I have researched the topic ("better pistol ammo for WWII military") and have drawn my own conclusions based on the facts. The limiting factors are:What is also true is that nobody here has a monopoly on being right on his assumptions. Both of us included.
-limited grip size (human anatomy)
-limited barrel length (ease of use)
-halved ballistic coefficient in supersonic flight (aerodynamics)
-longer ogives reduce muzzle energy - less propellant in the case or barrel capacity for gas expansion (technical tradeoffs)
-not fully understood terminal ballistics (the knowledge of the time)
These factors have kept pistol ammo essentially unchanged for over a hundred years.
Historical submachine guns were quite adequate for combat at ranges of up to 150-200 meters, making up for their lack of accuracy with fire density.
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