Upper limits of the LCP?

You may want to take a look at Buffalo Bore's offerings. They have some .380 +P loads which look interesting. Two problems, however. SAAMI doesn't have an official .380 +P pressure rating. Second, I'm betting Ruger would recommend against it.

My guess is that the pistol would be okay to shoot a few rounds to ensure reliable feeding and then only use it for carry.

All the discussion is usually about .380 vs. humans. I've never seen a .380 vs. gator thread.

While I'm a fan of the .380 for pocket carry (P3AT and Micro Desert Eagle), it is a very marginal round.
Even such as CorBons (800 fps) and Gold Dots (759 fps) aren't anything to brag about.
I suspect if I had to use the .380 on something intending me harm I'd be wishing I has something larger than the .380, especially from a very short barrel.

I had to use my KelTec with Corbon DPX to put down our tomcat who been hit by a car I live out in country so no problem shooting and KT was in my pocket 1 round of DPX to head and all movement ceased no kicking or movement of any kind DRT

While I'm a fan of the .380 for pocket carry (P3AT and Micro Desert Eagle), it is a very marginal round.
Even such as CorBons (800 fps) and Gold Dots (759 fps) aren't anything to brag about.
I suspect if I had to use the .380 on something intending me harm I'd be wishing I has something larger than the .380, especially from a very short barrel.

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Iam not sure where you got those numbers Goldenlokie with a P3AT got these

Corbon 90grJHP 950FPS Corbon DPX 956FPS Gold Dot 90 909
Stephen A Camp got 1050 on the money in his Bersa test of the DPX


http://www.goldenloki.com/ammo/gel/380acp/gel380acp.htm

I have seen a few murders with the .380. It definitely works if the placement is right. Plus if you watch "The First 48" on A&E, they seem to have a lot of murders with the .380.

Id say its probably due more to all the cheapo .380s out there than the prowess of the cartridge. But as always, placement trumps caliber.

+1
The .380 is what it is.

There is no point in trying to hot load a 10 oz gun you can't control with hot loads.

If you put 7 rounds of any currently available JHP COM in the BG , even Atilla the Hun will fall down and very likely be DRT before the meat wagon can get there.

rc

what parks can you carry in if you live in Florida? I am also in Florida but most state parks have signs which prohibit firearms.

HerkyGuy said:
........but most state parks have signs which prohibit firearms.

I'm definitely not encouraging anyone to break any laws of their state. I follow the rules when it comes to carrying in building owned by the Feds, The City, The State or a police department here in Ohio. I highly doubt I'll get mugged in a police department or a building full of federal agents. ....BUT IMHO ....Those signs in other places do nothing but make people targets for crime. Bad guys can read also ...and if they are convinced no one can harm them, then what a better place to rob someone than a place with a no guns allowed sign? Kinda like letting a pedophile pervert loose with free reign in a nursery .........

The little guns like the P3AT KelTec are perfectly designed for deep concealment. Conceal it deep, shut up about it and CARRY YOUR FIREARM !! This is where the small mouse guns shine as you can wear shorts, sandals and a T-shirt and have your pistol still 100% concealed.
Better to be able to pay the fine and be alive, than someone kidnap and rape and kill your wife or one of your kids and you could do nothing to stop it. Again ..... this is my own personal opinion and choice where I decide I want to carry my firearm. I'm not telling anyone else where and how to carry. That is your personal choice. ..... I feel it is better to be Armed and Unharmed than laying bleeding in a hospital bed or my family crying over my grave. What good am I to my family dead ............
Ohio Rusty

I also carry Buffalo Bore in my KelTec and Desert Eagle 380 pistols.

The Buffalo Bore clearly is hotter than any other 380 ammo I've used but doesn't cause any control problems.

Does the BB ammo actually exceed SAAMI pressure specs, or is that marketing hyperbole?

If you're that concerned about or lack confidence in the cartridge power but still want a little gun, step up to a Kahr PM9, or even the PM40. But it will not fit into some places that the little LCP might.

If gators are more of a problem than muggers, wouldn't it be better to keep FMJ rounds rather than JHP in the gun?

Perhaps the first two rounds should be JHP, then FMJ for the rest in case the hollow points can't penetrate the gator's skull.

However, I've handled gators before and I'd rather have a .357 if I had to take one out.

I kept the sp101 loaded with 38 specials and carried a backup speed loader of 125 grain .357s.

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I'm trying to fathom a remotely plausible reason for this......and come up empty.

Why do carry it with the weaker ammo ?

I would definately carry a premium self defense ammo like DPX or Win Ranger T. If you have your mind set on the LCP then so be it.

If it was me, and I had a family member to watch over I would be carrying something else more potent. In warm weather I wear baggy shorts. But not like the kids wear today. I conceal a M&P 9MM Compact and a spare mag all summer. Last week it was over 100 degrees. So I know how you feel. But my welfare as well as my family is more important than me being a little inconvienced by the weather. I also carry one or two Smith J frames. One in each pocket.

I would be careful with hotter loads in the LCP.

All you can count on the .380 doing is punching a 9mm hole in something. That's all I expect from my LCP. With fmj you should have no problem shooting through a gator head. WWB fmj is all I carry in my LCP because I don't trust a .380 jhp to penetrate enough.

Ruger's manual strictly forbids any +p in the LCP, I don't think its worth it. If it doesn't break it, it will sure as hell wear it out a lot faster for you.

WWB fmj is all I carry in my LCP because I don't trust a .380 jhp to penetrate enough.

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I agree and have read this in some ballistic reports as well.

I also carry 95 gr FMJ im my P3AT. After some penetration test with little 380 FMJ going thru 4 wet phonebooks I have alot more faith in the little round. I would rather have the penetration of the FMJ over the questionable expansion of a 380 JHP

.380 fmj, especially the flat nose kind, will also not substantially overpenetrate like 9mm fmj. .380 fmj averages between 14 and 16 inches in ballistic jello.

Yep!
Especially the WWB flat-nose kind.

It isn't going fast enough to penetrate much at all.



rc

I think along the same lines as far as the velocity of the WWB. If I was to carry FMJ in my 380 it wouldn't be the WWB. They are way too slow. Up to 100fps less than some other brands of defensive ammo. If you MUST have FMJ then choose something better.

Personally I like the Federal Hydrashoks in .380. They are a bit faster than the WWB, they don't seem to expand very aggressively, and in most gelatin test they seem to approach 12 inches in penetration. I think HPs are going to make a more effective wound channel and feed wonderfully in my LCP. The new hornady Crtical Defense rounds look pretty interesting too.

David E said:

I'm trying to fathom a remotely plausible reason for this......and come up empty.

Why do carry it with the weaker ammo ?

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Immediate control in rapid defensive fire.

If the "weaker" ammo doesn't do it off the bat, you'll have something with more reach.

One reason I could think of is the fact most snub nosed revolvers don't have a long enough ejector to properly eject the .357 cases. he might speed up his reload by using the shorter 38 special cases initially.