6 Dead, Dying, and Soon-To-Be-Obsolete Handgun Cartridges

[The Heretic]

There are a lot of factors that go into the "obsolete" or "dead" calculation.

One of them is how many guns there are out there chambered for the cartridge and how much ammo is being made in that caliber. The .380ACP has a LOT of guns and a lot of ammo made for it, so as long as there is a market, manufacturers will keep making both the guns and the ammo.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

What does "obsolete"/"dead" mean anyway? I mean you can still buy 9mm flobert cartridges and when is the last time someone bought a 9mm flobert gun? Or 9mm largo, or... the list goes on. Ammo is still available.

 

[21tango]

I can say that .380 isn't going to be obsolete any time soon. Think about how many sub-compacts are sold in that caliber.

Not many anymore. 9mm is taking that market

 

[21tango]

There are a lot of factors that go into the "obsolete" or "dead" calculation.

One of them is how many guns there are out there chambered for the cartridge and how much ammo is being made in that caliber. The .380ACP has a LOT of guns and a lot of ammo made for it, so as long as there is a market, manufacturers will keep making both the guns and the ammo.

The market is shrinking. The ammo is expensive

 

[oremike]

Not many anymore. 9mm is taking that market

9mm is a market on it's own all right. But I'm an ammo manufacturer and can say for sure that the demand for 380 is increasing. I'd say second only to 9mm in popularity.

 

[CountryGent]

Heck the .45 GAP may have been the fastest in and out of all from what I remember.

True that. .45 GAP was basically stillborn.

What does "obsolete"/"dead" mean anyway? I mean you can still buy 9mm flobert cartridges and when is the last time someone bought a 9mm flobert gun? Or 9mm largo, or... the list goes on. Ammo is still available.
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Good point on 9㎜ Largo. Still made by a few manufacturers. (And there is Santa Barbara milsurp still floating around the last time I checked.)

 

[21tango]

9mm is a market on it's own all right. But I'm an ammo manufacturer and can say for sure that the demand for 380 is increasing. I'd say second only to 9mm in popularity.

Its in demand because there a lot of guns still out there in 380. Im just saying in the past if you wanted a really small pistol you bought a 380. Today you can get a 9mm in the same size package. So some may still buy a 380 but the 9mm is definitely taking away a big piece of that market

 

[RVTECH]

One of them is how many guns there are out there chambered for the cartridge and how much ammo is being made in that caliber.

Good point!

As an example how many Mod 94 Winchesters are potentially 'out there'? Or other 'brands' of rifles that shoot .30-30?

Just a thought.

 

[40Garand]

Outdoor channel producers, gun publications, and YouTube channel gun gods please keep pushing the narrative that .40 is bad! You and LEO/GOV have definitely devalued the round and guns tremendously due to your stance and separation and I've taken advantage of some smoking hot deals during this purge over the past 10 years. Just because LEO/GOV gave up on the cartridge doesn't mean sportsman and gun enthusiast should. But like I mentioned above keep dogging the cartridge because I'm going to keep taking advantage of the good deals while they last.

 

[Flopsweat]

Its in demand because there a lot of guns still out there in 380. Im just saying in the past if you wanted a really small pistol you bought a 380. Today you can get a 9mm in the same size package. So some may still buy a 380 but the 9mm is definitely taking away a big piece of that market

Is there a 9mm now that's as small as the P3AT and its clones?

 

[oremike]

Its in demand because there a lot of guns still out there in 380. Im just saying in the past if you wanted a really small pistol you bought a 380. Today you can get a 9mm in the same size package. So some may still buy a 380 but the 9mm is definitely taking away a big piece of that market

Again just my personal observation going in and out of gunshops most every week is that the guns that are hardest to keep in stock are the small 380's and 5 shot 38 revolvers. Where the 9 shines is for those that want a greater capacity, say over 10 rounds.

 

[21tango]

Again just my personal observation going in and out of gunshops most every week is that the guns that are hardest to keep in stock are the small 380's and 5 shot 38 revolvers. Where the 9 shines is for those that want a greater capacity, say over

https://ammo.com/coronavirus-impact-on-ammunition-sales the 3 biggest sellers are 9mm 45 and 40 cal. You can look it up.

 

[Flopsweat]

https://ammo.com/coronavirus-impact-on-ammunition-sales the 3 biggest sellers are 9mm 45 and 40 cal. You can look it up.

He was talking about guns. Your reference is about ammunition. You could still both be right.

 

[oremike]

https://ammo.com/coronavirus-impact-on-ammunition-sales the 3 biggest sellers are 9mm 45 and 40 cal. You can look it up.

You found it on the iner-tubes so it must be true... I live the life so I must be wrong I guess.

 

[21tango]

You found it on the iner-tubes so it must be true... I live the life so I must be wrong I guess.

Yeah because they lie about ammo sells. "I live the life" lmao

 

[CLT65]

You do realize that Mike owns an ammunition manufacturing business, and actually sells the stuff, right? I think he knows what he's talking about.

 

[CountryGent]

Outdoor channel producers, gun publications, and YouTube channel gun gods please keep pushing the narrative that .40 is bad!

I too have noticed this. I can't help but chortle because I remember a time when the .40 S&W as touted as the be all to end all handgun cartridge that would at a minimum stop the 9㎜ vs .45 ACP debate, but possibly also halt any further discussion of what cartridge for handheld pews. (Of course either extreme is absurd; the .40 S&W is a fine cartridge for the rôle it was intended, but, like any other cartridge, does not preclude other options for various reasons.)

 

[21tango]

You do realize that Mike owns an ammunition manufacturing business, and actually sells the stuff, right? I think he knows what he's talking about.

Evidently he knows what he sells. But evidently the big manufacturers around the USA sell more 9mm 45 and 40 cal. I gave you one site but can produce a lot more. Im not downing the 380 but im giving you facts based on what the manufacturers report. There is no conspiracy for them to lie.

 

[40Garand]

https://ammo.com/coronavirus-impact-on-ammunition-sales the 3 biggest sellers are 9mm 45 and 40 cal. You can look it up.

You meant to type "Ammo.com's 3 biggest sellers". I call BS on them! I hope you take their fluff with a grain of salt. They are just small fish in this very big pond. It honestly doesn't appear that they sell much of anything so I'm going to take a pretty good guess that they are blowing smoke and inflating those stats just to sound cool while trying to convince everyone that they're like minded folks out to back our 2A rights.

 

[21tango]

Is there a 9mm now that's as small as the P3AT and its clones?

Seacamp lws