Caliber Question

S

StiveC2007

New member
I was recently at school and i was having a conversation with another person in our class and it turned to guns. the only problem was that this guy i was talking to was so sure that a .380 is bigger than a 9mm. and i kept tell in him that they were the same. so im gonna show him this thread and then we'll see whose right. so if you guys don't mind .380 bigger, smaller, or the same as 9mm

now my second question is .38 special, is it true that you can shoot a .38 special in a .357. and if you dont mind whats the difference between the two calibers.
 
You are correct. Both the .380 and 9 MM fire projectiles that are .355" diameter. The 9 MM uses a longer case though, so it holds more powder, which results in more velocity and power than a .380.

The .357 and 38 Spl both fire projectiles in the .358" or .357" range. That is almost the same diameter as the 9MM or .380 rounds. The .357 just uses a longer case than the 38 spl, thus getting more velocity and power. Yep, you can shoot 38 specials in a handgun designed for a .357 Magnum, no problemo.
 
Yep, you can shoot 38 specials in a handgun designed for a .357 Magnum, no problemo.
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You can shoot a .38spl out of a .357mag, but you can't shoot a .357mag out of a .38spl do to it's longer shell won't fit a .38spl.

That was done so they wouldn't damage the .38spl, because of over pressure of the .357mag.
 
"Size" isn't always black & white with calibers and chamberings, so don't get all too caught up in it. .380 is the same diameter as 9mm, but they are not the same cartridge or chambering. Bullets tend to be heavier in the 9 than in the .380.

The other big thing that is going on that you simply don't see outright from the ammo is the working pressure of the cartridge. Take two examples, the .38 Special and the 9mm. Look at how much physically larger the .38 Special is than the dinky little 9mm. Which is more powerful?

Truth is, they are very similar, but the 9mm has the edge by pushing slightly lighter bullets to a faster speed. What you don't get to read on the end flap of the ammo box is that the 9mm runs at nearly twice the working pressure of the .38 Special.

So, back to the original argument: He says .380 is bigger than 9mm, you say they are the same. The answer: There is no evidence to support that the .380 is in ANY way bigger than the 9mm. And depending on how you qualify it, you can make an argument that they are "the same size", but only in regard to bullet diameter. If you wish to stand behind your argument that 9mm and .380 are the same size, then you might also say that the .357 Magnum is the "same size." Really, it's not the same size. Same diameter. But in any casual conversation with regards to caliber and chambering, the .380 is an inferior round to the 9mm.

And the 9mm is nicely inferior to the .357 Magnum.
 
Yep, just to chime in and confirm what you already knew, the 9mm is the same bullet diameter with a larger case capacity than the .380. The 9mm generally shoots heavier bullets than the .380.

As far as the other two, you can shoot .38 spcl out of a .357 but not the other way round. The only difference is the case length with the .357 being the longer of the two.
 
Yep, you can shoot 38 specials in a handgun designed for a .357 Magnum, no problemo.
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This may be nit-picky, but I would replace the word hangun with revolver since those two type of ammunition are specifically for a revolver, not a pistol.

Scott
 
If the two people in the OP would decide upon what criteria to use, then the answer would be easy.

The .380 and the 9mm are the "same" if you're talking diameter.
But...

The 9mm is "bigger" if you're talking average bullet weight.
The 9mm is "bigger" if you're talking length of entire round.
The 9mm is "bigger" if you're talking working pressure.

So the person arguing in the OP that the .380 is "bigger" is simply wrong.
The same in one aspect, lesser in others, but in no aspect is the .380 bigger than any 9mm.

Perhaps it might be mentioned that the .380 is often referred to as a "9mm Kurz" in other countries; "Kurz" meaning "short".
That should settle the argument once and for all. :D
 
9mm and 380acp are .355, while 357mag and 38spl are .357. Incidentally, 357sig is .356


If you're a reloader they're all different, if your not then they're *not*, sort of.
 
Pretty amazing, how wrong so much of this info is. Still, I hope the general idea is carried. Basically, if a guy doesn't know the differences between the calibers that have been discussed, he needs to man up, and quit texting his other girlie boy pals.
Which is bigger? 9 x 17 or 9 x 19? No, you can't call a friend.
 
abber: new S&W X-frame revolvers chambered for the .460 S&W magnum will also handle .454 Casull and .45 Colt...cool! there aren't many handguns that can chamber and fire 3 different calibers!!!
 
In terms of simple numbers, 38 one hundredths of an inch is larger than 9mm. .380" translates to 9.66mm, and 9mm is .354".

But cartridge names are not always exact indications of the bullet diameter, being chosen for a number of reasons, including competition between companies.

Jim
 
LOL :D

That is true of course, but you're telling the wrong crowd here. If that doesn't confuse the lad that a 380 is really a .355, just imagine his confusion when you try to explaing to him that a 44 Special and 44 magnum are really a .429. No wonder people get the wrong idea when they hear that a .38 is really a .357.
 
abber: new S&W X-frame revolvers chambered for the .460 S&W magnum will also handle .454 Casull and .45 Colt...cool! there aren't many handguns that can chamber and fire 3 different calibers!!!
Click to expand...

I know, I have one;) And I absolutely love it.
 
thanks for all the posts, i showed him this posting a lil earlier and it pretty much shut him up. hes the type of person who never admits hes wrong no matter what theres always a well in this case type of BS he starts if he knows what hes has said is a lil fishy
 
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