Are +P's going to break my LCP

Status
Not open for further replies.
K

kd7nqb

Member
Joined
May 1, 2006
Messages
2,207
Location
Puyallup Washington
Went to the my LGS yesterday and picked up a box of Magtech Guardian gold because they were on sale in .380 for my LCP. I get home and realize they are +p and that the LCP is not +p rated. Now my question is will 20 rounds of this stuff destroy my gun or is it really just a bad idea to run hundreds of rounds through the gun.

In the future I will be more careful.

FWIW I cant even find a Saami spec for .380+P so I don't know how much higher the chamber pressure will be.
 
.380 doesn't even have a SAAMI +P spec, so it's a make it up as you go sort of marketing thing.

NORMALLY the +Ps are say 10% over standard but that's just very rough. I wouldn't personally shoot it.

I have no personal experience with this Magtech ammo but if you Google around on it you will find a lot of negative talk.
 
Are +P's going to break my LCP?

Your manual says DON'T USE IT so..............
 
Buffalo bore makes a standard pressure 100gr hardcast truncated cone round...I shoot them thru my LCP....They're awesome...
 
I am of the opinion +P .380 ammo is not +P.

I believe it is just loaded to the full SAAMI spec pressure of 21,500 PSI or even slightly less.
Most "regular" pressure .380 you buy at Wallyworld is not even close to allowable pressure or velocity.

It is possible to handload a 90 grain bullet to over 1,000 FPS at 15,700.
All you have to do is select the right powder burn rate.

That results in a faster load, but costs more because they can no longer use just a dab of cheaper powder like all the other companies are using.

I believe that is what Magtech, Buffalo Bore, etc, is doing.

They would be crazy in this legal day and age to ignore SAAMI standards.

rc
 
Last edited:
i would use the heaviest fmj i could find for defense. penetration is far more important than the possibility of a little expansion.

+p .380 is a marketing scheme that offers no performance advantages.
 
Try one or two rounds, shoot them over a Chrony. Perhaps go to Wolff Springs and buy the most powerful slide spring and change the springs to the heavier one before you shoot the +P.

I agree with RCModel, I doubt they are really barn-burners as they have to cover their own butt. If the stuff is so bad, I am sure we would have heard of some KABOOMS by now, but we haven't as far as I know!

I would try one or two rounds, holding on tight! Just see where it shoots at the distance you are planning to shoot (say, 21'). Then, only use them in an emergency!

I realize the manual states to NOT use +P, it also states to never use reloaded ammunition!
 
I generally carry my pocket guns (.380 and 9) with +p ammo after test firing several clips worth. But i don't shoot it regularly. If i'm not mistaken the manual of the LCP says its okay to shoot but not to do so regularly although i may be mixing it up with Keltek's manual.

I realize i'm not training with the same recoil i'd use for SD but in reality i expect the adrenaline would make it go completely unnoticed in a real life or death event.
 
From the LCP manual:

The RUGER® LCPTM pistols are compatible with standard factory ammunition loaded to U.S. Industry Standards, including hollow-point loads loaded in brass or aluminum cases. No .380 Auto ammunition manufactured in accordance with NATO, U.S., SAAMI, or CIP standards is known to be beyond the design limits or known not to function in these pistols. Do not use “+P” ammunition.
Click to expand...

https://ruger-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/_manuals/lcp.pdf
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

N
  • Locked
Using +P ammo in an LCP?
Replies
17
Views
3K
gofastman
G
B
  • Locked
Ruger LCP 380 vs. S&W Bodyguarad 380
Replies
10
Views
1K
fragin228
F
O
  • Locked
Buffalo Bore +P and Standard 380
Replies
4
Views
510
gofastman
G
M
  • Locked
Magtech Guardin Gold .380 +P 85gr JHP
Replies
3
Views
394
RickMD
R
TTv2
  • Locked
New thoughts on LCP & pocket .380s
2 3
Replies
70
Views
4K
Jeb Stuart
Jeb Stuart
Back
Top