Rate Card

PISTOL VERSUS RIFLE CALIBER AMMUNITION

 By Larry J. Nichols

 Reasonable answers to the above question would be when a superior weapon is needed because pistols are failing to stop the threat or when superior tactics and weapons are required. The primary purpose of the patrol rifle is to penetrate soft body armor and not overpenetrate soft tissue. When pistol caliber bullets are fired from pistols or carbines, they will not penetrate quality soft body armor; however, they do penetrate deeper into soft tissue when compared to the 55-grain, 5.56mm ball round. Any caliber rifle or carbine has the potential of increasing the officers’ hit potential. Several SWAT teams throughout the United States are replacing their MP5s (pistol caliber shoulder fired weapons) with M16s or similar weapons with 14" or 11.5" barrels for use as patrol rifles and entry weapons. The primary reason for this change is the simple fact that pistol caliber weapons will not penetrate the soft body armor being used by today’s high-tech criminals, but will penetrate further into soft tissue. Overpenetration could easily become a liability for the agency, especially in a crowed environment such as a school.

Research Conducted

I have done a considerable amount of research and ballistics testing on handgun, rifle and shotgun ammunition used by law enforcement. Part of that research and testing was in conjunction with the Winchester and Speer ammunition companies. Both Winchester and Speer duplicated the FBI ammunition protocol tests (designed to measure a bullet’s ability to meet intervening obstacles commonly present in law enforcement shootings) at the Burbank Police Training Center. A variety of handgun, rifle and shotgun ammunition was tested and recorded. To conserve your time and save space in this publication, I will not include any graphs, but simply proceed to the end results. Of all the testing and research I have done, the following statistics are a good representation of the ammunition tested.

Average Penetration into Bare Gelatin:

.40 S&W, 180-grain Hollow Point                 16.0 inches

5.56mm, 55-grain Ball                                    11.0 inches

12-gauge, 1 oz. Foster Slug (low recoil)         21.0 inches

 Average Penetration Through Interior Wall into Bare Gelatin:

.40 S&W, 180-grain Hollow Point                 25.0 inches

5.56mm, 55-grain Ball                                    06.0 inches

12-gauge, 1 oz. Foster Slug (low recoil)         21.0 inches

A few law enforcement agencies have replaced the patrol shotgun with pistol caliber carbines because of felt recoil and the premise that officers will be able to make head shots. Making a head shot on a moving assailant wearing soft body armor (whose head is constantly moving) would be a difficult task – even for the highly trained sniper. The misconception that the average patrol officer would have the skill to hit an assailant in the head, while under extreme high stress, is nothing more than wishful thinking. The officer would be better served with a 5.56mm semiautomatic rifle, or a 12-gauge shotgun loaded with one ounce low recoil slugs. With the rifle or shotgun, the officer would be able to make body shots on an assailant wearing soft body armor with decisive results.

Keep Your Hands Off My Rifle

If rifles are to be utilized, they must be issued to individual officers and not simply placed in a patrol car. Rifles are precision instruments and must be zeroed for the officer using it. Different body shapes and sizes will influence the way the rifle is mounted and sighted. Factors such as eye relief and steadiness must be well thought-out and the officers must be trained in marksmanship and the tactical deployment of the patrol rifle. Another concern I have with currently manufactured 5.56mm semiautomatic rifles is the easily adjusted sight system. Elevation, windage knobs and flip-type peep sights are easily moved by anyone handling the rifle.  The only way a rifleman can be assured his (or her) rifle is properly zeroed is to have complete control of the rifle. Once a rifle is zeroed for an officer, that rifle becomes individually issued equipment. That is the only way the officer can trust that the point of aim will be the precise point of impact. A rifle which is not properly maintained and controlled by an individual officer is nothing more than a liability lawsuit waiting to occur.

Less Recoil

The advantage of using pistol caliber carbines in law enforcement is greatly outweighed by the disadvantages. The only advantage of the pistol caliber carbine is less felt recoil when compared to the 12-gauge shotgun and the potential of increasing the officer’s ability to make a centered chest hit. A 12-gauge shotgun, with ghost ring sights and loaded with one ounce Foster-style slugs, is far superior to any pistol caliber weapon. The patrol shotgun can easily become a short barreled, medium range, .72 caliber shoulder fired weapon which is superior to rifles within its operational range.

In Conclusion

A law enforcement agency issuing properly trained patrol officers a semiautomatic rifle, chambered in 5.56mm, and loaded with 55-grain Ball ammunition; a 12-gauge shotgun equipped with quality ghost ring sights and loaded with one ounce low recoil Foster-style slugs; and a high capacity semiautomatic pistol are equipped to deal with virtually any deadly force situation encountered.n

About the Author:  Larry J. Nichols has over 25 years of experience as a professional law enforcement firearms instructor. Larry is internationally noted for his innovative and realistic law enforcement training programs. In addition to being a published author, Larry is the President of the California Rangemasters Association and past Regional Training Director (Region 7) of the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors. Larry is certified by federal, state, national and internationally recognized institutions as a law enforcement firearms instructor. He is also certified as a less-lethal munitions, chemical agents and less-lethal force instructor and has provided specialized training for several thousand federal, state, county and municipal law enforcement officers. In addition, Larry is also certified as a law enforcement armorer by the major firearms manufacturer, and is frequently utilized as an expert witness on firearms and training issues. Larry began his firearms training in 1963 with the United States Marine Corps and is a Vietnam combat veteran with over 24 months of combat experience.