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| .380 ACP | |
|---|---|
| Name | .380 ACP |
| Origin | United States |
| Designer | John Moses Browning |
| Designed | 1908 |
| Production date | 1908–present |
| Cartridge | .380 ACP |
| Case type | Rimless, straight |
| Bullet diameter | 0.355 in (9.0 mm) |
| Primer | Small pistol |
.380 ACP
The .380 ACP is a centerfire pistol cartridge developed in the early 20th century. It has been used in a wide range of pocket pistols, subcompact handguns, and historically in compact service pistols. The cartridge played a role in the evolution of personal defense, law enforcement sidearms, and commercial pocket pistol design through the 20th and 21st centuries.
John Moses Browning created the cartridge during his work with the Colt's Manufacturing Company and Fabrique Nationale de Herstal engineers, contemporaneous with developments that produced calibers such as .45 ACP and 9mm Parabellum. Early adoption occurred in small blowback pistols marketed by firms like Browning Arms Company and SIG Sauer contemporaries, with notable users including private citizens and some police departments. Throughout the interwar and post‑World War II eras the cartridge was offered in models from Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Beretta, Walther, and Heckler & Koch, contributing to widespread civilian ownership in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, and France. Military interest was limited but influenced by logistic and doctrinal debates similar to those surrounding the adoption of the 9mm Parabellum and the .45 ACP in various services.
The cartridge uses a straight, rimless case feeding from detachable magazines in semi‑automatic pistols and from fixed magazines in some early designs. Its nominal bullet diameter matches many 9 mm examples, aligning with bullet components used by manufacturers like Remington Arms Company, Federal Premium Ammunition, and Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Dimensions and pressure limits are standardized by organizations such as the SAAMI and the C.I.P. commission, affecting chamber headspace and maximum average pressure. Typical magazine configurations range from single‑stack designs in compact frames to double‑stack variations in some modern micro‑compact pistols produced by Glock‑competitors and boutique makers.
Ballistic performance places the cartridge below many full‑size service cartridges in terms of muzzle energy and trajectory. Standard factory loads deliver bullet weights commonly between 80 and 95 grains, producing muzzle velocities that vary with barrel length and manufacturer loadings from producers like Speer Bullets and Hornady. Terminal performance discussions have intersected with forensic and wound ballistics research by institutions such as FBI laboratories and academic groups at universities like University of California research teams. Its lower recoil impulse compared with larger calibers makes it manageable in lightweight frames, influencing carry pistol adoption by agencies like local police departments and private security firms documented in industry reports by trade organizations including the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
Manufacturers offering models in this chambering include legacy firms and modern micro‑pistol specialists. Examples encompass compact pistols from Beretta's lines, pocket pistols by Browning and Colt, compact carry designs from Ruger and Smith & Wesson, and contemporaries from Walther and Kahr Arms. International makers such as Zastava Arms and CZ produced variants for regional markets. Specialty small arms firms and custom shops have also chambered lightweight alloy or polymer framed pistols for the cartridge, with magazine, slide, and barrel innovations documented in trade literature from events like the SHOT Show.
Ammunition offerings include full metal jacket, jacketed hollow point, plated, and frangible loads produced by companies such as Winchester, Federal, Remington, Hornady, and boutique reloaders. Defensive loads emphasize expansion or penetration characteristics evaluated in ballistic gelatin tests often reported by groups like NTOA analysts and forensic ballistics laboratories. Specialty hunting or target loads are manufactured in limited runs by ammunition houses and custom reloaders using components from suppliers such as Alliant Powder and Coyote Bullets.
Civilians commonly select the cartridge for concealed carry, with policies and permit frameworks administered by state authorities like the California Department of Justice and the Texas Department of Public Safety affecting legal carrying. Law enforcement adoption has been episodic, influenced by procurement policies at municipal and county agencies including examples from Los Angeles Police Department and smaller departments where compactness and ease of carry were prioritized. International legal regimes, export controls, and import regulations from entities such as the European Union and national customs agencies shape commercial availability and cross‑border sales.
Critiques focus on perceived terminal effectiveness compared with larger calibers such as the .45 ACP and the 9mm Parabellum, debates reflected in training doctrine discussions at academies like the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers and in ballistic research published in forensic journals. Advocacy and interest groups, including self‑defense organizations and shooting sports associations, have sometimes polarized discourse over suitability for duty use versus concealed carry. Ammunition testing controversies have involved differing methodologies between private testers, academic researchers, and governmental laboratories, resulting in divergent recommendations from authors, pundits, and policy makers.
Category:Pistol cartridges