{"id":2953,"date":"2020-09-10T08:13:42","date_gmt":"2020-09-10T08:13:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ammoman.com\/blog\/?p=2953"},"modified":"2023-03-24T06:34:25","modified_gmt":"2023-03-24T06:34:25","slug":"head-to-head-380-vs-9mm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ammoman.com\/blog\/head-to-head-380-vs-9mm\/","title":{"rendered":"Head To Head: 380 vs 9mm"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let’s Look At 380 ACP vs 9mm Luger<\/span><\/h1>\n

The 9mm Luger round is one of the most popular centerfire pistol cartridges in America today. It is smaller than its two closest competitors, .40 S&W and .45 ACP, which allows for more rounds to be carried in similarly-sized magazines. However, despite its smaller size, modern bullet design has turned 9mm into an effective and reliable defensive pistol round.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In recent years, though, there has been a resurgence of interest in 9mm\u2019s smaller cousin, the .380 ACP cartridge. Thanks to pocket pistols like the Ruger LCP and <\/span>a host of larger-sized guns<\/span><\/a>, the .380 ACP round is gaining new life as a defensive pistol cartridge. Let\u2019s look at some of the things that separate .380 vs. 9mm.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Two Different Roads, Similar Destinations<\/span><\/h3>\n

First, a brief history of the two cartridges. Despite their similar sizes (9x17mm for .380 ACP and 9×19 for 9mm Luger), the two rounds do not share a common heritage. John Moses Browning designed .380 ACP as a variant of <\/span>his 38 ACP round<\/span><\/a>. The .380 ACP round (also known as 9mm Short or 9mm Kurz) quickly gained popularity, especially in Europe. Service pistols chambered in .380 ACP, such as the Beretta M1934 and Browning Model 1922 serving well into World War II.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The 9mm Luger round was designed by (you guessed it) George Luger. Luger expanded the neck of the pre-existing 7.65 Luger round to take a 9mm diameter bullet, and the rest is history. 9mm slowly gained acceptance, first as a round for submachine guns, then as a service pistol cartridge. John Moses Browning and Dieudonn\u00e9 Saive took the 9mm cartridge, squeezed 13 rounds into the magazine of the pistol. Having done such, the modern high-capacity 9mm defensive pistol we know today was born.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Testing 380 vs 9mm<\/span><\/h2>\n

Now let\u2019s get to our tests. We\u2019ll need to level the playing field as much as possible to get a better understanding of the differences with 380 vs 9mm. This can be difficult, as .380 pistols tend to be chambered in smaller guns compared to 9mm. Fortunately for our purposes, Sccy Firearms makes two very similar pistols. One is chambered in 9mm and the other in .380 ACP, that are almost identical in size and features.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"380<\/a>

Test Guns: .380 and 9mm Sccy pistols<\/p><\/div>\n

The 9mm <\/span>Sccy CPX-2<\/span><\/a> is a hammer-fired, double-action only (DAO) pistol that weighs 15 ounces and has a barrel just over 3 inches long. The <\/span>Sccy CPX-3<\/span><\/a>, however, shoots .380 ACP and also weighs 15 ounces, with a barrel that is just under 3 inches long. All the other features on these two guns (sights, trigger pull, etc.) are identical. This allows us to compare the cartridges they fire, not the guns themselves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

First, we\u2019ll do a quick comparison of what a round of 380 ACP brings to the table versus 9mm Luger. We shot 10 rounds of three different .380 ACP rounds, and 10 rounds of three 9mm rounds from the same manufacturer. We measured their velocity as they left the barrel of each gun with a chronograph. This will give us a better understanding as to how much power is in 380 vs 9mm. <\/span><\/p>\n

380 Ammo Tested:<\/strong>
\n\n\n\n\n\t
Blazer Brass 95 Gr FMJ<\/a>
\nAverage Velocity: 901 fps
\nAverage Muzzle Energy: 171 ft\/lbs<\/td>		PMC 90 Gr FMJ<\/a>
\nAverage Velocity: 918 fps
\nAverage Muzzle Energy: 168 ft\/lbs <\/td>		Speer GoldDot 90 Gr JHP<\/a>
\nAverage Velocity: 952 fps
\nAverage Muzzle Energy: 181 ft\/lbs <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/p>\n

9mm Ammo Tested:<\/strong>
\n\n\n\n\n\t
Blazer Brass 115 Gr FMJ<\/a>
\nAverage Velocity: 1053 fps
\nAverage Muzzle Energy: 283 ft\/lbs <\/td>		PMC 115 Gr FMJ <\/a>
\nAverage Velocity: 1094 fps
\nAverage Muzzle Energy: 306 ft\/lbs <\/td>		GoldDot 124 Gr JHP<\/a>
\nAverage Velocity: 1070 fps
\nAverage Muzzle Energy: 315 ft\/lbs <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\nThe lower velocity and lighter bullet inside a round of 380 ACP means that it has less muzzle energy when it leaves the barrel compared to a round of 9mm. This impacts its usefulness as a defensive cartridge in two different ways. On the downside, that lower amount of energy means less penetration into the target. This, in turn, means a lower chance of stopping a threat with any given shot. On the plus side, lower muzzle energy means lower recoil. This means that follow-up shots will be faster if they are needed.<\/p>\n
\"380<\/a>

380 Gelatin Results<\/p><\/div>\n

To test the effect of the lower muzzle energy of 380 vs 9mm on the target, we\u2019ll shoot five rounds of 380 and 9mm Gold Dot jacketed hollowpoint (JHP) ammunition into a block of Clear Ballistics gel. The shots will be covered with the same layers of cloth used in FBI ballistics testing, and the blocks will be positioned 10 feet away from each pistol. Ideally, the rounds we shoot should expand upon impact and penetrate anywhere between 12 and 16 inches into the gel.<\/p>\n

Penetration Testing Results<\/span><\/h4>\n
\"9mm<\/a>

9mm Gelatin Results<\/p><\/div>\n

\"380<\/a>

380 Recovered Bullets<\/p><\/div>\n

380 ACP Speer Gold Dot JHP (Average of 5 Rounds)<\/strong>
\nMinimum Penetration Depth: 10.75 inches
\nMaximum Penetration Depth: 11.75 inches
\nAverage Penetration Depth: 11.22 inches
\nAverage Bullet Width: 0.47 inches (+0.12 inches expansion)<\/p>\n

9mm Speer Gold Dot JHP (Average of 5 Rounds)<\/strong>
\nMinimum Penetration Depth: 16 inches
\nMaximum Penetration Depth: 16.75 inches
\nAverage Penetration Depth: 16.4 inches
\nAverage Bullet Width: 0.51 inches (+0.14 inches expansion)<\/p>\n

\"9mm<\/a>

9mm Recovered Bullets<\/p><\/div>\n

I was pleasantly surprised by the .380 ACP results. I was expecting the Gold Dot JHP rounds to penetrate 10 inches or less. The fact that they all expanded and came close to the FBI minimum penetration standard gives me confidence in their ability to stop a threat on-demand.<\/p>\n

The 9mm Gold Dots, on the other hand, overachieved on the penetration and didn\u2019t expand as much as I was expecting. Are they a poor choice for a 9mm defensive round? No, of course not. However, I do think there are better options available in 9mm right now, and it might be worth your time to research them out.<\/p>\n