Street Stoppers : The Latest Handgun Stopping Power Street Results

Rating:
Summary: Critics - please suggest alternatives!
Review: A few of the reviewers are scathing in their remarks. I'd appreciate it if they would suggest alternative titles or sources!

Rating:
Summary: very good, ought to read
Review: A very good book, especialy for "administration drones" who sometimes base their department ammo policy on advice from a ouija board, and "public opinion" It is also a very good book for those of us who are in the real world (and streets). Alot of knowledge!

Rating:
Summary: This book is for those who have no knowledge of the sciences
Review: As a long-time shooter, a combat soldier and a chemical engineer, I found this book wanting. The various studies looked impressive, but there is little substance. Nowhere in this book is there a mechanism postulated, derived, quantified and qualified for the "stopping power" phenomenon.

The data gathering technique is flawed. Too detailed to go into here. but the bottom line is this, a set of crunched numbers (statistically analyzed) mean nothing without a justifying mechanism. At most it shows relations or correlations and these effects could be entirely coincidental.

The bottom line is that while the data were taken from the "street" results, the data collection is flawed because the authors and other collaborators failed to include all of the shootings in a particular caliber and make.

Also, it's ludicrous to think that a handgun round would actually stop somebody 90+% of the time when shot into the torso area.

The statistical analysis to be interpreted meant that if the same population of people have been resurrected in exactly the same situations and scenarios and been shot again at exactly the same places, then the chances of they being stopped is at whatever percentage that particular caliber and load is. These numbers don't mean that they can be extrapolated to populations beyond of those studied.

Rating:
Summary: TOTAL GARBAGE
Review: It's almost impossible to buy a book about handgun cartridge stopping power without wondering if you're one of "those fanatics" portrayed in the media. But don't worry, despite it's title, Street Stoppers: The Latest Handgun Stopping Power Street Results is sober overview and very and well written. Evan Marshall and Edwin Sanow, editors, have followed up their Handgun Stopping Power with a book that will answer all of your questions concerning handgun ammo effectiveness, reliability and safety. And even more importantly, they've done in it ways that will not make you feel like a killer for caring about these issues. The most noticeable of this is right up front. Quoting Elmer Keith's "The only way to keep from getting hurt in a gunfight is don't get caught in a gunfight", contributor to the book Keith Jones addresses the "fanatic" issue in the first chapter. Surviving, as Keith goes on, is mostly dependent upon how quickly you can run away. He explains that a survival mindset is different from a killer mindset. A survival mindset is "nothing more than a powerful will to stay alive." So breath easier. In a situation with as many variables as a gunfight, it helps to determine a few constants. Carrying a reliable firearm of a substantial caliber is one variable that you can lock down, and chambering the most "street stopper" proven cartridge is another. In reponse to criticisms of the last book's data gathering techniques, the editors are excruciatingly specific about how and why the results for Street Stoppers were obtained. And that's not only true for their street data. Also included in the book are several other independent and government tests. The most rigorous of these are the "Strasbourg Goat Tests." As gruesome as it sounds, the methodology and results are impressive. In a strict laboratory setting they shot 611 goats, which have similar mass and chest cavity to humans, and recorded the time! it took them to fall from their feet. Table 1 is a partial listing of the 45 ACP results. Notice that the Magsafe and Glaser rounds, both frangible (made from epoxy and birdshot) are the most effective, halving the Average Time to Incapacitation for the best jacketed hollow point. The actual street results are the heart of the book and largely confirm the results of the Strassborg tests. The authors don't measure "kill ratio," only how effective the most popular defense rounds are at stopping an attacker with one shot. Test data is drawn from legal police and citizen shootings where the assailant was struck with one round in the chest cavity. In every caliber, quick, light hollow points faired the best, confirming the conclusion of the first book to a large degree, but with more accurate and accountable measurement than in the last tests. These aren't theories. They are actual street results. And the authors' conclusions are convincing. The biggest problem with the book is that the authors don't appear to be as convinced of their data as I was. Where they could have taken more care, explanation and space for their tables, the book is cluttered with chapters defending their results with corroborating data from the Navy, Secret Service, and even the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. They also repeat their findings several times in chapters on the 10mm, .40 S&W, and several specific brands such as Cor-Bon, MagSafe and Winchester Black Talon. Fortunately these chapters take a slightly different tact on the data and are very well written, so muddling through the confusing tables is worth it. What's the magic caliber and bullet configuration? The big winner in the street results is the .357 Magnum with a stopping rate of 96%. But with it's stiff recoil and limitation mostly to revolvers, few people will choose a firearm chambered for it as their main defense weapon. Below the .357 Federal round, for police duty, are the 9mm Cor-Bon 115 grain jacketed! hollow point +P at 91% one shot stops, the 45 ACP Federal Hydra-Shok at 94%, and the 40S&W Federal Hydra-Shok, though the 40 results are mostly theoretical. For home defense or court duty, all three bullets are equally effective, but it's tough to argue with the Strassborg data results on the MagSafe and Glaser rounds. Either of the frangibles all but eliminate the danger of a bullet overpenetrating an aggressor and striking a bystander , or a missed shot traversing a wall and striking a neighbor. And at half the average time to incapacitation compared to the hollow points, their effectiveness is almost guaranteed. On the big picture, this book is worth a look if only to dispel what you thought you knew about handgun defense ammunition. Front to back, Street Stoppers is very readable, and thanks to short feature stories of specific shooting incidents with each caliber, very enjoyable. If you've ever wondered what makes a difference in surviving violent crime, this book is for you.

Rating:
Summary: Suprisingly Sober
Review: It's almost impossible to buy a book about handgun cartridge stopping power without wondering if you're one of "those fanatics" portrayed in the media. But don't worry, despite it's title, Street Stoppers: The Latest Handgun Stopping Power Street Results is sober overview and very and well written. Evan Marshall and Edwin Sanow, editors, have followed up their Handgun Stopping Power with a book that will answer all of your questions concerning handgun ammo effectiveness, reliability and safety. And even more importantly, they've done in it ways that will not make you feel like a killer for caring about these issues. The most noticeable of this is right up front. Quoting Elmer Keith's "The only way to keep from getting hurt in a gunfight is don't get caught in a gunfight", contributor to the book Keith Jones addresses the "fanatic" issue in the first chapter. Surviving, as Keith goes on, is mostly dependent upon how quickly you can run away. He explains that a survival mindset is different from a killer mindset. A survival mindset is "nothing more than a powerful will to stay alive." So breath easier. In a situation with as many variables as a gunfight, it helps to determine a few constants. Carrying a reliable firearm of a substantial caliber is one variable that you can lock down, and chambering the most "street stopper" proven cartridge is another. In reponse to criticisms of the last book's data gathering techniques, the editors are excruciatingly specific about how and why the results for Street Stoppers were obtained. And that's not only true for their street data. Also included in the book are several other independent and government tests. The most rigorous of these are the "Strasbourg Goat Tests." As gruesome as it sounds, the methodology and results are impressive. In a strict laboratory setting they shot 611 goats, which have similar mass and chest cavity to humans, and recorded the time! it took them to fall from their feet. Table 1 is a partial listing of the 45 ACP results. Notice that the Magsafe and Glaser rounds, both frangible (made from epoxy and birdshot) are the most effective, halving the Average Time to Incapacitation for the best jacketed hollow point. The actual street results are the heart of the book and largely confirm the results of the Strassborg tests. The authors don't measure "kill ratio," only how effective the most popular defense rounds are at stopping an attacker with one shot. Test data is drawn from legal police and citizen shootings where the assailant was struck with one round in the chest cavity. In every caliber, quick, light hollow points faired the best, confirming the conclusion of the first book to a large degree, but with more accurate and accountable measurement than in the last tests. These aren't theories. They are actual street results. And the authors' conclusions are convincing. The biggest problem with the book is that the authors don't appear to be as convinced of their data as I was. Where they could have taken more care, explanation and space for their tables, the book is cluttered with chapters defending their results with corroborating data from the Navy, Secret Service, and even the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. They also repeat their findings several times in chapters on the 10mm, .40 S&W, and several specific brands such as Cor-Bon, MagSafe and Winchester Black Talon. Fortunately these chapters take a slightly different tact on the data and are very well written, so muddling through the confusing tables is worth it. What's the magic caliber and bullet configuration? The big winner in the street results is the .357 Magnum with a stopping rate of 96%. But with it's stiff recoil and limitation mostly to revolvers, few people will choose a firearm chambered for it as their main defense weapon. Below the .357 Federal round, for police duty, are the 9mm Cor-Bon 115 grain jacketed! hollow point +P at 91% one shot stops, the 45 ACP Federal Hydra-Shok at 94%, and the 40S&W Federal Hydra-Shok, though the 40 results are mostly theoretical. For home defense or court duty, all three bullets are equally effective, but it's tough to argue with the Strassborg data results on the MagSafe and Glaser rounds. Either of the frangibles all but eliminate the danger of a bullet overpenetrating an aggressor and striking a bystander , or a missed shot traversing a wall and striking a neighbor. And at half the average time to incapacitation compared to the hollow points, their effectiveness is almost guaranteed. On the big picture, this book is worth a look if only to dispel what you thought you knew about handgun defense ammunition. Front to back, Street Stoppers is very readable, and thanks to short feature stories of specific shooting incidents with each caliber, very enjoyable. If you've ever wondered what makes a difference in surviving violent crime, this book is for you.

Rating:
Summary: TOTAL GARBAGE
Review: This book along with its statistics is pure and total GARBAGE, Take a human target hit center mass or any vital area of the body and the result will be the same, whether you are shot with a .22 caliber short or a .50 caliber smith&Wesson hunting round, you will DIE. same result. save your money and dont buy this piece of garbage. instead buy a box of good quality factory ammo (caliber insignifigant) and money will be well spent

Rating:
Summary: [Misleading] Nonsense
Review: This book is pure [nonsense]. The authors promote a "one shot kill" theory that favors (surprise!) light weight high velocity specialty ammunition.

The problem is that they cite fictional sources (such as the Strasbourg "goat tests") that have never been pubished or reviewed. They also mis-cite several other published studies out of context and wrongly. Oh, by the way, several professional statisticians who have reviewed their data have concluded that it is fabricated.

Rating:
Summary: Great book w/ very specific ballistics info
Review: You hear a lot of misinformation and myths when discussing wound characteristics, ballistics, and the effectiveness of various calibers & loads. This is true even when talking to "gun nuts" at Gun shops and shows. This book provides you with in depth comparisons across calibers, loads, and even types of guns(at times). Has great chapters on .40 SW and the new .357 SIG calibers. Book includes ballistics research compiled from Goat tests, actual field results, and gelatin testing. The book is geared more for the enthusiast than the "novice" but I am a novice and found it to be great. Weak points of the book include the silly autopsy reports and several overly dramatic briefing on prior shootings.

Rating:
Summary: Great book w/ very specific ballistics info
Review: You hear a lot of misinformation and myths when discussing wound characteristics, ballistics, and the effectiveness of various calibers & loads. This is true even when talking to "gun nuts" at Gun shops and shows. This book provides you with in depth comparisons across calibers, loads, and even types of guns(at times). Has great chapters on .40 SW and the new .357 SIG calibers. Book includes ballistics research compiled from Goat tests, actual field results, and gelatin testing. The book is geared more for the enthusiast than the "novice" but I am a novice and found it to be great. Weak points of the book include the silly autopsy reports and several overly dramatic briefing on prior shootings.