The larger the number involved, the smaller the grain. Gunpowder is rated on an F-scale - 1F, 2F, 3F, 4F, etc. The frame in older guns may warp or become damaged if you use smokeless powder shells in them. Guns older than the late 1800s may not handle the extra power in smokeless powder.

The age of your gun will determine when you can use smokeless powder and not.

Smokeless powder produces smoke but is much less in volume.

Smoke - black powder produces more smoke as the shell fires.

Smokeless powder has more bang to it, meaning that it has more power behind it.

There is a different power load between the two.

What's the difference? The differences are: 38 special or 9mm, you run into black powder or smokeless powder options. When choosing a style of bullets for your. The 9mm is mainly used with autoloader pistols, though there are rifles - short-barreled PCC - that will shoot 9mm shells. 38 special is a bullet limited to handguns. 38 specials are revolvers, and we are comparing it to an autoloader - mostly, we are discussing handguns, but already there is a difference simply in the design of the guns. That point is essential because we compare two different bullets that are close, but not the same.

38 bullets from the same gun, there would be differences in the outcome that has little to do with the bullet. How good are you at repeating the same shot in terms of physical and mental capacity - Will your technique impact bullet performance?Įven if you were to compare two. That is a means of offsetting the impact of gravity. The degree of adjustment you employ for the muzzle's angle is based on the distance between you and the target. It pushes the bullet towards the ground at 9.8 meters per second, offset by velocity to some degree.

If you shoot the same bullet from two different guns, the outcome will be different. How does muzzle length impact the performance of the bullet - even the same brand and style of bullet. While we 'aim' to get as close as possible to accuracy, factors will always influence the bullet's performance. These comparisons are not exactly comparing apples to apples. It also brings us to a not-so-obvious question, 'what influences a bullet's performance.' Factors that Influence Bullet Performance I am thinking about the Wild West and infamous shootouts at noon - you either live or die. One could take the philosophical route and say whichever works best in a given scenario is the best given that you would not have time to test or compare the outcomes in a real-life scenario. It is always fun to compare two bullets, and perhaps this comparison has played out a million times, yet the argument continues to blaze with the passion of one versus the other.

38 special vs 9mm in a 38 revolver