What's the difference between Stopping Power vs Firepower in guns?

Question

I've heard people talk a lot about how some guns have good stopping power and figured that was the same as firepower but then I started hearing different things, how stopping power some something to do with like... penetration or something? I'm not a gun freak or obsessed at all with them, I was just curious if anyone could enlighten me.

Answer 1

"stopping" power is a misnomer by some and the "more informed" avoids that phrase, however, having been around a while I can attempt to explain. Stopping the intended attacker dead in their tracks as fast as possible is the goal. To stop quickly and render helpless before the attacker can retaliate and harm the said person that feels threatened. Usually the larger amount of lead per unit delivered with a healthy blunt force trauma-like effect is falling into the description of "stopping" or "knockdown" power.

Fire power is the amount of lead delivered in great number to overwhelm. In other words 20 guns covering a potential deadly situation is better than 1 gun. Military persons use that term and the very reason automatic weapons are known to deliver maximum firepower. Smother them in a hail of bullets so they will at best keep their heads down suppressing the opportunity of the enemy to fire back.

Answer 2

Neither has a consistent, formal definition, so you have to take them in the context for the speaker. Those who use it without further details usually are making claims about a gun or ammo that they cannot support, and I would ignore them in general.



Looks like Bean gave a very decent answer of how they should be used, where as keith used them incorrectly. A 12 gauge slug sill not "knock them back off their feet". A .22 to the head can stop someone instantly with a well placed head shot--which is harder to do under stress on a moving target than many think.



For a guaranteed immediate stop, you have to do enough damage to either the nervous (spinal cord/brain), cardiopulmonary (heart/lungs/major arteries), or skeletal (backbone or pelvis) systems of the body. Stopping power would be related to the probability a round could do that damage. It it all comes down to "terminal ballistics", which describe how the bullet travels after it hits its target.

Answer 3

Stopping power is it's ability to stop it's Target. It's a stupid term used when talking about self defense capabilities of guns.

Answer 4

Think "tissue displacement"

Answer 5

stopping power is energy per bullet. firepower is cyclic rate

Answer 6

Firepower is the caliber of the gun, stopping power is the impact of the projectile. For example, someone getting shot by a .22 can take the hit still standing, but a 12 gauge slug will knock them back off their feet.

Answer 7

stopping power is how powerful the gun is and firepower is how many you have like bullets and guns

Answer 8

There is no difference in them in any way.