|
9x17 mm (9mm Browning, 9mm Short/Kurz, .380 ACP)
|
|
.380 ACP
|
Other Pictures:
Cartridge Drawing
|
Introduced by the Belgium firm FN in 1912, the 9mm Browning short is one of several pistol cartridge designed by John Browning. In some European countries, this cartridge has also been designated as the 9mm Kurz and 9mm Corto, but in the United Sates it goes by the name of .380 Automatic or .380 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol)
Although the more powerful 9mm Parabellum has enjoyed greater popularity over the years, thousands upon thousands of autoloading pistols have been manufactured in .380 ACP. Many American and foreign arms makers have offered or continue to offer compact pistols in this caliber including Colt, Savage, Remington, Llama, Star, FIE, Browning, Walther, and Beretta. Various European police departments have adopted the .380 and it has even gained status as a military cartridge in countries such as Sweeden, Italy, and Czechoslovakia.
In the United States, the .380 ACP is classified as a cartridge best suited for self defense. This is as it should be simply because the pistols available in this caliber aren`t designed for sporting use. The .380 cartridge is powerful enough for taking varmint sized game cleanly at close to medium ranges, but the relatively poor accuracy of most pistols in this caliber limits its effective range to about 15 short paces.
Due to the extremely limited capacity of the .380 case, a relatively fast burning powder such as HP38 is the best choice for handloaders. Bullets weighing from 88grains to 100 grains at 900 to 1000 fps duplicate the performance of most factory loads.
|
Cartridge:
9 x 17 mm
Weight:
typical from 88 - 100 grains
In Production:
1912-
|
