.380 in 9mm

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andre73

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Question: I have a M547 which is a 9mm luger chambered revolver made in the 80's by smith and wesson. I have no .380 chambered guns, but have been asked to test .380 ammo. Can I safely fire .380 from this revolver?
 
NO.

The 9mm Luger case is .020" larger in diameter at the head.
It is also .680" long and won't headspace in the .754" long chambers.

rc
 
I was shooting an XD9 over the weekend and loaded a .380 round in the mag with the rest of my ammo. Shot and ejected fine but the brass was swollen and misformed. I reload and I think I scoped up a 380 hull with all of my 9mm and it went through the Dillon 550 with the rest of that batch. I will start checking closer from now on. Do not recommend for a common practice.

Clint
 
I accidently loaded a 9mm round in my XD-40 once. It fired, but I had to pry the swollen casing from the chamber with my fingernail. Oops.
 
I figured it would be a little different with auto rounds, but I was hoping it would be like a .38/.357 deal. I guess the rounds have too much difference between them. Sounds like it would probably work, but would not give the velocity of a proper chamber. I doubt a .380 round would KB a stronger 9mm gun.
 
wait a second guys...

I KNOW in smith and wesson's 10mm revolver you can also shoot 40S&W...why would 380 in a 9mm IN A REVOLVER CYLINDER rather than a semiauto chamber be any different?
 
S&W 10mm revolvers use moon clips to hold the shorter .40 S&W in proper position against the breech face.
And the two rounds are exactly the same size except for length.

The OP ask the question about a 9mm S&W revolver that doesn't use moon clips.

It won't work because the firing pin won't reach the primer on the shorter & smaller around .380 case.

The .380 may fire in a 9mm auto pistol because the extractor may get enough of a grip to hold the round back where the firing pin can reach it.

I doubt the S&W 527's revolvers trick wire extractor system will.

At any rate, even if you can get one to go off, the case will be badly swelled and may split.

rc
 
I have some .380 brass that I picked up at the range. I will see how well it fits into the chambers of the M547 tonight and let you guys know. Maybe post some pics too.
 
The .380 will drop down into a 9mm Parabellum chamber. I don't have a Model 547, but I don't think the little wire extractor sticks out enough to catch the rim of the .380. Unless it does, the only way to fire the .380 would be to point the revolver straight up, not a good idea from a safety standpoint. And if it does fire, it will swell and might stick as others have pointed out.

I suggest borrowing a .380 pistol if possible. I don't know what kind of test you are running, but firing that round in a gun not chambered for it would void most tests, especially ones involving forensics.

Jim
 
wait a second guys...

I KNOW in smith and wesson's 10mm revolver you can also shoot 40S&W...why would 380 in a 9mm IN A REVOLVER CYLINDER rather than a semiauto chamber be any different?
Because 10mm and 40 S&W have virtually identical diameter and case head dimensions, while .380 has a significantly smaller case head than 9mm. Moonclips vs. the 547's proprietary extractor as already mentioned is another reason.
 
Not only will it not work properly, you run the risk of damaging the wires that hold the 9mm cases so they can be ejected. Besides, there is zero benefit to shooting a .380 in a 9mm - it costs more and is ballistically inferior.
 
Question: I have a M547 which is a 9mm luger chambered revolver made in the 80's by smith and wesson. I have no .380 chambered guns, but have been asked to test .380 ammo. Can I safely fire .380 from this revolver?

And the =validity= of any ammo test done in THE WRONG GUN would be?

You perchance working for "The Box 'o Truth"? I've known them to do "testing" with the wrong ammo.
 
No these are just back yard ballistic type tests. I was just wondering if I could avoid having to track down a .380. I think my sister has one, maybe she will let me borrow it. Thank you for all your help guys!
 
10mm/.40 S&W and .38 Special/.357 compatibility comes from the fact that one was adapted from the other, either by shortening or lengthening the case. The same can't be said for .380 and 9mm, because they were developed completely independently of each other.
 
Pics

Ok here is the pics, it would obviously be a bad idea to actually fire one. I found some .380 brass at the range to see if it would fit properly. Nope. The extractor system only caught the rim sometimes and the cases were slightly loose in the chambers, unlike the snug fit of the 9mm case. Oh well.
 

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