Re: [DL] Re: Wound Ballistics

["Daniel Gwyn" <dgwyn@colba.net>]

>There was a good examination of police shootings a
>while back that definitly came out in favour of
>diameter over area ie. the .45 is better than the
>wonder nines but I wonder how much the user mattered.
>
    The real advantage of wonder nines over .45's is five fold.  Three of
them have to do with physics and two with the commonality of 9mm ammo.
First, the 9mm Parabellum cartridge being lower powered, makes it easier for
the average schmuck to hit using it.  Second, the muzzle velocity of 9mm is
higher giving a flatter tragectory which again makes it easier for the
average shmuck to hit at a distance.  Third, you can stuff more 9mm rounds
into a pistol of a given size, which in turn means the average schmuck has
that many more chances of hitting you.  Remember Firepower equals round on
target, not rounds fired.
    Fourth, outside of the States, .45 calibre bullets are relatively rare,
but 9mm is pretty much the standard pistol round hence easier access to
ammo.  Fifth, .45 ACP is considered essentialy obsolete, so no makes much of
an effort to design new guns for it.  Instead they design guns for 9mm and
sometimes convert them to .45 (viz the Glock series.)  Hence it is easier to
get good 9mm guns and ammo, than it is for .45's.
          Daniel Gwyn
"No matter what you've lost, be it a home, a love, a friend
Like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again!"
From "The Mary Ellen Carter" by Stan Rogers (1949-1983)