- There’s one deadly sin that we do less as we age, says the WaPost. Actually, I can think of several. But the article is still a nice reminder that getting old has its great benefits.
- MamaLiberty tests 9mm ammo.
- OTOH, while 9mm is emerging as the clear favorite in TZP’s current poll, Mike Vanderboegh offers a rather compelling, if strictly empirical, argument on why .45 ACP is “better.” (Great link to ballistics tests, too.)
- The Blackphone2: “not recommended at this time” for paranoid patriots.
- So typical. So very, very, very typical. That crooked cop who staged his own “murder” had a long, long record of crude, thuggish, corrupt behaviors about which nobody did anything.
- Faisal Mohammad and his mad manifesto and egregious grudges. Thank heaven for one gutsy construction worker who knew something about knife-fighting techniques and how to counter them. (Ever notice that these “civilians” who stop mass killings tend — even if they are unarmed — to be people who understand weaponry and know the ways in which a shooter or a stabber can be vulnerable?)
- On the lighter side, here’s a pug getting excited about … um, broccoli. Nom nom …
“His plan went haywire because people fought back, and that was his bad luck.”
Well…duh. Why is this simple principle so hard for people to accept?
The best article on ‘best’ ammo I’ve ever read was a study of real-world shootings. The conclusion was that ammo didn’t matter, shot placement did. So the best ammo is the one you can reliably hit your target with.
Liberty, I agree. ML was only testing for feeding, firing, ejection, cleanliness, etc. I have never seen enough accuracy difference in handgun ammo to matter. Now, if only every other one fires, or ejects, that would matter. Only a geek like me would try to benchrest a 9mm pocket gun at 50 yds. Not pretty.
Well…duh. Why is this simple principle so hard for people to accept?
“Don’t fight back. If he wants your money, give him your money. Otherwise somebody might get hurt.”
Accuracy is hitting what you aim at, not a brand of ammo. And reliability doesn’t seem to rest much on the actual ammunition either. So much more to it. Just takes a bit of time and practice to put it together.
I always knew that, but really proved it to myself with this test. And I had a ball doing so. 🙂 Next week I’ll publish the results of my hollow point tests. A few more interesting things you may, or may not have expected.
The reason we need to practice hitting what we aim at is because the mugger (or other criminal) might just want more than our money… such as our life. And rape is not just a game to play with strangers either. The victim suffers great harm, even if she (and sometimes he) survives.
I Am NOT A Victim… and for sure not any kind of willing victim.
And that argument took a huge hit 9/11/01,when we discovered how badly “If he wants the airplane, give him the airplane, otherwise somebody might get hurt” sucks.
And reliability doesn’t seem to rest much on the actual ammunition either.
True, ML, for all the standard brands. The exception is that some guns may not work with everything. I have a WWII Browning that simply will not feed many hollowpoints. So we need to make sure our EDCs and ammo are compatible.
I guess I’m not old yet. I sure do envy ML’s place to shoot.
LarryA, reliability and “accuracy” of the ammunition are two different things, far as I can see. The reliability thing rests mostly in the combination of ammo and gun. Some are compatible and some are not, so it is in practice that we discover what works best for us and our equipment. Accuracy of the ammunition is far more subtle, especially for self defense purposes. If the bullet will reliably leave the gun when fired, the accuracy mostly rests on the skill of the shooter. Anyway, that’s my take after many years of shooting. This test simply brought it together in a visual form that clinched it for me.
My takeaway from the Vanderboegh link was a reminder of an old Jeff Cooper adage. You carry a handgun so that you’ll have time to get to your rifle.
Environment may play a roll. I recall the story of Susan Butcher (sp?) of Iditarod fame once having a moose amongst her dogs. She took 5 shots, up close and personal, with a 44 mag to put the critter down. By that time the moose had killed a dog or two and injured others.
That’s the actual cause of global warming.
Oh Bill, I’ve heard that ad nausea, but it makes little sense to me. In the home, maybe, but out and about it just doesn’t work unless you are faced with a war – and have some warning. A self defense incident happens in seconds, and is usually OVER with in seconds. The gun you have on your body is the only one that will be involved… unless your attacker has one too, naturally. But you are not apt to have a rifle anywhere in the vicinity, even if you habitually carry one in the car or truck. Just isn’t going to be relevant, regardless of what the sainted Cooper said.
accuracy mostly rests on the skill of the shooter
Totally agree. Every gun I’ve ever seen fired, that was in good repair with compatible ammo, was far more accurate from a rest than in the hands of even an expert shooter. That’s why shooting’s so fun.
And you’re right about the rifle thing. The only time I ever saw it really apply was in Vietnam.
Of course, TEOTWAWKI…
As a human being, Jeff Cooper naturally had his imperfections. The only thing I would discuss on a public forum relates to his conclusion on stopping power. Cooper’s genius, and I don’t use the word lightly, was his ability to take a confusing topic and simplify it. Hence, we now have the four rules of gun safety. He started out with three and discovered he needed to add a fourth. When people are considering when they really need to carry a firearm, I often quote his very insightful and succinct statement, “You can’t schedule an emergency.”
To become as prominent as he became, he needed industry and determination, even stubbornness. Sadly, he got to the point where he believed he had everything figured out. His simplification of the issue of stopping power has not stood the test of time and he never was able to see that. He, to my great disappointment, then became an example of how one’s usefulness all but evaporates when one doesn’t listen to new ideas. He was no saint, but he was one hell of a monumental influence; referring to him as the father of modern hand gunning is not off base.