Oh, fun! We're back.

Now my contribution to the anecdotal info:

Gunshot wounds I have known:

.38 Special: One round 158 gr. +P JSP to armpit. Shootee outran shooter despite running into a large elm tree. Later passed out from blood loss while trying to attack yours truly with two knives.

.38 Special: One round (don't recall load) between the eyes. Continued to struggle (briefly) with other combatant, then collapsed. Was still alive in vegetative state when the other party was sent off for agg assault 6 months later.

.380 Auto: One shot (ball) to right temple. No penetration. Created beautiful symmetrical incision over top of skull & exited behind left ear. Walked out of ER with Excedrin Headache #380 2 hours later and lived to keep the gene pool safe for people dumb enough to play Russian Roulette with a semi-auto.

Three others for perspective.

.45 ACP: One round 230 gr ball between eyes. DRT

.22 LR: one HP round to chest: aorta severed. DRT

.30-30: one round 170 gr SP to chest at 3 feet: performed radical mastectomy but shootee was in good enough shape 3 months later to plead for leniency for the shooter when he was sentenced for agg assault.

Conclusions? I own at least one of each of the above calibers and am able to defend myself with any of them.

I normally carry a 642 for multiple reasons, none of which involve brute power or algebra. In short, it is reliable, concealable, chambers modern expanding ammo and I shoot it well.

There have been a few times I wished I had a gun, but the only time I wished I had a bigger gun involved a porcupine. There a several people alive today because they knew I would shoot them and therefore spared us both the experience.

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I need ammo, not a ride.