The .380 ACP, known in Europe as 9mm Short or 9x17mm, was designed by John Browning in 1908 for compact blowback pistols. A 90 to 95 grain projectile at around 950 fps gives light recoil in a small frame, which is why it became the standard European police and pocket-pistol cartridge for much of the twentieth century.
In Australia it has a small following. The compact pistols it was designed for generally fall short of the minimum barrel length and overall size that most states set for Category H sport pistols, so .380 handguns appear mostly in collections and in a handful of full-size target models. Its .355 calibre sits comfortably under the .38 sport pistol limit.
.380 ACP shares its .355 projectile with 9mm Luger but the cases are different lengths and the two do not interchange. Factory ammunition is available from the major makers but not always in stock locally; reloading is easy with 9mm projectiles and the appropriate dies.
We can source .380 ACP ammunition and reloading dies to order and can assist collectors and Cat H shooters with compliant pistols in this calibre. Handguns are shipped Australia-wide to your nominated dealer.
