Help protect my wife!

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

coolluke01

Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2011
Messages
1,041
Location
MN
My wife just recently took her carry class and is waiting for the permit in the mail.
I bought her a LCP because it is small and she said she would carry it.

I have been searching and searching for ammo. I can't find any SD rounds anywhere. I would really like to get her the .380 Hornady Critical Defense because of the great penetration.

This is not a case of poor planning but one of my wife deciding to carry at the worst possible time in regard to finding ammo.

If anyone knows where to buy some or has some they will sell please let me know.

If anyone else has a need for SD ammo post your request here and see if we can help each other out.
 
This will not be a popular answer, but the late, great gun writer/law enforcement officer, Skeeter Skelton (Guns and Ammo, Shooting Times), used to carry his Walther PPK with FMJ ammo. His reasoning was that the cartridge had marginal power and he would rather have penetration in case of heavy clothing, rather than a hollow point that might not expand anyway. YMMV.
 
Any ammo is better than none. If you are really set on acquiring SD ammo, you will have to pay a premium for it...and I'd recommend going to gunbroker for that.
 
Keep looking.

Any ammo at this point in time is 1000% better then not finding your Designer Brand of ammo.

The .380 is what it is, and if you want penetration, FMJ ball ammo gives the most of it.

rc
 
Midway has some Buffalo Bore .380 in the hardcast flat-nose version, standard pressure. Make SURE you get the standard pressure and not plus P if it's a Ruger LCP.

It won't be cheap but it's better than nothing, and as others have said there's a strong argument for NOT using expanding rounds in a .380. TnOutdoors9's .380 ammo tests are pretty educational. I don't think any of the expanding rounds made it to the 12" minimum in the gel. I think there was ONE that made it close; it was like 11"... maybe the Hornady. Can't remember now.
 
I don't think any of the expanding rounds made it to the 12" minimum in the gel.
Click to expand...
I happen to be one who doesn't think the FBI 12" minimum applies to most of us in a SD shooting situation.

The FBI & cops have to shoot through car glass, metal doors, and other stuff.


If you choose to carry a .380 for SD instead of a bigger more powerful gun?
Nobody says you only get one shot.

You empty a LCP full of any hollow-points or FMJ's COM in a BG's chest?
He will think of something else more pressing to do then assault you.

Like find a place to fall down, bleed out, & die before the calvary gets there.

And I can assure you, if swarm of JHP opens at all, they will result in more rapid blood loss them a swarm of FMJ in the same places.

rc
 
(edit: regarding FMJ vs. HP)

Well from what I've read, it's essentially a crap shoot either way (um, no pun intended).

I've read a story about a cop who was attacked by an amateur hitman at home, who basically chased the cop round and round his home and made multiple hits with .380 FMJ.... cop managed to evade until the gunman bugged out. Cop calls 911, waits for the ambulance, and survives (the cop's gun was in his car and he couldn't get to it!!!)

Another pair of cops stop a van, the driver bails out with a full-auto .380 (also FMJ) and shoot one cop at close range. Some of the rounds go through the side of the cop's armor vest, and he collapses. He didn't survive unfortunately.

I can't think of any specific stories on hollow point failures, but we've all read how HPs can expand early and stop penetrating before doing any vital damage.

So like I said, it's a crap shoot. At some point I think each person just has to make a choice that lets him/her sleep at night and be done with it rather than worry endlessly about what round to use.
 
The Hornady was the round that penetrated to 11". Everything else was only about 8"

I feel FMJ's have too much penetration. I want to be she she won't be dealing with collateral damage from over penetration.

I'm sure I'll have to settle for another HP for a short time, but it never hurts to ask right? lol

I really want to try a full box through it to make sure it functions properly.

It's not the gun I would have picked, I was ready to get her a Glock 26 but I figured I should get a gun that she would carry. Hence the compromise.
 
I just found some about an hour away. I hope to be able to get over there soon. Thanks everyone.
 
ETXhiker said:
This will not be a popular answer, but the late, great gun writer/law enforcement officer, Skeeter Skelton (Guns and Ammo, Shooting Times), used to carry his Walther PPK with FMJ ammo. His reasoning was that the cartridge had marginal power and he would rather have penetration in case of heavy clothing, rather than a hollow point that might not expand anyway. YMMV.
Click to expand...
That was a VERY long time ago and at the time true.

With all the new powders and bullets available the SD ammo available in .380 Auto is much better than all those years ago.
 
coolluke01 said:
...I feel FMJ's have too much penetration. I want to be she she won't be dealing with collateral damage from over penetration...
Click to expand...


How is this different from the "collateral damage" caused from rounds missing the intended target?
 
I agree with RC. I don't demand to get 12" out of a round as long as it feeds and functions.

I also believe in 'channel volume' versus penetration, but that's an altogether different discussion.

Hollowpoints may clog up with thick clothing, too. So this time of year in MN, pounce on Critical Defense if you find it, grab Expanding FMJ (interesting rounds!) if it's there, and otherwise FMJ isn't a terrible idea.

I would just reccomend truncated cone versus ball, if you get the choice. It leaves a slightly larger channel IMO, and isn't quite as prone as going through stuff, even if that's a questionable thing in .380.
 
Stress_Test said:
Midway has some Buffalo Bore .380 in the hardcast flat-nose version, standard pressure. Make SURE you get the standard pressure and not plus P if it's a Ruger LCP.

It won't be cheap but it's better than nothing, and as others have said there's a strong argument for NOT using expanding rounds in a .380. TnOutdoors9's .380 ammo tests are pretty educational. I don't think any of the expanding rounds made it to the 12" minimum in the gel. I think there was ONE that made it close; it was like 11"... maybe the Hornady. Can't remember now.
Click to expand...
Buffalo Bore Oh Yeh, HOLD ON to that gun if you can. The LCP is very difficult gun to shoot well.
 
coolluke01 said:
I just found some about an hour away. I hope to be able to get over there soon. Thanks everyone.
Click to expand...
Please call ahead as most places have ONE or TWO boxes per costumer limits. Driving almost an hour for that would truly suck.:banghead:
 
IMO you will be able to find ammo in small out of the way guns shops, not the bigger package stores and for sure not online. Just look in the phone book for local stores and take a drive one afternoon when you get a chance. You will be surprised what you find...
 
How is this different from the "collateral damage" caused from rounds missing the intended target?
Click to expand...
It's not. I don't remember saying it was.

I found a guy locally that will sell me 31 rounds of Federal Hydro Shocks for $20. I've read mixed reviews on how reliably they expand. They got 10.5" of penetration on TnOutdoors video.
 
I started carrying ball in my LCP...that barrel is shoooooort and it's cold here. Also helps that I'm cheap..already had a bunch of FMJ and good HP is pricey - you'll want to get a couple hundred rounds to practice with to ensure it feeds, learn where POI is, etc.
 
Watch Fleet Farm. The Blaine store seems like the SD loads are more common, and Fleet has not substantially raised their prices. There was some 380 defense loads there this evening when I was there, but can't swear to Hornaday.
 
I found some in Duluth. They set a box aside for me for when we go down on Sunday. They are selling it for $25. It's a little inflated but not terrible.
I'm just going to buy one box of the HP's and a few of the FMJ's (half the price) for pratice for her.
Unfortunately we don't have any fleet farms around here. I've heard good things about them recently.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

P
  • Locked
My Wife Got Made...........................
2
Replies
40
Views
3K
Car Knocker
C
V
  • Locked
Which CCW for my wife?
2
Replies
34
Views
2K
Kleanbore
K
6
  • Locked
The wife requested pink!
2
Replies
29
Views
2K
hnk45acp
H
M
  • Locked
Wife thinking about CCW. Looking for suggestions...
2 3
Replies
61
Views
3K
PaFrank
P
S
  • Locked
Hand gun for the wife
2
Replies
35
Views
2K
Chief_Cabioch
C
Back
Top