380 XTP Ammo Problems

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Christopher L.

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I know HPR XTPs show great penetration and expansion for the BG 380....BUT...I'm experiencing cycling problems???? Anyone else?

I want it to go bang every time. Seen FTL, Seen XTP load....but gun not cocked???? Jams' etc.

Same day Herter's 95 gr. Ball ....NO problems. I think these are actually loaded by Fiocchi in Missouri?
 
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I have issues with the XTP load in my LCP. Stovepipes are common. I don't have these problems with FMJ however.
 
I know tests have shown the XTPs have just about the best gel tests with 2.75 inch barrels.....but if I have to really use the BG ....I want to pull it out of my front pocket and have it go BANG 7 times without any glitches. Maybe it's the shape that's causing problems or the light load?

Is there anyone out there that has put hundreds of XTPs thru the BG380 without ANY problems?
 
Some bullet shapes just don't work in some auto's.

You can try a different bullet like the Rem GS or a box of
Winchester or Speer ammo to see if they will feed properly.

Some weapons might even need to be polished a little in some ramp areas
to fix the problems.... but this is the last resort.

I never remove metal in a weapon unless it is the last resort.

PS;
You might also check the magazine for proper bullet angle.
Some clips have the top bent corners too bent..........
which will angle the bullet downward.........
which will cause feeding problems.

Opening up the bend on each side of the magazine just a very slight bit..........
will let the case raise up a little and improve the bullet angle to the ramp........
that can let it feed up and into the chamber.

Take your time if doing this... and try not to mar the metal surfaces.

Good ammo hunting.
 
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Sounds like you're just not getting enough back thrust from the XTPs
to reliably cycle the action of your gun compared to the 95 gr FMJs.
The lighter bullet weight or light load or combination of the two is
probably the culprit. An article in handloader magazine on reloading
the .380 featured loads much hotter than factory ammo but were all
pressure tested to be within industry standards. The .380 is an old
round and like several others is loaded pretty lightly in factory ammo.
 
Thanks to everyone for your replies!! I checked the Herter's box....does say Czech..... I've put probably 6-700 rounds through the BG of various brands in the year I've had it. I was really hopped up about the XTPs after viewing the AmmoQuest video. Even mail ordered a box of PrecisionOnes from the company. They worked fine. At Cabellas the HPRs can be had much cheaper when on sale.....but I'm gonna stay away from them now.

Problem was not "Limp Wristing". I've put hundreds of rounds through it before using only one hand with no problem & on the day in question I was using 2 hands. If you want to see LW ....stand behind my wife when she shoots it!!!!!

About the gun "not being cocked" once...??? Must be a point where the trigger is...limp... if a round doesn't cycle completely.

I'm just gonna try to see if a couple of hundred of Herter's FMJs cycle flawlessly....if so I'll just stick with them.

Lost the hex wrench to adjust the laser....SW told me 0.035. Found some in a hardware store labeled 0.05 that seem to fit....maybe they aren't labeled correctly.
 
At Cabellas yesterday I played with both a Sig P238 & a Glock 42. Both feel great....but based on size, weight, etc. ...I'll stick with the the BG if I can find any round that goes bang 100% of the time. You would laugh if you could see my BG. I have put tennis grip wrap on the grip....small pieces glued to sides of the slide. & even tiny piece on the safety. This makes it much softer to shoot, rack, and release the safety. I feel very confident putting my hand in my pocket & releasing the safety. Just that tiny little bit of extra thickness & surface texture really makes a difference.
 
I haven't tried them yet but Freedom Munitions has 90 gr XTP .380 ammo (new) in stock @ $16/box of 50. Might be another one to try.
 
Sorry to get off topic but...I started this thread...so I can't hijack it. So here I can ramble.
In Kansas we have Constitutional Carry now (no CC permit required).
I've had my wife sew a simple line in my summer cargo shorts right front upper pockets. The barrel fits down into the pocket so that the gun is always positioned correctly.

Anyone ever heard of men's pants/shorts specifically designed for CC?

I've tried a pocket holster......no thanks.
 
Wow, that is cheap. I'm under the impression that if you loaded the XTP hotter (faster) that it might open up sooner(too soon) & not penetrate as far. But that would probably solve the cycling problem. I do recall on the HPR website them saying something about theirs being a softer load & on the AmmoQuest results site ....seems like they clocked the HPR XTP as being only about 789 FPS from a 2.75 inch barrel. Whereas some of the Hornady's own XTPs were clocked at 851 FPS. Hornady's "Customs" might be the solution for me...in the tests they didn't penetrate as far...but still met the FBI STANDARDS. THE greater speed causing them to open up sooner?
 
+1;
on looking at Ammo Quest !!

Lots of good stuff on 380 ammo and how it works plus you get to see the fps and how the bullet reacts in gel and 4G.

After watching the 9mm section I chose my ammo.

Good luck finding a load...........
FMJ feed great but are not the best SD design...... but if that is all that works in your pistol, go for it.

7-8 that work are better than just one and a fail to feed.
 
You want to hear some real cylcing horror stories....look up glock 42 cycling problems....
 
Christopher L. said:
You want to hear some real cylcing horror stories....look up glock 42 cycling problems....
Click to expand...

Really? Because my 42 has never missed a beat. Hand loaded xtps. Rem hps. Plated reloads. The first magazine when it was bran new had two failures to feed that's it. While I have hardly tried every ammo combo it has been great so far. I am not impressed with Glock using valuable magazine area for their useless plastic coating however. The magazine should hold atleast 1 moar round and that useless coating could be done away with and metal sides expanded for atleast that 1 more shot.
 
I've never fired a g42, just saying if you dig on the internet it appears the roll out of the 42 was just as big a disaster as the early roll out of the BG. Many were replaced free of charge.

Just went to Cabelas & by applying for their CC got $ 25 off 2 boxes of the hotter Hornady Custom XTPs. Hopefully 851 feet / second solves the problem with the 789 feet/ second HPR XTPs.

Will report back when complete.

My problem with the G42 is no safety & a lighter trigger pull. I want to keep 7 in my gun...& my mods with the safety on the BG combined with the harder DAO trigger make it seem more unlikely to get an accidental discharge. Plus, laugh at the BG's laser if you want....but at 25 yards (75 feet) I scored 29 out of 30 first time I fired a gun in 30+ years.
 
So AmmoQuest clocked the Customs at 851 FPS & the HPRs at 789 FPS.
An online muzzle energy calculator has that at 145 ft lbs vs 124 ft lbs.(for a 90 grain bullet).

Hopefully this 17% increase will be enough to eliminate my cycle problems.

On the Custom box it says 1000 fps ....this would equal 200 ft lbs....Hornady must test with a longer barrel 380 ....longer than the 2.75 inch of the BG.
 
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Wishoot says the XTPs that he had problems with in his LCP were Fiocchi Extremas...Ammo quest clocked them at only 2 fps faster than the HPRs....so maybe his problems are same as what I think mine are.....not enough kick to cycle the gun consistently.
 
Hornady 380 data comes from a long 4" barrel.

So you may have to adjust your energy and fps with shorter barrels.
One reason it is nice to see figures that come out of shorter 3" barrels, that a lot of us use.
That extra inch can mean an extra 30 to 80 fps with different powders. 1,000 fps can drop to just 920 on a bad set up.

One reason I really love my chrony, when testing out ammo.
 
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