LCP carriers - Hollow Point or Ball?

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tluxtele

tluxtele

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I'm getting an LCP very soon and I seem to remember reading at one point that some people just carried target ammo because they didn't think that 380 hollow points wouldn't penetrate enough. I didn't own a 380 pistol at the time and just read it in passing. Anyone heard this... subscribe to this?

What ammo are you carrying in your LCP (or other 380) pistols?
 
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IMO it doesn't matter a whole lot. I don't think you are going to see much expansion with any ammo out of a .380.
 
I carry HPs in my Kel-Tec P3AT (predecessor to the Ruger LCP) because ~10 years ago I bought a case or two of Danish milsurp 9x17. ;)

As with my .45ACPs, if my P3AT was something I carried as a Primary a lot, I would probably load it with HPs in summer and FMJ during the winter when there is more chance of it having to go thru heavy clothing.

I have read that slow-moving (especially) HPs can become clogged with clothing and perform more like FMJs ... I've never tested that, though, so ...
 
32 and 380 are FMJ only in my book. IF you get expansion penetration is severely hampered. In other words I'm not worried about how the bullet acts if it doesn't expand, I'm worried that it will and not penetrate sufficiently.

There is no logical reason whatsoever to carry different ammo in summer than winter as a HP that clogs with clothing will act just like FMJ. Pick one or the other primarily based on reliability, penetration, accuracy in that order. Expansion takes a back seat to those three criteria.
 
FMJ for me, with a caveat. I have a lot of respect for ShootingTheBull410's work in the video that kokapelli posted. I would abide by his findings if I had the money to purchase several hundred rounds for function testing in my LCP. But because I do not, I choose to go with reliable FMJ.
 
I have settled on the fiocchi extrema, and was pleasantly surprised to see how well it did in shootingthebulls video (hadn't seen that before, good info). I like the XTP bullets, and the extrema gets you low flash powder and nickel plated cases too which seems like good additions for carry ammo. They're also reasonably priced (if you can find them).
 
For my LCP

Hornady Critical Defense or Hornady Zombie Max (virtually identical, but you get a really cool box) with their plastic insert in the tip of the hollow point - said to not clog the hollow point with clothing, but expands inside.
That's what their tests show, so they say.
 
Must have, IMHO

Adding the Hogue grip....the one that is specific to the LCP, is a transformative change, IMHO.

Also, changing the recoil spring guide rod to the harder stainless rod, and changing the recoil spring to the 11 LB Wolff spring have been positive changes. All the above additions will set you back a hefty $35 bucks - or less.
 
i carry buffalo bore +P lead flat nose bullets.
Click to expand...

Tons of fun, and I ran a few of these through mine. That was before reading that there are no SAAMI specs defining +P, and Ruger instructs owners not to use anything marketed as such. Very much a "use at your own risk" type of decision, and one that should be informed.
 
psyopspec said:
FMJ for me, with a caveat. I have a lot of respect for ShootingTheBull410's work in the video that kokapelli posted. I would abide by his findings if I had the money to purchase several hundred rounds for function testing in my LCP. But because I do not, I choose to go with reliable FMJ.
Click to expand...
Well you can get the XTP round from Freedom munitions for as low as 30 cents per round, depending on the quantity you purchase.

Look here
https://www.freedommunitions.com/category-s/1887.htm
 
I tested several types of ammo in mine. Both FMJ and various hollow points.

The most accurate and most reliable in mine are the Fiocchi 90 grain extremas using the XTP bullet.

If they open, great.....if not I can place the shot where I want it to go. They will shoot a group the size of the palm of my hand at 16 yards.

Of course somebody will retort that 16 yards is double the range needed for a belly gun. Yes that is true,,,,, however,,,, as I learned during my 20 years as a Law Dawg,,,,, when you are bruised, bloody, and in a real fight, your ability to make accurate shots is greatly reduced. So why not stack the odds ???
I still want to be able to zing one past an innocent and right into the eye socket of my target.
 
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koka,

This is great! Thank you so much for sharing. Looks like times have changed; last I looked months ago anything XTP was hard to find, and too expensive.
 
Fiocchi Extrema in my .380. Xtp isn't a massive expander in most calibers anyway. I could afford enough to practice with and it is accurate in my pistol.
 
FMJ for me. Out of a .380 Auto being used for self-defense, I want the best penetration and reliability a bullet can offer. Nothing more reliable in terms of glitch-free functioning out of an auto than hardball-which isn't to say that some hps won't be just as reliable-I'm just hedging my bets. And hardball will out penetrate most, if not all, other projectile configurations. You need a certain (enough) velocity to get expansion from most bullets and the .380 is fairly anemic in that respect.
 
I think ShootingTheBull410 makes a good argument for not using ball ammo in 380.

The better 380 bullet designs penetrate 13 to 14 inches and they seem to expand pretty reliably even out of 3" barreled semi-autos. If they fail to expand then they act more like a FMJ and can penetrate 18+ inches, so what have you lost by using JHP. A JHP when it "fails" acts like a FMJ but a FMJ is never going to act like a JHP. Statistically you're better off going with a JHP like the Hornady XTP.

A 380 FMJ is never going to penetrate in the 12" - 14" range or make much of a wound channel.

I agree with his argument, it doesn't make much sense to me to use FMJ when carrying a .380 for SD.
 
I have settled on 100 grain ball for a defense load in .380 ACP.


I don't think there's all that much difference between most standard offerings. I have just decided to go as heavy as I can. But I wouldn't exactly lose any sleep if I had 95 grain loaded instead.
 
Just wondering if there are any reasons for not alternately loading between FMJ & HP in the magazine?
 
I carry FMJ RN in all my 380 ACP pistols including my KelTec P3-AT.

I go for penetration and reliability.

But, with the P3-AT, penetration may be a stretch.
 
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