The .380 is gaining in popularity again, in part due to improved hollow point performance.
Factory ammo cycles between unavailable and over priced. That's due in part to .380 ACP being made on the same tooling as 9mm Para ammo, which means when there is high demand of 9mm, no production capacity is allocated to .380 ACP.
That makes it a very attractive hand loading caliber, but you'll also find that .380 ACP components dry up in a shortage as well.
I have not found the .380 ACP to be difficult to load. You have to respect the fact that the case walls are thin and bell it enough to prevent crushing it when seating cast bullets, but it poses no particular issues with plated or jacketed bullets.
Some .380 ACP chambers are tight, so you will want to use a case gauge with cast loads and you may have to use a factory crimp die or slightly post size the round.
As with any small pistol case you need to ensure you use a suitable powder measure to get consistent charges in a cartridge where a .1 difference can matter. I use a pistol rotor on my Hornady Lock and Load measure, and I use "extra small" powder bars on my Dillon measures when loading .380 ACP or .32 ACP.
If you disagree and feel the .380 ACP is difficult to load, try loading .32 ACP cast bullet loads for awhile and it'll make you appreciate the fine qualities of the .380 ACP.
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There are a half dozen commercial loads that will meet the FBI 12" minimum penetration and 1.5x expansion requirements in both bare ballistic gel and in the heavy clothing test. All of them use the 90 gr XTP at a muzzle velocity of 1050-1100 fps in a 3.5" to 3.9" barrel. The 90 gr XTP works well in marginal calibers as it is a bullet designed for slower and more moderate expansion, which enables it to achieve both the minimum penetration and expansion criteria at .380 ACP velocities.
However, barrel length is key in a .380 ACP as it takes a much more significant hit in short barrel performance than the 9mm Para - and it's a marginal caliber to begin with. Getting good results in a 3.9" barrel is a non issue, but once you get below 3.5" barrel lengths and the velocity falls under about 1000 fps, performance is a bit more of a **** shoot.
I load 3.4 grains of Titegroup under a 90 gr XTP for a self defense load. It will produce 1100 fps in a 3.9" PP, and 1050 fps in a 3.4" PPK/S. However, it will produce about 50 fps less in the FEG AP and APK (PP and PPK/S clones) due to the slightly larger chambers and throats used in those pistols, so there's more involved in .380 ballistics than just barrel length.
The same load will produce right at 980 fps in a 2.75" Kimber Micro. I need to do some gel testing this summer to confirm how well it fares in a heavy clothing test. based on the velocity it shook be satisfactory in bare gel, but I only expect adequate expansion in 50-60% of the rounds fired in a heavy clothing test, given that it's short of the 1050 fps benchmark. Still, expansion half the time in heavy clothing, along with ample penetration is still better than FMJs that expand 0% of the time even in bare gelatin. It's also something I only use periodically in the summer, or as a back up, so I'm not real concerned about heavy clothing performance.
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For practice and plinking loads I've used 100 gr plated bullets from both Berry's and Xtreme and both work very well in both their flat base and hollow base designs.
3.0 grains of Red Dot, 3.1 grains of Bullseye, and 4.0 grains of Unique all produce around 875-900 fps in 3.5" to 3.9" barrel. The Red Dot and Bullseye loads are maximum loads for those fast burning powders with a 100 gr jacketed bullet, but they are all loads that won't beat a blow back operated pistol to death. And with the thinner jacket of the plated bullet, there's probably a little more margin in terms of pressure.
Still, start low and work up with your own loads in your own handguns as not all .380 ACP pistols are made with the same margin of strength. Hornady uses the Beretta 84 for land development and it's at the upper end of strength and durability when it comes to .380 ACP. I primarily shoot FEG APs, APKs, and Walther PPs and PPKSs which are all very stoutly built .380 ACPs. The locked breech Kimber Micro has run well on the above loads, but I've only got a 1000 or so rounds through it so far.
