How do 9mm and .380 ACP compare?
These are distinct cartridge designations, not interchangeable ammunition. Shared nominal bullet diameter or a platform category does not establish firearm compatibility. Verify the exact cartridge designation against the firearm manufacturer's instructions.
This page does not infer a carry method or recommend a cartridge for a person's strength, injury, or practice habits. Each comparison needs a stated criterion and evidence supporting that criterion.
Cost per round
Use 9mm FMJ listings and .380 ACP FMJ listings to examine eligible tracked offers. Check exact product identity, package quantity, observation time, and the disclosed cost basis.
Divide each listed offer price by its round count. Delivered-cost comparisons additionally require known shipping and tax on the same basis. Unknown shipping does not establish a delivered-cost winner. Historical observations are not currently purchasable offers.
This page supplies no dated offer or manufacturing dataset establishing a universal price order, overlapping hollow-point prices, or production volume as the cause of a retail-price difference.
Ballistic and terminal-performance boundaries
A checkable comparison needs exact load identifiers, test barrels, ammunition lots, measurement methods, and conditions. Bullet mass and sourced velocity support energy arithmetic, not a direct terminal-performance conclusion.
This page supplies no matched terminal or barrier test establishing a universal expansion threshold or defensive winner. A firearm's barrel length alone does not guarantee hollow-point expansion. Verify the exact manufacturer's construction and performance claims separately.
Firearm size, capacity, and mass
Verify the exact firearm model, variant, magazine, dimensions, and mass definition. An unloaded manufacturer mass cannot be presented as loaded mass without the actual magazine and ammunition inputs.
A difference in dimensions or mass does not establish suitability for a pocket, waistband, or appendix carry method. This article provides no firearm-use or carry instructions.
Recoil comparison boundaries
A calculation of free recoil is not a measurement of how a person experiences a particular firearm. Exact load, firearm configuration, and measurement conditions matter.
This page supplies no matched recoil or participant study establishing a universal cartridge comfort ranking. It does not prescribe a firearm for arthritis, injury recovery, or a person's willingness to practice.
Availability and equipment boundaries
This page supplies no manufacturer or retailer census establishing the widest selection, smallest current platform, or universal availability. Missing tracked listings do not prove a product does not exist.
Follow the exact equipment manufacturer's operation and maintenance guidance. Cartridge or construction categories do not establish component compatibility, reliability, or defensive suitability.
Comparing by a stated criterion
A comparison must disclose its criterion before naming a winner. Eligible offer arithmetic can establish a scoped cost-per-round result. Accuracy, recoil, reliability, and terminal performance require comparable evidence that this page does not supply.
Related comparisons
- 9mm vs .45 ACP — The classic big-caliber debate
- 9mm vs .38 Special — Semi-auto vs revolver carry
- FMJ and hollow-point construction
- .380 ACP load comparisons
Related caliber pages
- 9mm ammo prices — Eligible tracked listings
- Lowest observed 9mm prices — Historical statistics, not current offers
- 9mm price history — 30-day pricing trends
- .380 ACP ammo prices — Eligible tracked listings
- Lowest observed .380 ACP prices — Historical statistics, not current offers
- .380 ACP price history — 30-day pricing trends
- 9mm hollow-point listings — Construction category
- .380 ACP hollow-point listings — Construction category
Search 9mm by cost per round → | Search .380 ACP by cost per round →