Underwood Ammo 380+P Gold Dot Ballistic Gel Test & Review

[plouffedaddy]

Like a lot of you, I carry a 380 pocket gun sometimes because it's convient and conceals well in most outfits. And like many of you, I view the 380ACP round as relatively underpowered but still much better than nothing. So, the search for a 380 round with relatively good performance has led me to the 90gr Speer Gold Dot rounds and I've trusted them for many years now.

Well, theres a new round out from Underwood Ammo that uses the tested bonded Gold Dot bullet but loads it to a higher pressure (22,900 cup) producing a pretty good increase in energy out of my test gun (Bodyguard 380) and that's nothing to sneeze at. In the calibrated ballistics gel (with 4 layers of denim) used in the video below it got 11'' of penetration, expanded to .48 inches, and had a retained weight of 89.5 grains (5.8g=89.5 grains).

I realize there's no SAMMI spec for "+p" 380ACP but this is certainly a hot round. With that said, be sure you have a firearm that can handle the chamber pressures caused by using this round––-if not, you may damage your firearm (and hand).

Underwood uses a 3.5'' PPK barrel for their advertised velocity but since most people who carry 380s use a pocket gun, I tested it in a 2.75'' barrel. Here's the chrono numbers:

Speer Gold Dot 90gr JHPs: 964fps, 186 ft/lbs energy
Underwood Gold Dot 90gr JHPs: 1086fps, 236 ft/lbs energy

Test video:

Underwood Ballistics Gel Test Video Link

 

[481]

That's not bad for a .380!

Sure wish there wasn't need to go to such high pressures though.

How was the recoil?

 

[sidheshooter]

Wow. In a gun like a Sig P232, that really would be knocking on the door of .38 special 110 gr +P.

 

[1KPerDay]

Cool vid, thanks.

 

[kokapelli]

In the Goldenloki gel test of the Speer gold dot from a P3AT, the Speer gold dot did just as well and as far as I'm concerned the energy factor in this caliber is irrelevant.

 

[hardluk1]

The bullet from used in the speer ammo should look the same concedering it is also a speer bullet. Its there "bonded hp" and works the same as the gold dot. Same bullet used buy georgia arms too.

 

[kokapelli]

The bullet from used in the speer ammo should look the same concedering it is also a speer bullet. Its there "bonded hp" and works the same as the gold dot. Same bullet used buy georgia arms too.

Yes it does look the same. here it is from the Goldenloki test…

 

[FitGunner]

Great test, thanks! I have been watching tnoutdoors9 testing various calibers of Underwood ammo. For the price and performance I am switching.

 

[LightningMan]

I have a box of Buffalo Bore .380 +P 90gr. JHP and it lists the velocity at 1175 fps with ME of 267 LBS, but I don't know what barrel length they use to make their test with. Also I don't know what bullet they use either. LM

 

[plouffedaddy]

That's not bad for a .380!

Sure wish there wasn't need to go to such high pressures though.

How was the recoil?

It's really not much more than a typical 380 load. I find most ammo out of a pocket 380 to be somewhat 'snappy.' This was no different in that respect with roughly a 10% increase in recoil impulse (total guesstimation there).

 

[Fastcast]

Another informative vid, thanks!....After watching yours I clicked on another and the guy was chronographing a bunch of different brands of .380 in a Beretta 84.....The Underwood averaged 1281 fps out of his 3.85" - 84 barrel.....Impressive, maybe I'll have to give some a try in my 84, although I doubt Beretta would approve of running this ammo....lol

 

[481]

It's really not much more than a typical 380 load. I find most ammo out of a pocket 380 to be somewhat 'snappy.' This was no different in that respect with roughly a 10% increase in recoil impulse (total guesstimation there).

That's cool.

Many of the really hot .380 loads can be a handful in a really small gun and their recoil approaches painful (or at least annoying) for many which can be a real "turn off" for recoil sensitive folks. My mom (in her 70s) has a mid-size .380 that she keeps for HD and it's loaded with the Winchester 95 gr FMJTC at this time 'cause it is a pretty gentle load.

A JHP that begins to approach the 12" penetration mark (like the one you've tested) might be a consideration for her if the recoil is within her range of tolerance so stuff like this is of great interest to me.