I apologize if this has been posted in one of the other 10 pages in this thread I didn’t read. The article describes the variety of reasons along with underpowered ammo (usually cheap fmj target ammo with lighter weight bullets) contributes to failures to extract in an otherwise usually reliable handgun.
Why Your Super Reliable Carry Gun Suddenly Becomes a Jam-O-Matic - GunsAmerica Digest
For a (not just) .380 those factors include:
New shooter, poor grip technique, loose grip, limp wristing
Small, lightweight gun with narrow recoil/functioning window adversely affected by underpowered ammo
Strong (new) recoil springs
Gun not properly cleaned and lubricated to reduce slide friction
Increased slide friction from not being broken in with a few hundred rounds
Increased slide friction by grip interfering with slide velocity
In addition, I expect the following could contribute:
Cheap guns with barely adequate QC (EG., original Keltec .32’s and P3AT’s, which the Ruger LCP copied with only a little better quality)
Serious flinching with poor grip on tiny gun
Cheap mag just outside of spec to feed properly
The .380 is a low pressure cartridge so it’s operating envelope is critical. High pressure cartridges have a broader functioning window.
.380 as a cartridge has and will continue to kill lots of people. Getting it to do so out of the chosen (smaller, even tiny) firearm may take attention paid to the above criteria. Maybe experienced shooters maintain their guns, break them in, keep them clean and lubricated, use good ammo and shoot them more than inexperienced shooters taking SD classes with (relatively new) .380’s as their primary weapon, based solely on size and no other critical reliability factors. Small guns, even wheel guns, are harder to shoot. Low pressure semi-auto cartridges are more susceptible to reliability issues.
I have no doubt that most people get their .380’s to run fine. I have no doubt the cartridge, understanding its limitations for quality ammo, shot placement and penetration, will kill.
I also have no doubt that Rastoff is accurately describing what he has seen in many classes.