As a Concealed Carry Instructor, I am always looking for new material to help teach my students. I was in Borders and found the book “The Handgun in Personal Defense” by R. K. Campbell. I was nosing through it and a few items caught my eye. So after purchasing I went home to read and see what Mr. Campbell had to say.

The book was written in 2005 and published by Merril Press in Bellevue, Washington.  R.K. states in the introduction “If the right to bear arms and the human right to self defense is curtailed, we face the prospect of a different and difficult future.” Not only do I agree with Mr. Campbell, I believe that the day may come when this right may be challenged.

There are several things that caught my eye and made this book different from other CCW books. The first is the fact that the author took the time to list out the “Wound Potential” for different types of calibers when considering a handgun for personal defense. We contacted the publisher and was granted permission to use the data to help our readers. We looked at the different types of calibers and bullets used by R.K and came up with the following chart. There is no question that the .357 145 Silvertip and the .45 ACP Remington 185 gr JHP were the winners. Both had significant penetration and expansion upon impact. This combined ratio is the Wound Potential. The Chart is at the end of the review.

This can be purchased at Barns & Noble for $15.00. For the person wanting to get the extra tidbit on self defense, this is worth the money. For the Instructor looking for a book for his students, this is a good one to start with.

Happy trails and keep the lead down range. Clark – Carryconcealed.net

Merril Press

PO Box 1682

Bellevue, WA 98009