38 caliber were typically competing against a revolver cartridge at the time they were introduced.ĩmm Makarov: This Soviet-era cartridge shoots a slightly larger in caliber bullet, measuring at 9.2mm or. 380 Auto, 9mm Short, and 9x17mm.ĩmm cartridges that falsely allege to be. This cartridge is also commonly referred to as the. 38 ACP, this cartridge advertises itself as. 380 ACP: Originally designed to be a shorter, rimless version of the. Other Commercially Available 9mm Cartridges But, it is not uncommon to see ammunition labeled 9mm NATO, 9x19mm and 9mm Parabellum.įirearms chambered in 9mm Luger will generally have 9x19mm stamped on the barrel, but I have also seen 9mm NATO and just “9mm” before as well. The cartridge case has a mild taper toward the front, which makes it a very forgiving round when feeding from a magazine.ĩmm Luger accounts for nearly all of the 9mm caliber ammunition which is produced at the present time.īoxes of ammunition for the 9mm Luger will generally carry the same name. 30 Luger, the case was necked up to accept the larger. The 9mm Luger was developed at the turn of the 20th Century. If I ever become the President of the Republic of Texas, I promise to fix it. This naming confusion is inflicted by the firearms industry upon the shooting community and is completely unnecessary. Knowing these other names can often be important, as they are used interchangeably. The chambering of the firearm is almost always stamped or engraved into the barrel.Īlternative Names: Unfortunately, many cartridges are referred to by more than one name. The term refers to the gun’s chamber, where the ammunition is placed prior to firing. It is more important to know exactly what cartridge your firearm shoots, more so than the caliber.Ĭhambering: This represents the specific cartridge that any given firearm is meant to shoot. The 9mm Makarov actually shoots a 9.2mm bullet. 380 ACP also shoots a 9mm bullet, even though it alleges to be a. The 9mm Luger, for example, shoots a bullet that is almost exactly 9mm in diameter.īut, the. This would be simple enough if cartridges were always accurately named. There is no need to match the brand of the firearm, or ammunition, with the name that the cartridge carries.Ĭaliber: The term caliber is a more general term than cartridge, and is usually used to describe the diameter of the bullet itself and not the entire cartridge. 40 Smith & Wesson, for example, will have pistols and ammunition made for it by companies other than Smith & Wesson. Often, the cartridge will carry the name of a manufacturer as a manner of free advertising.

9mm Luger ammunition from Winchester, Remington or Sellier & Bellot can all be safely shot out of a pistol chambered in 9mm Luger. Cartridges are typically named by the person, or company, that invents or standardizes them.įor example, a standardized cartridge like the 9mm Luger, is produced by almost every ammunition manufacturer because of its popularity. But more often the term is used to differentiate between ammunition of different physical dimensions. The following are some basic terms that every gun owner should understand.Ĭartridge: A cartridge, in the most basic sense, is a complete “round” of ammunition. Unfortunately, much of the confusion regarding ammunition is created by the firearms industry itself. This article will help newer shooters understand some of the ideas which more experienced gun-owners sometimes take for granted. It is always the shooter’s responsibility to select the correct ammunition for a given firearm. Never trust a sales associate to know what you need. Understanding the basics of the cartridge naming process is important for every gun owner, as it plays an important role in purchasing ammunition. However, there sometimes is a real and distinct difference between them. The 9mm Luger is the most popular 9mm cartridge, so people often refer to it as “9mm” despite the fact that there are many other 9mm cartridges they could be referring to.

In common usage, the 9mm is the same as the 9mm Luger. So what is the difference between the 9mm and the 9mm Luger? This article is going to help explain why confusion exists in the naming of ammunition, as well as common terms like cartridge, caliber, and chambering. That’s perfectly fine because, once again, we’ve all been there. Maybe you, the reader, are new to guns at this very moment.

At some point, all of us are new to firearms.

Difference between luger 9mm and 9mm