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Justification for Law Enforcement Partners

Rarely in law enforcement does a topic stir a more passionate debate than the choice of handgun
caliber made by a law enforcement organization. Many voice their opinions by repeating the old
adage “bigger is better” while others have “heard of this one time” where a smaller caliber failed
and a larger caliber “would have performed much better.” Some even subscribe to the belief that a
caliber exists which will provide a “one shot stop.” It has been stated, “Decisions on ammunition
selection are particularly difficult because many of the pertinent issues related to handguns and

ammunition are firmly rooted in myth and folklore.” This still holds as true today as it did when

originally stated 20 years ago.

Caliber, when considered alone, brings about a unique set of factors to consider such as magazine
capacity for a given weapon size, ammunition availability, felt recoil, weight and cost. What is rarely

discussed, but most relevant to the caliber debate is what projectile is-being considered for use and

its terminal performance potential.

One should never debate ona gun make or caliber alone, The projectile is what wounds and
ultimately this is where the debate/discussion should focus. In each of the.three most common law
enforcement handgun calibers (9mm Luger, 40 Smith & Wesson and .45 AUTO) there are
projectiles which have a high likelihood of failing law enforcement officers and in each of these
three calibers there are projectiles which have a high likelihood of succeeding for law enforcement
officers during a shooting incident. The choice of a service projectile must undergo intense scrutiny

and scientific evaluation in order to select the best available option.

Understanding Handgun Cali Termin isti liti

Many so-called “studies” have been performed and many analyses of statistical data have been
undertaken regarding this issue. Studies simply involving shooting deaths are irrelevant since the
goal of law enforcement is to stop a threat during a deadly force encounter as quickly as possible.
Whether or not death occurs is of no consequence as long as the threat of death or serious injury to

law enforcement personnel and innocent third parties is eliminated.

“The concept of immediate incapacitation is the only goal of any law enforcement shooting and is the

underlying rationale for decisions regarding weapons, ammunition, calibers and training.”

Studies of “stopping power” are irrelevant because no one has ever been able to define how much
power, force, or kinetic energy, in and of itself, is required to effectively stop a violent and
determined adversary quickly, and even the largest of handgun calibers are not capable of
delivering such force. Handgun stopping power is simply a myth, Studies of so-called “one shot
stops” being used as a tool to define the effectiveness of one handgun cartridge, as opposed to
another, are irrelevant due to the inability to account for psychological influences and due to the
lack of reporting specific shot placement. In short, extensive studies have been done over the years
to “prove” a certain cartridge is better than another by using grossly flawed methodology and or
bias as a precursor to manipulating statistics. In order to have a meaningful understanding of
handgun terminal ballistics, one must only deal with facts that are not in dispute within the medical
community, i.e. medical realities, and those which are also generally accepted within law

enforcement, i.e. tactical realities.

Medical Realiti

Shots to the Central Nervous System (CNS) at the level of the cervical spine’ (neck) or above, are the
only means to reliably cause immediate incapacitation. In this case, any of the calibers commonly
used in law enforcement, regardless of expansion, would suffice for obvious reasons. Other than

shots to the CNS, the most reliable means for affecting rapid incapacitation is by placing shots to

large vital organs thus causing rapid blood loss, Simply stated, shot placement is the most critical
component to achieving either method of incapacitation.

Wounding factors between rifle and handgun projectiles differ greatly due to the dramatic
differences in velocity, which will be discussed in more detail herein. The wounding factors, in

order of importance, are as follows:

A. Penetration

A projectile must penetrate deeply enough into the body to reach the large vital organs, namely
heart, lungs, aorta, vena cava and to a lesser extent liver and spleen, in order to cause rapid blood

loss. It has long been established by expert medical professionals, experienced in evaluating

* Handgun Wounding Factors and Effectiveness: Firearms Training Unit, Ballistic Research Facility, 1989.

gunshot wounds, that this equates to a range of penetration of 12-18 inches, depending on the size
of the individual! and the angle of the bullet path (e.g., through arm, shoulder, etc.}. With modern
properly designed, expanding handgun bullets, this objective is realized, albeit more consistently

with some law enforcement projectiles than others.

B. Permanent Cavity

The extent to which a projectile expands determines the diameter of the permanent cavity which,
simply put, is that tissue which is in direct contact with the projectile and is therefore destroyed.
Coupled with the distance of the path of the projectile (penetration), the total permanent cavity is
realized. Due to the elastic nature of most human tissue and the low velocity of handgun projectiles
relative to rifle projectiles, it has long been established by medical professionals, experienced in
evaluating gunshot wounds, that the damage along a wound path visible at autopsy or during
surgery cannot be distinguished between the common handgun calibers used in law enforcement.
That is to say an operating room surgeon or Medical Examiner cannot distinguish the difference

between wounds caused by .35 to .45 caliber projectiles.

The temporary cavity is caused by tissue being stretched away from the permanent cavity. If the
temporary cavity. is produced rapidly enough in elastic tissues, the tensile strength of the tissue can
be exceeded resulting in tearing of the tissue. This effect is seen with very high velocity projectiles
such as in rifle calibers, but is not seen with handgun calibers. For the temporary cavity of most
handgun projectiles to have an effect on wounding, the velocity of the projectile needs to exceed
roughly 2,000 fps. At the lower velocities of handgun rounds, the temporary cavity is not produced
with sufficient velocity to have any wounding effect; therefore any difference in temporary cavity
noted between handgun calibers is irrelevant. “In order to cause significant injuries to a structure,

a pistol bullet must strike that structure directly."2

D. Fragmentation

Fragmentation can be defined as "projectile pieces or secondary fragments of bone which are

impelled outward from the permanent cavity and may sever muscle tissues, blood vessels, etc.,

* DiMaio, V.J.M.: Gunshot Wounds, Elsevier Science Publishing Company, New York, NY, 1987, page 42.

apart from the permanent cavity’3, Fragmentation does not reliably occur in soft tissue handgun
wounds due to the low velocities of handgun bullets. When fragmentation does occur, fragments
are usually found within one centimeter (.39") of the permanent cavity.4 Due to the fact that most
modern premium law enforcement ammunition now commonly uses bonded projectiles (copper
jacket bonded to lead core), the likelihood of fragmentation is very low. For these reasons,

wounding effects secondary to any handgun caliber bullet fragmentation are considered

inconsequential.

Psychology

Any discussion of stopping armed adversaries with a handgun has to include the psychological state
of the adversary. Psychological factors are probably the most important relative to achieving rapid
incapacitation from a gunshot wound to the torso.’ First and foremost, the psychological effects of
being shot can never be counted on to stop an individual from continuing conscious voluntary
action. Those who do stop commonly do so because they decide to, not because they have to. The
effects of pain are often delayed due'to survival patterns ‘secondary to “fight or flight” reactions
within the body, drug/alcohol influences and in the case of extreme anger or aggression, pain can
simply be ignored. Those subjects who decide to step immediately after being shot in'the torso do
so commonly because they know they have been shot and are afraid of injury or death, regardless of
caliber, velocity, or bullet design. tt should also be noted that psychological factors can be a leading
cause of incapacitation failures and as such, proper shot placement, adequate penetration, and

multiple shots on target cannot be over emphasized.

Tactical Realiti

Shot placement is paramount and jaw enforcement officers on average strike an adversary with
only 20 - 30 percent of the shots fired during a shooting incident. Given the reality that shot
placement is paramount (and difficult to achieve given the myriad of variables present in a deadly
force encounter) in obtaining effective incapacitation, the caliber used must maximize the

likelihood of hitting vital organs. Typical law enforcement shootings result in only one or two solid

3 Fackler, M.L., Malinowski, J.A.: “The Wound Profile: A Visual Method for Quantifying Gunshot Wound
Components”, Journal of Trauma 25: 522-529, 1958.

4 Handgun Wounding Factors and Effectiveness: Firearms Training Unit, Bailistic Research Facility, 1989.

* Ibid.

torso hits on the adversary. This requires that any projectile which strikes the torso has as high a

probability as possible of penetrating deeply enough to disrupt a vital organ.

The Ballistic Research Facility has conducted a test which compares similar sized Glock pistols in
both .40 S&@W and 9mm calibers, to determine if more accurate and faster hits are achievable with
one versus the other. To date, the majority of the study participants have shot more quickly and
more accurately with 9mm caliber Glock pistols. The 9mm provides struggling shooters the best

chance of success while improving the speed and accuracy of the most skilled shooters.

CONCLUSION

While some law enforcement agencies have transitioned to larger calibers from the 9mm Luger in
recent years, they do so at the expense of reduced magazine capacity, more felt recoil, and given

adequate projectile selection, no discernible increase in terminal performance.

Other law enforcement organizations seem to be making the move back to 9mm Luger taking
advantage of the new technologies which are being applied to 9mm Luger projectiles. These
organizations are providing their armed personnel the best chance of surviving a deadly force
encounter since they can expect faster and more accurate shot strings, higher magazine capacities

(similar sized weapons) and all of the terminal performance which can be expected from any law

enforcement caliber projectile.

Given the above realities and the fact that numerous ammunition manufacturers now make 9mm
Luger service ammunition with outstanding premium line law enforcement projectiles, the move to

9mm Luger can now be viewed as a decided advantage for our armed law enforcement personnel.
FBI Ballistic Research Facility

Scott Patterson Alan Marshall William Gannaway

May 6, 2014

FBI Training Division: FBI Academy, Quantico, VA

\

\

ive Su a usti i r Law Enforcement Partner

Caliber debates have existed in law enforcement for decades

Most of what is “common knowledge” with ammunition and its effects on the human target
are rooted in myth and folklore

Projectiles are what ultimately wound our adversaries and the projectile needs to be the
basis for the discussion on what “caliber” is best

in all the major law enforcement calibers there exist projectiles which have a high
likelihood of failing LEO’s in a shooting incident and there are projectiles which have a high
likelihood of succeeding for LEO's in a shooting incident

Handgun stopping power is simply a myth |

The single most important factor in effectively wounding a human target is to have
penetration to a scientifically valid depth (F BI uses 12” - 18")

LEO’s miss between 70 - 80 percent of the shots fired duringa shooting incident
Contemporary. projectiles {since 2007) have dramatically ifcreased the terminal
effectiveness of many premium line law enforcement projectiles (emphasis on the 9mm
Luger offerings)

9mm Luger now offers select projectiles which are, under identical testing conditions,
outperforming most of the premium line 40 S&W and .45 Auto projectiles tested by the FBI
9mm Luger offers higher magazine capacities, less recoil, lower cost (both in ammunition
and wear on the weapons) and higher functional reliability rates {in FB] weapons)

The majority of FBI shooters are both FASTER in shot strings fired and more ACCURATE
with shooting a 9mm Luger vs shooting a .40 S&W (similar sized weapons)

There is little to no noticeable difference in the wound tracks between premium line law
enforcement projectiles from 9mm Luger through the .45 Auto

Given contemporary bullet construction, LEO’s can field (with proper bullet selection) 9mm
Lugers with ail of the terminal performance potential of any other law enforcement pistol

caliber with none of the disadvantages present with the “larger” calibers

21,

22.

23,

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GC § of tl

[ustification for Law Enforcement Partners

Rarely in law enforcement does a topic stir a more passionate debate than the choice of handgun
caliber made by a law enforcement organization. Many voice their opinions by repeating the ald
adage “bigger is better” while others have “heard of this one time” where a smaller caliber failed
and a larger caliber “would have performed much better.” Some even subscribe to the belief that a
_caliber exists which will provide a “one shot stop.” it has been stated, “Decisions on ammunition
selection are particularly difficult because many of the pertinent issues related to handguns and

ammunition are firmly rooted in myth and folklore.” This still holds as true today as it did when

originally stated 20 years ago.

Caliber, when considered alone, brings about a unique set of factors to consider such as magazine
capacity for a given weapon size, ammunition availability, felt recoil, weight and cost. What is rarely
discussed, but most relevant to the caliber debate is what projectile is being considered for use and

its terminal performance potential,

One should never debate on a gun make or caliber alone. The projectile is what wounds and
ultimately this is where the debate/discussion should focus. In each of the.three most common law
enforcement handgun calibers (9mm Luger, 40 Smith & Wesson and .45 AUTO) there are
projectiles which have a high likelihood of failing law enforcement officers and in each of these
three calibers there are projectiles which have a high likelihood of succeeding for law enforcement
officers during a shooting incident. The choice of a service projectile must undergo intense scrutiny

and scientific evaluation in order to select the best available option.

nding Handgun Caliber Termi isti iti
Many so-called “studies” have been performed and many analyses of statistical data have been
undertaken regarding this issue. Studies simply involving shooting deaths are irrelevant since the
goal of law enforcement is to stop a threat during a deadly force encounter as quickly as possible.
Whether or not death occurs is of no consequence as long as the threat of death or serious injury to

law enforcement personnel and innocent third parties is eliminated.

“The concept of immediate incapacitation is the only goal of any law enforcement shooting and is the

underlying rationale for decisions regarding weapons, ammunition, calibers and training.”?

Studies of “stopping power” are irrelevant because no one has ever been able to define how much
power, force, or kinetic energy, in and of itself, is required to effectively stop a violent and
determined adversary quickly, and even the largest of handgun calibers are not capable of
delivering such force. Handgun stopping power is simply a myth, Studies of so-called “one shot
stops” being used as a tool to define the effectiveness of one handgun cartridge, as opposed to
another, are irrelevant due to the inability te account for psychological influences and due to the
lack of reporting specific shot placement. In short, extensive studies have been done over the years
to “prove” a certain cartridge is better than another by using grossly flawed methodology and or
bias as a precursor to manipulating statistics. In order to have a meaningful understanding of
handgun terminal ballistics, one must only deal with facts that are not in dispute within the medical
community, i.e. medical realities, and those which are also generally accepted within law

enforcement, i.e. tactical realities.

Medical Realities

Shots to the Central Nervous System (CNS) at the Jevel of the cervical spine (neck) or above, are the
only means to reliably cause immediate incapacitation. In this case, any of the calibers commonly
used in law enforcement, regardless of expansion, would suffice for obvious reasons. Other than

shots to the CNS, the most reliable means for affecting rapid incapacitation is by placing shots to

large vital organs thus causing rapid blood loss. Simply stated, shot placement is the most critical

Wounding factors between rifle and handgun projectiles differ greatly due to the dramatic
differences in velocity, which will be discussed in more detail herein. The wounding factors, in

order of importance, are as follows:

A. Penetration

A projectile must penetrate deeply enough into the body to reach the large vital organs, namely
heart, lungs, aorta, vena cava and toa lesser extent liver and spleen, in order to cause rapid blood

loss. It has Jong been established by expert medical professionals, experienced in evaluating

Handgun Wounding Factors and Effectiveness: Firearms Training Unit, Ballistic Research Facility, 1989.

gunshot wounds, that this equates to a range of penetration of 12-18 inches, depending on the size
of the individual and the angle of the bullet path (e.g., through arm, shoulder, etc.). With modern

properly designed, expanding handgun bullets, this objective is realized, albeit more consistently

with some law enforcement projectiles than others.

B. Permanent Cavity

The extent to which a projectile expands determines the diameter of the permanent cavity which,
simply put, is that tissue which is in direct contact with the projectile and is therefore destroyed.
Coupled with the distance of the path of the projectile (penetration), the total permanent cavity is
realized. Due to the elastic nature of most human tissue and the low velocity of handgun projectiles
relative to rifle projectiles, it has long been established by medical professionals, experienced in
evaluating gunshot wounds, that the damage along a wound path visible at autopsy or during
surgery cannot be distinguished between the common handgun calibers used in law enforcement.
That is to say an operating room surgeon or Medical Examiner cannot distinguish the difference

between wounds caused by 35 to AS caliber projectiles.

The temporary cavity is caused by tissue being stretched away from the permanent cavity. If the
temporary cavity is produced rapidly enough in elastic tissues, the tensile strength of the tissue can
be exceeded resulting in tearing of the tissue. This effect is seen with very high velocity projectiles
such as in rifle calibers, but is not seen with handgun calibers, For the temporary cavity of most
handgun projectiles to have an effect on wounding, the velocity of the projectile needs to exceed
roughly 2,000 fps. At the lower velocities of handgun rounds, the temporary cavity is not produced
with sufficient velocity to have any wounding effect; therefore any difference in temporary cavity

noted between handgun calibers is irrelevant. “In order to cause significant injuries to a structure,

a pistol bullet must strike that structure directly."

D. Fragmentation

Fragmentation can be defined as "projectile pieces or secondary fragments of bone which are

impelled outward from the permanent cavity and may sever muscle tissues, blood vessels, etc.,

? Dimaio, VJ.M.: Gunshot Wounds, Elsevier Science Publishing Company, New York, NY, 1987, page 42.