Cor-Bon's Pow'R Ball in .380 ACP

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Lobotomy Boy

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Cor-Bon's Pow'R Ball ammo seems like the ideal defensive round in a .380. It has the penetration of FMJ and the expansion of a good hollow point. It seems like it would help compensate for the relatively weak .380 ACP round. Anyone tried it in a Kel-Tec or a LCP?
 
I run Pow'Rball in my PPK/S. The gentleman over at Gunblast.com tested Powr'ball when he reviewed the LCP and the results were impressive. Only Buffalo Bore beat it. Something like 1100+ fps coming out of the LCP. Anyway, I've never had to shoot anyone with it and hope I never do, but I feel confident in it.
 
I've carried PowerBall, but the tests results I have seen were mixed.
I'm back to DPX or MagTech in my .380s
 
I haven't tried it yet, but I intend to. I've given up finding it locally and haven't yet taken the time to find it online.

I saw the Gunblast review, and liked the velocity, but I also find myself biting on the marketing hype that it will feed more reliably...

Am I being taken for a ride there, or does the round front appreciably aid feeding compared to a traditional hollow point?

BTW - no major feed issues with my LCP so far, using WWB, small-shop reloads, and Cor-Bon High Velocity JHPs. Just looking for every reliability advantage...
 
power ball

that is a really nice round. I have shot it in my lcp with zero issues, but I just keep going back to the corbon dpx round for the 380 and my 9mm. But to say i don't like the power ball would be lying. It is a good round, especially if you have a semi that is alittle ammo sensitive. If it won't feed pwerball, u got big time problems.
 
powerball

It is an excellent round,, especially if ur 380 is somewhat ammo sensiitive. If it won't shoot pwoerball, it probably won't shoot anything else. BUT that being said, iI still love the corbon DPX round for my 380 and 9mm. Can't go wrong with either one IMO.
 
Cor-Bon's Pow'R Ball ammo seems like the ideal defensive round in a .380. It has the penetration of FMJ and the expansion of a good hollow point.

Not so! If a 380 round expands, it's not going to have the penetration of a fmj. 380 just doesn't have enough energy to push an expanded bullet very deep!

If I remember correctly, the DPX round will penetrate 8" to 10" 0f ballistic gelatin while a fmj will go clean through a 16" block of gelatin.

If your satisfied with 8" to 10" of penetration, go with the CorBon DPX, but if you want more penetration, use a fmj.
 
But isn't 8" - 10" deep enough for "the vitals"? Or do I misunderstand the purpose/reason for how/why ballistic gel is used? :confused:
 
Not according to the FBI!

FBI Ballistic Test Protocol:
Briefly, the performance standards are simple. A handgun bullet must consistently penetrate a minimum of 12 inches of tissue in order to reliably penetrate vital organs within the human target regardless of the angle of impact or intervening obstacles such as arms, clothing, glass, etc. Penetration of 18 inches is even better.

Read it HERE.
 
screw the FBI

a hollow point that works as it should will never do what a fmj can in penetration, but IMO the massive tissue damage up to that possble 10" is far more than just the round hole a fmj will ever produce. This is a subject that can be argued until the cows come home to, so shoot what you like and also shoot what your gun likes. DPX FOR THIS GUY all the way, oh and did I say Screw the FBI.
 
Heck, you have 6 or 7 rounds, why not load 2 each of 3 types?
I have enough types I could probably load 2 mags with no two alike.

You are probably going to empty the mag anyway, one of them should do the trick.
 
Expanding hollow point = 8+ inch track with bigger hole.

Full metal jacket = 16 + inch track with smaller hole.

If you hit an organ, 16" penetration assures two holes in the organ, one entrance hole and one exit hole.

Remember, sometimes we need a lot of penetration to reach an organ, because sometimes shoulders, arms and other things get in the way!

armobstacles.jpg
 
You must really be small, because I'm only 5'6" tall and my chest is 14" deep and if I'm standing sideways like the guy in the picture, the bullet would have to penetrate 24" to make it through me.:)
 
I guess

I guess i was referring to a head on shot, not a sideways shot. probably right on that one, still give me dpx. Round holes don't do much for me... from that picture by the time a 380 fmj got through your arm bones, it would bounce off your shirt. These aren't wonder rounds at all.
 
My wife has 16 rounds of .380 in her Bersa. FMJ or HP, I suppose she just needs one round left before the perp is down or running.

Right now we are going with FMJ. I am more concerned with her running into a thick criminal than a thin one.
 
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I think the polymer ball is supposed to aid feeding, but also help with initial penetration - like through clothing or a jacket - keeps the cloth from getting in the hollow cavity.

Obviously a little plastic ball isn't magical, and doesn't allow for 16" of expanded penetration...

Although the OP may have overstated his case - the point is well taken - it's arguably a good compromise.

Considering that there are those here arguing for traditional hollowpoints, and those arguing for FMJ, it's hard to criticize a round that compromises between the two!
 
I shoot the powerballs in my Colt Mustang and Pony because they are ammo sensitive and I just can't get a full mag of any jhp ammo to shoot through them without a hitch. Powerballs work great in them when I can find them.
 
From Kindrox:
My wife has 16 rounds of .380 in her Bersa. FMJ or HP, I suppose she just needs one round left before the perp is down or running.
Click to expand...

Kindrox, what model of Bersa holds 16 rounds of 380 ammo?
 
The Bersa Thunder Plus. It has a double stacked mag (15) +1 in the chamber. She loves it.
 
The Bersa Thunder Plus. It has a double stacked mag (15) +1 in the chamber. She loves it.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I didn't know Bersa had a high cap magazine. does it fit the grip without sticking out, or making any adjustments?
 
Thanks, I didn't know Bersa had a high cap magazine. does it fit the grip without sticking out, or making any adjustments?
Click to expand...

Yep, it's just like a real gun. The grip is a little thicker of course but not significantly so. For some reason I see very few Bersa Thunder Plus's about. Bullet trap usually has just one in stock and the last gun show only one single new gun dealer carried the Plus, and also only had one. Which I now have.

I simply don't see the Plus model for sale on the used market and after owning two I see why. The only down side is they only come with one mag and extra mags are $40. But I got the gun because my wife liked it, not for the price. Of course I would be happy if she moved up to a larger caliber but when the wife goes from not really liking any gun to really liking a .380, you go with it. Particularly when it's got 16 rounds.
 
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