.380 ACP Handload with Power Pistol

[TJm15.38]

I've been reloading since 1981, but I am relatively new to reloading .380 Auto. I'm using Hornady Custom dies and, until recently, my go-to propellant has been Winchester 231. The bullet I'm using is Hornady's 100 grain FMJ. I've loaded this box with 3.9 grains of Alliant Power Pistol, but have yet to shoot them. The firearm is a Glock 42. Anybody else have experience with Power Pistol in this caliber?

 

[Imissedagain]

The pic is from Lyman's 49th for a 95gr FMJ.
Don't have data for a 100gr FMJ at hand.
Your load might be considered hot.
Prudent to start low and work them up.

If I have two of the same pistols , P238s, PPKs or others,
I work up loads for each starting with loads that are like factory
loads, then go up, with accuracy as the goal.
We use Penn's Premium Cast leads at 100/115/120gr
and Hornady's 115gr XTPs and 115gr FMJs.
Bullseye or N320.
We carry what we load.
Hope this helps.

Been reading that hot ammo like Buffalo Bore and others
claiming to be 380+P, has blown extractors off of the
Walther PPKs pistols.

Our only G42 moved to Colorado and is the goto
"Downhill Racer" carry.

 

[Model 15-4ever]

I've loaded .380 for the Glock 42 for many years, with Power Pistol amongst other propellants. Haven't used that 100 grain Hornady bullet, but have loaded the Xtreme 100 grain plated flat-point for quite a bit of shooting.

With the 100 grain FP, this is an inexpensive target bullet, so it has to make consistent holes in the target at reasonable ranges and work the pistol properly. Titegroup with 3.0 grains does that well, and economically. I had tried W231 at 3.2 grains and it worked fine but I have a lot of Titegroup on hand.

I use Power Pistol for high velocity HP loads in the Glock 42, and those are 90 grain bullets. I worked up to 5.0 grains of Power Pistol, but load 4.8 grains to get better accuracy and bullet performance at 1010 fps in my gun. Muzzle blast when firing Power Pistol loads is significant, another reason I avoid it for practice loads.

In the LCP Max and other very lightweight .380 pistols with 90 grain JHP bullets, I use 3.6 grains of W231 for 900 fps for better a better shooting load.

 

[Imissedagain]

With little 380s, I practice shooting a full mag, as fast as possible, at 10 yds with a B27 target, and work to get all to hit consistently.
I do this with two mags, after finishing chores with other firearms.
A loaded 380 is always in my pocket at the range.
Then I load the mags and back in the pocket.
I keep my HS22Mag Derringer in the gun bag and run 10 at 5yds as well.

I find 380 XTP and flat nose shapes to be very accurate for
25yds or greater for fun shooting.
The Penn PC 115gr bullets look like mini H&G 68s.
Sadly, Robert died and I only have about 950 left.

 

[Eddietruett]

I have tried several different powders but settled on CFE Pistol which has become my go to handgun powder in 380, 9mm, 38 and 45.burns clean and very consistent. For 100bgr in 380 I use 4gr. That’s max in the Hodgdon data but I’ve gone to 4.5 with no pressure signs. I also use 4gr for 95gr bullets as well. Same charge with coated lead, plated and jacketed.

 

[TJm15.38]

The pic is from Lyman's 49th for a 95gr FMJ.
Don't have data for a 100gr FMJ at hand.
Your load might be considered hot.
Prudent to start low and work them up.

If I have two of the same pistols , P238s, PPKs or others,
I work up loads for each starting with loads that are like factory
loads, then go up, with accuracy as the goal.
We use Penn's Premium Cast leads at 100/115/120gr
and Hornady's 115gr XTPs and 115gr FMJs.
Bullseye or N320.
We carry what we load.
Hope this helps.

Been reading that hot ammo like Buffalo Bore and others
claiming to be 380+P, has blown extractors off of the
Walther PPKs pistols.

Our only G42 moved to Colorado and is the goto
"Downhill Racer" carry.

I'm using Hornady's data for the Hornady 100 grain FMJ. It states that the maximum load with power pistol is 4.4 grains. I agree this load might be a little hot and in a larger frame pistol like the CZ-83 I own, should turn about 850 FPS. We'll see what I get out of this. The previous load I have used in 3.2 grains of Winchester 231. Hornady text on this caliber said that 231 yields the most consistent results.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

I've been reloading since 1981, but I am relatively new to reloading .380 Auto.
Anybody else have experience with Power Pistol in this caliber?

I've never loaded 100gr bullets in my 380s, only HDY 90gr XTPs, but P-P out-performed A-C & CFE-P with that bullet by 70fps in my PPK/S (3.3" bbl).

Yes, P-P is flashier, CFE-P has the least flash.

Here's a test from Handloader #347, Pet Loads for the 380 ACP, that may help you:

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[TJm15.38]

I've never loaded 100gr bullets in my 380s, only HDY 90gr XTPs, but P-P out-performed A-C & CFE-P with that bullet by 70fps in my PPK/S (3.3" bbl).

Yes, P-P is flashier, CFE-P has the least flash.

Here's a test from Handloader #347, Pet Loads for the 380 ACP, that may help you:

.

Thanks, BLUEDOT37. Max load data you provided also says 4.4 grains for PP; same as Hornady data. This Glock 42 needs some power and bullets weighing at least 95 grains to function reliably.

 

[jake1945]

I've always used Bullseye because it is fast burning for my 3 inch barrel. That said, a local hardware store had a sale on 380 ammo for $20.00 per box of 50. Bought several boxes.

 

[STORMINORMAN]

If the OP loaded a "published" (or "book"?) load from the bullet manufacturer that was 10% below their MAX...

Was his question whether it would actually function in his firearm or whether it might blow it up...?

Cheers!

P.S. Perhaps the better advice might be to load a few (vs. a "box") and move up towards the midrange (or higher?) when using a new powder...? How did the WIN 231 work with these bullets?

 

[TJm15.38]

I tested this load with Power Pistol today. It was accurate out of the Glock 42 at 15 yards. No malfuntions and no sign of pressure on the fired cases. I may work up .1 grain at a time up to 4.0 grains and stop there.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

When I worked up loads in my PPK/S the limiting factor in it was that it's a fixed barrel blow-back design & increased charge weights resulted in lower velocity because the recoil spring wasn't strong enough.

I'm guessing the Glock is breech-locked?

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[TJm15.38]

When I worked up loads in my PPK/S the limiting factor in it was that it's a fixed barrel blow-back design & increased charge weights resulted in lower velocity because the recoil spring wasn't strong enough.

I'm guessing the Glock is breech-locked?

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You are correct. Same function as the big Glocks.

 

[M29since14]

When I worked up loads in my PPK/S the limiting factor in it was that it's a fixed barrel blow-back design & increased charge weights resulted in lower velocity because the recoil spring wasn't strong enough.

That’s interesting. I have very little experience with loading for .380 and with loading for use in blow-back designs. I’ve never heard anyone mention this.

A few years ago I gave loading for the .380 a try. I was using a stainless steel Interarms PPK, which was all I had. The loads involved three or four different powders, but not Power Pistol, so I can’t add anything to that matter. I didn’t see a lot of difference in accuracy. I was shooting at 10-yards and the sights on that gun, out in the bright sunlight, were giving me a hard time of it.

My best results were with HP38, followed by Unique, but due the sights/sunlight I couldn’t be too sure of what I was doing. That was 3-1/2 years ago. I should revisit this some day. There are sure times when it would be handy to have a Ransom rest available.

 

[besshoudini]

I have used aa7 with extreme bullets 95g.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

That’s interesting. I have very little experience with loading for .380 and with loading for use in blow-back designs.
I’ve never heard anyone mention this.

Didn't mean to imply that loosing velocity because of a weak or under-sized recoil spring (hammer springs too) is unique to the .380 or blow-back designs as I've run into it in chrono testing breech-locks of different calibers too.

One example, my 3913TSW lost 27fps when I increased the powder charge from 6.7grs to 7.0grs (1214mv to 1187mv).

It had a fresh 18# extra power recoil spring (R/S) in it but I had changed from the factory 20# hammer/mainspring (H/S) to a 17# reduced power hammer spring in an effort to lighten the DA trigger pull.

Surprisingly that reduction, in this pistol, messed up the balance as going back to the full power hammer spring fixed the issue resulting in the velocity increasing by an expected amount to 1246fps, from the lower power hammer spring, with the exact same (+P) load. A 59fps & 41 ft/lb difference.

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