May Rangemaster Newsletter

[SWAT Lt.]

Hi, Tom:

FWIW, I was a Technical Consultant with IWBA, also personally vetted by Fackler. He invited me to test ammunition in his lab at The Presidio in the early 1990s.

During a traffic stop recorded on dashcam video (and can be seen on YouTube), SC Trooper Mark Coates, a former Marine, was shot with a .22 Mini-revolver. The bullet entered his chest through the armhole of his vest and cut a major vessel. He collapsed to the pavement 20 seconds after he was hit and remained conscious for a few more seconds. This was after Coates shot his assailant, Richard Blackburn, 5 times with his service weapon. (Advance to 2:20 in the video to see Blackburn's attack (Coates is shot at 3:06 as he's radioing dispatch)). The Coates shooting is an illustration of what .22 is capable of when a vital structure is damaged.

Compare the shooting of Trooper Coates to the shooting of Chris Mercurio by an LASD deputy. (Video on YouTube) Mercurio also collapsed about 20 seconds after being shot, presumably with 9mm. (Advance the video to about 6:45 to see the shooting).

A few years after the FBI's Wound Ballistics Workshop, Fackler reiterated:

"THE ONLY RELIABLE WAY TO STOP THE AGGRESSION OF A FEARLESS ASSAILANT IS TO DISRUPT HIS VITAL BODY STRUCTURES. This fact has proven itself both on the military and urban battlefields. It should come as no surprise to any experienced hunter.

"THE HEART, MAJOR BLOOD VESSELS, AND UPPER PART OF THE SPINE ARE THE VITAL STRUCTURES OF THE TORSO."

--Fackler, Martin L., M.D., "Police Handgun Ammunition Selection", Wound Ballistics Review, Fall 92, pp. 32 - 37.

Click here to read Fackler's paper.

Solid hits to the torso cannot be relied upon to instantly stop an attacker because blood loss takes time to be effective, even when a bullet(s) pass through the specific vitals Fackler identified (except spine). This is why we see so many police shootings involving multiple shots/hits. If the bullet(s) doesn't pass through one of these vital structures, then there's no physiological reason for an attacker to stop attacking.

I don't suggest .22 as a primary defense gun, unless it's all a defender can handle due to infirmities. A .22 is better than no gun or a larger caliber gun that cannot be shot effectively by the shooter. However, when it comes to caliber wars, I will always repeat: What you hit is more important than what you hit with.

[Edited to update the link to "Police Handgun Ammunition Selection"]

I don't think anyone here was disputing the fact that what you hit is more important than what you hit it with, nor was there any attempt to debate a "caliber war". I agree with your views on the .22 for those physically limited and it being better than than no gun. I would not choose to use it, nor promote its use, outside those parameters. A lot of people, some well known and respected, carry/recommend .22 now for reasons other than those. I don't care what they do, like Tom said it's their butt. That said, no matter what new ammo is used, there is enough evidence to conclude that it is a poor choice compared to other practical and available options for folks having access to other firearms, or that are not physically limited.

[Shawn Dodson]

Read The Search for an Effective Police Handgun, by Bristow.

I found the book online. Thank you for the recommendation.

https://archive.org/details/bristow-...ppend/mode/2up

[Tom Givens]

I found the book online. Thank you for the recommendation.

https://archive.org/details/bristow-...ppend/mode/2up

You're welcome.

[Dog Face Gremlin]

I keep reading here the words "pass through, pass through, pass through"....I'm a strict proponent of enough penetration / pass through....there it is again.....yes the object is to immediately Stop The Threat but by doing so we strive to bring the BP down to.... as quickly as possible. Therefore I have to consider what round will get that done as my only objective...also I'm from a state where JHP are not lawful to carry.