From: "Hugh Bellars", [EMAIL PROTECTED] <JHP should also be used, where applicable, but we cant have it 'cos the Hague convention says so. Comments on this would be gratefuly received. (Article 29 of the Hague convention on Warfare on Land, 1899 refers.... I think!). We use JSP instead.> I think that this is definitely in the urban myth category. Both the Geneva Convention and the Hague Accords apply only to international warfare between nations and 'domestic problems' were specifically exempted from both sets of documents. I believe that it is the Police Scientific Development Branch that sets the UK police standard for 9mm para as a 90 grain soft point bullet. Quite why they think that this is acceptable ammunition for police, I have no idea, but I suspect that it is to do with PR concerns over JHP as (I think) Steve has suggested. I have an article written 12 years ago by the US writer Massad Ayoob which puts the case for JHP for police work, in particular why they were legally defensible in court. In essence his argument was: (a) The majority of American police use them, including the FBI and Secret Service; (b) hollowpoints are less likely to go all the way through an assailant's body and jeopardise hidden innocent bystanders located behind them; (c) hollowpoints are more ricochet-proof; (d) hollowpoints are more humane, because they penetrate less and assailants have to be shot fewer times to cause them to cease hostilities. If the police AFOs have to use 9mm firearms, then my personal opinion is that they should be issued with 115gr JHP +P+ ammo (which I believe has about the same velocity as NATO spec 9mm ball). Hugh -- Illinois State Police were the first large agency in the US to switch to 9mm pistols in the 70s, and they helped develop the Winchester Ranger 9mm JHP +P+ load. This was before everyone and their a---hole had an opinion on the subject after the FBI shootout in Miami. I've never heard any significant complaint about the performance of that load other than it cannot always sufficiently penetrate clothing. There are a lot of people who have _written_ about how it doesn't penetrate enough and so on but ISP seem perfectly happy with it and have used it for 20 years or so. In any event, the police seem to be going to 5.56mm and even .40 S&W (in the UMP40) which beat 9mm FMJ or JSP. Steve. Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
