[Wyatt]

Here is a review of handgun wounding factors. I have read it. Penetration is the key. They talk how hollow points can get cloth (from BG's shirt) and slow it down penetration big time. Another odd fact is the skin on the opposite side of the body , for a bullet to go thru it,is essentially equal to 4" of meat and muscle. Pretty interesting read, lol, but I like reading.

http://www.firearmstactical.com/pdf/fbi-hwfe.pdf

BPS, if you are referring to the discussion on page 11, I think you mean that clothing clogging up a hollow point can slow down expansion, not penetration.

Have you seen the FBI Ballistics data? If you haven't check it out. It's also pretty interesting, if you're a chart guy. What I noticed is that alot of the hollow point bullets on the list (at least in the 9MM category) actually penetrate significantly further thru cloth gelatin than thru the bare stuff. Check the stats on the Speer Gold Dot 124gr. 9mm +P (which is a hollow point), about 10th down on the list. It penetrates 13.4" thru bare gelatin and over 20" thru the cloth gelatin. It expanded a little less thru the cloth jello. From the data it appears to me that most of the premium hollow points offer more than enough penetration (especially thru cloth jello) to warrant having the advantage of increased expansion over ball ammo.

Here's a link to the chart:

http://demigodllc.com/~zak/firearms/fbi-pistol.php

 

[fivehourfrenzy]

HPs penetrate more and expand less with clothed gelatin as the cloth fibers "clog up" the cavity and retard/prevent expansion. After setting a 9mm Gold Dot next to a .40S&W Gold Dot, the shape differences are enormous. The cavity on the .40 is probably 3X the area of the 9mm...I wonder if 9mms would generally be less prone to getting the cavity clogged as they're a lot smaller.