With the government buying 9x19 in the tens of millions every year, the economy of scale will overcome the savings in powder, brass, and lead of the .380 ACP.
I would remind those who talk about the recoil of the mini-guns that not everyone buys them. The various other .380 chambered guns vary quite a bit inn size, and felt recoil. The Beretta Model 84, for example, is a good example of a .380 that has virtually no recoil. The ATi 2000 is a Beretta 84 clone, or the Taurus PT58. There have been some current .380 pistols in production for the better part of fifty years.
I've shot or owned and shot .380's from the Seecamp on up to the Taurus PT58HC. Virtually all of the properly engineered guns have been reliable, accurate, and durable. Even some of the smaller ones were locked breech guns, like the Mustang, or Government Model .380 Colts.
Are there more powerful rounds? Of course, there is ALWAYS a more powerful round. However, like Nosler was fond of asking "at what point in the death of the animal did the bullet fail?"
Recoil sensitivity is a real physical phenomena. It can be caused by physical injuries or diseases, or even old age. To hear some talk, if you can't handle their favorite cartridge, you shouldn't be armed. All of our self-defense pistol rounds require the same factor. They have to hit the target in the proper location. Doesn't matter how close a miss you score with a 9mm or a .45, the bad guy won't pay proper attention. Hits, even with the "lowly" .380 work much better.
