This is Federals thesis on the 30SC and its reasoning:
https://www.federalpremium.com/30sup...-goes-big.html
A couple interesting takeaways:
"When fired with a 3.5-inch barrel through FBI bare gel protocol, the .312-inch-diameter, 100-grain 30 Super Carry HST expands to .590 inch and penetrates 12 inches, while the 124-grain 9mm Luger HST expands to .650 inch and penetrates 13.1 inches. In the FBI’s heavy clothing protocol, the same 30 Super Carry HST expands to .530 inch and penetrates 15.5 inches; the 9mm Luger expands to .571 inch and penetrates 14.5 inches.
Look for additional brands to offer new 30 Super Carry pistols in 2022. Eventually models with 30 Super Carry specific frames will arrive, which will reduce the pistol’s footprint.
The 30 Super Carry is not currently within the parameters required for USPSA (below minimum diameter) and cannot be used in official competitions at this time. In the future, expect more target ammunition offerings priced roughly the same as comparable 380 Auto loads as competitive shooters embrace the cartridge.
For starters, much of the demand that’s fueled ammunition scarcity is coming from America’s more than 12 million new gun owners, with 2020 and 2021 being the top years for gun sales on record. Many of those newcomers are looking for a self-defense pistol and the 30 Super Carry is an ideal choice, especially since it could be built on smaller, lighter pistol frames than 9mm without generating recoil or muzzle blast at levels that might intimidate new shooters."
This sounds like Federal believes / knows that future pistols will be made going forward that pair a 3.5" barrel length with a smaller then 9mm frame purpose made for 30SC. So perhaps they see the future as something ~G42 sized in 30SC with 10rd mags? The two mentions of 'smaller frames then 9mm' makes that seem like what they are expecting.
It also seems to suggest that Federal will be putting the arm on the competition shooting rulebooks to allow 30SC as a competition cartridge. Thats unrelated to the 380 marketing but sure is interesting.