.32 ACP Cartridge -FMJ or Hollowpoint?

[Sharpie1]

I occasionally carry a Kel-Tec P-32 .32 ACP pistol. My wife also carries this pistol sometimes. It is very reliable, but it's lack of power is somewhat...blah. I prefer to carry something larger, and usually do.

Anyway, I have Fedreal Hydra-shoks in it right now. It functions fine with these rounds. I heard somewhere that it is a good idea to only use FMJ rounds in a .32, since penetration will be your best asset in such a small caliber -- and that the hollowpoint expansion in this caliber is sort of insignificant.

I am wondering if I need to just put plain old FMJ Winchester white box ammo in this gun for carrying. Your opinions will be appreciated.

Thanks,

--tadyson ;)

[Hypnogator]

FWIW, I carry my P-32 loaded with 60-gr Cor-Bon JHPs. I have also used Fiocchi 60-gr JHPs, as they also have a little more power than the standard US loads.

You might also consider some of the '80 surplus FN FMJ rounds. They function fine in my P-32, and have a flat point that should give you a better wound channel than the typical RN configuration.

Hydra-Shoks and Gold Dots are fine, but loaded somewhat anemically when compared to Cor-Bons.

[Dave R]

My opinion is that its a bit of a toss-up. Which is better, a thinner, deeper wound channel or a bigger, shallower wound channel?

Personally, I carry FMJ in my P-32 because I had read the same things on penetration vs. expansion.

But I could easily be persuaded otherwise.

Sanow did an article on the .32acp in one of the gun rags recently. He pointed out that the one HP load that penetrated 9" of gelatin was also the one that had the least expansion. Illustrates the problem.

[GoldenLoki]

I carry FMJ when I carry my P32.

Here is how I came to that decision.

http://www.goldenloki.com/ammo/gel/32acp/gel32acp.htm

GL

[Lord Grey Boots]

GoldenLoki's info is important and I respect it.

However, I load my P32 with Silvertips. I am not as confident of the "penetration is better than expansion" theory.

Given that the .32 ACP is relatively low powered, I don't think it will make that much difference.

[firestar]

Neither is going to pass all the way through a torso so I carry FMJs in my P-32. Also, the chance of rimlock goes up with the shorter HPs. The added benefit of this is, you can carry the ammo that you pratice with and be sure of the preformance.

[Mike Irwin]

Which is a better stopper?

A HP that expands, but only penetrates 4" and causes, in effect, a deep flesh wound, or an FMJ that penetrates 10" and gets into the heart or lungs?

Quite frankly, neither is optimal, but 10" of less optimal is one hell of a lot better in my book than 4" of less optimal.

[Kahr carrier]

I also like Silver tips for 32 acp .:)

[22luvr]

I used to carry the CorBon 60 gr JHP's but switched to FMJ's. I'd carry these due to their more reliable feeding and better penetration through clothing. I had good performance with Fiocchi 73 gr FMJ's, S&B 71 gr FMJ's, and Winchester 71 gr FMJ's. The lengthier FMJ rounds also minimize the possibility of "rim-lock," especially in the P32.

[Felonious Monk]

.32acp is a semi-rimmed round, NOT rimless a la 9mm.
If you have a magazine that can accommodate FMJ, you have enough free space when putting JHP's in that they can rimlock (http://1bad69.com/keltec/rimlock.htm).

For that reason, Seecamps in .32acp were originally designed for Silvertips ONLY.

GoldenLoki's site is pretty definitive about ballistic performance, and using that info, I personally use a couple of Glaser Blues (OAL .974) in the pipe and first in the mag, and round it out with S&B, Fiocchi, or RWS/Dynamit Nobel FMJ the rest of the way. Never yet found the elusive Geco FMJ, but it's supposedly very hot IF you can find it.

[Double Naught Spy]

Lord Grey Boots, one thing is certain and that is that if the slug does not penetrate to organs or major blood vessels, then you will not get the necessary damage needed. If you shoot a fat guy and the round DOES expand, then you likely could end up with most of your tissue damage in the fat layer and little or no penetration beyond it. What does that mean? It means the guy is going to have a nasty and somewhat bothersome wound, but nothing to really threaten his life or to cause any sort of incapacitation.

Fortunately, given the poor power of the caliber, expansion is not going to be likely and so hopefully you will get the penetration that is needed.

Another way to look at it is this. If I am a bad guy and I come across somebody who is armed, I really would prefer that person to be armed with a dinky .32 with hollowpoints than with ball ammo or any other larger caliber.

[Marko Kloos]

I carry FMJs in my P32 primarily because of penetration and rimlock concerns. If it was enough to do in Franz Ferdinand and start World War I, a magazine full of 'em ought to be enough as a last-ditch defense.

[Greg G]

Used to carry hollowpoints in my .32 Guardian, for some time now I have carried Fiocchi FMJ in it for the same reasons as above. I hadn't condidered the Franz Ferdinand assasination but FMJ did get the job done. :D

[curt]

I use cor-bon in my guardian. I think its unlikely that that little .32 is going to expand much if any but cor-bon is hot , maybe it will expand maybe it won't. I'm not fooling myself with worries about penetration with a .32acp, even 10inchs is marginal. I'm going for head shots or point blank COM and i'm emptying the magazine.

The only reason i see for FMJ is if your particular gun has problems feeding HP.

[10-Ring]

I like the Silvertips in the 32acp as well.

[cratz2]

I carry Gold Dots in my P32. Never had a hitch with them feeding in three different P32s. When I first bought the gun, I considered carrying FMJs due to the increased penetration but later figured that any shot I take with the gun is likely going to be within 7 yards, probably even closed. I'm fairly sure that I could get a shot in the extreme upper chest/neck area. And I have no idea how raccoon results compare to clothed human results but they have all penetrated about 6-8" in raccoons, some penetrated completely with a fairly large exit wound.

[Sean Smith]

A .32 ain't a .45... you can't get BOTH acceptable penetration AND expansion from such a low-powered cartridge. I'd strongly advise that you go with the hottest FMJ you can find.

[Ledbetter]

Given that the .32 ACP is relatively low powered, I don't think it will make that much difference.

I believe, on the contrary, that it makes much MORE difference in a small round than a big one like a .45 ACP. The hottest available FMJ for me in my P32.

[DonP]

Up here in the cold grey North country seasons do make a difference.

In the winter you have three or four extra layers of heavy clothing to deal with. With a lighter caliber it do make a difference.

In the Winter I carry S&B FMJ.

In the Summer Silvertips.

I have tested both brands in my P-32 and both feed flawlessly ... otherwise I wouldn't carry them.

Just another point of view.

Don P.

[Stevie-Ray]

If I'm not mistaken, the Silvertips are considered the prime stopper for the .32 ACP.

[beemerb]

I carry gold dots in my P-32.I allso carried them in my tomcat when I owned that one.I have had 0 problems in either gun.Yes a 32 is a mouse gun but I plan to start at upper torseo and work up from there if I do have a problem when I have to carry the 32.
I don't think the penatration difference will be a factor shooting in this area.
Just my opinion
Bob

[Gary A]

I like the Silvertip round and Winchester ammo but the often repeated claim that Silvertip is the best .32 seems to be based upon one very narrow and often disputed source. It may, in fact, be the best but the problem is that its reputation seems based upon how often the same claim from the same controversial authors is repeated. Different times, different articles, same story, no confirmation. One problem is the .32 Silvertip is not a particularly hot load in the first place. If a less than hot load is designed well enough to also expand...well, that could be a recipe for some pretty shallow results. The P32, at least, has a pretty long barrel for a mini 32, 2.68 inches which helps it a bit over a 2 inch barrel.

[Selfdfenz]

Golden Loki,
I remember linking over to some of your info off the ktog site what...years ago.
Your site is excellent.

S-

[LostOneToo]

I just read a lot about "expansion vs penetration" but I didn'r see anything about the most important aspect of all...SHOT PLACEMENT!!!!!!:what: Does that still count????

[GoldenLoki]

Felonious Monk - The Geco I have says "made by Dynamit Nobel" so maybe they are one and the same?

Selfdfenz - Yep it has been a while since I've gotten to play with my gel. I developed a nasty habit of opening retaurants which seems to take up a lot of my free time : )

LostOneToo - Once your talking about ammo selection, shot placement had better have been established or assumed. (I guess I was assuming) Otherwise talking ammo is just helping to circulate the air in the room. Even with .32acp I plan to stick with the standard 2x to center of mass and head shot "if" bad guy is still a threat.

GL

[Blackhawk]

FMJ

[Jaco]

Why not carry both HP and FMJ?

[yzguy]

Why not carry both HP and FMJ?
I would heavily recomend against that in any .32 acp autoloader!!!

simply because of rim lock:
http://www.1bad69.com/keltec/rimlock.htm

you can kinda do that if you load all FMJ in the mag, but have a HP in the pipe and top round in the mag, you will not have a problem with rim lock.

you can also convert a mag to HP only to aviod rim lock and use HP's (I will be adding a page shortly to illustrate this mod, and will post when it is done).

[Felonious Monk]

Yz--I will be adding a page shortly to illustrate this mod, and will post when it is doneAnd, There Was Rejoicing In The Land. :D :p :rolleyes: :cool:

I'm really good at stuff when you color a picture for me! ;)

[thisaway]

I alternate Gold Dots and S&B FMJs in my Tomcat, but after considering the information in this thread I may discontinue the practice and go back to all FMJs.

[Shawn Dodson]

...the most important aspect of all...SHOT PLACEMENT!!!!!! Does that still count????

Shot placement is number one, followed immediately by adequate penetration so the bullet is capable of reaching the vitals you're trying to damage.

[ranger7]

I carry GECO FMJs in my P-32s but might consider carrying a Corbon in the chamber.

I've experienced rim lock several times in the past w/ HPs. Wouldn't consider them for carry.

Alan

[Lord Grey Boots]

mmm, maybe I should switch from 125grain hollow points in my .357 magnum, to 130 grain FMJ magnum rounds.

Should penetrate better and thus give better stopping power, right?

[Shawn Dodson]

Should penetrate better and thus give better stopping power, right?

What you hit is more important than what you hit with.

If the bullet's path merely damages non-vital tissues, more penetration or more expansion isn't going to help.

If the bullet's path is dead on to intersect critical tissues, but it stops short, more expansion isn't going to help.

If the bullet penetrates adequately and passes through vital blood bearing organs and creates a leak, more expansion can help to increase the rate and volume of blood loss.

Small caliber bullets and bullets with an inefficient shape to crush tissues (e.g., round nose FMJ) produce little holes, and little holes don't bleed as well as big holes. But this hardly matters when the CNS is struck.

[XLMiguel]

I've shot most everything I can find on the market thru my Tomcat, all seemed to function OK. I've read everything I can find on .32 performance, none of it is impressive.

All in all, for a mousegun, I figure shot placement is all that really matters. One in the eye socket or behing the ear should do the job, anything else is just an annoyance or luck. The nub on the front of the barrel isn't really a sight - it's like a hook - you stick the barrel in the navel/nose/ear/other oriface, turn the gun 90 degrees, and keep shooting till they calm down. Basically, it's like tying knots - if you can't tie good knots, tie lots of knots, if ya know whut I mean, Vern. YMMV, JMNSHO.

[Jaco]

Have alternated HP an FMJ in the same mag, and that's the way I carry it in my PPK, and not one problem in countless mags of rimlock.

[Gordon]

Yes Geco is IT in .32acp. Good penetration and reliable feeding which is all we can ask of .32acp! At least .32 gets into skull which .25 and .22 are marginal in doing. I have clocked Geco at 1032 in Fn1922 and 910 in Tomcat. I have a German PPK .32 that goes about 990fps with it and is 3" at 50feet ALLWAYS. It is my wifes favorite.:)

[cool45auto]

I have 60 grain Cor Bons in my P32. I like what I've found about the expansion of these rounds.

[ranger7]

GECO - 910 fps & 100% reliable in my two P-32s.

Alan

[Newton]

60 grain Corbon in the chamber and Fiocchi or S&B FMJs in the magazine.

Although there is a lot of support for using FMJs in order to avoid rimlock, to suggest that FMJs outperform JHPs even in .32ACP is simply not supported by actual shootings.

Even relatively weak JHPs such as the Silvertip have shown superior stopping percentages than FMJ rounds, more powerful rounds such as Corbon's 60 grain offering is an even better choice and on one notable occasion was used to take a deer with a through and through expanding neck shot from the P32 according to Corbon.

I have yet to see any statistical evidence that supports the use of solids over hollowpoints in ANY caliber, if such exists, let's see it.

For now I'll use the load mentioned above, but when the magazine spacer comes out from Keltec I'll be using straight Corbons.

Newton

[BushyGuy]

i have a beretta tomcat .32 acp , i just got it couple days ago , i shot 65 gr hydrashoks and 60 gr silvertip - my tomcat liked the silvertips the best it was prone to jamming wiht the hydrashoks i think cuz the bullet neck on the silvertips was smoother then the ridge on the neck of hydrashoks. i was impressed by the expansion of the silvertip and penetration trhu the soda bottle and thru the 1 inch wood backing i dug up the bullets and the silvertip showed more penetration and expansion then the hydrashoks. i like the silvertips alot i will continue to use them in my BUG my main carry is Taurus PT92c 9mm sometimes i carry the tomcat when i want to go light.

[LightningJoe]

FMJ. At least you know what you're getting. The rest of them, who knows what they'll do? With such a marginal cartridge, the last thing you need is a magazine full of magic beans.

[The Lone Haranguer]

Normally I do not favor staggered loadings in magazines, but alternating FMJ and hollowpoints in small calibers like this makes some sense.

[SharpsDressedMan]

I find that Speer Gold Dots are more accurate than most FMJ's in my Colt .32. Those old guns (I have two) feed both reliably so far. It even spits out Blazer with no problems.

[Grey Morel]

I carry Fiocchi exclusively.

The 60gr JHP's dont expand, but will penetrate clean through a 16" gelatin block.

The 73Gr FMJ's penetrate about 14" and tumble slightly.

I tend to carry the 73gr FMJs

[whatnickname]

Back in the day the primary advantage of the .32 was the small size of the pistol and revolvers made to shoot the round and to some extent the lower recoil offered by the round. Ditto the .25 ACP and .380. Today we can get guns like the little Kel Tec and Kahar chambered for rounds like 9MM and .40 S&W. So much for the portability advantage offered by a good many .32 caliber handguns. I've owner one of just about every .32 and .380 ever made. The majority of the experts don't recommend much below the .380 for self defense. I got to taking inventory and realized that my Sig 239s ( a 9MM and a .40 S&W) along with any one of my five J frame Smiths (.38 & .357) as well as my American Derringer Corp derringer (.45 Colt) were every bit as small as many of my .32 and .380 handguns and packed one hell of a lot more punch! I figured if I was going to carry a handgun to defend myself I may as well carry something that packed a harder punch than the .32 and .380. If you are bent on carrying the .32 go with the FMJ. Yes Silver Tips and Hydro Shocks expand but you need a certain amount of mass and horsepower to penetrate into the vitals and get the job done. If your adversary is wearing a heavy coat when everything hits the fan the little .32 has all the more work cut out for it. Think this is so much BS? Consider the high price the FBI paid back in the 1980's with 115 grain 9MM hollow points in the Miami, Fla shootout! These guys were professionals and got shot to pieces because their 9MM rounds didn't penetrate far enough to get the job done. A 115 grain 9MM hollow point packs a lot more punch than any .32 you ever thought about.

[mrt949]

Winchester 71 gr.fmj In my SEECAMP 32. iT BARK'S:)

[george29]

I'm not an expert but I have done a lot of reading, my conclusion in this matter is that in most handgun rounds including the higher velocity .357 it really doesn't matter much between HP, WC, SWC & FMJ. What does matter is penetration and placement. Many HP's just get clogged up with clothing and act like FMJ. Having said that, I believe the harder and the heavier bullets do the most good.


Consider the high price the FBI paid back in the 1980's with 115 grain 9MM hollow points in the Miami, Fla shootout! These guys were professionals and got shot to pieces because their 9MM rounds didn't penetrate far enough to get the job done. A 115 grain 9MM hollow point packs a lot more punch than any .32 you ever thought about.
There were a lot of factors in what went wrong in that shoot-out, bullet type and caliber were the easiest to blame but IMHO most results or lack thereof belong to human mistakes (and I'm not judging from my armchair). Sometimes you face a foe so determined that multiple wounds just won't bring him down or even if it does, he still gets you before he dies. Ask the guys fighting terrorists who are determined and hopped up on opiate's before they go out to combat. A properly placed .32 should be enough for most situations involving urban criminals from up close. At that distance it's more a point and shoot anyway. I prefer a .32 in the pocket or hand to a heavier 9mm pulling on my belt, or worse, left in the car or at home. You know there are absolutely no excuses to not have your P32 with you all the time (a WYATT gun as I once read).

[christcorp]

Definitely a fan of the Fiocchi ammo. Both the FMJ and the HP. The HP goes up to around 1200 fps and 210 ft/lbs. If it opens up, it still has decent penetration. If it doesn't open up, then you've go a FMJ for all intent and purpose. Either way, it's a lot hotter and better than most any of the other ammo. Same could be said for BuffaloBore ammo.

I have/had a number of 32 autos. I have found that because of the size of the shell, if you are using a USA gun, USA ammo seems to do better. If you have a European gun, Fiocchi, S&B, etc... seems to do better. My AP-MBP FEG 32acp NEVER fails with Euro ammo. But with Magtech, Corbon, Lawman, and some others, I have had problems. So I use the USA brands for practice/plinking; and the Fiocchi for self defense.

[JimJD]

I feed my P-32 with FMJ's from Sellier & Bellot. To me, hollow points don't make that much of a difference if any in this caliber.
My particular pistol and the ammo I use have been excellent.

[Big_John1961]

The Kahr PM series are nice little pistols, but they are nowhere near as compact as the Seecamp pistols. The Seecamp's are much more "pocketable" and therefore more likely to be with you, especially in warmer weather.

Of course, a 9mm or .40 S&W is a better round, but what good is it sitting on your night stand?

[22LRFan]

I know it doesn't really matter but Franz Ferdinand was hit with a .380 ACP round from an FN Model 1910. Sorry if this was mentioned by someone else already. Although, I'm sure at close range a .32 ACP FMJ would have been sufficient.

http://gunsandammomag.com/cs/Satellite/IMO_GA/Story_C/Anarchist+Special

For the record, I load my P-32 with S&B FMJs.

[christcorp]

The thing about these types of threads, is that I can easily find stories where the crack head druggie was shot with numerous shots of 9mm, 40sw, 10mm, 45acp, 357mag, and 44 mag; and he STILL KEPT ON COMING. Then, before I take my next breath, I can find stories of the man who killed his ex-wife, her friend, and then himself; all with a 22LR pistol and 1 shot each.

[Out West]

Shot placement can not be over sold with these smaller calibers. I carry the surplus FN FMJ flat nose exclusively in my little pocket gun. Its reliable for feed and function. I trust it to do its job if I do mine.

Out West

[sw282]

My Sig P230 is a 32acp Tokyo Police trade in. I love the way it shoots. I feed it a steady diet of 71gr FmJ Hornadys using 2.1gr of 700X for 900fps. Carry ammo is Speer Gold Dots. I do have a couple hundred rounds of Fioche HP that Georgia Arms claims 1200fps. Lots of armies carry or carried 32acp pistols. I feel comfortable with it. I also have a Walther PP(Manhurin) in 32acp.Another police trade in that shoots well but is a bit heavier than the Sig.

[oneounceload]

Which is better, a thinner, deeper wound channel or a bigger, shallower wound channel?

If you read the threads in the shotgun section about 00 Buck vs. birdshot, they same questions keep coming up - and the overwhelming response is to go for penetration; therefore, by analogous comparison, FMJ would be the better choice in the 32.

[ranger7]

Shot placement can not be over sold with these smaller calibers. I carry the surplus FN FMJ flat nose exclusively in my little pocket gun. Its reliable for feed and function. I trust it to do its job if I do mine.
Out West

Old West,
I've carried both the FN flatpoint and the more powerful GECO FMJ in my P-32s. Since my last P-32 was just put on local consignment sale, my remaining 32 ACP ammo will probably be become available soon. I don't think these two types are still available anywhere commercially. PM me if you're interested.

http://tinyurl.com/lptprq

http://tinyurl.com/lgamxk

ranger7

P.S. Here's some interesting ballistic test data on 32 ACP cartridges -
http://www.goldenloki.com/ammo/gel/32acp/gel32acp.htm

[L-Frame]

Don't know if this has been suggested yet but I haven't seen it, and am pretty surprised by that. Get the best of both worlds and get Corbon's powerball round. FMJ profile for better feeding, but the ball at the tip pushes into the cavity forcing expansion, which means the hollow point can't be clogged by clothing. I believe it's a 55 gr. bullet at 1100 fps. That would smart!

[Cpt. America]

I carry a mix of the two- Hornady XTP and Fiochi FMJ.

[christcorp]

When dealing with small calibers like the 25acp, 32acp, and 380acp; don't do the FMJ & JHP alternating stuff in the magazine. Matter of fact, I won't do that with any caliber. But ESPECIALLY with the small calibers. If you don't know what I'm suggesting, look up the term "RIMLOCK". And if you really want to see HOW it could happen, get yourself a box of American 32acp ammo such as lawman, winchester, etc... Then also get a box of fiocchi. Look at the rims. They almost don't even look like the same caliber. Definitely different shell manufacturing. But with the smaller calibers, like the 32acp, shoot all the same manufactured ammo. Your ammo won't nose dive, it won't rimlock, and you won't have other feeding problems.

Now; having said that, there is nothing wrong if the first round in the magazine is say a JHP and the REST in the magazine are a different type or brand, like a FMJ. Because the first round will be manually chambered. The rest are the same as each other, so it will be fine.

[ranger7]

When dealing with small calibers like the 25acp, 32acp, and 380acp; don't do the FMJ & JHP alternating stuff in the magazine. Matter of fact, I won't do that with any caliber. But ESPECIALLY with the small calibers. If you don't know what I'm suggesting, look up the term "RIMLOCK". And if you really want to see HOW it could happen, get yourself a box of American 32acp ammo such as lawman, winchester, etc... Then also get a box of fiocchi. Look at the rims. They almost don't even look like the same caliber. Definitely different shell manufacturing. But with the smaller calibers, like the 32acp, shoot all the same manufactured ammo. Your ammo won't nose dive, it won't rimlock, and you won't have other feeding problems.

Now; having said that, there is nothing wrong if the first round in the magazine is say a JHP and the REST in the magazine are a different type or brand, like a FMJ. Because the first round will be manually chambered. The rest are the same as each other, so it will be fine.

A couple of things regarding rimlock that haven't been mentioned - Most semi-auto cartridge cases are rimless so rim-lock is usually not a problem. The 32 ACP case is SEMI-rimless and it is these small SEMI-rims that cause the problem. The rim of the second cartridge from the top of the stack gets lodged in front of the rim of the top cartridge preventing the top round from sliding forward into the chamber when it should.

Two other factors in rim-lock are the OAL (over-all-length) of the cartridge and the FTB (front-to-back) length of the magazine. For some reason 32 ACP cartridges loaded with JHP bullets tend to be shorter than those loaded with FMJ bullets. If a magazine is designed to use only JHP cartridges, it can have a short FTB length and the likelyhood of rimlock is minimized or eliminated, but FMJ cartidges won't fit in these mags.

Kel Tec 32 ACP mags, for example, are designed to accept either JHP or FMJ cartidges so they tend to be longer front-to back. Using JHP ammo (either exclusively or mixed with FMJ) in these longer magazines makes rim-lock more likely unless the magazine is fitted with a spacer to shorten the FTB length or only the top round is JHP.

I've been in gunshops with otherwise knowledgeable personnel and asked if they were aware of rim-lock and most never heard of it. I borrowed a KT P-32 mag and a few rounds of JHP and manually induced rim-lock by usng a small screwdriver to push the second round forward in the mag and leaving the top round further back. I then gave the "experts" the rim-locked mag and asked them to chamber a round or simulate chambering it by sliding the top round forward. Their mouths dropped open with instant belief.

The solution to what otherwise could be a fatal malfunction is to use only FMJ or other cartridges that are too long to rim-lock or to use some type of spacer that slides down behind the shorter rounds to prevent some getting their rims in front of the top round or to use JHP in only the top round of the mag and FMJ in the rest.

If you study the data at the Goldenloki site I referenced in an earlier post, you'll see that in his tests most 32 ACP JHP rounds either did not expand reliably or if they did expand, they did not penetrate as well as FMJ. You might reach the conclusion that using only the better penetrating FMJ rounds is preferrable to using JHP rounds that perform poorly and can rim-lock.

*** I also would like to note that I did not personally come to all these conclusions. It was a group effort of members of the original KTOG forum (that's been around for more than 10 years) now found on Yahoo Groups http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/ktog/

[FiveFiveSixFan]

christcorp and ranger7, lots of great information. Thanks for posting it.

[christcorp]

Thanks ranger for expounding. My brain was on one topic and I was posting another. I should have emphasized 32acp. However; even though not technically rimlock, there are a lot of different manufacturers that make ammunition, and I have found the OAL can sometimes be different enough between different manufacturers to be an issue. There are SAAMI specs, but they aren't an exact science. For instance; I have a couple of pro-mag magazines for my SigSauer P220 45acp. If I put all FMJ in the magazine; it works great. If I use all JHP; it works great. I was cleaning out a misc box of ammo that I had; all factory loads, just the leftover 2-3 rounds per box for a few years. I had about 70-80 rounds. Probably 5 or more different manufacturers. If I loaded this randomly, I could get a Fail to feed, stovepipe, or some other malfunction at least once every few magazines. My original Sig Magazines didn't have the issue. The pro-mag didn't have an issue EVER if all ammo was the same in the magazine. But when going through about 10 magazines of the hodge podge misc. ammo; I had about 5-6 feeding problems.

So; my advice is when it comes to self defense ammo; never mix ammo in your magazine. The smaller the caliber/cartridge, the more chance of issues. If you reload; try to use the brass from the same company. With a 380 or 32auto; use FMJ unless you are using higher velocity ammo that you are sure can expand. I.e. I will use Fiocchi HP or the fiocchi XTP HP in my FEG 32acp, but I won't use Federal. The Fiocchi HP is at 1200 fps and and XTP HP is over 1000. It is designed to expand at those velocities. I also advise to check the type of weapon and ammo combination. For instance, my FEG couldn't jam or have an issue no matter how hard I try to make it, IF I use european ammo. European gun using european ammo. Fiocchi, S&B, etc... It definitely doesn't like lawman, winchester, or a few others. Likewise, my brother's ruger P89 he loves; but if you give it silver bear, wolff, or other Non-USA ammo, it will puke on you.