Stopping Power: A Practical Analysis of the Latest Handgun Ammunition (Paperback)

~ Evan Marshall (Author), Edwin J. Sanow (Author), EVAN P. MARSHALL (Author) "On a cold, raw Midwestern morning, a police patrolman sipped thoughtfully at his coffee and listened as the radio dispatcher gave him his first run..." (more)
Key Phrases: bare gelatin, duty calibers, clothed gelatin, Gold Dot, Fuller Index, Border Patrol (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Evan Marshall and Ed Sanow rocked the firearms world with the release of Handgun Stopping Power and Street Stoppers. Both books predicted the effectiveness of all types of ammunition by studying the results of real-life shootings rather than relying on laboratory tests that ignored the dynamics of an actual gunfight. This third book in the series provides the very latest street results of all the major handgun calibers, from .22 LR to .45 ACP, as well as popular rifle and shotgun loads. It also contains chapters on short-barrel ballistics, the emergence of the hot new .357 SIG caliber, the continued success of the .40 S&W, the development of the latest exotic ammo, the effectiveness of black powder firearms and a brand-new ammo test protocol based on the results of the many gunfights of U.S. Border Patrol officers.

About the Author

Evan Marshall is a Special Weapons and Tactics trainer for a federal agency with counterterrorist responsibilities. He retired from the Detroit Police Department after 20 years of service. His assignments included Tactical Unit, Crime Scene Investigation, Homicide and the Special Response Team. He has trained groups as diverse as the Federal Air Marshals and the U.S. Army Special Reaction Team. His articles on ammunition, ballistics and tactics have appeared in the law enforcement and firearms press over the past 25 years.

Cpl. Ed Sanow is the senior reserve deputy and a 14-year veteran with the Benton County, Indiana, Sheriff's Department. He is a Team Leader with the Benton County Multiagency Response Team and the field training officer for the reserve force. Sanow is the author of more than 1,000 articles on ammunition and stopping power. In October 2000, he became the editor of Law and Order magazine

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Paladin Press (March 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158160128X
• ISBN-13: 978-1581601282
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #284,022 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I don't know why folks vilify these authors and their books?!, August 1, 2005

By	basicblur (Virginia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

After reading way too many discussions on "stopping power" in gun forums, I figured I'd buy the book and see what all the nay saying was about. After reading the book, I must confess it sounds to me like lots of folks hate these guys (and their findings) because it doesn't square with what they already believe. I haven't finished it completely (I keep jumping around chapters), but so far I'd have to say it's great!
True, stopping power is not an exact science as there are so many variables, but the authors acknowledge this.
Basically, it looks to me like many folks depend entirely on lab results, loving the repeatability they can achieve when in the lab (the "Jell-O Junkies"). 'Course, we all know when it comes to real world results, things are often not what they seem in the lab. Looks like these guys got real world results first, THEN took the same ammo to the lab to see how it tested. Since they know what works in the field, hopefully bullets can now be designed in the lab using the lab characteristics of real world stoppers as a baseline.
As one who tends to come down on the side of real world results (ignore the real world at your own peril!), I like their methodology!

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is reliable "stopping power" data from the street , March 8, 2005

By	XCOP (USA) - See all my reviews

This book is now somewhat dated, but at the time it was published it contained the very best data on handgun stopping power available.

There are various "schools of thought" on how best to determine "stopping power". In my opinion, information gathered from "the street" by law-enforcement officials is the only reliable method, which is precisely the data the authors used. IN addition, the data in this book matches up very well with my own personal observations from the street.

Regardless of what the jealous or ignorant may say, you can trust your life to the data in this book.

23 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good, but still waiting for more information., May 14, 2001

By	Jeff Harp (Blanchard, OK United States) - See all my reviews

This book is a continuation of the series that up dates the latest developments. Most of the information in it is useful and needed. The only reason I rated it down to 4 stars is because of chapter 16, the evaluation of the new personal defense ammunition. I feel like they are backsliding on their original opinions of ammunition in this chapter. My opinion of this ammunition is not nearly as high as theirs. I believe that the muzzle velocities are too slow and the resulting energies are too low. The Fuller index gives ratings that are way too low which shows that it is not properly designed for personal defense. The chapters on shotgun slugs and Triton ammo were excellent. As usual, the was no information on the distance at which the ballistic gelatin was shot. This is a needed addition to the series. A section on effective ranges of the listed cartridges would be most helpful. As it is, all of these books only give evaluations on point blank range. Overall, this book is a needed update and is well worth the money for students of terminal ballistics.