Ballistic gelatin test results : .380ACP Remington 102gr Golden Saber

[Brass Fetcher]

Special thanks to MK for sponsoring this test in full.

Cartridge : .380ACP Remington 102gr Golden Saber JHP (Load # GS380B)

Firearm : Kel-Tec P3AT with 2.75" barrel length

Block calibration : 7.9cm @ 576 ft/sec and 37.1 degrees Fahrenheit

Shot was fired from 10 feet distance. Gelatin block was a bare gelatin block at 10% nominal density.

Bullet impacted at 765 ft/sec, penetrated to 9.5" and was recovered at 0.521" average diameter. Bullet recovered weight was 101.5gr and recovered length was 0.390".

The largest crack in the gelatin was 1.4" diameter and this occurred at 1.6" penetration depth.

 

[Ala Dan]

Great News

Many thanks for sharing, as this is my chosen load for my KEL-TEC P3AT~!

 

[briansp82593]

wow, nasty little bugger.... anyone know the velocity on that?

 

[Moonclip]

Thanks, I'd like to see this from a longer barrel length as well like a PPK or Bersa or CZ83.

 

[wally]

Sums up the problem with .380ACP very nicely, if you get expansion you get inadequate penetration. Still better to have a P3AT than nothing.

--wally.

 

[jon_in_wv]

765 ft/sec?? Seems a bit anemic. Expansion was nice, especially at that velocity. I thought this load was little warmer than that. Its seems a little more velocity may have helped to get a bit more penetration. Did you only fire the one shot?