PMC .380 JHP

jimmyj

jimmyj

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Yeras ago I was issued a Browning BDA .380 for a undercover assignment.
A good friend, gunshop owner, master gunsmith, and former Vetnam Vet (army ranger) recommended PMC 90 grain JHP ammo. I tested it and it was AWESOME !
Currently medical isssues preclude a full size weapon and large caliber. I recently qualified witha compact 9mm. But it was a very painful range day.
I have a Beretta Model 84 .380 which I am thinking of using during my recup time.
I have been looking for PMC .380 90 grain JHP but have found only FMJ.
Is JHP ammo available ?
 
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I did a quick search on a couple of sites and was unable to find PMC 90-grain HP. I did find some Magtech 95-grain HP. I'm only shooting FMJ in my .380's as I question whether HP is going to properly expand from my short barrels.

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I do own a .380 acp but have never carried it for SD. I can't imagine I ever would, however I am fully aware that it has become quite popular once again for many reasons. First of them is that there are now a plethora of small .380 compact pistols easy to conceal. Secondly, they have very light recoil which can be important to women, senior citizens and beginners. Those two attributes for many, outweigh the small, light weight and lesser performing bullets they shoot. Hey, any bullet is better than no bullet!

When it comes to the .380 I feel completely different about what ammo for carry than let's say in a 9mm or .38 spl. I have not been impressed with .380 hollow point performance, including the different hollow point configurations that work very well in 9mm, .38 spl. Not only do they not expand reliably, they lack what is more important than expansion and that is penetration and of course reliable feeding.

I usually recommend the Federal 95 grain FMJ for a short barreled .380 acp. It will never expand but will usually have adequate penetration and give the most reliable performance in feeding. They usually shoot very close to POA as well. The 95 grain bullets should also penetrate better than the lighter weight bullets and if you are carrying a .380 for SD, my opinion is that the Federal 95 grain FMJ will perform reliably and consistently. Recoil is not objectionable and it fits my criteria of: #1 is reliability. #2 is penetration and #3 would be expansion.

While the 95 grain FMJ is not an "exotic or exiting new round" it will usually feed quite reliably in any gun, penetrate decently enough to do the job and will shoot POA = POI in most small light weight carry pistols. Just my opinions of course and YMMV. Remember, when carrying a very small and light gun, we must accept the sacrifice in the performance of the ammunition it shoots. It's all about physics.
 
I think you might be disapointed by the recoil of the Browning BDA/Beretta series. I had one not too long ago, and that thing kicked like a 9mm with it's blowback action. Beautiful gun, but not fun to shoot for me anyway (not to mention tiny sights).

I've got a bad back and arthritus, so I like light weight and low recoil. I carry a 380 every day. Either an EZ 380 PC, or a Sig 365-380. They're both light, are recoil operated, not blowback, have good night sights, good triggers, and offer low recoil. Not 22 recoil, but it's not far from it.

Of the two I like the EZ better. It (and I hate this expression) just fits my hand. All the controls fall right under my thumb. The slide release actually releases the slide. Hit the mag release and the mag flies out. It's my Goldilocks gun. Just right. The Sig is a little smaller and offers more mag capacity. Neither one are really pocket guns but it doesn't sound like you were thinking pocket carry anyway.

I carry Hornady Critical Defense ammo in both. It shoots straight and feeds reliably. Is it the best? No idea, and I hope I never find out.
 
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Jimmy ,
Not the best for jealous husbands or boyfriends but the Hornady Critical Defense is about as good as it gets in .380 now days. The Super Vel would be a top choice also . None of this is range ammo due to cost . The Hornady requires me to tilt the Ruger to get the first round in the chamber but after topping up it loads itself without a hitch , just snaggy on the hand cycled first round if you hold the gun with the slide up . A bit of ramp work would fix it but I seldom carry it so haven't got around to doing it. If money is not an issue for the amount you will need I'd go with the Super Vel. I used it years ago when Lee owned it and later when he sold out and it was renamed Triton , always loved both versions. Not sure what Hornady tests their CD in but Super Vel states their velocity numbers are arrived at using a Walther PP which is 3.9 " .

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jimmyj said:
Yeras ago I was issued a Browning BDA .380 for a undercover assignment.
A good friend, gunshop owner, master gunsmith, and former Vetnam Vet (army ranger) recommended PMC 90 grain JHP ammo. I tested it and it was AWESOME !
Currently medical isssues preclude a full size weapon and large caliber. I recently qualified witha compact 9mm. But it was a very painful range day.
I have a Beretta Model 84 .380 which I am thinking of using during my recup time.
I have been looking for PMC .380 90 grain JHP but have found only FMJ.
Is JHP ammo available ?
Click to expand...
Winchester .380 FMJ Flat Point white box seems to be a good compromise between expansion and penetration.
Cheaper than hollow-points too. Hard to find in stores. Easily available online.
I suspect most retailers don't know it even exists.
 
I would be surprised if 95gr 380 in a blowback gun gave you much less recoil than 115 gr 9mm in a pistol using a locked breech system. What was the 9mm pistol and ammo you used to qualify?

How are you doing with racking a semi-auto? For easy racking and low recoil, there are a couple of pistols about using the locked breech system. The S&W 380EZ is one choice. Another is the Sig P250 (compact or subcompact) in 380 if you don't mind the DAO revolver style trigger. Only snag with the Sigs is they are not made anymore and they are not common on the resale market.
 
I am sure you can find some JHP out there but the hardball is not a bad choice in this caliber. It clearly won't expand but many HP designs won't either in this caliber and you will likely get decent penetration from a FMJ round which may be lacking in a JHP. Shot placement is criteria #1. Adequate penetration is criteria #2. Everything else is a distant third.
 
Had some PMC 90 gr HPs. Didn't care for them. Velocity no higher than other brands of FMJ and unlikely to expand or penetrate. 95 gr FMJ is the way to go in the .380. I have chronographed most all brands and Remington is a bit faster than any other brand. Winchester FP is the slowest and I had one hang up on the feed ramp of a Beretta model 1934 which never jams so I would never use it for SD.
 
I qualified using a Glock Model 43X and 115 grain FMJ. This was a VERY painful experence.
I work private armed church security and a BIG concern for me is over penetration during church service with a large crowd of church members.
A .380 with hollow points might be better than a 9mm.
My current medical issues make racking a slide difficult and painful thus a "Tip Up" barrel semi might be helpful at this time. I have considered a revolver but loading and unloading the cylinder is also difficult.
Hopefully P/T will be successful and the present medical issues will end.
 
alwslate said:
Had some PMC 90 gr HPs. Didn't care for them. Velocity no higher than other brands of FMJ and unlikely to expand or penetrate. 95 gr FMJ is the way to go in the .380. I have chronographed most all brands and Remington is a bit faster than any other brand. Winchester FP is the slowest and I had one hang up on the feed ramp of a Beretta model 1934 which never jams so I would never use it for SD.
Click to expand...
In my .380's I stack alternately hollow-point/full metal jacket flat point in the magazines.
 
The flat point is a fine solution for most any caliber.
Some poorly designed guns may pitch a fit with them, thus rn fills the shelves as it's usually the best chance a Saturday night special has to successfully feed.
If you have a reliable weapon, you don't need that crutch.
A solid flat point will never be less than it was born to be. It will deposit energy more efficiently than any RN and will never miss it's party trick like a HP might.
When energy is at a premium as it is in things 380 and smaller, that simplicity is an asset
 
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