The German police used 7.65mm Browning, aka .32 ACP, until the early 1970s as a standard caliber with the exception of riot police and Bundesgrenzschutz (federal border guard). They always used the .32 FMJ, for the reason of penetration. The Bundesgrenzschutz had to use 9mm Luger FMJ due to they had the combatant status, and according to the Hague conventions combatants have to use FMJ bullets. In the 1970s the situation here changed drastically, terrorist groups like the Red Army Faction, 2nd June Movement and organised crime rised and the small caliber Walther pistols PP and PPK were no longer up to par. So the state polices started looking after new pistols in caliber 9mm Luger. And since they were used to it, they also used FMJ ammunition. Back then there were several warnings that this "military caliber" will overpenetrate and injure or kill bystanders when fired from the typical self defence distance. One case was a 48 year old person with paranoid-schizophrenia, neighbours called the police due to loud argument in the apartment. He was approaching the 23 year old female police officer with a knife in his hand. She shot one round in his chest, he wasn't very impressed and was still approaching her. So she performed what is called "final rescue shot"*, she hit his jaw. The bullet penetrated the skull and left on the other side and hit the brother of the attacker, who just appeared from another room of the apartment, on the temple. Both killed with one bullet. *Final rescue shot is a shot that is with almost absolute certainty deadly. This can also be several shots like the bank robbery in Hamburg in 1974: second.wiki/wiki/hamburger_bankc3bcberfall_am_18_april_1974
Thanks for the video...I like all 3 calibers mentioned &I generally trust each caliber from .32acp to .380 & 38spl as not terribly far from equal in a short barreled handgun....9mm or .38spl in +P obviously adds a lot of spice to the rounds. Have fun
Some questions and suggestion on your tests. Referring back to your beginning comments regarding penetration of a human sternum, is a one-inch (or actually 3/4-inch) board comparable to the resistance the projectiles encounter when fired into a human sternum? Would running your tests using the sternum bone from a deer you’ve harvested produce different results? Also, would the .32 ACP and the .38 Specials produce desired penetration versus over penetration by the FMJ 9mm? Would the 9mm go through your target and continue penetrating through adjacent walls posing a hazard to other persons in your house or neighbors? Something to be aware of and plan for. Enjoy your videos. Keep them coming. Thanks.
It is not fair comparison of bullet penetration because you are not using same barrel length for all guns. You are using 2,75" barrel with .32 ACP and 4" a guess with 9mm. I know .32 ACP is no match for 9x19 but it is far more potent with typical .32ACP pistol like PPK or Beretta Cheetah (3.3. to 4 " barrel) and hotter European FMJ loads like S&B, Fiocchi or similar .
I wish it would go away but the way the infectious disease doctors are talking, it’s going to be around until a vaccination is developed and we all get inoculated.
