This post is has a very interesting beginning!! We were extremely lucky to attend a Sig Sauer Academy class on firearms handling a couple of weeks ago. One of the open topics of discussion was the effectiveness of hollow-point rounds used as personal defense ammunition. The instructors were extremely proficient and knowledgeable (what do we expect from ANYTHING that carries the Sig name?!?!?!?!?) and had no problem giving the attendees the cut and dry!!! Needless to say this conversation took up a good deal of instruction time, and we were able to garner a lot of useful information to be passed on to our wonderful readers!!
As you take a gander at the illustration above, we are sure that you can find an example of your favorite personal defense round’s expansion proclivities. One thing to notice is that, after expansion, the wound channel that is created doesn’t vary much from that of the 9mm all the way up to the .45 ACP rounds. One of the most interesting notes taken away from the seminar was that of the major personal defense rounds, the ONLY one that would basically have no benefits as a hollow-point round would be the .380 ammo. Ballistic tests abound that prove that this round in effect becomes the equivalent of ball ammo once the cavity of the hollow-point comes in contact with clothing or flesh. The .380 rounds are so small that clothing/flesh tends to clog up the cavity and in short order turns these rounds into ball ammo. In other words….if you carry a .380 for personal defense, save your money on ammo and simply purchase one of the quality ball ammo selections.
PSA-ism #147: PSA believes that shot placement trumps caliber of choice. If the name of the game is protection of self and family, shooters should become as familiar with their EDC in order to be as proficient with their shot placement as possible. One well placed 9mm round may very well produce more damage to a bad guy than several lucky hits from a .45 ACP round. If the lives of you and your loved ones are dependent on a firearm, PSA strongly suggests that you become as familiar with it as possible!
***If you are unfamiliar with firearms, their accessories, firearm ammunition, or you just want to learn more, PSA strongly suggests that you find, enroll, and attend a comprehensive and reputable firearms safety course. Firearms safety is all of OUR responsibility.
We want to thank you for taking out the time to stop by our lane at the shooting range!! We hope that you enjoyed your stay and hope that you stop back by early and often to catch up on all PSA updates! We truly hope that we were able to hit the target, and if you ever have any questions please don’t hesitate to shoot them our way!! We look forward to shooting the breeze with you soon again!!
And as always….remember to watch your six and stay low!!!