Dumb .380 ammo question

[Juna]

OK, I have a few dumb questions... I just bought a P3AT & picked up a couple boxes of WWB 95gr FMJ ammo. My question is...

Why are the 95gr FMJ .380 bullets not completely conical? They stop flat, kind of like a hollow-point. Just curious.

Also, does that create feeding issues?

Also, do any of the .380 bullets come completely conical?


Thanks in advance! Sorry for the dumb questions. Never bought .380 ammo before.

 

[rxraptor02]

I think that the nose is flat due to the weight. If it had a round nose it would be greater than 95gr.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Some FMJ ammo is shaped like Lead Flat Point ammo, it's just a variation in manufacturing. I've not hear of any feed problems with Flat Nose FMJ ammo.

 

[JJE]

Dunno why WWB is that way - maybe easier for them to manufacture.

Yes, you can get true round-nose .380 ammo. Blazer Brass is that way. Obviously it shouldn't cause feeding problems or else Winchester isn't offering much of a product. Anyway, they either feed for you or they don't - try them out.

 

[12many]

I shot that round this weekend is the keltec. Worked fine and fed fine. Punched a nice round hole, almost like a wad cutter.

 

[wally]

Punched a nice round hole, almost like a wad cutter.

Bingo! That's the main real advantage to the Truncated Cone Flat Point. Some people claim its more effective than ball ammo if you are restricted to FMJ carry ammo.

--wally.

 

[Mad Magyar]

Check out Speer's-Lawman & American Eagle in FMJ. It will have the shape, a.k.a.'ogive' you are referring...I use it for practice ammo since it is reasonably priced....

 

[dogtown tom]

I believe the WWB .380 in the 100/box is marketed as a "target" round. Hence the flat nose profile.

Gotta love those neat round holes! I would think if our .380 can feed those, round nose shouldn't be a problem.

As far as penetration, I think the flat nose would be less than the round nose.

 

[Lonestar49]

You're good to go

...

My Sig 380 uses the Winchester 95gr FMJ bullets that, yes, are flat on the ends, but remember also, that will help it penetrate, but not go all the way thru, and thus, cause more grief, if you have to use it without JHP's.

One thing I will add, that is the case with my Sig 380, it becomes VERY dirty internally, everywhere, due to the gas-recoil system it uses, and I have to clean it totally or, as I have experienced once, at around the 210th round, it starts to fail to feed, after the 3rd or 4th shot continuously, on.

Since cleaning it completely after 200 rounds, I have had no jams since.


LS

 

[the naked prophet]

I've found that the flat point ammo feeds better in some older designs than does the round nose. Dunno why.

Also, it should make a larger/more damaging wound profile than the round nose. I don't believe that the .380 can support a JHP design which both expands to any degree and penetrates a minimum of 12 inches, therefore when I'm carrying my .380, I carry FMJ-flat point. That's only when I can't carry at least a .38 special.

 

[scurtis_34471]

One of the best deals I've found in .380 ammo is the Remington UMC 88gr JHP 100-Round Value Pack for $25 at Walmart. I like practicing with it because its hotter than most target rounds and therefore more closely resembles something you would actually carry in your gun for defense. I shoot .40 S&W Remington UMC 180gr JHP for the same reason. Its a lot closer to what I get from my carry load than what I'd get from a target round.

 

[Bobo]

OK, I have a few dumb questions... I just bought a P3AT & picked up a couple boxes of WWB 95gr FMJ ammo. My question is...

Why are the 95gr FMJ .380 bullets not completely conical? They stop flat, kind of like a hollow-point. Just curious.

That's just the way Winchester makes them. I believe they are mainly intended as target bullets, so a flat point would cut a cleaner hole.

Also, does that create feeding issues?

WWB was known to produce feeding problems in older P-3ATs, but this seems to have been fixed with the newer ones. I haven't heard of WWB being a problem in P-3ATs for a long time now. This of course presupposes the gun is clean and well lubed. P-3ATs are very sensitive to dirt and lack of lube especially before they are well broken at about 200 rounds,

Also, do any of the .380 bullets come completely conical?

Yes, most other .380 FMJ are conical, WWB is one of the few that isn't. I've shot many different brands of .380 solid points and WWB and Santa Barbara are the only solid points that were not completely conical. BTW, they both shoot very well out my P-3AT and it is an older one (about 1-1/2 yr.).

 

[CypherNinja]

He might be talking about the Winchester FMJ BEB ammo. (Brass Enclosed Base)

Its made the same way as regular FMJ, but backwards. They stamp out a copper 'cup', then fill it with lead. On regular FMJ the 'bottom' of the cup is the nose of the bullet, on the BEB the 'bottom' is the base of the bullet.

This way the entire base of the bullet is enclosed with copper, which shields the lead from the propellant gases. Meaning, you don't get any leading in your barrel, and no lead vapors in the air on the range.

EDIT: But yeah, the resulting shape of the bullet is just like a Truncated Cone or Flat Nose or Whatever bullet. Only difference is the lead is exposed on the front and not the back.

EDIT #2: this is the stuff

 

[wally]

This way the entire base of the bullet is enclosed with copper, which shields the lead from the propellant gases. Meaning, you don't get any leading in your barrel, and no lead vapors in the air on the range

Only if the ammo also has lead-free primers, which at present, ups the price considerably.

--wally.