Though still popular with many that carry for self-defense, this round is usually relegated to back up guns and seldom seen at firing ranges in revolvers having longer barrels. It has not always been so. When I started police work in the early ’70’s, revolvers were in the vast majority at police firing ranges in barrel lengths ranging from…
A common topic centers on which is best: 9mm Mak, .380 ACP, or the .38 Snub. Though ballistically in the same general ballpark, each round brings with it certain advantages as well as negatives. Let’s take a look at what we might expect from these or similar loads. 9x18mm: Rare in the US until the mass…
The Makarov pistol is extremely well thought of in some circles and is noted for exceptional reliability with most types of ammunition. The Bersa Thunder is the latest incantation of the company’s .380 ACP pistol and is quickly gaining strong support among shooters as well. It, too, is garnering accolades for reliability. The Bersa used for this…
Despite there being more potent handguns available in similar size packages, these two calibers continue to take a significant portion of the defensive handgun market share. As both remain popular, we see debate on a regular basis concerning which is the “best.” John M. Browning’s .380 ACP cartridge continues to be popular with those using…
All information is based on 10-shot averages from the 3.46″ factory Glock barrel in a Glock 26. Average velocities, extreme spreads, and standard deviations are in ft/sec. An asterisk by the load indicates that it is no longer made. Some Glock 26 shooters may still have some of this ammunition so the data is included.…
That the .45 ACP is a popular self-defense cartridge in the US is an understatement. It is probably the “yardstick” by which other defensive cartridges are measured. Most popular is probably the full-size 1911 having a 5″ barrel, but smaller handguns are frequently used. Some people are just not comfortable with cocked and locked carry and a…
For as long as I can remember, the question of whether or not the .38 Special snub is as potent as the .357 magnum in a snub-nose revolver has been debated again and again. This is not an extensive article, but I think the answer becomes pretty clear. I didn’t have a .357 with a…