380 vs 38 special ballistics chart

.380 ACP vs .38 special. True .38 Special and .380 Auto ACP ballistics information can vary widely from the displayed information, and it is important to understand that the particular characteristics of a given round can make a substantive difference in its true performance. The carrying capacity is another issue. The .38 Special … It has a 1 7/8 inch barrel, typical snubby revolver length. Compare all 38 Special … On paper this is just below the 38 Special. It was designed by Elmer Keith, … For the .380 handguns, I compared the Glock 42, the Kimber Micro .380, the SIG Sauer P238 and my venerable Walther PPK/S. Foundry Outdoors is your trusted home for buying archery, camping, fishing, hunting, shooting sports, and outdoor gear online. Please email us if you have questions about any of our product listings. The answer is that there is also a .38 ACP cartridge, markedly different from the .380ACP. Reply of energy at the muzzle. A 38 Special revolver is only going to contain 5 or 6 rounds, while a single-stack magazine in a 380 ACP pistol could hold 7 or more rounds depending on the model. As a cartridge, the .38 Special gets the nod simply because of the wide variety of loadings. The 380 ACP’s standard load uses an 85-95 grain bullet. Please click the above links to take a look at all of the .38 Special and .380 Auto ACP ammo we have in stock and ready to ship, and let us know any parting thoughts in the comment section below. But I’m surprised with all the hoopla over the hoard of new 380 semi-auto pistols flooding the market it has not surfaced before. Generally speaking, the higher the muzzle energy, the higher the stopping power. All shots were fired from a distance of 10 feet from the gel blocks. Being the shorter, less powerful round, the .380 generally has less recoil than the 9mm cartridge, although this varies with the characteristics of the gun used. The .38 Special +P loads averaged 960 fps, and the .357 Magnum loads averaged 1,276 fps. The cartridge holds a bullet the same diameter as the 9mm (.355”) but in a smaller case with diminished capacity (roughly speaking, 15% less than the 9mm in grains of H2O). Those two are a lot closer in power then they are to 9mm Luger. Our website lists special deals on 9mm Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 45-70 Ammo, 6.5 Creedmoor ammo, 300 Blackout Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 5.56 Ammo, Underwood Ammo, Buffalo Bore Ammo and more special deals on bulk ammo. When most shooters look at ballistics, they tend to see velocity as king and the higher velocity of the 380 ACP when compared to 38 Special looks like a winner. No one really buys a full size .380 or .38 pistol in this day and age. A Taurus Curve served as the test platform for the 380 ACP. Side by side on the table were several 38 Special revolvers by Smith & Wesson and Taurus with the same brands of pistols chambered for the “9mm Short” a.k.a. A .357 magnum round shot in a .38 special gun would cause a lot of damage to the gun. My Ruger LCR in 22 Magnum is light-weight revolver that definitely promises a no-recoil solution to a defensive handgun. If you want to subscribe to our monthly newsletter, please submit the form below. .38 Special Results in fps. Those are what the buyer’s choices boil down to in the real world. 380 ACP. To put this into perspective, a Boeing 737 commercial airliner travels at a cruising speed of 600 mph, or 880 fps. With modern up-to-date defense ammunition these two rounds are very comparable, but with ballistics analysis one has to give a slight advantage to the venerable old 38 Special. Ammunition … Then he asked about the rounds they used. Complete 38 special ammunition ballistics Chart. To put this into perspective, a Boeing 737 commercial airliner travels at a cruising speed of 600 mph, or 880 fps. I chose guns based on availability, and these guns are not intended to be an exhaustive list. .38 Special (2" barrel): Still popular, the velocity for most bullets fired will be in the same range as either the Makarov round or the .380 ACP. So a .38 Special round exits the barrel with kinetic energy equal to the energy required for linear vertical displacement of 240 pounds through a one foot distance, while a .380 Auto ACP round exiting the barrel has energy equal to the amount required to displace 190 pounds over the same one foot distance. The front of each block was covered with a four-layer heavy fabric barrier (denim, fleece, and two layers of cotton) to simulate clothing. I had her handle both and pointed out the safety features of each, how to load, and further the complexity of the pistol design over the SA/DA six shot revolver. One way to think about this is as such: a foot-pound is a unit of energy equal to the amount of energy required to raise a weight of one pound a distance of one foot. These produce an MV of around 1000 fps with 189 ft. lbs. Here is the real crux of the issue. These produce an MV of around 1000 fps with 189 ft. lbs. That along with the confidence in using a revolver or a pistol. Since she was not an experienced shooter, I explained the mechanical differences and nuances of the two firearm types. 9mm Makarov (9x18mm) Ballistic Test Results. The rounds are shorter and less powerful, meaning the pistols that fire them can be smaller and easier to conceal than when using 9mm rounds. While some dismiss it, the .38 Special served very well for a very long time in law enforcement use. And remember to also check the list of ammunition tested as part of the Cylinder Gap tests. Best of the handgun calibers was .357 which, in my opinion, belongs in a medium or large frame steel weapon. In a self-defense situation, I prefer more lead than less on target. The bullet diameter on the other hand is virtually the same. Click here for a Muzzle Energy graph for the tests in this caliber. Here's a summary of popular cartridges that interchange well: CARTRIDGE INTERCHANGEABILITY CHART ----- Cartridges within the groups shown are interchangeable. We offer a 100% Authenticity Guarantee on all products sold on our website. Rimmed bullets are well suited to revolver actions, and not so very well to guns that feed the ammo from box magazines. With its rising popularity, the .38 Special began to be manufactured with smokeless powder loadings.The .357 was a collaborative development in the early 1930s based on the .38. .380 cartridges are better if concealment is a top priority. For the 9mm handguns, I compared the Glock 43, the Kimber Micro 9, the SIG P938 and the Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield. Average penetration is about 12 inches, depending on testing variables. The .38 Special+P ammo, suitable in most medium frame revolvers, delivers a maximum average pressure of 20,000 PSI, with an average penetration of 13-14 inches in ballistic gelatin. Comments have to be approved before showing up, © 2021 Foundry Outdoors - All Rights Reserved, Product successfully added to your Shopping Cart, 223 WSSM Winchester Super Short Magnum Ammo, 243 WSSM Winchester Super Short Magnum Ammo, 25 WSSM Winchester Super Short Magnum Ammo, 300 RSAUM Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum Ammo, 7mm RSAUM Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum Ammo, .38 Special vs .380 Auto ACP Ammo Comparison - Ballistics Info & Chart. It is a six-shot revolver, offering one more round than the 38 Special version. We offer cheap ammo and bulk ammo deals on the most popular ammo calibers. Thank You. This is the third video in my three-part series evaluating the ballistic performance of the Glock 42. The decision for which round is better for a given application should be made with complete information, and this article simply serves as a comparative guide, not the final say. In comparison, the best .38 Special +P ammo from a 2-inch revolver is 67 percent effective. The gun is typical for its class with a short 2 3/4 inch barrel and a 6+1 capacity. While this seemingly small round is thought of as the bare minimum caliber of defensive pistols, the reality is that it actually has a lot to offer and has gotten a bad rap over the years from the caliber junkies. The following ammunition cartridge ballistics information and chart can be used to approximately compare .327 Federal Magnum vs .380 Auto ACP ammo rounds. According to Ellifritz’s data, the .380 is comparable in performance to the .38 Special and both fall below the 9 mm. I could tell she was not a shooter or even accustomed to guns, but the question came up. Which handgun was better suited for her, the 38 Special revolver or the 380 ACP pistol? A heavier weapon means less recoil. To accommodate loads that penetrated beyond the full 16 inches of the gel block’s length, we positioned a second block behind the first one, giving us a total of 32 inches to captur… Furthermore, the muzzle energy of a .38 Special round averages out to 240 ft-lb, while a .380 Auto ACP round averages out to about 190 ft-lb. A .38 Special bullet is also characterized by a longer case and thus, it is longer and heavier than the .380 ACP. It makes a world of sense. In the final analysis it all depends on how many bullets are accurately delivered to the intended target and where. How you use the data is entirely up to you. As you know, the differences are pretty profound. As illustrated in the chart, .38 Special rounds - on average - achieve a velocity of about 880 feet per second (fps) while .380 Auto ACP rounds travel at a velocity of 980 fps. It was bound to come up at some point, sooner or later. 38 Special vs 380 ACP; Pistol Looks Like Cell Phone; 10 Conceal Carry Tips (Funny) Man Brings Knife to Gun Fight (Funny) 38 Special vs 380 ACP; FBI Handgun Ballistics; Top 5 Home Defense Handguns; 38 Special vs 380 ACP; Please like, share, favorite, bookmark, and comment. With several new tempting 380 self-defense loads being introduced, the comparison just had to happen. The real difference might come down to how many rounds are available to deliver. That brought up two issues. That is to say, .38 Special bullets travel 1 times the speed of a 737 airplane at cruising speed, while .380 Auto ACP bullets travel 1.1 times that same speed. It’s not hard to see why it’s not only the favored service pistol around the world, but also one of the most popular calibers time and time again.. of energy at the muzzle. In fact, the least effective .380 ACP hollowpoint has a 62 percent rating. Plus, now a days most guns chambered in .380 and .38 are geared towards the CCW crowd. Common Calibers - Bullet Size Chart. Compare all 380 ACP ammunition … A standard load for the 38 Special is a 158 grain bullet putting out a muzzle velocity of around 700-890 fps. And if you think you could do better, feel free to spend the money and do the work and publish your own results. Please note, the following information reflects the estimated average ballistics for each caliber and does not pertain to a particular manufacturer, bullet weight, or jacketing type. We have a variety of deals on Rifle Ammo, Handgun Ammo, Shotgun Ammo & Rimfire Ammo, as well as ammo for target practice, plinking, hunting, or shooting competitions. As a rule of thumb, when it comes to hunting, muzzle energy is what many hunters look at when deciding on what caliber of firearm / ammunition to select. The .38 Special was introduced in 1898 as a military service cartridge because the .38 Long Colt had insufficient stopping power against the wooden shields of Moros during the Philippine-American War. A potential buyer was there shopping with his wife for a personal defense firearm. I drew all firearms specifications from manufacturer websites. For more detailed ballistics information please refer to the exact round in question or contact the manufacturer for the pertinent information. Good question. The .38 Special round delivers a maximum average pressure of 17,000 PSI. There are a whole bunch of myths about .380 ACP and the guns that shoot it. I test… Expansion is similar to the other two, but penetration is almost always a bit deeper. The main difference between the 380 and.38 special is that the.38 special has a larger cartridge. We followed all of the same protocols for our .38/.357 tests that we used in our semi-auto tests. Complete 380 ACP ammunition ballistics Chart. Many people use the .38 special in a .357 magnum for target practice. 9mm (115gr vs 124gr vs 147 HP) The 9mm gives you the best of all worlds: magazine capacity, control, and power. The .38 Special ammunition produced an average velocity of 836 fps. As such, the following is for comparative information purposes only and should not be used to make precise predictions of the trajectory, performance, or true ballistics of any particular .38 Special or .380 Auto ACP rounds for hunting, target shooting, plinking, or any other usage. Please note, the following information reflects the estimated average ballistics for each caliber and does not pertain to a particular manufacturer, bullet weight, or jacketing type. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction; that is one of the physical laws of our universe. That creates an energy of 200-278 foot pounds depending on the exact load. The choice is becoming clear between a .380 ACP pocket pistol and a .38 Special +P snubnose revolver. In the example of the .380 firing a 90 grain bullet at 1,040 feet per second, that bullet would provide about 215 … Furthermore, the data is provided purely for entertainment purposes - to better facilitate arguments over what ammo or caliber or gun is "best." Again, the above is for comparative information purposes only, and you should consult the exact ballistics for the particular .38 Special or .380 Auto ACP cartridge you're looking at purchasing. The .380 ACP cartridge uses bullets measuring .355 inches in diameter while the .38 Special has bullets with a diameter of .357 inches. A standard load for the 38 Special is a 158 grain bullet putting out a muzzle velocity of around 700-890 fps. .380 vs 9mm: Recoil Among the most blatant arguments for the .380 ACP is the caliber is much milder. Examples of rimmed ammo include .38 Special and .44 Magnum. The difference is that the .38 Special will toss slugs of slightly greater weight at these speeds. Test gun: Glock 42 w/ Conversion bbl. This also means more gunpowder can be used on a .38 Special. The 38 special is usually loaded in a 6 round revolver and if you are talking snub noses then it will usually hold just 5. The following ammunition cartridge ballistics information and chart can be used to approximately compare .38 Special vs .380 Auto ACP ammo rounds. That creates an energy of 200-278 foot pounds depending on the exact load. The 380 ACP’s standard load uses an 85-95 grain bullet. Handgun Recoil Table By Chuck Hawks. It came up again while working a gun show last weekend. Can you fire .38 special cartridges in any # .357 mag revolver or must the gun be made somehow special? As the .38 Special fires a larger bullet that is moving at a higher speed, bullets from the .38 Special carry more energy than those from a .380 Auto. As illustrated in the chart,.38 Special rounds - on average - achieve a velocity of about 880 feet per second (fps) while.380 Auto ACP rounds travel at a velocity of 980 fps. However, .38 special round can be shot in a .357 magnum pistol due to the .38 special lack of pressure generated when fired compared to the magnum round. .380 ACP Results in fps (2008) ... .44 Special.44 Mag.45 ACP ('08).45 ACP ('15).45 Colt.45 Super.460 Rowland.223 Rifle Acknowledgements. Stop With These Myths About .380 Auto And The Pistols That Shoot It. I detailed the advantages and disadvantages of each. While the.380 might just look like the 9mm’s shorter cousin, but in actuality, these two rounds function quite differently.

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