Anyone load .380 ACP?

[Lovesbeer99]

Dave Wile - thanks for addressing my question.

I know that when we load cast we typically load up 1 size. Like my cast 38spl rounds are actually .358 (not .357 like my jacketed bullets).

But my books all address the .380 specifically. Like you said there are different size bores and the .380 case is too small to take any chances. Load it with the .355, not .356 unless you slug your bore and you know for sure.

I just don't want people to assume - Hey this is cast so I'll AUTOMATICALLY load 1 size up to .356.

 

[homeyclaus]

I know this is an old thread, but here is my take:

I like reloading 380. It's the least exciting of any of the calibers. I thank Ruger for promoting the LCP to the point that there is .380 brass to be scrounged now.

My PPK likes 3.2 grains of Win231 under a 95 grain Rainier or real FMJ, either a Wolf or CCI SP primer. Clean, totally boring, reliable, and accurate. Hodgdon says it's the max for the bullet, and the Speer manual says it's ok to go to 4.0.

I also tried Titegroup, and HP-38 (what's that - the "fluffy" win231?). those worked, but the deal was to try to copy the felt recoil of a 90 gr Hydra-Shok round.

ETA: someone wondered/commented that diameter may not be the same as 9mm. It is - both are .355, and lee dies with the fcd are good to go. Compared to current ammo prices vs. component costs, 380 saves a lot more than reloading 9mmP.

 

[RidgwayCO]

Here's a loading tray sized for the .380 (#2s):

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=140304

I like loading .356" cast bullets (thanks, Jessie!) in the .380 Auto at modest velocities (800 fps, very comfortable and accurate). I load Hornady's 100gr FMJ-Enc bullets at velocities designed to duplicate factory FMJ rounds. Hornady 90gr HP/XTPs and Speer 90gr Gold Dot HPs are reserved for more serious social work, at appropriate velocities.

 

[homeyclaus]

Reloading tray?

I have one of those universal ones, which works great for everything I'd ever want to put into a reloading tray.

Pistol ammo, however, gets loaded progressively. Otherwise I'd spend all week loading to shoot a match, never mind what the wife burns up during the week.

 

[TexasRedneck]

Heh - fixin' to start reloading .380's myself. It's my pocket gun, the wife's carry gun, daughter's carry gun - and DIL's as well. Needless to say, it's easy to watch 200 rounds go by on a weekend, and having just spent the past 3 weeks scrounging up another 1000 rounds, I've decided to bite the bullet an' set my 650 with (yet another) set of dies......

Hey - the WIFE bought the arguement, at least!

 

[MCgunner]

I have a 105/.358 Lee mold that I size for .38 special AND 9x19 and .380ACP. I don't load a lot of .380, but the bullet works very well in that gun, an old Grendel P12. Both of my 9x19s shoot it well and all my .38s and my .357 carbine love that bullet. Size it to .357 and it's shoot well in all of the above.

 

[awright]

Can standard 9mm Luger (9x19mm)dies be used for reloading the 380 (9x17mm)?

 

[RidgwayCO]

awright... nope, unfortunately. They're different dimensions.

 

[awright]

Well that was the cheap side of my brain talking before I checked the handbooks. Thanks.

 

[Randy1911]

I recently bought my wife a Sig P232 in 380 and she loves it. It fits her hand perfectly and the recoil is nice (she's only 4'9"). I load a 95 gr. Rainier plated rn bullet over 3.0 grs. of W231 and a CCI SP. She carries Speer Gold Dot 95gr. JHP's for self defense. 380's were just made for small people.