reloading 9mm bullets in 380acp

[gordy]

I am looking for any info on reloading lighter 9mm bullets in a 380acp.
Any info on load data would be helpful.

 

[zxcvbob]

How heavy?

A man who will resist an officer with weapons has no respect for the rules by which decent people are governed. He is a outlaw who has no place in world society. His removal is completly justified, and should be accomplished dispassionatly and without regret.
Bill Jordan, No second place winner,1965

How does that work on the rare occasion (but getting more common) where the officer is a criminal? I think it works both ways.

 

[rcmodel]

Do you have a reloading manual?

Lyman #49 shows 90, 95, and 115 bullets.

Hodgdon shows 90, 95, and 100.

rc

 

[Clark]

CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The High Road, nor the staff of THR assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.

For me for handloading 380, 90 gr JHP for the lightweight 380s.

Not only do the Kel-Tec P3AT and Ruger LCP pistols have light weight slides, they have poor case support with feed ramp intrusion to .29" and .27" respectively.

I work up with Power Pistol until I see some case bulge [at about 6.2 gr ] , and then back off the powder charge for a safety margin.

But to get the same velocity that BuffaloBore claims for their 380 +P, I can't back off any margin at all.

For heavyweight 380s with support to the web, thick chamber walls, and heavy slide, I can go way passed 9mm +P+ and challenge the 357 mag at the chronograph [158 gr and Power Pistol].

 

[gamestalker]

I load 90 gr. XTP's for 9mm, but I'm not sure of what you mean when you ask about loading 9mm for .380 ACP. If the 9mm bullet is light enough that there is published data for the .380 I can't see where there would be a question. Isn't the .380 jacketed bullet the same diameter as a 9mm jacketed, .355" for both, right?
So if that is correct, then all that you need to do is load according to the published load data.

 

[Kosh75287]

Lyman's 45th Edition has some data for heavy bullets in .380. They also have data for bullets weighing less than 100 grains, but it is unremarkable.

 

[kingmt]

Clark

Add TCP to that list. I gave up on trying to get a good load with a 115gr in that little junky thing.

 

[Clark]

CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The High Road, nor the staff of THR assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.

Someone gave me a Bryco [I am not a snob, but it looks like a cap gun to me].

With the pistol, I was given more than 100 pounds of reloading stuff, including several lifetimes supply of 115 gr JHP, and lots of Bullseye.

Anyway, that cheap Bryco 380 pistol handles double loads with Bullseye and 115 gr JHP.

For simplification, let's break 380s into 3 categories:
1) Heavy slide, good case support, good firing pin to firing pin hole fit, and thick chamber walls.
Can shoot 200% extra Bullseye with 115 gr JHP
2) Medium slide, medium case support, ok firing pin fit, and ok chamber walls.
Can shoot 100% extra powder.
3) Fly weight slide, poor case support, sloppy firing pin, paper thin chamber walls.
Can shoot 0% extra powder. 3.3 gr Bullseye tops


I would put the Bryco in the middle category.
The P3AT and LCP in the last category.

 

[gordy]

Currently The only data I haves for heavy bullet is for 115grain jhp and 124grain jhp with hp38.
I have LOTS of 115 ball and 125 lrn. I have a lot of power pistol, red dot and 700x. I do not want to go buy any more powder, when I have 4 to 8 pounds of the three I use now.
red dot is 10th on the burn chart. hp38 is 22nd and 700x is 28th.
I do not know anything about wp38 .
I am not looking for speed I just want to use up some powder and lead. Plinkers.
I use a compressed load with power pistol using the 90gr xtp and it is right around 975 fps out of my kel-tec, this is my carry load.
I will just start small and work my way up. With 25+ years of reloading and my crony I will do just fine
Thanks for the info guys.

 

[Claude Clay]

9mm is sized .356
380 is sized .355

though its a small difference, nontheless...its a difference

 

[greyling22]

OP, why? were you given a bunch of 9mm bullets and you want to use them in your 380? or are you just wanting some powder puff 9mm's? Note that Claude's info about the different sized bullets. If you want powder puffs, take a minimum load, then work down until it won't cycle the action any more. I'm running my 9mm's 28% under the start load with V. 3n37. They won't cycle in a lot of other guns so I don't have to share.

 

[Scimmia]

Most jacketed 9mm bullets are .355" as well. There is no size difference between these bullets.

 

[greyling22]

huh. didn't know that. Of course, I've never actually loaded a jacked handgun bullet......

I do know that a 9mm makarov won't fit in a 9x19. Saw a guy trying to force his slide closed on one.