Practice & target
Full-metal-jacket, plated, lead, and wadcutter bullets describe different constructions. Grain weight is projectile mass; it does not state a powder charge or guarantee recoil.
THE CARTRIDGE LIBRARY · PISTOL
.380 ACP
Also called .380 Auto, 9mm Browning Short, or 9×17mm in common nomenclature. It is a small semiautomatic-pistol cartridge distinct from 9mm Luger.
2A Ledger reference desk · Sources checked October 18, 2026
Read the dimensions
- Overall · min–max
- 0.910–0.984 in
23.114–24.994 mm - Case length · max
- 0.680 in
17.272 mm - Bullet maximum
- 0.3565 in
9.055 mm - Rim diameter · max
- 0.374 in
9.500 mm
Know the exact name
At a glance
- Cartridge family
- Pistol
- Bullet specification
- 0.3565 in / 9.055 mmBullet maximum
- Factory examples
- 13 loadsSelected, sourced examples below
- Weight in cited examples
- 70–99 grGrains measure mass, not powder charge
.380 ACP is identified by its complete cartridge designation. The resource-table alternative is 9 mm Browning Short. A caliber number, bullet diameter, or family resemblance on its own does not identify ammunition compatibility.
9mm Luger, 9mm Makarov, and .380 Auto are separate cartridges, even though several names contain 9mm.
Dimensions: open the exact dimensional drawing ↗. The displayed number is bullet maximum, rather than an assertion that every manufactured projectile or barrel has this exact diameter.
Origins & evolution
Background & development
John Browning’s .380 Auto was introduced in 1908 in Colt’s Automatic Pocket Pistol. It extended the early automatic-pistol cartridge family into a larger pocket-pistol offering than Browning’s .25 and .32 designs. Although introduced in the United States, it also developed an extensive European service and commercial history.
That international use explains the collection of names found on ammunition boxes: .380 ACP, 9 mm Browning Short, 9 mm Kurz, 9 mm Corto and 9×17 mm all refer to the same cartridge designation. European police and military use helped sustain a wide variety of pistols, while the American market associated it more strongly with compact handguns and backup roles. Its continued popularity in small automatic pistols is a later chapter in that original packaging idea. The different names preserve its cross-border history, not a relationship to the longer 9 mm Luger or the separately developed Makarov cartridge.
Historical sources: Sierra: .380 ACP cartridge history ↗
Construction changes the story
Loads, variations & specialty offerings
Expanding factory bullets
JHP, XTP, FTX, HST, and similar product names refer to particular designs. Muzzle energy alone does not show expansion, penetration, or reliability in a particular firearm.
Specialty load families
Reduced-recoil, subsonic, monolithic, and heavier-bullet offerings are product-specific. A +P marking is a pressure category where standardized, not simply a heavier bullet. Follow the maker’s exact product and firearm guidance.
The expanded factory selection spans 70–99 grains. Exact products and source conditions appear in the table.
Bullet construction background: Hornady: anatomy of a bullet ↗. Exact product descriptions and velocities are cited in the factory table.
The table also distinguishes ordinary factory loads. Published test conditions and product-specific notes accompany each addition; no velocity curve is inferred from one muzzle specification.
From the factory catalog
70 grains
1,110 fps
RHT
85 grains
1,000 fps
JHP
90 grains
1,000 fps
HYDRA-SHOK
Compare all 13 cited factory load records
| Maker / product | Bullet mass | Published construction | Muzzle velocity | Test barrel | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FederalAE380LF1 | 70 gr 4.54 g | RHT | 1,110 fps 338 m/s | 3.75 in | Federal · PDF p. 61 ↗ |
| FederalPD380P1 | 85 gr 5.51 g | JHP | 1,000 fps 305 m/s | 3.75 in | Federal · PDF p. 60 ↗ |
| FederalTP380VHP1 | 85 gr 5.51 g | JHP | 1,000 fps 305 m/s | 3.75 in | Federal · PDF p. 61 ↗ |
| FederalPD380HS1 | 90 gr 5.83 g | HYDRA-SHOK | 1,000 fps 305 m/s | 3.75 in | Federal · PDF p. 60 ↗ |
| Hornady90080 | 90 gr 5.83 g | FTX® | 1,000 fps 305 m/s | 4 in | Hornady · PDF p. 191 ↗ |
| Hornady90104 | 90 gr 5.83 g | XTP® | 1,000 fps 305 m/s | 4 in | Hornady · PDF p. 191 ↗ |
| FederalAE380AP | 95 gr 6.16 g | FMJ | 980 fps 299 m/s | 3.75 in | Federal · PDF p. 61 ↗ |
| FederalC38095A | 95 gr 6.16 g | FMJ | 990 fps 302 m/s | 3.75 in | Federal · PDF p. 61 ↗ |
| FederalP380HSD1 | 99 gr 6.42 g | HYDRA-SHOK DEEP | 975 fps 297 m/s | 3.75 in | Federal · PDF p. 60 ↗ |
| FederalP380HST1S | 99 gr 6.42 g | HST | 1,030 fps 314 m/s | 3.75 in | Federal · PDF p. 60 ↗ |
| Fiocchi380APHP | 90 gr 5.83 g | JHPStandard factory load. Its published velocity is not a guarantee of subsonic performance in every firearm or temperature. | 975 fps 297.2 m/s | Not stated | Fiocchi · PDF p. 28 ↗ |
| Fiocchi380AP | 95 gr 6.16 g | FMJStandard factory load. Its published velocity is not a guarantee of subsonic performance in every firearm or temperature. | 960 fps 292.6 m/s | Not stated | Fiocchi · PDF p. 31 ↗ |
| Fiocchi380ARD | 95 gr 6.16 g | FMJStandard factory load. Its published velocity is not a guarantee of subsonic performance in every firearm or temperature. | 960 fps 292.6 m/s | Not stated | Fiocchi · PDF p. 31 ↗ |
Explore the published data
Ballistics you can inspect
Select a legend entry to add or remove its line. Hover or tap a plotted point, or use the position slider. With the graph focused, arrow keys move the inspector. Solid dots identify source points; dashed connectors show estimates between them. Load construction, pressure category, and test setup can differ even at the same grain weight.
Read the original values as accessible tables
.380 ACP: velocity by barrel length
| Exact load | Source / publisher | Published points |
|---|---|---|
| Cor Bon 90 gr. JHP | BBTI | 2: 926; 3: 1,004; 4: 1,091; 5: 1,156; 6: 1,205; 7: 1,221; 8: 1,250; 9: 1,275; 10: 1,264; 11: 1,283; 12: 1,292; 13: 1,306; 14: 1,319; 15: 1,290; 16: 1,350; 17: 1,350; 18: 1,359 |
| Cor Bon 80 gr. DPX | BBTI | 2: 983; 3: 1,027; 4: 1,086; 5: 1,136; 6: 1,181; 7: 1,195; 8: 1,214; 9: 1,237; 10: 1,253; 11: 1,247; 12: 1,255; 13: 1,274; 14: 1,283; 15: 1,267; 16: 1,322; 17: 1,324; 18: 1,329 |
| Federal 90 gr. Hydra-Shok JHP low recoil | BBTI | 2: 854; 3: 922; 4: 998; 5: 1,049; 6: 1,070; 7: 1,087; 8: 1,142; 9: 1,139; 10: 1,151; 11: 1,160; 12: 1,157; 13: 1,172; 14: 1,161; 15: 1,124; 16: 1,199; 17: 1,198; 18: 1,227 |
| Pow'r Ball 70 gr. | BBTI | 2: 1,021; 3: 1,150; 4: 1,241; 5: 1,353; 6: 1,373; 7: 1,419; 8: 1,410; 9: 1,479; 10: 1,481; 11: 1,493; 12: 1,512; 13: 1,499; 14: 1,532; 15: 1,438; 16: 1,593; 17: 1,579; 18: 1,563 |
| Winchester 85 gr. Silvertip HP | BBTI | 2: 846; 3: 904; 4: 1,025; 5: 1,073; 6: 1,072; 7: 1,062; 8: 1,123; 9: 1,107; 10: 1,103; 11: 1,125; 12: 1,149; 13: 1,132; 14: 1,142; 15: 1,112; 16: 1,149; 17: 1,137; 18: 1,199 |
| Winchester 95 gr. SXT | BBTI | 2: 789; 3: 877; 4: 934; 5: 1,003; 6: 1,013; 7: 1,010; 8: 995; 9: 1,012; 10: 1,008; 11: 1,022; 12: 1,019; 13: 1,043; 14: 1,072; 15: 1,002; 16: 1,090; 17: 1,074; 18: 1,048 |
.380 ACP: factory velocity downrange
| Exact load | Source / publisher | Published points |
|---|---|---|
| 70 gr Federal RHT | Federal | 0: 1,110; 25: 1,035; 50: 977; 75: 930; 100: 890 |
| 85 gr Federal JHP | Federal | 0: 1,000; 25: 949; 50: 907; 75: 869; 100: 835 |
| 90 gr Federal HYDRA-SHOK | Federal | 0: 1,000; 25: 953; 50: 914; 75: 879; 100: 847 |
| 95 gr Federal FMJ | Federal | 0: 980; 25: 937; 50: 899; 75: 865; 100: 835 |
| 99 gr Federal HYDRA-SHOK DEEP | Federal | 0: 975; 25: 929; 50: 888; 75: 853; 100: 820 |
| 85 gr Federal JHP | Federal | 0: 1,000; 25: 953; 50: 914; 75: 879; 100: 847 |
| 90 gr Hornady FTX® | Hornady | 0: 1,000; 50: 912; 100: 845 |
| 90 gr Hornady XTP® | Hornady | 0: 1,000; 50: 912; 100: 845 |
| 95 gr Federal FMJ | Federal | 0: 990; 25: 945; 50: 906; 75: 872; 100: 841 |
| 99 gr Federal HST | Federal | 0: 1,030; 25: 986; 50: 948; 75: 915; 100: 885 |
| 90 gr Fiocchi JHP | Fiocchi | 0: 975 |
| 95 gr Fiocchi FMJ | Fiocchi | 0: 960 |
| 95 gr Fiocchi FMJ | Fiocchi | 0: 960 |
How to interpret the comparison
Changing bullet weight also often changes bullet design and propellant choice. Two curves are comparisons of the listed products, not a controlled experiment proving that bullet weight alone caused the difference. Catalog downrange points are projections under the maker’s conditions; barrel-study points are recorded observations in the study firearm.
Direct answers
Common questions
What is .380 ACP?
Also called .380 Auto, 9mm Browning Short, or 9×17mm in common nomenclature. It is a small semiautomatic-pistol cartridge distinct from 9mm Luger.
What diameter does .380 ACP use?
The cited dimensional standard lists 0.3565 inches (9.055 mm), bullet maximum. This drawing convention is different from a casual caliber nickname.
Are similarly named cartridges interchangeable?
9mm Luger, 9mm Makarov, and .380 Auto are separate cartridges, even though several names contain 9mm.
Are the graph values measured or estimated?
Factory datasets show manufacturer specifications and any published downrange projections. Chronograph and barrel-study datasets identify recorded measurements and the original test source. Dashed connectors and intermediate inspector values are labeled linear estimates; single source points are not extended into invented curves. Energy is calculated from bullet mass and velocity.
Does higher energy mean the best load?
Energy is calculated from mass and velocity. It does not establish accuracy, expansion, penetration, pattern density, recoil, or suitability for a particular firearm. Use the exact product documentation and firearm manual.
Trace the facts
Sources & methodology
Skives & petals: read the jacket construction →
Compiled by 2A Ledger from the linked standards, manufacturer publications, and identified test records. Checked October 18, 2026. Historical tests and older catalogs retain their original dates; a listing here does not establish current availability.
- SAAMI: dimensional drawing · PDF p. 51 ↗
- Sierra: .380 ACP cartridge background ↗
- Federal · PDF p. 61 ↗
- Federal · PDF p. 60 ↗
- Hornady · PDF p. 191 ↗
- Ballistics by the Inch: archived measured barrel data (2020 archive) ↗
- BBTI: study index and source records ↗
- Additional factory specification / original test ↗
- Additional factory specification / original test ↗
Diameter figures preserve the cited drawing convention. Inch–millimeter conversion uses exactly 25.4 mm per inch. Factory specifications describe the maker’s test setup; your firearm, ammunition lot, temperature, and measuring method can produce different results. This is an educational factory-ammunition reference, not a reloading manual.