Finally some Underwood 380 XP's on the way

[DustyGmt]

For just a shade under 2 years I've been periodically checking Underwoods site and other online retailers for some Underwood Xtrme Penetrators and have finally found them in stock. I dismissed them out of hand for the first few years they were around and put them in the gimmick pay no mind list, right there with the G2 RIP ammo that is just pure garbage.

But then I did some research and found some interesting data (watched yt vids ) and decided that they might not be a gimmick after all and showed some impressive penetration. When you limit yourself to a .380 your hands are really tied, so if you can't do the most logical thing which would be to pick a better performing cartridge the next best thing would be to pick a better performing projectile in that caliber, I have many other guns that are fit for the job but for whatever reason some days it's just a .380 on my person, convenience more than anything.

I considered the Buffalo Bore hard cast flat nose .380's but decided to just load hot FMJ's and hold out for the lehighs until they resurfaced and lo and behold, I found them in stock for the first time the other day. I'm going to shoot up a box and see how they function in the LCP, I'm told they'll feed fine but it's a strange profile, looks like a solid copper Phillips tip.

How bout you guys, what do you think of em, and for you guys carrying a micro .380, what is your preferred load? A FMJ, a HP?

 

[Tinman357]

I use the copper screwdriver in my LCP Custom. Speer Gold Dot is my #2 in this round.

I did my research, I did my own testing. I'm confident they are about the best you can get for the little .380's.

Just my humble opinion. YMMV

 

[Meeks36]

All my carry pistols are loaded w Underwood defenders. Good stuff. Hope we never have to find out how good they are irl.

 

[DustyGmt]

I know they are popular with the 10mm crowd for woods walks in bear country, and the big bore revolver guys seem to like them. I'm confident with a premium JHP for 9mm.

I am considering some Lehigh XP's for use in my Colt .38 snub. As of now I have a hard cast WC in the snub but I might look at the XP's for it. I stopped carrying HP's in any of my smaller guns, micro .380/.32acp and Snubs....

 

[murf]

i have the 68 grain defender in my lcp II.

murf

 

[DustyGmt]

i have the 68 grain defender in my lcp II.

murf

I saw the 90gr in stock and was a lil hasty in getting it into my cart and checked out that I didn't really stop to consider the 68gr "defender" load. Does any ody know what kind of difference in performance there is between the defender (68gr) and penetrator (90gr) projectiles?

Less penetration?

 

[JTHunter]

Dusty - I also have a .380 but I have reloaded for it for many years. As I have gotten bullets from different sources, I have JHPs in both 90 and 95 gr. and FMJ/FMJ-FP in 100 gr. I use Win. 231 and each round is loaded to about 0.1 gr. below MAX charge.
I also take a razor knife to some of the JHPs before I load them and cut an "X" in the tops of the exposed lead. Shooting these into multiple milk jugs full of water seems to indicate that the pressure causes these bullets to either expand more than their unaltered counterparts OR fragment completely.

 

[Meeks36]

Dusty - I also have a .380 but I have reloaded for it for many years. As I have gotten bullets from different sources, I have JHPs in both 90 and 95 gr. and FMJ/FMJ-FP in 100 gr. I use Win. 231 and each round is loaded to about 0.1 gr. below MAX charge.
I also take a razor knife to some of the JHPs before I load them and cut an "X" in the tops of the exposed lead. Shooting these into multiple milk jugs full of water seems to indicate that the pressure causes these bullets to either expand more than their unaltered counterparts OR fragment completely.

I wouldn’t use them for self defense! A decent DA will rip you to shreds over them. The jury will hear how you made them more deadly. Just my 2 cents.

 

[DTL]

Really like the Underwood Defense rounds in 9mm, glad the .380 are available again, great news.

 

[murf]

I saw the 90gr in stock and was a lil hasty in getting it into my cart and checked out that I didn't really stop to consider the 68gr "defender" load. Does any ody know what kind of difference in performance there is between the defender (68gr) and penetrator (90gr) projectiles?

Less penetration?

i tested the 68 grain underwood defender ammo: 1214 fps avg in the lcp II, 1239 fps in the bersa firestorm. the underwood ammo did not function very well in my lcpII, functioned 100 percent in the firestorm.

loaded lehigh 68 and 90 grain defender bullets for the 380 acp. 90 grain: 2.9gn w231, cci 500, .980" col., 836 fps avg., 41 es, penetration 3 gallon jugs of h2o bullet found in bottom of fourth jug. 68 grain: 4.0gn w231, cci 500, .980" col, 1129 fps avg, 80 es, shot high bullet penetrated four jugs and exited.

bonus: lehigh 90 grain defender bullet in glock 19: 5.2gn w231, cci 500, 1.105" col, 1303 fps, 16 es, penetration is four jugs bullet found in fifth jug.
test setup

murf