.380 ACP

.380 ACP
Yugoslavian "9 mm Kratak" (9 mm Short) cartridges, FMJ.
Type	Pistol
Country of Origin	USA
Specifications
Case Type	Rimless, straight
Bullet Ø	.355 in (9.0 mm)
Neck Ø	.373 in (9.5 mm)
Shoulder Ø	n/a
Base Ø	.374 in (9.5 mm)
Rim Ø	.374 in (9.5 mm)
Rim Thickness	.045 in (1.1 mm)
Case Length	.680 in (17.3 mm)
Full Length	.984 in (25.0 mm)
Production & Service
Designer	John Browning
Design Date	1906/07
Manufacturer	Colt Manufacturing Company
Production Dates	1908-present
Ballistic Performance Sampling
Bullet Wt./type Velocity Energy 90 gr (5.8 g) JHP 1,000 ft/s (300 m/s) 200 ft·lbf (270 J) 95 gr (6.2 g) FMJ 980 ft/s (300 m/s) 203 ft·lbf (275 J) Test barrel length: 3.75 Source: Federal Cartridge

The .380 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) (also referred to as the "9 mm Short", "9 mm Browning", "9 mm Kurz", "9 mm Corto" or "9x17mm") pistol cartridge is a rimless, straight-walled pistol cartridge developed by firearms designer John Browning. It was introduced in 1908 by Colt, and has been a popular self-defense cartridge ever since.

Design

.380 ACP cartridge dimensions

The .380 ACP cartridge was designed for early blowback pistols which lacked a barrel locking mechanism. The locking mechanism that is found on most other pistols is not necessary for the .380 because of the round's low breech pressure when fired; the guide spring is enough to buffer the energy displaced to the slide. This simplifies manufacture of pistols chambered for such a round, generally thereby lowering the cost. It also permits the barrel to be permanently fixed to the frame during firing, which promotes accuracy. There have, however, been a number of locked breech pistols chambered in .380 ACP. There have also been some diminutive submachine guns, such as the Ingram MAC-11.

The cartridge is ballistically similar to the slightly hotter 9x18mm Makarov service pistol cartridge developed in the Soviet Union.

Performance

The .380 ACP is compact and light, but short ranged and having marginal stopping power. Even so, it remains a popular self-defense cartridge for shooters who want a lightweight pistol with manageable recoil. It is slightly less powerful than a standard-pressure .38 Special and uses 9 mm(.355 in) bullets. The heaviest bullet that can be safely loaded into the .380 ACP is 115 grains (7.5 g), though the standard has long been 85, 90 or 95 grains (5.5, 5.8 or 6.2 g). Many consider the .380 ACP to be the minimum cartridge suitable for self defense, while others draw the line at the slightly more powerful .38 Special or at the less powerful .32 ACP. The .380 has had somewhat of a recent upsurge in popularity due to some very compact and lightweight pistols chambered for it.

There are numerous cartridges similar to the .380 ACP such as semi-rimmed .38 ACP, rebated rim 9mm Nickl, the 9mm Ultra, and 9mm Makarov.

.380 ACP (left), compared to .32 ACP (right). Yugoslavian made, standard FMJ.

Synonyms

• 9x17mm Short
• 9 mm Kurz
• 9 mm Corto
• 9 mm Court
• 9 mm Short
• 9 mm Kratak
• 9 mm Browning Short
• 9 mm Scurt

The .380 ACP compared to a 9x19 mm Parabellum cartridge.

See also

• 9 mm caliber
• List of firearms
• List of handgun cartridges

External links

• Colt Automatic Pistols Home Page,