On the other hand, the 9mm is a heavier bullet with a ton of options for ammo to choose from. Along with more space for extra rounds in a handgun of comparable size. This translates to lower recoil, lesser noise, and better controllability. Plus, the highest bullet weights reach only close to 100 grains. 380 ACP is loaded at almost half the pressure of 9mm (not taking into consideration +p loads). 380 ACP but that doesn’t create much of a difference.Īs you can see in the table, the. This means a microsecond of faster cycling time for the. 380 ACP is close to an inch in overall length, whereas the 9mm is just a tad longer. 380 is a less powerful cartridge than the 9mm, which is already evident from the measurements and visual inspection. 380 and 9mm share the same bullet diameter and technically both are 9mm bullets. Let’s compare the cartridge dimensions and specs for both these cartridges. Being widely popular also means there is a lot of bullet options and data available out there. The first transitions were seen among U.S police departments during the 1980s when many officers switched their revolvers for the quick reloading and high mag capacity handguns chambered in the 9mm.Īs far as the military is concerned, again the controllability and ammo carrying capacity gave it more preference over heavier rounds like the.

Being a flat autoloader cartridge, the 9mm rounds can be easily stacked in flat magazines which eliminates the problem of carrying extra ammo with concealment.ĭue to its power, high magazine capacities, and ample stopping power, the 9mm popularized the use of semi-automatic handguns. The cartridge is also known by other names such as 9mm Parabellum, 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO, and 9x19mm.

9mm vs 380 diameter