Quote:
Originally Posted by Smokin Joe
I applaud Coral Gables P.D. for there choice, my only concern is that they back up there decision with vests that stop Le Mas as well.
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I do not think that will happen.
In my experience, LeMas .45 ACP from a 3.5" barrel will spank 3A all day long.
Very few officers, especially in Florida heat and humidity, are going to wear Level 4 or above.
Given the number of officers slain every year with their own weapons, that is a valid concern, but with a head shot all bets are off and the armor is irrelevant.
I suppose that it would be useful for a friendly fire incident to the front or back torso though.
The larger point here is that ballistic gelatin is inadequate to replicate the terminal effects of all ammunition, and that despite the difficulty in obtaining similar comparative shots in tissue (due to its lack of homogeneity), ultimately, there is no substitute for actual live tissue testing of ammunition.
When you have a "ballistic expert" who does not have a background in forensic pathology, but who does have his career wrapped around ballistic gel being the accepted medium for terminal ballistics testing, and the actual terminal performance of tested rounds deviate from his predictions from gelatin testing, he is going to attack the ammunition in order to defend his life's work. The requisite forensic pathology background allowed his predecessor to extrapolate performance and make conclusions with a high degree of confidence based on real world experience in live tissue. If the heir apparent has a bit of an ego, and a group of excitable fanboy followers, the results can be full of vitriol and emotion, rather than calm scientific consideration of the facts. In this case, the ammunition works, and I do not really care how, what it is or is not made from, or why it does not function the same in gelatin.
I know "Bob Pilgrim", as advertised, he is a former FBI agent, and a good man to boot. I would trust his testing and results.
TR