There can easily be confusion between the names of three cartridges: .38 auto, .380 auto, and .38 special.
.38 auto is an antique and obsolete cartridge replaced by the .380 auto. This is why there is an extra zero on the end of the name and it's called "three-eighty." Neither cartridges have a full rim and are intended for semiautomatic pistols.
.38 special is a fully rimmed cartridge intended for revolvers.
The .380 caliber is typically a pistol cartridge, also known as 9mm Short or 9mm Kurz, while the .38 caliber is a revolver cartridge, usually referring to .38 Special or .38 S&W. The .380 cartridge is generally smaller in diameter and length compared to the .38 caliber cartridges.
Oddly enough, both are about .35 Caliber, which is why one can fire a .38 Special round out of a .357 Magnum.the .38 Special has an actual diameter of .357 and the .380 has a diameter of .355. So the .38 special is larger and they are typically heavier than the .380 (110gr vs 90gr).
The 380 ACP, also known as the 9mm Short, 9x17, 9mm Browning, 9mm Kurz and 9mm Corto uses a .355 diameter bullet. The 38 special uses a .357 diameter bullet. Additionally, the 380 ACP is designed for a semi-automatic and the .38 special is designed for a revolver.
The most common .38 is the .38 Special, a rimmed revolver cartridge that is actually .357 inches in diameter. The most common .380 is the .380 ACP. That is a rimless automatic pistol cartridge. It is shorter and slightly fatter than the .38 Special. They are intended for two entirely different firearms, and do not interchange.
The 38 special will be in a revolver and the 380 ACP most probably a semi-auto. However some of the energy of the bullet is used to eject and reload the 380 which dampens the recoil a bit. Also the .38 special is actually 0.357 " diam and the 380 is 0.355". The upshot of it all is that the .38 would have more recoil.
If it's marked 38 ACP it takes an old cartridge that is generally no longer available. If it's marked 380 ACP the cartridge is available at any gunshop as the 380 Auto. The ACP stands for Automatic Colt Pistol. The 380 cartridge is a 9MM short.
No. You cannot fire anything other than a .380 ACP cartridge out of a .380 handgun.
Noooop. But most .357 Magnums can safely fire a .38 Special (not vice versa though)
Not really. The .38 usually refers to a rimmed revolver cartridge, such as .38 S&W, or .38 Special. The.380 is an automatic pistol cartridge, and much shorter.
No, i asume you dont have see .380 pistol and a revolver 38 spl, the .380 and 38 spl ammo share de same diameter boot no the longer, the 38 is for a 38 special revolver tipe and the .380 is for an automatic pistol tipe some people call 9mm short.
The .380 ACP is only available for the Glock 25 and 28. The .38 ACP and the .357 SIG are completely different. The .38 SIG being slightly smaller. Trying to fire the .38 ACP in a .357 will cause serious injury.
No. Ammo designated as .38 or .38 special is different than ammo designated as .380. .380 is designed for semi-auto handguns and .38 ammo is for revolvers.More to the point, the .38 Special has a longer case, and a larger diameter projectile. The .38 special bullet measures .357" diameter, the .380 measures .355" diameter. The .38 special is a 'rimmed' cartridge, and the .380 is 'rimless'. Luckily, .38 Special ammo will not fit in a .380 magazine, otherwise the results could be disastrous, possibly turning your .380 handgun into a hand grenade.