I want aexploding .44 pistol! I've only owned a Colt New Service in .44 russian, Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 SPL, Smith and Wesson model 24 5 screw and a ruger superblackhawk in .44 magnum. 44s do not expload.They are more likely to fully exit before even an expanding design will. 44 special commercial loads are wretched for accuracy and are strictly a handloder's affair to glean the fine accuracy it is capable of.The old Hatcher formulae based on live animal testing, the accumulated statistics of gunfights are nothing but rough guidelines. You people want a REAL EXPERT? go down to South central l.A. and I'll introduce you to a african- american ( she prefers BLACK) grandmother who sings in the church choir and bakes incredible cinnamin rolls. Grandma Davis has sent 3 robbers and home invaders to the hospital with a vintage Smith .38 five shot 2" ( the shrouded hammer pocket pistol)and a box of 158 grain roundnose.I wouldn't cross that woman with a TWO high capacity wizz bang ca'tridges, tritium night sights, stippled frames and PABST recoil gloves and a new pair of lemonade yaller shooting glasses. She aims for the crotch.

The bullet doesn't explode. The flesh explodes as a result of a large object impacting at high speed. It's called physics.

Pain is not a reliable mechanism to stop someone, particularly if they are mentally unstable or high on various substances. Heck, even adrenaline greatly raises most people's pain threshold quite a bit.

No, it's called hydrostatic displacement.And once more, all this archair pistolero discussion is just that. In the real world people have survived direct hits from 20 MM cannons while others drop dead from a 22. It is an inexact science, and no amount of anecdotal statistics or murdered ballistic gelatin will change that one salient fact.We recently lost a very well regarded Policeman in NYC in a stupid car accident. He was in more than one fully documented shoottout where he took out multiple bad guys. his weapon? A issue .38 special

Amen to that Chris. My condolences to the officer's family and to all who are in the Dept, for their loss.

I didn't want to snip any of your quote because it is very good and TRUE. I'm sorry that you were so unjustly served. Justice cannot be guaranteed, nor even expected. I myself have had a little taste of the wrong side of the law (charges dropped, thank heavens) but I would have defended myself the same way today. (I just would have called the cops before the thugs did.) It was a sick, gross, unreal feeling to have the cops grill me after Mirandizing (sp!) me. I can only imagine how hard it would be to have a guilty verdict handed down.

However, that being said, just this week a man was shot dead in broad daylight after having an argument. The aggressor took off his backpack and "came at" the other, with NO WEAPON. The other man shot him dead. Now, according to my CCW training, the threat was imminent (check!) the intent was iffy (did he say he was going to kill him?) and the ability was suspect (no weapon, unkown if the aggressor was much larger than the shooter). In my book, the D.A. should have probably filed charges. They DIDN'T, and released a statement saying they would not be seeking to file them!

Maybe it's just in certain states, but it seems the self-defense alibi is still alive and kicking. One thing that helped him immensely was that he stayed right there and called the cops himself. They didn't even book him!

So, knowing the law can't hurt, and can help you design your defense plan. If the court case goes horribly wrong, chalk it up to life's sick ironies and try to survive the rest of it. But you will be ALIVE and the perp will be dead.

Readers may want to do a websearch for the late Jim Cirillo of the NYPD stakeout squad.

Now there was a guy who was cool under pressure, and could shoot! And if I recall correctly, not a real fan of the doubletap...

He was involved in developing a line of commercial ammunition at hte time of his tragic death. I never heard much more, except it was a lighter wieght .38 special.

That would be me. And that is NOT what I said. You need to go back and re-read the entire post and understand what I said.

People have been hit with a lot more devastating rounds than anything a handgun can come up with and kept fighting.

I'll say it again:

Pain can not be relied upon to stop an attacker.

What part of that is not clear?

I also NEVER said a larger caliber is not more effective.

I use a commander sized, lightweight 1911. (Kimber Pro Carry II, .45ACP) It fits the criteria I outlined above:

1. It can poke a hole in someone.
2. I can place my shots VERY accurately with it.
3. I can place my shots in rapid succession with it.

You hand my gun to a novice shooter, stoked with hot defensive rounds, and you will NOT get the same results.

While I was blowing one ragged hole out of the center of my target today at the range, the guy next to me was shooting fairly loose, but more than adequate, groups with his 9mm. He had a steel framed Colt Commander with him, same size as my Kimber and a bit heavier. When he shot the .45 his groups went WAY up. For HIM, the 9mm was ideal. It was a service sized gun in a lighter caliber. He could poke holes in things with it.

Take that down a notch to someone who is a novice shooter who is recoil sensitive, let's say an older shooter with arthritic hands. If the gun they can poke holes with rapidly and accurately is a .38spl or a .380, then that is the gun for THEM.

What comes FIRST is the ability to hit HIGH COM, and to do it in rapid succession. Caliber choice is SECONDARY to that.

If you're busy gut shotting someone with a .44 mag while they're shredding your vital organs with a .380, you won't be in much shape to make spurious arguments about the effectiveness of what is in the grand scheme of things a very underpowered tool for actually taking down a human sized animal.

Next time you decide to quote me, please get the FACTS of what you are quoting straight.