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This is my $0.02 and analysis, based on teaching anatomy & physiology and years as a hunter/shooter.
A lot of arguing has gone on over "stopping power" of various handgun cartridges, most of it centered around the notion of hydrostatic shock, remote damage to tissues caused by a shock wave generated by the bullet.
Some have argued that damage was limited to a few inches from the bullet track, while others claimed that the damage from a torso hit could extend into the brain due to hydraulic effects in the circulatory system - the blood in major vessels is compressed, causing dangerously high pressures in the cerebral blood vessels.
Now we have some answers thanks to instrumented tests done in the UK and Europe. The tests were done on various large critters of human masses. The animals had pressure sensors implanted in their blood vessels, tissues etc., then after being shot necropsies were done that included microscopic analysis of the brain tissues.
Results: damage to the brain from a torso gunshot wound is very real, and potentially lethal. The degree of this damage done depends on the cartridge, velocity and bullet construction, of course. Some of the induced brain damage was equivalent to a mild concussion, and it intensified in severity with the intensity of the bullets pressure wave to the point that it actually caused a cerebral haemorrage - a stroke - and near immediate incapacitation. Again, this from a torso hit.
The below graphic shows how likely various compression wave intensities were to transmit enough energy to the brain to cause damage. Pressures below 500 psi caused little or moderate damage, while those above 1,000 psi were likely to cause serious brain damage.
The below graph from a different study shows the pressure wave intensities for three common hangun loads; the 9 mm Parabellum, the .357 SIG and the .40 S&W. Note that the 9 mm peaks at just under 500 psi; the .357 SIG at 1.100 psi; and the .40 S&W at almost 1,700 psi.
The 9mm is widely used, but given these tests one wonders about its real vs. perceived effectiveness. The .357 SIG is used by the US Air Marshals, and the .40 S&W was developed for the FBI, and it is the cartridge most used by US law enforcement. Their confidence in both of these cartridges seems very justified. For the record, I use the .40 S&W.
And to give a visual impression of what the wound tracks would look like for these and the workhorse .45 ACP, the below pic shows shots fired into ballistic gelatine - which accurately simulates human tissue. A wider track is indicative of a more intense pressure wave, and a shorter track indicates that all the bullets energy will be expended within the target. More penetration is, however, better if there is heavy clothing etc. It's all compromise. For reference; the speed of sound at 68°F and dry air is 1,126Â*ft/s.
A lot of arguing has gone on over "stopping power" of various handgun cartridges, most of it centered around the notion of hydrostatic shock, remote damage to tissues caused by a shock wave generated by the bullet.
Some have argued that damage was limited to a few inches from the bullet track, while others claimed that the damage from a torso hit could extend into the brain due to hydraulic effects in the circulatory system - the blood in major vessels is compressed, causing dangerously high pressures in the cerebral blood vessels.
Now we have some answers thanks to instrumented tests done in the UK and Europe. The tests were done on various large critters of human masses. The animals had pressure sensors implanted in their blood vessels, tissues etc., then after being shot necropsies were done that included microscopic analysis of the brain tissues.
Results: damage to the brain from a torso gunshot wound is very real, and potentially lethal. The degree of this damage done depends on the cartridge, velocity and bullet construction, of course. Some of the induced brain damage was equivalent to a mild concussion, and it intensified in severity with the intensity of the bullets pressure wave to the point that it actually caused a cerebral haemorrage - a stroke - and near immediate incapacitation. Again, this from a torso hit.
The below graphic shows how likely various compression wave intensities were to transmit enough energy to the brain to cause damage. Pressures below 500 psi caused little or moderate damage, while those above 1,000 psi were likely to cause serious brain damage.
The below graph from a different study shows the pressure wave intensities for three common hangun loads; the 9 mm Parabellum, the .357 SIG and the .40 S&W. Note that the 9 mm peaks at just under 500 psi; the .357 SIG at 1.100 psi; and the .40 S&W at almost 1,700 psi.
The 9mm is widely used, but given these tests one wonders about its real vs. perceived effectiveness. The .357 SIG is used by the US Air Marshals, and the .40 S&W was developed for the FBI, and it is the cartridge most used by US law enforcement. Their confidence in both of these cartridges seems very justified. For the record, I use the .40 S&W.
And to give a visual impression of what the wound tracks would look like for these and the workhorse .45 ACP, the below pic shows shots fired into ballistic gelatine - which accurately simulates human tissue. A wider track is indicative of a more intense pressure wave, and a shorter track indicates that all the bullets energy will be expended within the target. More penetration is, however, better if there is heavy clothing etc. It's all compromise. For reference; the speed of sound at 68°F and dry air is 1,126Â*ft/s.
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