I was thinking, as so often is a precourser to getting myself in trouble, about what I have learned thus far to be truths accepted with regards to terminal performance of handgun projectiles.
At handgun velocities, TC is said to be meaningless. What matters is "tissue crushed".
A round-nose projectile will create a permanent cavity roughly 66% the diameter of the bullet.
A JHP, once expanded, 80-85% or so, depending on the JHP and how "sharp" the edges are.
Penetration past 12" is minimal, with 14-18" being ideal.
Wound tracks in GSW victims from JHP's and FMJ's look identical to ME's.
Ergo, a .380 with a trunjacted nose, should be more viable than the 9mm FMJ loading. As long as no windshields or car-doors are involved. (Further, one would not be able to tell if a GSW had been caused by an FMJ .380, or a 9mm 124gr GDHP +P, by examining the wound). Therefor, as long as no barriers are to be encountered, the NYPD of yesteryear would have gotten identical results from a .380 as from their 9mm FMJ loadings.
Obviously this information is not a reflection of what happens in the real-world, but I cannot LOGICALLY disprove it, either, as the .380 penetrats over 16" in gel http://www.brassfetcher.com/95gr%20F...ed%20cone.html
and is the same diameter as the 9mm FMJ, and indeed has the advantage of the truncated nose/larger meplat.
How then can we say that energy and TC do not matter, at least a little?
Or is the .380 truly the equal of the 9mm when both are loaded with FMJ's and neither car-doors or windshields are to be encountered?