Author Topic: .380 ACP Dies  (Read 470 times)

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Offline GH1

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.380 ACP Dies
« on: March 18, 2011, 01:11:37 PM »
Assuming I have the proper shell holder, can I use .380 dies to load 9mm Luger?
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Offline KansasPaul

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Re: .380 ACP Dies
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2011, 03:23:11 PM »
negatory Ghost Rider.......

I asked the reverse question at one time, whether I could use 9mm dies to load .380 and got the same answer I gave you (well, actually I was told no... not the goofy Ghost Rider thing)

The .380 uses the same diameter bullet as a 9mm but the case is tapered - the dies are different.

Hope this helps.

Paul

Offline cybin

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Re: .380 ACP Dies
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2011, 06:34:37 PM »
I wondered about that some time ago myself---I also wondered if I could turn .078 off of the length of the 9mm brass to make .380 brass--.380  is also called 9x17mm--while 9mm is called 9x19mm---just a 2mm difference--which equals about .078 thousandths. Well I miked the two caliber rounds. 9mm is bigger in the diameter==thicker diameter at the base, even though they both take the same diameter bullets--the difference is in the wall thickness of the 9mm brass. The wall thickness is thicker becouse of the higher preasure of the 9mm (9x19) round. I don't remember what the difference is--but it is enough that you won't be able to load both calibers from one set of dies.

So to answer your question bluntly--No you can't--you will need dies for each caliber.

I'm not sure that you can use one set of the 2 mentioned dies to reload 9mm Macarov which is 9x18. There are so many different 9mm rounds out there--and I don't think that any are interchangable. (There are more than just the 3 mentioned here)

cybin

Offline GH1

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Re: .380 ACP Dies
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2011, 12:13:57 AM »
Thanks for the input everybody.
GH1 :)
I owe my life to an organ donor