Sounds like a qurk to me. I have a friend that does that at the range to combat the 357 flench but I don't really see were it would have an advantage in self defence. If you gotta poke some holes in a guy I'd think that all hollow points would be the ideal norm. FMJ's are more likely to over penetrate and might not slow down a BG fast enough. Bottom line is shot placement anyway.

I prefer not to play around. All of mine are intended to "Stop" a BG if required. I use finishing shots on occasion when hunting but when it comes to bad guy's the objective is to stop them with each and every shot.

More of the above. I personally think it's unreasonable to load different rounds in a gun (especially .38s and .357s mixed together). I would much rather have a consistent load and know what's coming but that's just me. My XD Service is sitting in my nightstand loaded with all HP's.

-Jeff-

I've heard of people doing that with shotguns (alternating slugs with buck or birds shot), but not with handguns. Interesting.

My carry gun has all HP's in it. If the first one doesn't do the job, then hopefully one of it's 12 identical brothers will.

It's a quirk. Ostensibly, having multiple ammo types available gives you the ability to deal damage in any situation (i.e. hollow-points for an unprotected fleshy target, FMJs to punch through obstacles to get to the BG). One or two frangible bullets like Glaser Safety Slugs topping a mag of "the real thing" also ostensibly has value, by putting down the BG with a lower risk of killing him. If he doesn't stop, the next bullets do the job right.

Either way is BS. If you alternate bullets, the bullet you need to do the job only has a 50% chance of being chambered, and what if you miss? You have to waste another round before you get one that'll do the job. In the case of frangibles topping HPs, you may only get one shot. You want that shot to do maximum damage.

When you fire a gun, you are using lethal force. There is no legal difference between a less lethal round, a hollow-point fired off-target (i.e. leg or gut, which are more surviveable in the general case), or a hollow-point fired on-target. Therefore, when you pull that trigger you have made the decision to end the BG's life. And you had better do so; a BG is a threat as long as he's standing, and a methed-up burglar may not even care he's been shot with double-aught.

Now, there is a real problem with using hollowpoints against a guy hiding behind something like a car door. They'll expand on first contact and a car door is gonna slow the bullet down considerably. By contrast, an FMJ round will punch through the car door and the BG more easily. In that case, my suggestion is a mag of hollowpoints in the gun, and one spare mag loaded with FMJs (you can have another spare of HPs, or if you're firing a wonder-nine just use the FMJs if you're ever in a firefight that takes your entire first clip). It's the work of a couple practiced seconds to drop what's left of your hollow-point mag and slam your FMJ mag home, and if your BG is hiding behind something you'd need FMJs for you should be able to keep his head down until then.

I MIGHT also be persuaded that three or four hollowpoints topping a mag of FMJs has tactical merit; against one unarmored BG the hollowpoints will do the job. In a protracted firefight where BGs have found cover the HPs will be expended quickly, leaving the FMJs to give more penetrating power through cover.

Originally Posted by SIGCrazie

He said the first shot would be to put down the guy and the next would finish him off.

I don't know exactly what that means, but it reads like an execution. Generally, if you "put down the guy," you've won the fight. "Finishing him off" isn't part of the defensive equation.

Alternating ammo is pointless. Choose the ammo you like and load up.

Loading different kinds of cartridges is not necessarily "old school" as I've heard of many of the younger men doing that. They loaded solids in the eventuality they were involved in a shoot-out in which their assailant might be in an automobile which would require better penetration than that delivered by a hollow point. Where I live, that's not too far-fetched.

Bob Wright

Originally Posted by Bob Wright

They loaded solids in the eventuality they were involved in a shoot-out in which their assailant might be in an automobile which would require better penetration than that delivered by a hollow point.

Modern JHP rounds designed to meet the FBI testing protocols make this ammo philosophy pretty much obsolete. The CorBon DPX rounds make ball/solids irrelevant in terms of car penetration, assuming they work in your gun.

If the first JHP won't do, put in another.