SD ammo for .380

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bgibb42

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Hello! I have purchased a Firestorm .380 (same as the Bersa .380) for my wife to carry. I'm not as familiar with .380 ammunition as I am with 9mm (which is what I carry), so I'm looking for some recommendations on self-defense ammunition to load into this gun. Thanks!
 
Some of the more common and respected JHP lines are the Gold Dot from Remington, and the Ranger series from Winchester. Both are available in 380, and should do well.
 
I carry the buffalo bore 100gr hard cast flat point loading in my Beretta 84b. I chronographed it at ~1210fps from my Beretta plus it's extremely accurate.
 
I reccomend the buffalo bore hard cast option as well..

After watching several fmj .380 rounds not full penetrate a 4x4 post from less then SD distances I'm a little weary of using expanding ammo
 
.380 defense ammo choices

One of the PDs I work for part-time now specifieds the Hornady Critical Defense series for off duty or back-up guns, so that's what I'm using in all my little concealment guns.

The critical defense loads are designed for maximum expansion without over penetration (much like the Silvertip) and apparently DO NOT do well in barrier penetration (through laminated auto glass for example) or through heavy clothing.

So factor that into your consideration.

I find it interesting that several posters are running the Buffalo Bore high velocity solid bullet. Might be necessary to get penetration into the vitals if your firing solution involved a cross torso shot, or penetration through heavy clothing.
 
These days I gravitate to Gold Dot for pretty much everything. 90-grains in my LCP.

I don't trust anything in .380 to be a fight stopper, be it +p, hard cast, FMJ, etc. It's my lowest-end compromise caliber, and I just want it to get the threat off of me long enough to retreat. The next addition to my stable will be a mid-size carry option between my LCP and fullsize PX4 .40, probably a slim 9mm.
 
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I've used Gold Dots, Rangers, and now my current favorite are Golden Sabers

maximum expansion without over penetration
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That's one of the issues with .380, finding the balance. Over-penetration with a .380 is a small concern, in fact I worry more about under-penetration with the round.

I understand the point of view of many .380 owners when they use FMJ ammo. By doing so, they get maximum penetration, and with JHPs they get less (sometimes) with minimal expansion
 
There are only four expanding bullet loadings in .380 that I would trust to both expand reliably and penetrate adequately (and even then I think the penetration is barely adequate): Speer Gold Dot, Buffalo Bore JHP, Hornady Critical Defense, and Federal Hydra-Shok. If one of those four loadings was not available or practical, my choice would be a nice warm FMJ like S&B or Fiocchi.
 
You're much better off putting a 16" deep .355" diameter hole in an assailant than you are putting a 9" deep .500 diameter hole in an assailant.
 
I have found Aguila JHP and MagTech SCHP to work well in my pocket pistols, and the cost is reasonable. Your Bersa should not be finicky.
 
FMJs. That's right folks, Full Metal Jacket(s). You need all the penetration and reliability you can get. Effemmjays hayes.

9X17...380acp...100 grains...1,200 feet per second....really...well...cool.
 
I'm looking for some recommendations on self-defense ammunition
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What I load in my P3AT, in no particular order:

Buffalo Bore 100gr hardcast
Hornady Critical Defense
Remington Golden Sabers
 
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