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From: gjk@talcott.UUCP (Greg Kuperberg)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Re: Re: handgun control
Message-ID: <203@talcott.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 3-Jan-85 21:19:23 EST
Article-I.D.: talcott.203
Posted: Thu Jan  3 21:19:23 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 8-Jan-85 13:16:39 EST
References: <245@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP>
Organization: Harvard
Lines: 18

> I suspect that many more victims would be seriously injured and maimed
> for life if knifing attacks were more common. When you consider the
> difference between being shot with a .22, where the bullet probably
> passes right though you and mainly causes a lot of bleeding, and having
> your stomach ripped open with a 8" knife... With higher caliber guns,
> of course, the damage is greater, but since most handguns are things
> like .22's and short .38's, it seems that the damage done would be much
> less.
> 
> 	Wayne

Since neither of us are presenting statistics, here is my intuition:  Most
of the damage sustained by being shot would be by fragmentation of the
bullet itself.  If the bullet fragments sufficiently, there is no
reason that it should pass right through you.  Also, I would think that the
main damage caused by a knife is also bleeding.

				Greg