Looking for a home defense handgun and are torn between two options? This article will help you make up your mind. We present to you, .380 ACP vs 9mm.
Some say that the variety of options is a curse more than a blessing. However surprising it may sound, some studies agree with them on this one: people presented with too many options are more likely not to buy anything compared to people who choose from a limited pool of goods. While this might be true for traditional shopping methods, the world of online shopping plays by its own rules. Here, variety is an essential feature any enterprise that wants to be competitive should possess. Let alone the fact that customers benefit immensely from the opportunity to choose between dozens of positions. The more varied the product line is, the higher the chances of finding something that meets your personal needs are. This rule applies to everything, and firearms are no exception. The options you are presented with can be confusing in the beginning: revolvers, pistols, rifles, shotguns, all chambered in different calibers. How does one make a decision? By reading articles, of course! Or asking a friend or acquaintance of yours who knows the topic, but not all of us have friends who share our passion for firearms. Articles, on the other hand, are written by gun enthusiasts for gun enthusiasts and are available 24/7. This article covers the question that leaves many people looking for a home defense handgun puzzled. Is .380 ACP viable for home defense, or does 9mm not leave anyone any chances? Let’s delve into the world of pistol calibers.
Before we start comparing things, we need to know what we are dealing with. We could shorten the whole article to two sentences giving you our advice, but we assume you were looking for a reasoned and informed explanation. To give you that, we explore both calibers to know their strong sides and weak spots.
What is .380 ACP?
The .380 ACP, known under a heap of other names like 9x17mm, 9mm Browning, and 9mm Short, is a rimless, straight-walled handgun cartridge developed by John Moses Browning and introduced by Colt in 1908. While preparing for this article, we came across the question “What is the difference between .380 ACP and .380 Auto?” The grand reveal of the truth might shock even the most unshakable lads, but we cannot hide the truth from inquisitive minds. There is no difference, it’s literally the same cartridge under yet another name. Returning to the origins of the caliber, it was initially marketed as a self-defense round featured in the Colt Model 1908 pocket hammerless semi-automatic pistol. Since then, the caliber has been very popular with owners of subcompact pocket pistols. The round was designed for blowback pistols that lack a barrel locking mechanism and operate the action via the rearward motion of the ejected cartridge. Since most of the recoil is absorbed by the weight of the slide and recoil spring, this caliber features low-muzzle energy and velocity rounds to balance the load and the weight of the pistol. The advantages of this type of pistol are numerous: shooters experience considerably less recoil, the barrel in such handguns is fixed to the frame, enhancing accuracy, and the production of these pistols is cheaper than that of short recoil-operated ones. There is one disadvantage that has less to do with the .380 caliber itself and more with the configuration of blowback pistols. Since they lack a barrel locking mechanism, they need to even the recoil by matching the weight of the slide and strength of the recoil spring. The higher the power of the round is, the more weight would be required to counter it. For that reason, .380 Auto remains the most popular caliber in blowback pistols, for its balance of power and weight is the most optimal for a user.
What is 9mm?
The 9mm is another rimless cartridge that, unlike .380 ACP, is tapered. As you can guess, giving something a plethora of names is a thing in the firearm community, so know that 9x19mm Parabellum, 9x19mm NATO, and 9mm Luger are all the same cartridges. It was developed by an Austrian firearm designer Georg Luger back in 1901. Two years later, Ruger presented his invention to the US military for testing at Springfield Arsenal. However, it wasn’t until 80 years later that the round became popular in America. Meanwhile, it acquired an extensive fanbase across the world, especially after World War I. The Glock 17 brought this trend to the USA where the cartridge has firmly established itself as a reliable round for law enforcement and home defense. The reasons for that were plenty: 9mm pistols featured high-capacity magazines, low cost per round, and increased “stopping power” – the concept we will return to later in the article.
Why do people compare these two calibers so often? Except for being pistol calibers, .380 ACP and 9mm share another common feature. The 380 bullet diameter is the same as 9 mm. But this is where their similarities end. These two calibers stand far from each other according to characteristics commonly used for cartridge comparison. One outweighs the other in one aspect, only to lose in the next. That is honestly why the debate is still active, even though opinions on the best caliber for home defense, in particular, are pretty unanimous.
.380 ACP vs. 9mm Comparison
Recoil
Being one of the determining features of a gun’s performance, recoil is an all comparison lists’ regular. The .380 ACP can boast the recoil twice as weak as 9mm’s, and that is a considerable win on the part of the .380 Auto. The inconvenience recoil brings is not limited by the act of kickback itself, as the anticipation of recoil can be equally disturbing. Anticipation affects your aiming technique and leads to recoil flinch, a habit easy to get and hard to break. You acquire it during the training when the recoil from a shot is too much for you to handle. As we all know, shot placement plays a key role in every self-defense scenario, and recoil should not pose an obstacle for you. And it won’t, should you choose a .380 ACP as your weapon of choice.
Ballistics
We’ve decided to avoid the dubious notion of stopping power simply because there is no clear and generally accepted description of it. The FBI has developed a scoring system to evaluate handgun ammunition, but it has more to do with ballistics. This test is conducted on a cube of ballistic gelatin. If a bullet can penetrate more than 12 inches but less than 16 inches, it is deemed suitable for self-defense. The 9mm pistols score 13-15 inches on average, which is a very satisfactory result. The .380 ACP, however, doesn’t exceed the 9 inches mark. Four inches can make the difference, and you’d want that extra penetration because no help is excessive. You might need to do a bit of research on .380 Auto ammo to compensate for the lower ballistic indicators.
Ammo Price
Surprisingly enough, our .380 ACP costs almost 25% more than 9mm, even though it’s a smaller cartridge. Affordability of the 9mm stems from its popularity, the market brims with variations of 9mm cartridges. The average price for one 9mm round is $0.55, whereas one round of .380 ACP will cost you over $0.85.
Handgun Price
The .380 ACP makes up for high ammunition prices with relatively low prices for pistols. .380 ACP blowback pistols are easy and cheap to manufacture if compared to regular handguns. The 9mm pistols, for example, require more components and need their frames and slides strengthened to accommodate recoil from high-power rounds.
The options for both calibers are quite abundant both in terms of ammunition and pistols. Those two are pretty popular calibers, so the majority of handgun manufacturers will have at least several models. The same goes for ammo – you can find rounds with different loads, both full metal jacket and jacket hollow point.
The Verdict
So, what is our opinion on the best round for home defense? 9mm wins the race thanks to the better ballistic performance and low prices on ammunition. However, we grant the 9mm this title because compatibility is not a priority for a home defense gun. It will probably lie somewhere in a drawer, waiting for the moment you might need it. If we were to choose the best caliber for concealed carry and personal defense, the results would have been different. But don’t feel pressured to change your preferences because of an Internet article. The .380 ACP can boast less disturbing recoil, and if kickback is something you struggle with, don’t think twice – choose .380 Auto.