down range dan
Inactive
sorry for the newbie question, is there a difference between 380ACP and 380AUTO? will they both fire from the same semi?
are these the same rounds?
- Thread starter down range dan
- Start date
I came back to add that ACP stands for Automatic Colt Pistol and found that P5 Guy thought of adding it. Thanks for making the answer more complete.
And DRD, everything that anyone knows was learned somewhere. Ask anything you want and you will find many helpful people here. Welcome to TFL.
And DRD, everything that anyone knows was learned somewhere. Ask anything you want and you will find many helpful people here. Welcome to TFL.
Cheapshooter
New member
Other than the 9MM (9X19 Luger), and the 380 ACP bullet diametter is .355 while the 38 Special and 357 Magnum bullet diameter is .357!
But what's a couple thousandths of an inch when you're making a completely illogical comparison.
.380ACP aliases
9mm Short
.380Auto
9mm Kurz
9mm Corto
9x17
9mm Browning
9mm Browning Court
In spite of the similarity in the names, it's worth pointing out that the .380ACP is NOT merely a shortened 9x19mm. The bullet diameters are identical, but the 9mm (also called the 9x19mm, 9mmParabellum, 9mm Luger) case is slightly tapered while the .380 case is straight.
They are semi-rimmed cartridges (as opposed to the .380ACP and 9mm which are rimless) with a bullet diameter which is nominally VERY slightly larger than the 9mm/.380ACP bullet. Functionally speaking, the bullet diameters are interchangeable although the cartridges are most certainly not. The .38ACP and .38Super cases are nominally about 23 millimeters in length, significantly longer than either the .380ACP or 9mmx19.
9mm Short
.380Auto
9mm Kurz
9mm Corto
9x17
9mm Browning
9mm Browning Court
In spite of the similarity in the names, it's worth pointing out that the .380ACP is NOT merely a shortened 9x19mm. The bullet diameters are identical, but the 9mm (also called the 9x19mm, 9mmParabellum, 9mm Luger) case is slightly tapered while the .380 case is straight.
.38ACP and .38Super are very different from the 9mm & .380ACP. The .38ACP and 38 Super are dimensionally identical to each other, but loaded to very different pressure/performance levels. .38Super is loaded to much higher pressures than the .38ACP and therefore .38Super ammo should never be fired in a .38ACP pistol although the reverse is safe.
They are semi-rimmed cartridges (as opposed to the .380ACP and 9mm which are rimless) with a bullet diameter which is nominally VERY slightly larger than the 9mm/.380ACP bullet. Functionally speaking, the bullet diameters are interchangeable although the cartridges are most certainly not. The .38ACP and .38Super cases are nominally about 23 millimeters in length, significantly longer than either the .380ACP or 9mmx19.
Limnophile
New member
Wikipedia usually has a serviceable writeup on most ammo calibers. The nomenclature can be confusing, especially with foreign-made guns and ammo, and lots of folks get confused.
I have two Czech-made CZ 83s, one in .380 ACP and the other in .32 ACP. Their slides state their calibers are 9 Browning Court and 7.65 Browning, respectively.
After buying a pistol chambered in 9 Luger (aka 9 Parabellum or 9x19), I walked into a sporting goods store in search of ammo. The elderly sales clerk told me he had no 9mm ammo, except for some 9mm Short that I could shoot in my new gun. He showed me a box of .380 ACP. I told him that was an entirely different caliber, and he eyed me suspiciously.
I have a CZ 82, which is chambered in 9 Makarov. I went into a gun store once and bought a couple of boxes each of 9 Makarov and 9 Luger. The clerk looked at me in horror and asked if I knew they were different and can't be used in the same gun. I calmly nodded that I did, but I think he thought I was too proud to admit an error. My guess is he sees a fair number of folks buying the wrong stuff.
Not that all 9mm calibers have the exact same diameter, but they are nominally that wide. Interestingly, the most common nominal handgun caliber is 9mm by far. Wikipedia lists more than 30: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/9_mm_caliber. Compare that to 15 such calibers around 10mm, and only 8 around 8mm. Could that be because 9mm is the optimal nominal caliber for a service sidearm?
I have two Czech-made CZ 83s, one in .380 ACP and the other in .32 ACP. Their slides state their calibers are 9 Browning Court and 7.65 Browning, respectively.
After buying a pistol chambered in 9 Luger (aka 9 Parabellum or 9x19), I walked into a sporting goods store in search of ammo. The elderly sales clerk told me he had no 9mm ammo, except for some 9mm Short that I could shoot in my new gun. He showed me a box of .380 ACP. I told him that was an entirely different caliber, and he eyed me suspiciously.
I have a CZ 82, which is chambered in 9 Makarov. I went into a gun store once and bought a couple of boxes each of 9 Makarov and 9 Luger. The clerk looked at me in horror and asked if I knew they were different and can't be used in the same gun. I calmly nodded that I did, but I think he thought I was too proud to admit an error. My guess is he sees a fair number of folks buying the wrong stuff.
Not that all 9mm calibers have the exact same diameter, but they are nominally that wide. Interestingly, the most common nominal handgun caliber is 9mm by far. Wikipedia lists more than 30: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/9_mm_caliber. Compare that to 15 such calibers around 10mm, and only 8 around 8mm. Could that be because 9mm is the optimal nominal caliber for a service sidearm?