38 Special vs 9mm Ballistics: Is .38 Stronger Than 9mm?

The .38 Special and the 9mm are two of the most popular handgun cartridges ever made, and they’re more alike than most people think. Both are over 100 years old. Both fire bullets within 0.002" of the same diameter. And both have spent decades in police holsters.

But when it comes to 38 Special vs. 9mm, the 9mm wins on power, capacity, and cost. It runs at roughly double the chamber pressure, and in Federal’s standard range loads, it carries over 50% more energy at the muzzle. That’s a big reason American police departments spent the last 30-plus years trading their .38 revolvers for 9mm pistols, and why the U.S. military has carried the 9mm since 1985.

I spent years behind the gun counter at Bass Pro Shops, and this was one of the most common debates I heard. A customer, looking for a carry gun, would be holding a compact 9mm and someone would pipe up from somewhere and say, “You should be looking at a .38 Special snub nose,” which certainly isn’t a bad notion. They would often cite the reliability and durability of a revolver. Then the customer would ask me what I carry, and I would hand them a Glock 26. No one ever said a Glock isn’t reliable, and it carries more rounds in its mag.

Below, I’ll break down how the two compare on recoil, trajectory, stopping power, cost, and more, and why the 38 Special still earns its spot in your safe along with your 9mm. (If you’ve ever wondered whether “9mm” and “9mm Luger” are the same round, they are. Our 9mm vs. 9mm Luger guide explains the naming.)

38 Special vs. 9mm

Technical Specs

These two rounds are often touted for concealed carry, but a few key differences explain everything else in this comparison. The 38 Special is a rimmed cartridge, which is why it lives in revolvers. The 9mm is rimless, so it feeds smoothly from a magazine in a semi-auto pistol (which explains why a 9mm revolver needs moon clips).

The 38 Special’s case is 0.401" longer and has more overall case capacity, but the 9mm runs at roughly double the maximum pressure under SAAMI’s industry standards. That pressure is where the 9mm’s speed and energy come from. For a visual of how these and other rounds stack up, see our ammo size chart.

Not sure which 9mm bullet weight to pick? Our guide to the best grain for 9mm breaks it down.

Why Isn’t the 38 Special More Popular?

From the 1920s through the 1990s, the 38 Special revolver was the standard sidearm for most American police departments. Then, over roughly a decade, nearly all of them switched to 9mm. Here’s why.

• Capacity – A duty revolver holds six rounds. A full-size 9mm pistol holds 15 or more.
• Reload speed – Swapping a magazine is faster and simpler under stress than reloading a cylinder.
• More power in the same size gun – The 9mm delivers more energy than the 38 Special in a package that’s just as easy to carry.

The NYPD is the classic example. After a fierce debate, the department made a 9mm semi-auto its standard gun in 1993. Its move away from revolvers traced back to 1986, when rookie officer Scott Gadell was killed while reloading his revolver. Officers already carrying revolvers could keep them. By 2018, only 29 still did. The department ordered them retired that year, saying a six-shot handgun leaves officers outgunned in an era of active shooters (NY1).

The FBI took the long way around. In 1986, a shootout in Miami left two agents dead and five wounded. Agents that day carried a mix of 9mm pistols and .38 Special revolvers, and one 9mm round stopped just short of a suspect’s heart while he kept fighting (FBI). The Bureau responded by building tougher ammo testing standards and moving to the 10mm, then the 40 S&W. But bullet technology caught up. Around 2015, the FBI went back to 9mm after its research found that six out of ten shooters were faster and significantly more accurate with 9mm than with 40 S&W (FBI’s 9mm findings). For the full story, see our 9mm vs. 40 S&W comparison.

The military made the call even earlier. The U.S. adopted the 9mm more than 40 years ago, when the Beretta M9 replaced the 1911 in 1985 (American Rifleman). In 2017, the Army began fielding the SIG Sauer M17 and M18 Modular Handgun System, also chambered in 9mm. That puts the Department of Defense (now also titled the Department of War) on its second generation of 9mm service pistols.

Handgun technology followed. The 9mm runs in full-size duty pistols, micro-compacts that hold 10 to 15 rounds, optics-ready slides, and pistol-caliber carbines, and ammo makers have poured decades of research into 9mm defensive bullets. The .38 Special is a rimmed revolver cartridge, and a revolver will always be a revolver. Manufacturers have refined it with lighter frames and better sights, but it still has a five- or six-shot cylinder and a long double-action trigger.

Recoil

Load for load, the 38 Special makes less energy, so in guns of similar weight, it kicks less. That’s its biggest advantage.

The catch is that most 38 Special carry guns are lightweight snub-nose revolvers. A light gun with a short grip and no slide to soak up recoil can feel snappier than a mid-size 9mm. Felt recoil depends as much on the gun as on the cartridge. If you carry a snubby, our picks for the best 38 Special ammo for snubbies focus on loads that excel from those short barrels.

As I said before, I have mostly carried 9mm for everyday carry, but having toted a Ruger SP101 for a while, I can tell you there is something tactile about carrying a wheel gun that makes you feel Doc Holliday-ish. It was a .357 that I generally carried next to a speedloader full of .38 +P in case things got real Western and I had to reload. It was a bear to handle with full-strength .357s, but pretty pleasurable to shoot with .38s.

The .38 Special takes this one, as long as you’re comparing guns of similar size and weight.

Trajectory

The 9mm shoots flatter. Zeroed at 25 yards, Federal’s 9mm 115 grain FMJ drops 8.7 inches at 100 yards, while their 38 Special 130 grain FMJ drops 15.1 inches under the same conditions.

That said, most self-defense shootings happen at close range, where the difference won’t change much for you. Trajectory matters more at the range and on longer shots. The 9mm wins this category.

Accuracy

Accuracy between these two comes down to the gun and the shooter far more than the cartridges. A long, heavy double-action revolver trigger takes more practice to master than a typical striker-fired pistol trigger, while a well-tuned revolver can be extremely accurate in the right hands.

What really matters is consistency. Pick a platform, practice until your shots land where you aim every time, and carry the same gun you train with. Call this one a draw.

Ballistic Coefficient

Ballistic coefficient (BC) measures how well a bullet cuts through the air. Here’s the surprise: in Hornady’s Critical Defense line, the 9mm 115 grain FTX has a G1 BC of 0.129 (Hornady), while the 38 Special 110 grain FTX comes in at 0.131 (Hornady). They’re practically identical.

The 9mm’s flatter trajectory doesn’t come from a slicker bullet. It comes from velocity. At handgun distances, BC barely moves the needle for either round. This one’s a draw.

Stopping Power

Is 38 Special more powerful than 9mm? No. The 9mm is more powerful because its higher chamber pressure pushes bullets of similar weight faster. Federal’s 9mm 124 grain HST carries 364 ft-lbs at the muzzle, while their 38 Special +P 130 grain Hydra-Shok Deep carries 234 ft-lbs. Even a +P 38 Special lands well short of standard-pressure 9mm.

Shot placement is still the most important factor in stopping a threat, and both rounds will get the job done with quality jacketed hollow points. But the 9mm’s extra velocity gives modern defensive bullets more energy to expand reliably. (For a deeper look at what actually stops a threat, read our firearm wounding factors guide.) The 9mm wins.

Hunting

Neither is a big game cartridge. Many states set minimum caliber or energy requirements for deer, and both of these rounds fall short of what most hunters want for an ethical kill. Check your state’s regulations before carrying either one afield.

Where the 38 Special does earn a spot is close-range pest control. CCI makes a 38 Special/357 Magnum shotshell loaded with #9 shot for snakes and other pests at short range. It’s a natural fit if you’re already carrying a 357 revolver in the woods. And if you own a 357, you’re probably already shooting 38s out of it at the range anyway.

CCI makes a 9mm Luger shotshell too, loaded with finer #12 shot. The catch is that it’s a lighter load than standard 9mm, and CCI says it “may not function reliably in all models.” In a semi-auto, that means it may not cycle the slide, and you’ll be racking it by hand between shots. A revolver doesn’t care. That’s why the 38 Special edges this one.

38 Special vs. 9mm for Self-Defense

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Both rounds work for self-defense with good bullets and good shot placement, but the 9mm has the edge for most people. You get more rounds before a reload, more energy per shot, and a wider choice of carry guns. See our guides to the best cartridge for concealed carry and the best cartridge for self-defense for how both stack up against other options.

The 38 Special revolver still has fans for good reason. It’s simple to operate, it has no slide to rack, and a snubby carries easily in a pocket. If that’s what you shoot best, carry it with confidence.

For the best defensive loads, see our picks for the best 38 Special ammo for self-defense and the best 9mm home defense ammo. Two proven 9mm defensive loads worth a look are Hornady Critical Defense and Speer Gold Dot. The 9mm takes this category.

Training With Your 357 Magnum

Here’s where the 38 Special really shines, and a lot of shooters don’t realize it. If you own a 357 Magnum revolver, you can shoot 38 Special through it. SAAMI lists 38 Special as “generally accepted” to fire in 357 Magnum firearms.

Both cartridges use the same 0.357" diameter bullet. The 357 Magnum is just a lengthened 38 Special case; 1.290" versus 1.155", and loaded with more powder and to much higher pressure (35,000 psi vs. 17,000 psi). That extra length exists specifically so a hot 357 Magnum won’t chamber in a revolver built only for 38 Special.

That makes 38 Special the perfect training round for 357 owners. It’s cheaper, it recoils less, and it lets you put more rounds through the same gun you’d carry with magnum loads. Just never go the other way: don’t fire 357 Magnum in a revolver chambered only for 38 Special.

One tip: after a heavy session with 38 Special, clean your cylinders before going back to 357. The shorter 38 case can leave a ring of carbon and lead in the chamber that makes the longer magnum cases tough to load.

For more on how these two relate, see our 38 Special vs. 357 Magnum comparison, or compare the 357 Magnum vs. 9mm if you’re deciding between a magnum revolver and a pistol.

When it’s time to load that revolver for carry, see our picks for the best 357 Magnum ammo.

Ammo and Handgun Cost/Availability

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The 9mm is one of the most popular handgun cartridges in the world, which means more choices in bullet weight, design, and brand, and usually a lower cost per round. More options in guns, too. Nearly every major manufacturer builds multiple 9mm pistols, from micro-compacts to full-size duty guns. If you shoot a lot, bulk 9mm ammo is the way to save.

That doesn’t mean 38 Special is hard to find. It isn’t, and you’ll find plenty of 38 Special ammo and bulk 38 Special ammo in stock here at Ammo.com. For affordable range loads, check out our guide to the best 38 Special ammo for target practice.

Reloading

Both cartridges are easy to reload, with plenty of components and published data available. Revolver shooters get a bonus: your brass stays in the cylinder instead of flying across the range. This one’s a draw.

9mm vs. .38 Special Ballistics

On paper, the 9mm outperforms the .38 Special across the board. Here’s the manufacturer data for common range and defensive loads: a mix of FMJ and hollow point bullets.

9mm Ballistics

For a deeper dive into every load, check out our 9mm ballistics charts.

For load-by-load recommendations, see our picks for the best 9mm ammo.

.38 Special Ballistics

For every 38 Special load we track, see our 38 Special ballistics charts.

Federal’s 38 Special numbers come from a vented test barrel, which simulates the gap between a revolver’s cylinder and barrel. The Hornady loads were tested in real carry guns with short barrels. Your own gun’s results will vary. If you’re shooting magnum loads too, see our 357 Magnum ballistics charts.

9mm Development/History

Austrian designer Georg Luger developed the 9x19mm in 1901, deriving it from the 7.65x21mm Parabellum. Germany’s navy and army adopted it in 1904 and 1908, respectively. It went on to become one of Europe’s most popular handgun cartridges through both World Wars.

The U.S. held onto the “bigger is better” .45 ACP until the Army adopted the Beretta M9 in 1985. The SIG Sauer M17 and M18 continued the 9mm tradition in 2017, and today it’s the standard for most American law enforcement as well. Learn more on our 9mm ammo page, or see how it compares to smaller carry rounds in our 380 ACP vs. 9mm guide.

.38 Special Development/History

Smith & Wesson introduced the 38 Special in 1898 as an improvement over the 38 Long Colt. It was originally loaded with black powder, but manufacturers switched to smokeless powder within a year.

All that extra case space became a playground for handloaders, and their experiments eventually led to the 357 Magnum. The 38 Special served U.S. troops from WWI through Vietnam. It was also the standard police cartridge from the 1920s through the 1990s, most famously in Smith & Wesson’s Military & Police revolver, the gun we now know as the Model 10. Today, it’s a favorite for Cowboy Action Shooting, for target shooting, and among revolver lovers everywhere. Learn more on our 38 Special ammo page.

The 38 Special often gets confused with similar rounds, so if you’re shopping, know the difference between the 38 Special vs. 38 S&W, the 38 Super vs. 38 Special, and the 38 Special vs. 380 ACP.

FAQ

Is a .38 bigger than a 9mm?

Barely, since the 38 Special’s bullet is 0.357" in diameter compared to the 9mm’s 0.355", a difference of just 0.002".

Is 38 Special more powerful than 9mm?

No, the 9mm runs at roughly double the pressure and carries over 50% more muzzle energy in Federal’s standard range loads (356 vs. 229 ft-lbs).

Why did police switch from 38 Special to 9mm?

Mostly for faster reloads and capacity, since a 9mm pistol holds 15 or more rounds while a duty revolver holds six.

Can you shoot 38 Special in a 357 Magnum?

Yes, SAAMI lists 38 Special as safe to fire in 357 Magnum firearms. Make certain never to fire 357 Magnum in a gun chambered only for 38 Special.

Is 38 Special OK for self-defense?

Yes, with quality defensive loads and good shot placement, though the 9mm gives you more energy and capacity.

Conclusion

If you tallied up the categories, the 38 Special won two (recoil and hunting), the 9mm won four (trajectory, stopping power, self-defense, and cost/availability), and the rest were draws. That’s exactly why police departments spent the last 30 years switching, why the military has carried the 9mm since 1985, and why nearly all new handgun technology is built around it.

But the 38 Special still has a job. If you own a 357 Magnum, it’s the best training ammo you can buy for it. And if you shoot a revolver best, nobody’s taking that away from you.

If you stopped me on the street most days, I’d be carrying a 9mm. But if it came down to the first six rounds to stop whatever is happening that required me to draw my EDC gun, I would be totally on board with a .38 SPL in that situation and never feel undergunned.

Whichever way you go, stock up on 9mm ammo or 38 Special ammo here at Ammo.com.

Written by

Justin Hunold