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DG45 · October 20, 2009, 04:50 PM

The usual comparisons of these three calibers are based on the assumption that the most important difference between them is bullet velocity. Using that as the only crieteria, the 9mm Parabellum (aka 9mm Luger) is the best round of the three.

Never given much weight is the comparative volume of the wound channels created by these rounds but there is a difference. Bullets used in both the 9MM Parabellum and the 380 auto are .355 inches in diameter, while the 9x18 Makarov round is .363 inches in diameter. That may not sound like much, but if each bullet creates a wound channel thats exactly 12 inches long, the .363 diameter 9x18 Makarov bullet would create a 2.3% larger volume wound channel* than either the 9mm Parabellum or the 380. (CAUTION: This is based on my always shaky math skills. I considered the wound channel to be a 12" cylinder and calculated the volume. Is this the right way?) Since blood in the human body is under pressure, it seems to me that a 2.3% greater volume wound channel would probably result in a greater than 2.3% increase in blood loss, but I don't know if there's any way to calculate it. Any ideas? thoughts? Comments? Isn't the volume of the wound channel more important than the speed at which the bullet creates it?

*Based on RN ammo. HP ammo is difficult to figure, because it may expand the width of the wound channel, but shorten it's length.

October 20, 2009, 04:50 PM	#1
DG45 Senior Member Join Date: January 5, 2009 Posts: 904	9x18 Makarov vs. 9mm Parabellum vs. 380 The usual comparisons of these three calibers are based on the assumption that the most important difference between them is bullet velocity. Using that as the only crieteria, the 9mm Parabellum (aka 9mm Luger) is the best round of the three. Never given much weight is the comparative volume of the wound channels created by these rounds but there is a difference. Bullets used in both the 9MM Parabellum and the 380 auto are .355 inches in diameter, while the 9x18 Makarov round is .363 inches in diameter. That may not sound like much, but if each bullet creates a wound channel thats exactly 12 inches long, the .363 diameter 9x18 Makarov bullet would create a 2.3% larger volume wound channel* than either the 9mm Parabellum or the 380. (CAUTION: This is based on my always shaky math skills. I considered the wound channel to be a 12" cylinder and calculated the volume. Is this the right way?) Since blood in the human body is under pressure, it seems to me that a 2.3% greater volume wound channel would probably result in a greater than 2.3% increase in blood loss, but I don't know if there's any way to calculate it. Any ideas? thoughts? Comments? Isn't the volume of the wound channel more important than the speed at which the bullet creates it? *Based on RN ammo. HP ammo is difficult to figure, because it may expand the width of the wound channel, but shorten it's length.