Colt .45 Emendations

Peter Andrews replies: Mr. Kinzer’s corrective letter breaks down into three main points. He is right on the date of the acceptance of the .45 caliber pistol, and I am glad for the correction. The reasons for the inadequacies of the .45 are a matter of interpretation. I have read sources citing both stopping power and the complicated double-action mechanism. Perhaps both should have been listed, even though most contemporary accounts stress stopping power. The rest of Mr. Kinzer’s complaint seems taken up with my use of the term “bowl over” instead of simply “stop.” In view of the firepower Mr. Kinzer has brought to bear on a point of semantics, I yield.