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

Side-by-side price comparison with live market data

Current Prices

Metric.380 ACP.38 Special
Lowest Price$0.245/rd$0.280/rd
Midpoint (per product)$0.599/rd$0.679/rd
Range / practice midpoint$0.379/rd$0.505/rd
Defensive / premium midpoint$0.899/rd$1.00/rd
Highest Price$2.30/rd$2.85/rd
Products Tracked253363
Retailers2020

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

.380 ACP

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: 0.599, lowest: 0.245, highest: 2.300, sample size: 6181.

Lowest observed price in the trailing 7-day window: 0.245.

Prices last updated August 13, 2026 · 253 listings tracked across 20 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.

.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 Range (Per Round): median: 0.679, lowest: 0.280, highest: 2.848, sample size: 8646.

Lowest observed price in the trailing 7-day window: 0.280.

Prices last updated August 13, 2026 · 363 listings tracked across 20 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 .380 ACPSearch .38 Special

Frequently Asked Questions

Is .380 ACP or .38 Special cheaper?
.380 ACP currently starts at $0.24/rd (per-product midpoint $0.60/rd). .38 Special starts at $0.28/rd (per-product midpoint $0.68/rd). Prices are observed across tracked online retailers and updated daily.
Should I choose .380 ACP or .38 Special?
The choice between .380 ACP and .38 Special 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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