stopping_power

Stopping Power: Which Ammunition? Bertrand Blanc
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Stopping Power: Which Ammunition?
This document aims at reviewing and discussing the various main characteristics of ammunition
and their relationship with the stopping power.
We often hear that the heavier the bullet and the faster it moves, the higher its muzzle energy and
the more damage it will do: is it that true? We will review in this document many hypothesis
based on the bullet characteristics mentioned above and their consequences in terms of stopping
power.
The piece of ammunition characteristics in this document aim at focusing on five main
characteristics: the caliber, the bullet weight, the bullet tip and jacketing, and the muzzle energy.
The caliber is the diameter of the bullet measured in
millimeters (mm) or in thousands of inch (in). The caliber
reviewed in this document are the most standard ones for
centerfire or rimfire handguns: .45 ACP (Automatic Colt
Pistol), .45 Colt, .44 Special, .44 Magnum, .41 Magnum, .40
S&W (Smiss & Wesson), 10mm (~.394in), .38 Special, .38
Super, .380 ACP, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, 9mm x19
(~.354in), .32 ACP, .22 WMR (Winchester Magnum
Rimfire), .22LR (Long Rifle, rimfire).
The bullet weight is measured in grains (gr). Although one
pound corresponds to 7,000 grains, for historical reasons the unit to measure the mass of
the bullets and sometimes the mass of the propellant remains to be the grain. The weight
varies in this document from 22gr (very lightweight) for .25 ACP thru 240gr for .45
Magnum. As a brief reference the common .22LR round is 40gr and a regular 9mm
would be 115gr.
The bullet tip is particularly important according to the
expected type of wound. A RN (round nose) bullet will
have the tendency to travel through the subject, whereas
a HP (hollow point) bullet will more likely stop on the
first hard surface encountered, like a bone, and fragment
projecting the pieces of metal in the surrounding soft
tissues.
The jacket refers to the metal shell encasing the bullet. Some bullet may not have any
jacketing, such bullets are often referred as “L” standing for lead which is basically
referring to the metal with which the bullet is made of. The bullets may be jacketed in
different ways like for example the entire round but the base (Full Metal Jacket FMJ), the

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entire round including the base (Total Metal Jacket TMJ), the round but the tip which is
left exposed with lead. These jackets have different properties like the penetration, the
produced damages at impact or the amount of lead deposit left in the barrel.
Bullet tip and jacket are often combined altogether into a cryptic acronym. The table
below presents a few of these combinations which are used in this study.
acronym label jacket tip/point
FMJ Full Metal Jacket metal n/a
Frag Fragmenting bullet n/a frangible
HP Hollow Point n/a hollow
JHP Jacketed Hollow Point metal hollow
LHP Lead Hollow Point none lead, hollow
LRN Lead Round Nose none lead, hollow
LSWC Lead Semi Wadcutter none lead, flat
SJHP Semi-Jacketed Hollow Point partial lead, hollow
STHP Silver Tip Hollow Point n/a silver, hollow
TCHP Truncated Cone Hollow Point n/a lead, flat, hollow
… … … …
The muzzle energy (ME), measured in feet pounds (ft.lbs), is the kinetic energy of the
bullet once expelled from the muzzle of the firearm. It is often used as a rough indication
of the destructive potential of a given firearm or load. This characteristic is often
mentioned in the ranges, especially the indoor ranges, as a limit corresponding to what
the armored backstop is able to stop. In this document, the ME varies from 64 ft.lbs for
.25ACP to 789 ft.lbs for .41 Magnum. As a brief reference a basic .22LR 40gr produces
about 80 ft.lbs, an average 9mmx19 115gr is around 450 ft.lbs and a .45ACP 230gr
around 360 ft.lbs.
The stopping power is measured in this document based
on two criteria, if they exist: the Average Incapacitation
Time AIT and the One Shot Stop OST. The type of
ammunition produces different noticeable wounds,
involving penetration, permanent cavity and temporary
cavity characteristics, impacting the AIT and OSS.
The AIT or Average Incapacitation Time aims at measuring in seconds the time
elapsed between the shot in the lungs typically representing the center of the mass, and
when the subject collapses. The AIT is obtained with the “goats at Strasbourg” method
referring to a famous European experiment where a great many goats of the approximate
size and cardio-vascular capacity of a human being were shot broadside through the lungs
with a variety of handgun loads and the AIT (in seconds) from the shot until the animal's

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collapse was recorded. In this document, the AIT
varies from 5 seconds for the five major calibers
9mm, .40S&W, .38 Special, .357 Magnum and
.45ACP to 47 seconds for a .38 Special.
The OST or One Shot Stop is the percentage of one
shot stops in actual street shootings as culled from
police records by Marshall and Sanow. This
document addresses a range of OST varying from
96% for a .40S&W or .357Magnum to 21% for a
.22LR.
Why does the AIT matters?
The AIT is the number of seconds the subject is still physiologically able before his
cardio-vascular system fails, and the he collapses. During this amount of seconds, the subject
may not be aware, he may not be conscious, but his reflexes are still operational. Since 4 bullets
can be shot in rapid shooting burst in one second, the more seconds the subject is still able, the
more bullet can be shot with their inherent damage power. Five seconds hence allows shooting
up to 20 rounds.
The database
The database used to challenge our assumptions is composed of an excerpt of 78 records of
tested firearms compiled by Chuck Hawks from Handgun Stopping Power by Marshall and
Sanow, and various articles in magazines such as Handguns
(http://www.chuckhawks.com/handgun_power_chart.htm). The AITs are known for 40% of the
records and the OSSs were reported for 90% of the records.
Images and illustrations found on Internet.

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Does the caliber matter?
The highest caliber in this study is .45 ACP/Colt and the
lowest .22LR. Both OSS’s and known AIT’s are fairly
good for the top-10 of these highest calibers with an
average of 87% OSS and an AIT below 10 seconds. The
best AIT is 5 seconds, present in this top-10 list. The
nest known best AIT, still with 5s, is reported at the 26th
position for a .40S&W. The best OSS, ranked at 96%,
only appears at the 22nd
position still for a .40S&W, then at the 52nd
position for a .357 Magnum,
with many mediocre OSS in-between. It appears that the caliber as only stopping power criterion
is not a blatant differentiator.
Caliber Load Bullet gr. Bullet ME (ft. lbs.) AIT (s) OSS (%)
.45ACP Glaser Blue 140 Frag 571 5 n/a
.45ACP Federal Hydra-Shok 230 JHP 366 8 94%
.45ACP MagSafe Defender 96 Frag n/a n/a 93%
.45Colt Cor-Bon +P 200 JHP 537 n/a 92%
.45ACP Cor-bon +P 185 JHP 544 n/a 92%
.45ACP CCI-Speer 200 JHP 422 n/a 88%
.45ACP Federal 185 JHP 411 9 87%
.45ACP Remington +P 185 JHP 519 8 86%
.45Colt Federal 225 LHP 405 n/a 78%
.45Colt Winchester 225 STHP 423 n/a 74%
The .38 Special caliber appears in the top of the list as one of the most efficient calibers with an
AIT of 5 seconds, and at the same time shows up in the bottom of the list with 47 seconds.
Typically the caliber doesn’t sound on its own to make a big difference. Other characteristics
may hence have a better value in term of stopping power.
In the data available in this study, only half of the tested firearms had the AIT reported. If we
also consider the OSS, the most inefficient caliber appears to be the .22LR. The diameter of the
round seems to matter in this case. Note that the diameter difference between a .38 Special and a
.45 ACP is 8 hundreds of an inch, whereas the difference is almost the double between a .22LR
and a .38Spec-.45ACP class of calibers.
Consequently, in the light of these results, it appears that the diameter of the bullet matters in
some extends in terms of stopping power, although the calibers can be grouped in classes of
diameter equivalence.

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Does the weight matter?
The heaviest round in this study is 240gr for a .44 Magnum or .44 Special and the lightest one a
.25 ACP with 22gr. Typically, the bigger the caliber, the heaviest the round can be, consequently
it makes sense to find the biggest calibers for the biggest rounds like the .44 Mag/Spec or .45
ACP/Colt for rounds above 200gr as reported in the table below. Although many records display
high OSS up to 94%, we can also notice that average OSS’s like 63% are also present in this
top-10 excerpt. The highest OSS in the database was 96% reported at the 31st
position for a
.40S&W 135gr. The lowest known AIT is 5 seconds reported at the 30th
position for a .45ACP
140gr. The bullet weight doesn’t seem to be a differentiator for the stopping power.
.44Mag. Eldorado Starfire 240 JHP 743 n/a 91%
.44Spec. Remington 240 LSWC 384 n/a 64%
.45ACP Fed, Rem, Win. 230 FMJ 360 14 63%
.45Colt Federal 225 LHP 405 n/a 78%
.45Colt Winchester 225 STHP 423 n/a 74%
.44Mag. Winchester 210 STHP 788 n/a 90%
.41Mag. Winchester 210 JHP 789 n/a 82%
Do the tip and jacket matter?
For all the top-10 best AITs the tips are frangible as either a
frag (fragmenting) rounds or a hollow point HP. It’s a matter of
fact, that about the top-30 of the best known AITs, below 15
seconds, are frangible rounds with various types of jacketing
though. The remaining rounds under tests are basically all
above 30-second AIT. The first round-nose bullet best AIT is
the double of the worst frangible bullet AIT. It appears that a
frangible bullet is from far an excellent power of stopping.
Caliber Load Bullet gr. Bullet ME (ft. lbs.) AIT (s)
.45ACP Glaser Blue 140 Frag 571 5
.38Spec Glaser Blue +P 80 Frag 494 5
9x19 MagSafe Stealth +P 64 Frag 461 5
.357Mag. Glaser Blue 80 Frag 505 5

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.40S&W Glaser Blue 105 Frag 490 5
.357Mag. Remington 125 SJHP 583 7
9x19 Glaser Blue 80 Frag 430 7
.357Mag. Federal 125 JHP 580 7
10mm Glaser Blue 105 Frag 615 8
.357Mag. Remington Med.Vel. 125 SJHP 413 8
Since we unfortunately have the AIT reported for 40% of the database records, the OSS helps to
browse a larger panel since it’s reported for more than 90% of the records.
The top-10 of the highest ranked OSS’s are all frangible bullets with a preference for a basic
hollow point HP. Basically the top-50 is ranked with an OSS superior to 80%, all rounds are
frangible, frag or HP.
Caliber Load Bullet gr. Bullet ME (ft. lbs.) OSS (%)
.40S&W Cor-Bon 135 JHP 507 96%
.357Mag. Remington 125 SJHP 583 96%
.357Mag. Federal 125 JHP 580 96%
.40S&W Rem.Golden Saber 165 JHP 485 94%
.40S&W Federal Hydra-Shok 155 JHP 448 94%
.45ACP Federal Hydra-Shok 230 JHP 366 94%
9x19 Glaser Blue 80 Frag 430 94%
.45ACP MagSafe Defender 96 Frag n/a 93%
.44Mag. MagSafe Urban 115 Frag n/a 93%
.45Colt Cor-Bon +P 200 JHP 537 92%
The results obtained for both the AIT and the OSS seem to show that the frangible bullets have a
very efficient stopping power than the round-nose ones.
Does the muzzle energy matter?
The ME can rank very high for a pistol at 789 ft.lbs for a .41 Magnum. The top-10 of the highest
ranked ME provide great OSS’s above 90% and AITs below 8 seconds. The best OSS with 96%
is reported at the 7th
position for a .357 Magnum with 583 ft.lbs, far below the top ME. The best
known AIT shows up at the 10th
position for a .45ACP with 571 ft.lbs. Even though the muzzle
energy definitively has very good stopping power results, this criterion by itself doesn’t appear to
be significant enough.

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10mm Glaser Blue 105 Frag 615 8 n/a
10mm Winchester 175 STHP 607 n/a 92%
.357Mag. Remington 125 SJHP 583 7 96%
.357Mag. Federal 125 JHP 580 7 96%
.44Mag. Cor-Bon 180 Urban 576 n/a 90%
The heavier the bullet and the faster it moves, the higher its muzzle energy and the more
damage it will do, really?
Let’s challenge this well-known assumption by selecting to heavier bullet above 180gr which
also have a muzzle energy above 500 ft.lbs. The table below highlights this selection. The AIT
doesn’t seem significant since most of them were not measured. The only one which was
reported is 8 seconds for a .45ACP. The best AIT with 5 seconds appears at the 30th
position for
a .45ACP 140gr and 571 ft.lbs. All but two OSS’s are above 90%, whereas the best one reaching
96% shows up at the 31st
position for a .40S&W 135gr. and 507 ft.lbs.
Although the criteria combination between bullet weight and muzzle energy produces good
stopping power results, this combination doesn’t appear to be good enough to imply that the
more damage it will do.

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Stopping Power
We have reviewed so far many criteria like the caliber, the bullet weight, the tip & jacket and
muzzle energy. We have noticed that the caliber is in some extend significant for the class of
rounds between .357 and .45. We have also noticed that the fragmentation tip is definitively a
criterion of stopping power, but not only. The bullet weight and the muzzle velocity don’t
appear, however, either as separate criteria, or in combination, as significant criteria of efficient
stopping power.
The table below shows the top-10 records for the highest known AITs. This criterion was chosen
as the most important one since each second of cardio-vascular activity may lead to many rounds
shot as a reflex, although the subject may be unaware. The OSS’s are still high, including the
highest scores.
When we analyze the criterion which led to these best known AITs, unsurprisingly all bullets are
frangible. Surprisingly the bullets are lightweight compared to their caliber and the muzzle
velocity basically between 400 and 500 ft.lbs, not that much muzzle kinetic energy.
.40S&W Glaser Blue 105 Frag 490 5 91%
9x19 MagSafe Stealth +P 64 Frag 461 5 90%
.357Mag. Glaser Blue 80 Frag 505 5 89%
.38Spec Glaser Blue +P 80 Frag 494 5 84%
.357Mag. Federal 125 JHP 580 7 96%
9x19 Glaser Blue 80 Frag 430 7 94%
10mm Glaser Blue 105 Frag 615 8 n/a
For the 9x19, the rounds, above 400 ft.lbs, have good stopping power. They also appear to be
lightweight.
9x19 Cor-Bon +P 115 JHP 454 9 91%
9x19 Remington +P 115 JHP 399 9 89%
9x19 Winchester 115 STHP 383 n/a 83%
9x19 Federal 115 JHP 341 9 81%
9x19 Rem.Golden Saber+P 124 JHP 384 n/a 83%

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We can notice equivalent results for the .40S&W. Lighter rounds with high ME and frangible
jacket seem efficient in terms of power stopping.
.40S&W MagSafe Defender +P 84 Frag n/a n/a 91%
.40S&W Cor-Bon 135 JHP 507 n/a 96%
.40S&W Federal Hydra-Shok 155 JHP 448 n/a 94%
.40S&W Remington 155 JHP 447 8 86%
.40S&W Rem.Golden Saber 165 JHP 485 n/a 94%
.40S&W Federal Hydra-Shok 180 JHP 361 8 89%
For the .45ACP the OSS is fair with AIT comparable to other caliber performances. Lighter
rounds seem to produce better AITs.
.45ACP Federal 185 JHP 411 9 87%
.45ACP Fed, Rem, Win. 230 FMJ 360 14 63%

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What is the best configuration recommended?
The best stopping power, with 5-second AIT, is exhibited by handguns having the following
characteristics:
1. Caliber : irrelevant for the class of rounds .40 +/- .05
2. Bullet weight : the lighter the better
3. Tip : frangible, frag preferred, HP good enough
4. Jacket : doesn’t appear relevant
5. Muzzle Energy : above 400 ft.lbs
The jacket is recommended to be FMJ or TMJ in order to prevent lead deposit in the rifling of
the barrel which may hence impede the accuracy of the shot.
This configuration doesn’t produce the highest OSS, although being very good. Shooting one
round is seldom, training emphasize in rapid shooting to shoot bursts of rounds, from two to the
full magazine according to the agency and the policies.
.357Mag. Glaser Blue 80 Frag 505 5 89%
.38Spec Glaser Blue +P 80 Frag 494 5 84%
As a reminder, AIT can be as low as 5 seconds and the OSS as high as 96% with the right
ammunition as described throughout this document, assuming the shot reached vital organs: the
lungs and the heart, representing the center of the mass, leading to a failure of the cardio-vascular
system.
In 5-second best AIT, up to 20 rounds can be shot. With feeding device regulation, this number
of rounds can be limited like in California to 10, hence the AIT may be relaxed to offer a wider
choice of ammunition characteristics leading to a high OSS, above 90%. We can notice that the
calibers are still in the range of .40 +/- 0.05, the bullets are also frangible, low weight for their
respective calibers and their muzzle energy above 400 ft.lbs averaging around 530 ft.lbs.
.40S&W Cor-Bon 135 JHP 507 n/a 96%
.357Mag. Federal 125 JHP 580 7 96%
.40S&W Federal Hydra-Shok 155 JHP 448 n/a 94%
.40S&W Rem.Golden Saber 165 JHP 485 n/a 94%

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.44Mag. MagSafe Urban 115 Frag n/a n/a 93%
.44Spec. MagSafe Defender 92 Frag n/a n/a 92%
10mm Winchester 175 STHP 607 n/a 92%
.40S&W MagSafe Defender +P 84 Frag n/a n/a 91%
9x19 Cor-Bon +P 115 JHP 454 9 91%
.357Mag. Federal 110 JHP 410 n/a 90%

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Database Records
http://www.chuckhawks.com/handgun_power_chart.htm
Caliber Load Bullet gr. Bullet MV (fps) ME (ft. lbs.) Penetration (10% gel.) AIT (s) OSS (%)
.45ACP MagSafe Defender 96 Frag 1660 n/a 10" n/a 93%
.45ACP Glaser Blue 140 Frag 1355 571 n/a 4.72 n/a
.45ACP Remington +P 185 JHP 1129 519 17.1" 7.98 86%
.45ACP Federal 185 JHP 1001 411 13.6" 9.24 87%
.45ACP Cor-bon +P 185 JHP 1150 544 11.3" n/a 92%
.45Colt Cor-Bon +P 200 JHP 1100 537 9" n/a 92%
.45ACP CCI-Speer 200 JHP 975 422 9.4" n/a 88%
.45Colt Winchester 225 STHP 920 423 13.5" n/a 74%
.45Colt Federal 225 LHP 900 405 19.5" n/a 78%
.45ACP Federal Hydra-Shok 230 JHP 819 366 13.3" 8.40 94%
.45ACP Fed, Rem, Win. 230 FMJ 839 360 27" 13.84 63%
.44Spec. MagSafe Defender 92 Frag 1620 n/a 9.5" n/a 92%
.44Mag. MagSafe Urban 115 Frag 1620 n/a 11" n/a 93%
.44Mag. Cor-Bon 180 Urban 1200 576 15.3" n/a 90%
.44Spec. Cor-Bon +P 180 JHP 1000 400 14.2" n/a 86%
.44Spec. Winchester 200 STHP 819 298 10.4" n/a 75%
.44Mag. Winchester 210 STHP 1301 788 15.1" n/a 90%
.44Mag. Eldorado Starfire 240 JHP 1180 743 14.8" n/a 91%
.44Spec. Remington 240 LSWC 851 384 n/a n/a 64%
.41Mag. Winchester 175 STHP 1250 608 14" n/a 89%
.41Mag. Winchester 210 JHP 1300 789 17.5" n/a 82%
.40S&W MagSafe Defender +P 84 Frag 1800 n/a 13" n/a 91%
.40S&W Glaser Blue 105 Frag 1449 490 6" 5.34 91%
.40S&W Cor-Bon 135 JHP 1300 507 9.8" n/a 96%
.40S&W Remington 155 JHP 1140 447 n/a 8.40 86%
.40S&W Federal Hydra-Shok 155 JHP 1140 448 13.3" n/a 94%
.40S&W Rem.Golden Saber 165 JHP 1150 485 12" n/a 94%
.40S&W Federal Hydra-Shok 180 JHP 950 361 15" 8.32 89%
10mm Glaser Blue 105 Frag 1624 615 n/a 7.60 n/a
10mm Winchester 175 STHP 1250 607 12.8" n/a 92%
10mm Winchester 180 JHP 1055 445 15.5" n/a 82%
10mm Federal Hydra-Shok 180 JHP 980 383 15" n/a 87%
.380ACP Glaser Blue 70 Frag 1313 268 5" 7.94 75%
.38Spec Glaser Blue +P 80 Frag 1667 494 7" 4.72 84%
.38Spec Glaser Blue 80 Frag 1350 400 6" n/a 77%
.380ACP Remington 88 JHP 1000 195 12.8" 13.46 54%
.380ACP Cor-Bon +P 90 JHP 1041 217 9" 11.12 70%
.380ACP Federal Hydra-Shok 90 JHP 1007 200 10.5" 10.94 69%

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.380ACP Federal 90 JHP 1005 200 14.4" 11.06 69%
.380ACP CCI Gold Dot 90 JHP 1030 212 8" n/a 67%
.380ACP Fed, Rem, Win. 95 FMJ 955 190 17" 22.80 51%
.380ACP Rem. Golden Saber 102 JHP 925 194 9.4" n/a 64%
.38Spec Cor-Bon +P 115 JHP 1243 395 14.2" 8.98 83%
.38Super Remington +P 115 JHP 1300 431 n/a n/a 88%
.38Spec Remington +P 125 SJHP 1008 280 11.1" 11.74 69%
.38Spec Federal +P 125 JHP 945 248 12.2" n/a 73%
.38Spec Winchester +P 158 LHP 996 342 15.2" 10.76 78%
.38Spec Remington +P 158 LHP 776 211 n/a 15.52 65%
.38Spec. Federal, Rem, Win. 158 LRN 708 176 28.5" 33.68 52%
.38Spec Federal, Rem, Win. 158 LRN 587 200 n/a 46.58 49%
.38Spec Winchester +P 158 LHP 790 280 15.2" n/a 67%
.357Mag. Glaser Blue 80 Frag 1687 505 6" 4.82 89%
.357Mag. Federal 110 JHP 1295 410 10" n/a 90%
.357Mag. Remington 125 SJHP 1468 583 13" 7.34 96%
.357Mag. Federal 125 JHP 1442 580 13.3" 7.44 96%
.357Mag. Remington Med.Vel. 125 SJHP 1205 413 15.5" 7.94 83%
.357Mag. Rem.Golden Saber MV 125 JHP 1220 413 13" n/a 84%
9x19 MagSafe Stealth +P 64 Frag 1950 461 10" 4.74 90%
9x19 Glaser Blue 80 Frag 1555 430 6" 7.42 94%
9x19 Cor-Bon +P 115 JHP 1321 454 14.2" 8.92 91%
9x19 Remington +P 115 JHP 1288 399 12.7" 8.98 89%
9x19 Federal 115 JHP 1175 341 14.5" 9.36 81%
9x19 Winchester 115 STHP 1225 383 8" n/a 83%
9x19 Rem.Golden Saber+P 124 JHP 1180 384 12" n/a 83%
.32ACP Magsafe Defender 50 Frag 1250 191 7.8" n/a 57%
.32ACP Winchester 60 STHP 970 125 6.5" n/a 63%
.25ACP MagSafe Defender 22 Frag 1610 n/a 6" n/a 41%
.25ACP Winchester 45 Ex.Pt. 815 66 13.8" n/a 25%
.25ACP All 50 FMJ 760 64 18" n/a 23%
.22WMR CCI +V 30 HP 1450 140 9.2" n/a 40%
.22WMR CCI +V 30 HP 1300 120 n/a n/a n/a
.22LR CCI Stinger 32 LHP 1262 113 9.8" n/a 34%
.22LR CCI,Rem,Win Hi.Vel. 37 LHP 975 78 10.3" n/a 29%
.22LR CCI, Rem, Win Hi.Vel. 40 LRN 955 81 12.8" n/a 21%
.22WMR Federal 50 JHP 817 74 n/a n/a n/a

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