.380 ammo?

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tonytuna

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I'm in the market for a pocket pistol. I was looking at a .32 but the guy behind the counter recommended a .380 instead. He also told me about a .380 ammo that performs like a .357, sig or magnum he didn't say but I'm interested.

Has anyone heard of such ammo? He said it might be made by hornady but wasn't %100 sure about it.

But has anyone ever heard of .380 that could do that?
 
Not sure what this guy told you, but if you find a .380 that performs like a .357 let the rest of us know!!!

Looks like another gun store employee who doesn't quite know what he's talking about.

But if you're looking at pocket autos, I would recommend a .380 over a .32. You get a bit more power, and at least in my area .380 is easier to find.
 
Never heard of .380 acp acting like or similar to a .357 mag or sig.

He was probably talking about one of the Hornady loads like below

http://www.hornady.com/store/search...7&categoryid[]=344&categoryid[]=1273&x=34&y=5

Agree with 2wheels on the .380 over the .32. A much better small caliber defensive round. And if I'm not mistaken, some LE personnel still use the .380 as a primary duty caliber in some Eastern Bloc and European countries.
 
I figured that. I looked at the link and on youtube. The damage from the .380 cd round looked pretty good
 
The best that can be done is 90grs @1200fps which is pretty spicy.
 
Ah yes, the old "salesperson breaks the laws of physics" conundrum. If these people were in the space program we'd already have an FTL drive.
 
This reminds me of a gun salesman trying to sell some 45Auto Glaser ammo. When the salesman said it "hits like a 44 Mag," it was time to go.

Regular .380 Auto is usually around 900-950fps with a 95gr bullet. Pocket guns with shorter barrels will probably lose some velocity off manufacturer's specs. There are manufacturers that make heavy loads, just make sure the firearm you choose is rated for such loads.

A typical .357 mag load is a 158gr bullet at 1200fps. With 125gr bullets, it's more like 1400fps+.

These two cartridges are apples and oranges when it comes to power comparison. The salesman either doesn't know what he's talking about or he knows that he's feeding you a line in an attempt to make a sale.
 
cougar1717 said:
This reminds me of a gun salesman trying to sell some 45Auto Glaser ammo. When the salesman said it "hits like a 44 Mag," it was time to go.
Click to expand...

I had a salesman tell me something similar a loooong time ago when I was looking for something to carry in my New Agent, he patted the gun on his hip and said something like "I carry Glasers in this, most lethal defensive rounds money can buy". I just nodded and said I preferred traditional designs, plus I definitely don't have the budget to buy enough Glasers for my needs.
 
Remington 102 grain golden sabers are supposed to be pretty effective. If you want heavy in .380 that is about as far as you can go. I wish someone would make a 70 grain bullet moving more than 1200 fps.
 
.380acp handguns are all kind a different in their own way's depending on who made it, and the same gun from the same maker can even vary. Some makes have longer barrels, some are made out of metal and some out of plastics. Some makes say: "ya ... you can shoot +P++'s!" and some say sometimes and some flat out say NOOOOO!

On that subject there are some makers of .357mag guns that their guns will not handle some of the factory made .357mag ammo because: "they can't handle the truth ... of a full-power .357mag round!"

Some ammo manufacturers specs may be a little fluffed and do not match the real-world specs that you will get with your measuring instruments, and they will say: "well ... your barometric pressure at the time and place you tested at was different and I shot mine out of a <insert gun here> so there ya go!"

Even some of the test pictures we see of the same ammo, shot out of the same gun, shot into the same type of water filled milk jugs turn out different ... sometimes.

But I an`t come across no .380acp ammo that will hit what ever it is your shootin at and be givin you the same end effects of a .357mag ... yet :eek:
 
He also told me about a .380 ammo that performs like a .357, sig or magnum he didn't say but I'm interested.
Click to expand...
He is misinformed or exaggerating. That would violate the laws of physics. And even if it did, it would be a miserable thing to shoot in a pocket pistol. That said, the size of the gun being equal, I would be inclined to choose the .380 for its greater power over the .32.
 
Hey, there is an SUV that is the size/weight of a Suburban.

It has 4-wheel drive, has a 4-cylinder engine that makes 360 HP and gets 35 mpg.

The motor will last 300,000 miles.

This vehicle retails for $18,500 with 0% interest.

Want one?

Yeah....me too. :rolleyes:

Ever hear of the saying, "there ain't no such thing as a free lunch"?

It's the same everywhere. If you could get .357 power out of a .380, there would be no more need for .357s.
 
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