DISCUSSION: How Important is Stopping Power?

INTRODUCTION

This is the first of a new series of Special Tactics on-line discussions. As always, there are no "right" answers since everything depends on mission requirements and individual preference. However, that doesn't mean that it is not valuable to share your preferences with others and more importantly, explain why you hold those preferences.

It is particularly helpful for younger or less experienced tactical professionals/shooters to be able to hear the ideas, opinions and real-world combat experiences of more experienced veterans. So, for those of you with a lot of experience under your belt, the knowledge you pass on could help the next generation survive and achieve mission success. Finally, as always, be careful not to reveal any sensitive or dangerous information.

DISCUSSION SUMMARY

Some tactical professionals and units choose larger caliber, higher-powered weapons because smaller rounds have failed to neutralize the threat in a combat situation. However, such choices always involve tradeoffs regarding factors like magazine capacity, weight, recoil characteristics etc. The question to our readers and contributors is "how important is stopping power" based on your personal experience and preference? The following points are some interesting questions to consider but feel free to discuss any aspect of the subject...

1 - What are your personal opinions/experiences on the importance of stopping power? Are other factors like larger magazine capacity more important?

2 - How does the answer to the question change based on different mission sets and environments? What are the differences in requirements for law enforcement, military and home defense etc.?

3 - Are some weapons better suited to more novice shooters while others are more appropriate for more experienced shooters?

POSTING INSTRUCTIONS AND FINAL ARTICLE PUBLICATION

While most of our contributors post on Facebook, feel free to post on the blog below as well. After one week of posts, we will publish the complete discussion to this page so others can learn from it in the future. So, let us know if you would prefer to remain anonymous in the final article. We look forward to hearing your opinions and ideas.

Click HERE to go to our Facebook discussion page...