9mm vs .38 Special - Price, Recoil & Ballistics Compared

Side-by-side price comparison with live market data

Looking for a deep dive? Read our full 9mm vs .38 Special comparison guide with ballistics, capacity, recoil, and use-case analysis.

Current Prices

Metric9mm.38 Special
Lowest Price$0.108/rd$0.280/rd
Midpoint (per product)$0.494/rd$0.679/rd
Range / practice midpoint$0.298/rd$0.505/rd
Defensive / premium midpoint$0.830/rd$1.00/rd
Highest Price$3.00/rd$2.85/rd
Products Tracked997363
Retailers2120

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

9mm

IronScout provides observed price and availability data for 9mm 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: 0.494, lowest: 0.108, highest: 2.998, sample size: 24673.

Lowest observed price in the trailing 7-day window: 0.116.

Prices last updated August 13, 2026 · 997 listings tracked across 21 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 9mmSearch .38 Special

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 9mm or .38 Special cheaper?
9mm currently starts at $0.11/rd (per-product midpoint $0.49/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 9mm or .38 Special?
The choice between 9mm 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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