I don't have the answer.

A water pistol,it does not kill.

The 9mm has more velocity and range than the 380 which is for a closer range . Both have the same caliber round but the 9mm has more powder in a longer round .

Best for what?? Killing people?

I think it all comes down to personal preference. Even though the .380 ACP is a 9x17mm round, the 9mm Luger, or 9x19mm, is still a vastly superior round. (IMHO) Why? Well, the 9mm Luger round: (1) carries more kinetic energy, (2) moves faster, (3) expands more consistently, and (4) comes closer to meeting the standards of the Secret Service, FBI, etc. (e.g. 12 inches of penetration in ballistic gelatin, football-shaped wound cavity, etc.). Would I carry a .380 ACP? Sure; if I couldn't carry a 9mm or larger. I still personally think that shot placement is more important than caliber; a round that does not have good placement (I.E. a miss) has 0 penetration, no wound cavity, and the kinetic energy it carries is irrelevant. So, directly comparing the two cartridges, the 9mm Luger is still better all-around, but that, in my opinion, doesn't make the .380 bad. 5 rounds of anything in the face will make any man stop doing what it was that just got him shot.

.380 is a small 9mm essentially, same caliber but Less power and usually smaller pocket or purse sized guns come in .380. 9mm is ok for close range self defense. I own a Browning High power in 9mm and it is the least fired weapon I own. I'm not too impressed with either a 9mm or a 380 for stopping power. I prefer a 45 auto in a semi auto or a .357 Magnum in a revolver is also a decent choice, 357 is also a 9mm but is much more powerful than either the 9mm or the .380. Since moving to Montana and living in Grizzly country I don't carry any handgun with a caliber that starts with less than a 4 such as .45 ACP, 40 S&W, 44 magnum or 45 Colt. The 45 ACP or 40 S&W guns I use "Cor-Bon" ammo in which will stop a bear or any unfriendly two legged predators as well. Sorry that was so long winded!

Normally, I hate these particular types of firearm questions because when you compare two different calibers of weapons it's like comparing apples and oranges. The ballistics and energy transfer capabilities for two different rounds are so inherently different due to the differences in bullet mass, velocity, and cross-sectional area that it makes a meaningful generic comparision impossible. However, the .380 and the 9mm are close enough in physical size to work in this case. Both bullets are actually the same diameter (0.355 inches). The difference between the two is length, with the 9mm being slightly longer. This means the 9mm has slightly more mass. The .380 is usually about 85 to 90 grains and the 9mm 115 to 147 grains. The case length of the 9mm is also slightly longer, which would allow a slightly larger powder charge. Now, having the same diameter bullet means you can more easily compare terms/functions like penetration and energy deposition in the target, because these factors are directly affected by bullet diameter. Think of it this way: A smaller bullet would be more likely to penetrate a target, which is good in one way. But it is also more likely to pass through the target as well, which is bad because that's wasted energy which is not deposited within the body of the target. Not to mention more danger to objects on the opposite side of your target as well. This is the major reason I hate comparing, say, a .45 to a 9mm. It's too difficult to compare and contrast them as simply "which is best". With these two bullets having the same diameter, the two other major factors left to consider is mass and velocity and how that affects their performance. The kinetic energy of a bullet is equal to 1/2 mass times velocity squared. This means that if the velocity of both the 9mm and the .380 are equal, then the 9mm will have about 35% to 73% more energy than the .380, depending on the mass of the bullets. (A 147 grain 9mm is 73% heavier than an 85 grain .380, for example). However, since the energy is also proportional to velocity squared, increasing the velocity of the bullet will DRAMATICALLY increase the energy of the bullet. If you were to double the velocity of the same bullet, for example, its energy would go up by a factor of 4. So a 9mm bullet fired at twice the speed of another 9mm bullet of the same mass will have 4 times as much energy. Now, the combination of mass and energy determines penetration and energy deposition characteristics of the bullets. Ideally, for personal protection, the best combination would be one that allows the bullet to penetrate clothing and the body, but NOT allow the bullet to pass completely through the body. This combines the damage caused by penetration (which tears tissue and causes bleeding) with energy deposition (which transfers force to the body...like a punch or shove). More than that is wasted energy that causes the bullet to move on beyond your target and into something (or someone) else that you DON'T want to hit. There are other things to consider as well, like velocities required for maximum expansion of different hollowpoint bullets or how bullet length and geometry affect ballistics and penetration, but I won't discuss this here because they add more levels of complexity not germain to this discussion. Too many variables to consider. The only other thing of significance left to consider is gun design itself. The size/mass of the guns differ due to the different limitations imposed by the size and maximum power the two different types of ammunition are capable of producing. This means that in general, the .380 can easily be manufactured safely as a smaller firearm than a 9mm. Beyond that, it's simple a matter of personal preference which you choose. But all of this doesn't amount to a hill of beans if you cannot safely, efficiently, and accurately handle your weapon. If you cannot hit your target, it doesn't matter WHAT the caliber is. So practice, practice, practice. And then practice some more. Practice until the weapon is a part of you when you pick it up. Now, with this information you should be more capable of deciding which gun would be best for YOUR precise situation, considering factors that you are privy to and we are not. <EDIT> By the way, don't let people blow smoke up your *ss about the catch phrase "stopping power". This has become a common catch phrase that is taken so far beyond anything technically useful that it is meaningless. "Stopping power" is anything that stops your attacker from getting to you. As I've said before, more power DOESN'T necessarily equate to greater "stopping power". There are too many other factors involved to consider, especially between different calibers. In my opinion, "stopping power" is a dramatic catch phrase used to make one gun sound more impressive than another and is really only useful to people trying to sell you a gun. Ignore it.

Just incidentally, the .380 in Europe is called the 9mm Short. But you asked about which is "better". The "better" one is the one that hits the target. If you can shoot a .380 more accurately than you can shoot a 9mm, use a .380 for everything. There is also the question of size and availability. If you are carrying the .380 because of its size, it's there when you need it. If you leave the 9mm at home because of its size, and you are on the street and need a gun, you're out of luck. If you carry a gun and you can't hit with it, it's worthless. If you aren't carrying a gun and you need one you're stuck. So, if you're going to carry, carry what you can hit with. Even if it means a .22 LR. It's better to hit than to miss.

I recently bought a Bersa Thunder 380. I was told it was the best gun I could buy for the money. I bought it because there have been some strange things going on in my neighborhood, such as, my neighbors telling me that someone was snooping around my house while I was at work; a different neighbor has had a few loud people pull up to their house and blast music, and yell very loudly; also, last May, someone came into my yard and stole my dog, I know he was stole, because of the empty “Sarah Lee” lunch-meat container laying beside the gate. I don’t know much about guns, other than the fact that I enjoyed shooting them when I was a kid with my dad, but, I have put about 100 rounds through my Bersa, and, I hadn’t shot in about 10 years, but, the accuracy was just insane at 10 yards. I think the 380 is a great personal defense weapon. Point and shoot. The recoil is so little that you have no trouble grouping 5-6 shots with continuous fire. But, like I said, I know little about guns, but, I am very happy with my 380, and, I feel much safer having it on my nightstand when i go to sleep. I should add that 380 ammo seems to be hard to come by these days. I am not sure why, maybe more girlie people are packing some heat these days, haha. I was lucky enough to have a friend with 380 ammo he didn’t need, because he had just sold his 380 pistol. I was able to get about 200 rounds of JHP. It’s been about a month since I have taken it to the range, because I can’t find any ball ammo….Well, I know where to get some, but, $35.00 for 50 rounds seems steep. I will probably give in and buy a few boxes, to shoot and keep a box in my safe for a rainy day.

I recently bought a Bersa Thunder 380. I was told it was the best gun I could buy for the money. I bought it because there have been some strange things going on in my neighborhood, such as, my neighbors telling me that someone was snooping around my house while I was at work; a different neighbor has had a few loud people pull up to their house and blast music, and yell very loudly; also, last May, someone came into my yard and stole my dog, I know he was stole, because of the empty “Sarah Lee” lunch-meat container laying beside the gate. I don’t know much about guns, other than the fact that I enjoyed shooting them when I was a kid with my dad, but, I have put about 100 rounds through my Bersa, and, I hadn’t shot in about 10 years, but, the accuracy was just insane at 10 yards. I think the 380 is a great personal defense weapon. Point and shoot. The recoil is so little that you have no trouble grouping 5-6 shots with continuous fire. But, like I said, I know little about guns, but, I am very happy with my 380, and, I feel much safer having it on my nightstand when i go to sleep. I should add that 380 ammo seems to be hard to come by these days. I am not sure why, maybe more girlie people are packing some heat these days, haha. I was lucky enough to have a friend with 380 ammo he didn’t need, because he had just sold his 380 pistol. I was able to get about 200 rounds of JHP. It’s been about a month since I have taken it to the range, because I can’t find any ball ammo….Well, I know where to get some, but, $35.00 for 50 rounds seems steep. I will probably give in and buy a few boxes, to shoot and keep a box in my safe for a rainy day.