of us know that the term "defensive" ammo is often used to distinguish hollow points and the like from full metal jacket or lead round nose rounds, both of which are often called "target" or "range" ammo. It's just short-hand.

And, yes, you can shoot "target" ammo at things other than targets, including at humans. Also, you don't have to limit your use of "range" ammo to the range. Feel free to shoot it anywhere where it's legal.

[Model12Win]

Ball rounds had an excellent rep for a thump factor back during the war.

As big as a 9mm expanded. No replacement for displacement, they all fall to hardball!!

[pete2]

And, they blow up tanks.....................................................