| .38 ACP |
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|
| Type | Pistol |
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| Place of origin | United States |
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|
| Designer | John Browning |
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| Designed | 1900 |
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| Manufacturer | Colt |
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| Produced | 1900–present |
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| Variants | .38 Super |
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|
| Case type | Semi-rimmed, straight |
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| Bullet diameter | .356 in (9.0 mm) |
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| Land diameter | .346 in (8.8 mm) |
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| Neck diameter | .384 in (9.8 mm) |
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| Base diameter | .384 in (9.8 mm) |
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| Rim diameter | .406 in (10.3 mm) |
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| Rim thickness | .050 in (1.3 mm) |
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| Case length | .900 in (22.9 mm) |
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| Overall length | 1.28 in (33 mm) |
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| Primer type | Small pistol |
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| Maximum pressure | 26,500 psi (183 MPa) |
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|
|
|
| Bullet mass/type |
Velocity |
Energy |
| 115 gr (7 g) FMJ |
1,150 ft/s (350 m/s) |
338 ft⋅lbf (458 J) |
| 125 gr (8 g) JHP |
1,100 ft/s (340 m/s) |
336 ft⋅lbf (456 J) |
| 130 gr (8 g) FMJ |
1,040 ft/s (320 m/s) |
312 ft⋅lbf (423 J) |
|
| Source(s): Cartridges of the World |
The .38 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol), also known as the .38 Auto, .38 Automatic, or 9×23mmSR, is a semi-rimmed pistol cartridge that was introduced at the turn of the 20th century for the John Browning-designed Colt M1900. It was first used in Colt's Model 1897 prototype, which he did not produce. The metric designation for the round is 9×23mm SR (semi-rimmed), which is not to be confused with other 9×23mm cartridges, such as 9×23mm Largo and 9×23mm Steyr.
