Is .380 acp compatible out of a .38 special?

I guess if you tried hard enough and worked at it, it could be done. Accuracy would more than likely be pretty bad. Also, I honestly dont see much in the way of cost benfits, with 380 being just as much as 38. Find a light bullet 38Sp and have fun!

Yeah I hear you. I will be set up for .380 because I have TCP, I would only be thinking it would be cool to have another option. I would think that it would not matter about accuracy from 15-20 feet ccviper, or am I wrong? I guess I have an overactive CPU and think way too much.

.38 spl has a SAAMI Pressure rating of 17,000 PSI
.38 spl +P has a SAAMI Pressure rating of 20,000 PSI
.380 has a SAMMI Pressure rating of 21,500 PSI
.357 Mag has a SAMMI Pressure rating of 35,000 PSI

The .380 could be more then a .38 spl can handle, I would use caution in trying this.

Thanks for the PSI info fishinkeylargo, I would definitely be using it in a .357. That is interesting that the .380 has a higher rating, and I never thought of that. I just figured it would be less recoil due to the size of the round.

Well, if you can shoot a trimmed .38 in a .380, the reverse should be possible.

I suspect .380 in the Taurus moon clip would work in an 85, SAMMI pressures notwithstanding...

http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/reloads/70480-wildcat-making-rimmed-380-case-m380-revolver.html

.380 uses .355 bullet and .38 special uses .357 bullet diameter

If you can make it fit and use a low power .380 bullet in a .38 special +p revolver, it might work ok, if you reload your own u could put a .357 bullet in the .380 case possibly

glenwolde said:

Well, if you can shoot a trimmed .38 in a .380, the reverse should be possible.

I suspect .380 in the Taurus moon clip would work in an 85, SAMMI pressures notwithstanding...

http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/reloads/70480-wildcat-making-rimmed-380-case-m380-revolver.html

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Wow that is really cool. That would make shooting the M380 much easier for those who own one. Great thread info. Thanks.

I stick to the correct mfg's calibers myself. I do shoot .223 from my 5.56 on occasion. :-X

stickbow9 said:

Wow that is really cool. That would make shooting the M380 much easier for those who own one. Great thread info. Thanks.

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I saw in a thread on another board where the guy fired .380's in a .38 special by putting a rubber o-ring in the .380 extractor groove. It stuck out far enough and was big enough to headspace. It apparently wasn't 100% reliable, but it worked.

Why? would be another question.

No real reason I guess other than availablity. Looks like the .38 special loaded very light would have less chamber pressure and maybe felt recoil anyways? Thanks

Would not even try...might hurt something...end up being a DGU of the day at TTAG..

stickbow9 said:

No real reason I guess other than availablity. Looks like the .38 special loaded very light would have less chamber pressure and maybe felt recoil anyways? Thanks

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Yeah, there's nothing the .380 can do balistically that the .38 spl can't do better. The only thing the .380 revolver has over a .38 spl is that it is slightly more compact, the frame is a bit shorter than the same gun in .38. If you have another .380, you only need one cartridge. Not really a big deal.

glenwolde said:

I saw in a thread on another board where the guy fired .380's in a .38 special by putting a rubber o-ring in the .380 extractor groove. It stuck out far enough and was big enough to headspace. It apparently wasn't 100% reliable, but it worked.
Why? would be another question.

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INdeed?
way back when i was in the gun business we had a customer that was a Doctor, yea college edumacated and everything.
he bought a 44 magnum derringer?? that should have told us something then!
anyway , I am working one day and he comes in and wanted a box of 41 magnums. I handed them to him and he then remarked yep, need some ammo for my derringer!
I said i thought that your gun was a 44 Mag, he said yes it is! But i can shoot these out of it and all that happnes is the cases split!
I said well why would you shoot them then? he said just to see if i could!
I took the cartridges back as he had not paid for them and told him he was cut off as a ammo customer from that point on!
the big question was --WHY???
and we gripe about all the lawyer safeties that they build into modern guns!!---GEEEZZZ!

fishinkeylargo said:

.38 spl has a SAAMI Pressure rating of 17,000 PSI
.38 spl +P has a SAAMI Pressure rating of 20,000 PSI
.380 has a SAMMI Pressure rating of 21,500 PSI
.357 Mag has a SAMMI Pressure rating of 35,000 PSI
The .380 could be more then a .38 spl can handle, I would use caution in trying this.

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there you go!
my thoughts exactly!
just cause the 38 spl is a big old long case remember that it was originally a black powder round I believe.
kind of like putting a 308 winchester in a 30/30 and firing it, likely somethign is going to come apart and that ain't usually pretty.

olfarhors said:

there you go!
my thoughts exactly!
just cause the 38 spl is a big old long case remember that it was originally a black powder round I believe.
kind of like putting a 308 winchester in a 30/30 and firing it, likely somethign is going to come apart and that ain't usually pretty.

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Well I wouldn't do it, but for the sake of argument those are maximum working pressures. I'm betting most factory ammo stays well below those. The .380 and .38+P are close enough that I doubt anything would happen in a +P gun. Not that I'm going to try it, 'cause I have the correct ammo for my guns. Though I did try that .380 TAR....ooops....

If people didn't tinker with things we would still be living in caves. Just try to get as much information available and tinker in a safe manner. This reminds me of the YouTube video I posted a while back where they were shooting all kinds of ammo from the .410 shot gun.

Just be safe about it.

fishinkeylargo said:

If people didn't tinker with things we would still be living in caves.
Just be safe about it.

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well thats true!
of course a lot of us would still have 10 fingers, 2 eyes and be able to hear well too if we didn't!
I think i would rather take my chances at juggling chain saws than shooting the wrong ammo in a weapon.
ON a local forum a guy had a Llama 1911 chambered in 9MM Largo that he was selling and stated that he shot 9MM luger and 38 Super out of it all time.
I PM'd him and explained this was not safe, he said well it must be the ammo fits and nothing has happened yet??---DUHHHHHH.

If you get a new Charter Arms revolver dedicated to an auto pistol round, I believe they now come with a device built into the cylinder that does not require moon clips.

GreenWolf70 said:

If you get a new Charter Arms revolver dedicated to an auto pistol round, I believe they now come with a device built into the cylinder that does not require moon clips.

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I have often thought just how difficult would it be to design a ejector that would remove the auto rounds from the revolver?
i guess harder than it seems or they would have done it some time ago.