[BETH]

guy i work with said he is buying walther 380 but the guy told him he could also shoot 9mm out of it, is that true?

 

[carver]

guy i work with said he is buying walther 380 but the guy told him he could also shoot 9mm out of it, is that true?

It wouldn't even chamber Beth.

 

[BETH]

he said the gun shop told him that?

 

[Double D]

The 380 was designed from the 9mm. It is basically a cut down 9mm. But you can not chamber a 9mm in a 380 gun.

 

[BETH]

think he said 9mm short?

 

[Alpo]

Caliber confusion is such fun.

When MOST people say "9mm", they mean 9x19, also known as 9mm Luger, also known as 9mm Parabellum.

But, 9mm is just the diameter of the bullet. Just like your 38 is "38 Special", but there is also 38 Super, 38 S&W, 38 Long Colt, 38 Short Colt, etc. etc., there is 9x17mm, 9x18mm, 9x19mm, 9x21mm, 9x23mm, etc. etc.

380, which is the round the PPK is chambered in, is also known in Europe as 9x18mm and 9mm Browning Short.

So it is true the 380 will shoot 9mm. Just not 9mm Luger.

 

[Alpo]

Actually, that 380 should be marked on the side as being chambered in 9m/m K. That's 9mm Kurz, which is German for 9mm Short.

 

[BETH]

oh ok never heard of it, thanks

 

[Double D]

Technically, yes, its a short 9mm. But as you say its very confusing to say it will shoot a 9mm when the entire world thinks 9mm means 9mm luger. Even a gun shop should not say such things, as it causes this kind of discussion.

 

[gdmoody]

If the guy at the gun shop told him that he could also shoot 9mm out of it, then the guy at the gun shop is an idiot and should be a shoe salesman instead of what he is doing!!

 

[RJay]

Well yes that is one opinion, but we really don't know the whole conversation, if the gun shop said 9MM Short, how is that wrong? , and the the gun shop might have said 9MM short or 380. So it is hard to say if the gun shop guy is really an idiot or the buyer was

 

[BETH]

i will go with Alpo 380 or 9mm short

 

[gdmoody]

Well yes that is one opinion, but we really don't know the whole conversation, if the gun shop said 9MM Short, how is that wrong? , and the the gun shop might have said 9MM short or 380. So it is hard to say if the gun shop guy is really an idiot or the buyer was

If you were to go to the gun store to buy some .380 ammo, would you ask for 9mm short? I don't think so, so why would a gun shop employee tell someone a .380 will shoot 9mm short. For that matter, would YOU tell someone that a Walther .380 will shoot 9mm short. I stand by my statement, the man is an idiot, IF he did say that.

 

[Alpo]

It is possible that the gunshop guy said that it was 380, and then showing a box of S&B 380, said it "would also shoot 9mm short", or maybe "9mm short is the same stuff", or something like that.

Or maybe a box of Prvi

 

[Sig Willy]

That's like saying my 40sw shoots 10mm, 10mm short that is.

 

[gdmoody]

Yep, and my .38 shoots a .357 short.

 

[Mauser88]

Yep, and my .38 shoots a .357 short.

 

[WHSmithIV]

If the gun shop owner said he could shoot 9mm if he used 9X18 then nothing wrong was said to begin with.....

 

[ejkoechling]

Now see what you started

 

[WHSmithIV]

Beth didn't start anything really - she just asked an honest question because she wanted to know the answer. That is the main function of this forum for people and why we are all here
I think everyone has definitely put enough info out here for Beth quite well and now she knows the answer to her question