No, as I've already stated, you don't have to kill very many living things before you realize that energy can be grossly over rated. It is important in that it makes bullets expand, which destroys tissue, but I am convinced that in many cases, the target cares far less about energy figures than the person pulling the trigger. I've seen animals shot with high powered rifles that deliver far more energy into the target than any handgun. At rifle velocities, even shock can damage or destroy vital organs, something handguns can't claim, at least to near the extent. But you shoot enough things and you learn that unless you destroy the CNS, you're only hope is to make the target bleed out, and this is best accomplished by both destroying large blood bearing vessels and organs, and leaving a gaping exit wound. Two holes bleed better than one. An exit wound is of far more use than a little bit of energy deposited in a wall or tree behind the target. Energy is not wasted when a bullet exits.
I have shot a LOT of deer with various calibers. I have made lung shots, nothing, but lung, and had the animal fold and fall on the spot, dead before he hit the ground. I've only had one deer go very far. he was hit solid with a 117 grain Hornady XTP, the bullet failed to expand, and had total penetration. The entry was through the left shoulder and the exit was about the second to last rib on the right side. I had to skin the animal to find the exit hole. That deer went about 80 yards before it dropped and began to die. I started using 100 grain game king bullets after that, never fail to expand.
So, yes, I am convinced the pressure wave of a rifle CAN destroy nerves with adequate energy dump. Expansion is necessary for this. I've seen lung shots destroy completely the lungs when using a 7 mag and a 150 grain game king at 3150 fps. I would reckon that at handgun velocities this is not nearly so reliable, but my bet is if you're near the nerve, you don't necessarily have to HIT it to cause trauma from the pressure wave. I've shot two deer with the .357 mag, one was a lung shot at 80 yards behind the shoulder. The deer jumps and made it about 20 yards before falling. That deer had a 3-4" area around the path of the bullet where the lung tissue was destroyed. I can only figure it was pressure wave damage as I was shooting a hard cast 158 grain SWC. So, you are NOT going to get the massive damage that a rifle does, of course. But, I believe Doctor Courtney has stated that the pressure wave magnitude is a linear function of energy, nothing magical about higher energies other than there's just more of it. But, of course, a handgun making 400 ft lbs is never going to match a rifle making 3300 ft lbs. This just shows ME that no handgun is a lightening bolt killer. Any handgun takes proper shot placement. I want expansion and yes, I want complete penetration to produce two holes. I want as much energy as I can carry in the package I'm totin' 'cause more is better. But, the .45 ACP is NOT significantly more deadly than the 9mm, neither is really adequate to the task. Neither is a 7mm remington magnum out of a 26 inch barrel.
My absolute minimum caliber is .380. I don't consider the .32 adequate since I can get a similar size gun in a .380. The P3AT is no harder to conceal than any .32ACP I've laid eyes on. I don't have a P3AT, probably need to add one to my selection of PDWs. I do have a .380 that is pretty compact, though, and 100 percent functional, it's just not as tiny as the P3AT. I can normally carry a 9mm sub-compact in a pocket, though and that's something I can't do with a .45.
IOW, there is more to caliber selection than terminal ballistics, or choice of caliber for a new shooter. I think the 9 is EXCELLENT to start out with mainly because of the cost of ammo and the fact that the new shooter will shoot more. It'll serve well as a personal protection caliber and there are HUGE numbers of quality firearms out there to choose from.
edit.....I just thought of another deer I shot that went probably a hundred yards with good expansion. He was hit with a 7.62x39. It was not a real good hit, though, odd angle, so I can't completely condemn the caliber. But, as that bullet (135 grain Sierra pro hunter) is no longer made, I quit hunting with it. Besides, I prefer my M7 Remington in .308, amazing little rifle.
I don't use ball for self defense.
