It was in the Philippines, back in the very early 1900's when the Natives, can't remember the correct name, Moro's I think, anyway, they would get all hopped up and attack the U.S. Expeditionary forces there, and do a lot of damage to the forces. The U.S forces were armed with the 30/40 Krag Jorgenson, rifle, and the colt 38, with a 200 grain bullet. It was minimum effective at best. The rifle was alright, but for close combat the pistol was just not cutting it. The Army sent some Luger's, and said try this. They did, and said send something more effective. The Army had done away with it's single action .45 Colt, and replaced it with the double action .38 Colt. Well they were asking for the .45 Colt back at least it had the power to stop an attacker even if it was a single action, and took too much time to reload. The army then sent the newly acquired, and still undergoing testing, .45 Automatic Colt Pistol, in limited number to try. The Expeditionary Forces, said send more! It stopped the attackers in their tracks, often with just one shot, where as the .38, and 9mm took multiple shots, and even then sometimes it didn't stop the drugged up Moro's from reaching the soldiers. As for the one shot theory, two shots is, or was the standard FBI training . The first shot to the mid torso, and the second due to the assailant being bent over from the impact, would receive another round in the upper torso region. So rather than trying to hit one particular spot, you aimed mid torso and double tapped . It is quite effective.
There was a Sherriff, or Police Officer somewhere, that shot and killed a man who had committed murder, and then also shot and killed a Police Officer, he was asked by the lame stream media why he had shot him "X" many times, and the Officer replied that it was all the ammo he had with him at the time. The .45 acp is still used by special forces teams that need to stop an enemy quickly, at close range. Again bullet type and weight plays a big part in any caliber. I like my .44 special, my S&W .45acp revolver, and my .45 long colt, especially loaded up for hunting, and absolutely love my S&W model 29 in .44 Magnum. But for an all around personal protection Handgun, I prefer the .45acp, again personal preference. If someone is out to kill you, and just walks up and shoots you, you have little recourse, but those around you if armed, will have a good chance to stop the threat. Providing they are adept at retrieving their personal weapon of choice in a smooth and timely manner. Trey decide what the gun you choose, will be used for the most, or any combination there of, and make your decision on based on that. But as with any firearm know it inside and out, and be completely familiar with it before carrying it, concealed or not. I just got an email from a friend of mine that sent a newspaper article from a Arizona newspaper, that told of a man who took his wife's pistol from her to carry it for her, while they stopped a little fast food place, and he was shoving it down in his waistband, and it went off shot his manhood, and thigh. The Police said he should have had a holster. Well I personally think, and not knowing all the facts, surmise he had his finger on the trigger., so shoving it in a holster would not have prevented it from firing, but might have been pointed in another direction, rather than in the direction of the center for genetic replication, and recreational relaxation unit and male thought processing center. .....
Wayne