jkh@jade.BERKELEY.EDU (Jordan K. Hubbard) (03/09/87)
Article: 3:15 >> >>For serious home defense, the ONLY choice is a shotgun, whether it started >>life as a shotgun or as a handgun that you have loaded with shotshells. >>The reason is, of course, penetration. Any, repeat ANY, load you can put >>into a handgun that has reasonable probability (for me, that means 99%+) >>of taking out an intruder will also punch right through the walls of any >>normal house or apartment and still have enough energy to kill your >>daughter, the neighbor, or whomever is in that room. Something like a >>.357 magnum has a distinct possibility of retaining lethal energy after >>punching through several walls. > >I really doubt that my .45 Sierra "super-splat" hollow-points will come >through a body, and any decent wall is likely to do them a lot of damage. >Some remnant could come flying through at an uncomfortable velocity, but >it shouldn't be nearly as bad as a "Warning: I don't brake for nobody" >.357 Magnum. > --Craig Actually, plain-old hollow-point ammo will go through both sides of a standard plasterboard wall. It won't be the same shape, but it will still be in one or two pieces and those pieces will be going very fast. The only slugs which can stop a person and not go through walls are Glasser Safety Slugs (named for that exact reason). Until impact, they are just a flat-pointed jacketted slug. After impact, they are basically a pile of pellets and a very thin crumpled-up jacket. Considering that most armed encounters happen from 6-10 feet away, and that most rooms are only slightly larger, a hollowpoint that doesn't hit the intruder will end up in another room of the house. >I have just received some promotional literature on the Israeli Arms >Desert Eagle -- uses standard rimmed 44 mag cartridges. > 1. Does anyone have any comments on the quality of either the > Grizzly or the Desert Eagle ? >Steve Shellans The Desert Eagle is, from what I've seen and heard about it, very reliable when using the "hotter" IMI ammo (.357). The big drawback is the weight. The Desert Eagle seems more like a handheld anti- aircraft gun than a pistol. Of course, if you are going to hunt Piper Cubs with it, then its just right... It really is a nice weapon but, after picking one up, you may feel that it is more suited for Arnold Swartzenegger (sp). Gary
jkh@jade.UUCP (03/21/87)
>From what I have heard about Glasser Safety Slugs, one might have to hit the
target more than once. (The definition of "target" is purposely vague.)
You don't stop (or kill) a person by taking a piece out of their hand or arm,
or by making them eat through a straw for the rest of their life.
This may also be a reason why they are called "Safety Slugs".
While it is probably obvious, there is a difference between "killing" someone
(dying in a week from a gut wound) and "stopping" someone.
--
Hokey