Gun Control & RKBA
In reply to the discussion: Where do you stand? [View all]hack89
(39,171 posts)police and civilians use expanding bullets in hand guns because they don't penetrate very far. Military style bullets have a lot penetrating power because a non-expanding bullet retain a a lot of energy that expanding bullets transfer to whatever they hit. Non-expanding bullets have a nasty tendency to hit things like people and walls, go right through them, and continue for long distances. You see what a problem this could be - innocent bystanders endangered by bullets flying through apartment walls for example. Expanding bullets don't do that - they don't go through what they hit. That is why they are perfect for self defense use.
Secondly, it is not an issue with rifles. People are not being killed by large caliber big game rifles.
Thirdly - the point of shooting someone in self defense is to remove the threat to yourself. Pistols in general are not particularly deadly - nearly 80% of gun shoot wounds are non-fatal. If I am defending myself in a life or death situation, I want a bullet that can incapacitate a man with a single shot.