.38 Special vs .380 ACP - Price, Recoil & Ballistics Compared

Side-by-side price comparison with live market data

Current Prices

Metric.38 Special.380 ACP
Lowest Price—$0.265/rd
Midpoint (per product)$0.700/rd$0.800/rd
Range / practice midpoint$0.520/rd$0.384/rd
Defensive / premium midpoint$1.08/rd$1.00/rd
Highest Price—$2.20/rd
Products Tracked324225
Retailers1718

Prices reflect 30-day observed in-stock data across tracked online retailers. Updated daily.

.38 Special

IronScout provides observed price and availability data for .38 Special ammo prices ammunition across tracked online retailers. Data reflects historical price observations and does not include purchase recommendations.

Observed 30-Day Price (Per Round): median: 0.700, sample size: 8498.

Prices last updated October 6, 2026 · 324 listings tracked across 17 retailers · 31 days with data in the 30-day window

How we calculate this

SQL PERCENTILE_CONT over daily-best per-product-per-day observed in-stock prices

  • Daily-best is MIN(price_per_round) per (caliber, product, UTC day).
  • Only in-stock observations included.
  • Coverage varies by retailer and source.

.380 ACP

Observed 30-day price distribution

IronScout provides observed price and availability data for .380 ACP ammo prices ammunition across tracked online retailers. Data reflects historical price observations and does not include purchase recommendations.

Observed 30-Day Price Range (Per Round): median: 0.800, lowest: 0.265, highest: 2.200, sample size: 5928.

Lowest observed price in the trailing 7-day window: 0.265.

Prices last updated October 6, 2026 · 225 listings tracked across 18 retailers · 31 days with data in the 30-day window

How we calculate this

SQL PERCENTILE_CONT over daily-best per-product-per-day observed in-stock prices

  • Daily-best is MIN(price_per_round) per (caliber, product, UTC day).
  • Only in-stock observations included.
  • Coverage varies by retailer and source.
Search .38 Special by cost per roundSearch .380 ACP by cost per round

Frequently Asked Questions

How do .38 Special and .380 ACP midpoint prices compare?
.38 Special shows a per-product midpoint of $0.70/rd and .380 ACP $0.80/rd. Prices are observed across tracked online retailers and updated daily.
Should I choose .38 Special or .380 ACP?
The choice between .38 Special and .380 ACP depends on your firearm, intended use, and budget. IronScout provides pricing and availability data to help inform your decision — not recommendations. Compare current prices for both calibers on IronScout.

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