Ruger LCP 380 defensive ammo

[Safety First]

Which ammo do you prefer in your LCP 380 for personal defense and why? Do you find any particular ammo to be a little more accurate and function better than an another?
What do you think about Hornady Critical Defense for personal defense in the LCP?

 

[Regular Joe]

I don't think about anything but what I've landed on as my preference. I tried some hydrashok and some other stuff just to see that it feeds reliably. I found that the Rem. 92 gr. JHP in the Walmart 100 pack is the most violent to shoot, so I trust that the violence carries. I haven't chronographed it, because that little gun isn't accurate enough to point toward my chrony!

 

[C0untZer0]

OMG

Déjà vu

 

[Tirod]

The real issue is trying to include the .380 as a personal defense weapon. It's arguable. Whether or not it actually can do the job seems to ebb and wane, the market is moving to small 9mm's which are known to have acceptable levels of power.

In the .380 range of power, worrying about overpenetration is somewhat moot, and it would be preferential to get ammo that shoots with as much power as possible and the least amount of snap or "violence." That would lead to more practice, a higher skill level, and more accuracy. The idea that a load that is so inaccurate because of recoil you can't trust shooting over a chronograph is testimony that it's really not the best. You won't be able to use it on an armed perp shielding themself with one of your family members - who is far more valuable than the chrono.

Just one of those minor percentage type situations that likely won't happen, but it highlights why we trade off weight only to the point recoil is the problem. If the ammo is that violent, pick something else. It's not necessarily more powerful, it's just got lots of recoil.

At present Critical Defense reads like a good choice, but compare it to the others that come to the top of the list, then shoot the one that is reliable and comfortable. A few percentage points of power one way or another isn't something you ever get feedback on from the target.

 

[heeler]

As far as JHP ammo my carry LCP has been reliable using Gold Dots,Critical Defense,Golden Saber,and Winchester PDX-1.
As far as a favorite I really dont have one but since I picked up four boxes of Critical Defense just before last year right after the election and that's what I am currently using.
There are several youtube gelatin tests out there on practically all 380 defensive ammo to give you some idea of the expansion or non expansion and the penetration of these rounds.
As far as expansion I might give the Critical Defense a slight edge because of the little rubber plug they use in them that keeps the cavity from filling up with clothing thus preventing it from expanding.
So there is the possibility that it just might expand more reliably than another brand.
My opinion only and I am sure some will dispute that.
A lot of guys like the Winchester White Box FMJ because of the flat nose and the penetration.
I had quite a bit of that and in both my LCP's it is very reliable.
But bottom line whatever you use it has to be reliable loading into your LCP.

 

[huntsman]

right now I'm carrying Remington Express 95gr FMJ, I was using Corbon JHP but I detected a slight hitch in the reloading when I racked the slide.

 

[decoy562]

I am currently using Remington 102 grain Golden Saber. 380 is marginal, so use what feeds reliably and you are accurate with.

 

[BP Hunter]

The Hornady Critical Defense has proven on ballistic gel to have good penetration out of an LCP.

 

[Safety First]

Thanks guys, I am leaning towards Critical Defense for the Carry Ammo in the
LCP and hoping to get input on it and and any other ammo that others have any level of confidence in. I do indeed understand the arguments for and against the 380 as a defensive weapon. I also have a Kahr PM9 which I bought for pocket carry but since decided against it for pocket carry. It seems to work fine for some and I am glad it works for others but it seems to be a little bulky and heavy for my needs. I am a Realtor and can not dress with shirt out and rarely wear a jacket so that is why I decided on pocket carry. I am open to suggestions from those who have opinions as to how I might be able to carry the PM9 in pocket . Those who do carry the PM9 what make/style of pocket holster have you found that works for you? So, I guess brining the PM9 into the thread discussion opens up whole new can of worms which is OK with me.

 

[C0untZer0]

The Hornady Critical Defense has proven on ballistic gel to have good penetration out of an LCP.

What is "good" penetration?

People have to match the tool to the application and make their own decisions about what they think is adequate.

Ten inches of penetration in bare gel might equate to somewhere in that range of actual penetration in actual shooting if the person was wearing only a T-shirt. Is that enough for you?

Most of the 380 JHP perform somewhere in that range, maybe out to 12" unless the tip get clogged or something like that. And barring the cavity getting clogged with denim, the 380 JHP usually penetrates a little less through heavy clothing or the 4 denim protocol.

 

[psyopspec]

I opted for FMJ. My subjective view is that penetration is a very close second to shot placement in terms of importance in determining the outcome of an SD encounter. While bare ballistic gelatin can be close to bare human flesh, I very much doubt that in the real world anyone gets attacked by a naked, boneless, skinny person.

 

[gunsablazin]

FMJ for me the S&B ammo runs fine in my P3AT, and that's what I keep it loaded with. I'll take the penetration of the FMJ ammo from a short barreled .380 over a little possible expansion. I believe the .380 gets sold short, in a close range self defense encounter I think it would do just fine.

 

[Tomac]

Shot placement and sufficient penetration are paramount, all else is secondary.
With the .380, you risk losing sufficient penetration when using a JHP (FBI protocols recommend 12"-18" of penetration w/12" as a *minimum*). Better a non-expanding bullet that reaches the vitals than an expanding bullet that might not (remember Platt and the expanded 9mm Silvertip that stopped 1" short of his heart during the infamous Miami Shootout?).
JMHO...
Tomac

 

[heeler]

As a PM9 owner I ordered the RKBA leather pocket holster because I really liked the one I was using for my now Defunct Diamondback 380.
It was very well made and even better after the leather breaks in.
A board member here recently had a brand new and unused High Noon Pocket Grabber holster for a PM9 and I bought it for $30 shipped.
Very well made and smaller even than the RKBA I use on the LCP and the one that I used for the DB.
Galco makes pretty decent leather pocket holsters as well.

 

[tommy.duncan]

I carry FMJ in my PPK. I have read to many articles and I am more interested in penetration over expansion.

 

[kokapelli]

If you watched the Discovery channels series "The Shift" which is a documentary on the Indianapolis Homicide department, which by
the way is supposed to be the best homicide department of any large city in the country, you will get some very interesting information on bullet effectiveness.

This is not a scripted show. The camera crew just follows the detectives as they investigate homicides.

Anyway when they are doing the autopsies if the bullet is still in the body, the doctor removes it and gives it to the detectives and they usually zoom in on it so you can see it clearly.

What I found interesting is that most of the homicides were done with 9mm fmj rounds and most of them were not through and through so the bullets were recovered.

In every case I saw where the round was a fmj the victim died on the spot.

One of the homicides was with a 9mm jhp that expanded nicely and was fatal, but the victim was able to leave the scene before he died.

Another homicide was done with a 380 fmj and again the victim expired right where he was shot.

There was one homicide where the bullet was identified as a 40cal jhp and the victim did not expire any faster than the ones shot with a 9mm fmj.

My point is that all these discussions on which is the best round are meaningless and placement is king.

Use what runs best in your pistol and you are most accurate with.

 

[C0untZer0]

I lost the link to this story, but there was a former marine, female, who purchased a 380 because her marine ex-boyfriend threatened her and their daughter. Her ex boyfriend broke into her home and attacked her, he was an in-shape, determined attacker, she shot him with her 380 ACP and killed him.

I wish I could find the story... but anyway, the 380 Auto got the job done. I know it is anecdotal, but I do tend to think the 380 is probably under-rated.

Having said that I "transport" a Rohrbaugh 9mm.

I think if a bullet is only going to penetrate 10", everything better go right for me.

What if you have to make a cross shot?

Can that hollow point go through a jean jacket, a shirt, a T-shirt, a bicep, another layer of T-shirt, another layer of shirt, another layer of jean jacket, another layer of jean jacket, another layer of shirt, another layer of T-shirt and still reach vital organs?

IMO most 380 ACP hollow points can't. That's why if I were carrying a 380 I would load it with FMJ. I saw some tests of the Golden Sabre that made me think favorably of it, but I've since seen some test where it hasn't performed that great, so I'm back to leaning towards FMJ.

 

[Fryerpower]

I wish I could find the story...

I couldn't find it either, but I did find this:

Rayna Ross
On June 29, 1993, at three o'clock in the morning, a 21-year-old woman named Rayna Ross was awakened by the sound of a burglar who had broken into her apartment and entered her bedroom. The burglar was her ax-boyfriend, a man who had previously assaulted her. This time, having smashed his way into her apartment, he was armed with a bayonet. Miss Ross took aim with a .380 semiautomatic pistol and shot him twice. The burglar's death was classified as a "justifiable homicide" by the Prince William County commonwealth's attorney, which determined that Miss Ross had acted lawfully in shooting the attacker.

Miss Ross had bought her handgun one full business day before the attack, thanks to Virginia's "instant background check." Virginia's 1993 Democratic candidate for governor, Mary Sue Terry (endorsed by Handgun Control, Inc.), proposed that-although the Virginia instant check already checks all handgun buyers-Virginia handgun purchasers should undergo a "cooling-off period" of five business days. Had the proposal been law in Virginia in 1993, Rayna Ross would now be undergoing a "permanent" cooling-off period.

 

[Safety First]

Many of you seem to prefer FMJ loads. I have thought about it but not seriously as I guess I have always thought JHP was the better choice for stopping power.
Now though, you have me second guessing and rethinking. With cooler weather approaching it seems to make sense to load with FMJs' for penetration through layered clothing. Would you choose the FMJ or Critical Defense which is suppose to open up and expand through layers of clothing? I would think if I chose FMJ it should be a fairly hot load maybe just below +P. So, if you were to choose FMJ, what quality load would you trust your life with?

 

[kokapelli]

Many of you seem to prefer FMJ loads. I have thought about it but not seriously as I guess I have always thought JHP was the better choice for stopping power.
Now though, you have me second guessing and rethinking. With cooler weather approaching it seems to make sense to load with FMJs' for penetration through layered clothing. Would you choose the FMJ or Critical Defense which is suppose to open up and expand through layers of clothing? I would think if I chose FMJ it should be a fairly hot load maybe just below +P. So, if you were to choose FMJ, what quality load would you trust your life with?

This is what I carry in all my 380 pistols. It consistently penetrates 20" + in gelatin tests and has been 100% reliable through thousands of rounds.

 

[Safety First]

This is what I carry in all my 380 pistols. It consistently penetrates 20" + in gelatin tests and has been 100% reliable through thousands of rounds.

What a coincidence. That is what was available in the Gun Store last week the day I bought the LCP. I bought a box to run through the LCP for break-in.

 

[kokapelli]

I think it's a good choice and it feeds in everything I have tried it in.

 

[Safety First]

I think it's a good choice and it feeds in everything I have tried it in.

Have you shot them in a LCP? Any stove pipes or jams?

 

[kokapelli]

Shot them in my Son's LCP and no problems.

 

[Safety First]

Good to know, thanks