I am aware of three shootings involving the 38 Special and plain lead bullets. Two were 38 RNL, 1 and 2 round each, and the the other involved two rounds of 148 grain target wadcutter, applied to a big drunk a-hole who was advancing on the shooter with a knife.
Common to them was that they were all face-on shootings, the rounds landed between the navel and clavicular notch all were within a couple inches of the centerline. Oh, and none of the recipients traveled more than about six feet before they face planted.
I'm not so sure bad guys have changed much. Back when all revolver rounds were RNL or RNFP, men wrangled horses, chopped wood, shoveled coal or carried railroad ties. They drank rotgut whiskey, warm beer and some used/abused the drugs of their day. They roved in predatory gangs, recognized no law, stayed on the run longer and perpetrated acts every it bit as sick as what you see today. Does anybody here think those SOB's were less tough/easier to stop than today's average man?
I think not. They still have the same anatomy. You punch one or two large, heavy pistol bullets through the middle torso and you are going put the man down- perhaps not as quickly as you'd like, but avoid incoming for a bit and he won't be a problem for long.
Having seen he results of way too much mayhem over the years, I am certain of one thing. This obsession over bullet construction is foolishness. Use enough gun and concentrate on punching the middle. Gunfights are uncertain. You can shoot well and still get killed, but you don't have to go alone.
