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Handgun Effectiveness
Handgun effectiveness is a measure of the stopping power of a handgun: its ability to incapacitate a hostile target as quickly and efficiently as possible. Overview Most handgun projectiles have significantly lower energy than centerfire rifles and shotguns. What they lack in power, they make up for in being small and lightweight, lending to concealability and practicality. Handgun power and the effectiveness of different cartridges are widely debated topics. Experimental research among civilians, law enforcement agencies, militaries, and ammunition companies is constantly ongoing. Factors that can influence handgun effectiveness include handgun design, bullet type, and bullet capabilities (e.g. wound mechanisms, penetration, velocity, and weight). Factors Cavitation Most handgun projectiles wound primarily through the size of the hole they produce, known as a permanent cavity or simply a bullet hole. Rifles are capable of much higher velocities with similar cartridges and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stopping Power
Stopping power is the ability of a weapon – typically a ranged weapon such as a firearm – to cause a target (human or animal) to be incapacitated or immobilized. Stopping power contrasts with lethality in that it pertains only to a weapon's ability to make the target cease action, regardless of whether or not death ultimately occurs. Which ammunition cartridges have the greatest stopping power is a much debated topic. Stopping power is related to the physical properties and terminal behavior of the projectile ( bullet, shot, or slug), the biology of the target, and the wound location, but the issue is complicated and not easily studied. Although higher- caliber ammunitions usually have greater muzzle energy and momentum and thus traditionally been widely associated with higher stopping power, the physics involved are multifactorial, with caliber, muzzle velocity, bullet mass, bullet shape and bullet material all contributing to the ballistics. Despite much dis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
