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.38 special is much maligned, but I would prefer one over a 9mm. more mass, more bullet selection.
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.38 special is much maligned, but I would prefer one over a 9mm. more mass, more bullet selection.
I've carried most common calibers depending on the situation. Today it's 9MM +P for a hideout, 40/45/and soon to be 10MM for primary (Have a G20 and want an EAA Witness Elite 10MM soon, mostly because of it's penetration on laminated glass and such)
Are you Ready, .38 Special! Woman Fights Robber, Cops Have to Rescue Him! - YouTube
I think you are spot on there salmon. Although I have not done scientific tests, my informal research has shown for any HP bullet to be effective it should leave the muzzle with a velocity of at least 1000 fps.
A short story which piqued my curiosity into this phenomenon: Years ago when I was in LE, one of my colleagues had the occasion to legitimately shoot a local dirtbag with 230gr hollow points from a 1911 in 45ACP. Two good hits were scored. The bad guy went down and the gunfight ended. The bullets did not expand and the dirt bag lived. Which was good or bad, depending on your point of view. In any event the threat was stopped and the gunfight ended.
In this particular case it seems the HP bullets filled with down (feathers) as the passed through the bad guy's vest before passing into and through him. Through my informal research I concluded the bullets simply didn't have enough velocity for them to expand.
This particular incident was years ago and technology, particularly bullet technology has come a long ways.
Now you have me curious. What would be the need for having a caliber that would have that kind of penetration? I never owned or fired a 10mm.
Same reason the FBI tested for it.. if you ever face an attacker in another vehicle on the road or in a parking lot, etc (I have, a pair of illegal alien serial killers on a back HWY) you will want as much hard surface penetration as possible.. steel, plastic, laminated glass
Must be a Marine huh?
Semper Fi!
My opinion is shoot til the threat stops. Fortunately I've not been in a situation (as others have) where I needed to do this, but it's what is in my head.