Underwood is the best choice for .380 ACP.

 

There's some ammo testing online that will answer this for you, and did for me. Good empirical comparisons. I think the guys name was "ammo quest"

Edit ... Here you go. You can have your cake and eat it too

 

The "Ammo Quest" guy has stated in the past that he will never test any plus+P ammo and has never tested the Underwood Plus+P. Apparantly becasue rthere is no SAAMI spec for plus+P for 380 he thinks it might hurt the gun, especially if it's one of the smaller lighter guns like the LCP.

I share his concern when it comes to the smaller lighter 380's but not with the Glock 42 which I think is over built for a 380 and what may be even more important is that because of it's size is a very soft shooter with standard 380 ammo and controlability and follow up shots with the Plus+P ammo is not a problem either. I've never shot the Underwood ammo in any of the lighter guns but I know people that have and they say it's downright painful. But I have shot it out of a G42 and it's not bad at all, just like shooting a real gun.

And as far as ammo availability, there's a waiting list for all Underwood ammo but I think it's just a couple of weeks. And what I've done in the past was to order my Underwood ammo from my local Cabela's, who normally carry the ammo in the store, but if they either don't have it in stock, or the Bullet weight I want (Like 220 grain hardcast 10mm or 150 grain full wadcutter 38 Special) Cabela's will order it for me and save me the shipping costs.

Otherwise ordering directly from Underwood is faster and shipping costs are reasonable. And under current conditions, I don't know if Cabela's is still willing to do that. I haven't ordered any ammo from either Cabela's or Underwood for a while because I stocked up on the ammo I regularly use before Covid.

 

The Precision One 90gr JHP XTP round has good reviews for expansion and penetration. And it is currently available, albeit at a pretty penny.

Here's a review

Ammo Review: Precision One Ammunition 90gr HP .380 ACP - The Truth About Guns

Precision One Ammunition is a company out of South Carolina that is doing a great job making affordable, accurate, and reliable ammunition. In this ammo test I will be taking a look at their highly regarded .380 ACP 90r XTP load. I love some good .380, and I had high expectations for this load...

www.thetruthaboutguns.com

There is also an Ammo Quest review available on the Precision One site.
380 ACP 90gr HP/XTP (NEW) - Precision ONe Ammunition
Video is near the bottom of the page.

 

The Precision One 90gr JHP XTP round has good reviews for expansion and penetration. And it is currently available, albeit at a pretty penny.

Here's a review

Ammo Review: Precision One Ammunition 90gr HP .380 ACP - The Truth About Guns

Precision One Ammunition is a company out of South Carolina that is doing a great job making affordable, accurate, and reliable ammunition. In this ammo test I will be taking a look at their highly regarded .380 ACP 90r XTP load. I love some good .380, and I had high expectations for this load...

www.thetruthaboutguns.com

There is also an Ammo Quest review available on the Precision One site.
380 ACP 90gr HP/XTP (NEW) - Precision ONe Ammunition
Video is near the bottom of the page.

Just ordered 100 rounds.

Thanks to everyone who posted here.

 

Incidentally, this is my current load, which is the only hollow point I've found in the last month in .380:

Fiocchi Extrema XTP Pistol and Revolver 380XTP25 | SHTF Tactical

Fiocchi Extrema XTP Pistol and Revolver 380XTP25 for sale from SHTF Tactical.

www.shtftactical.com

 

I have had and carried a .380 a few times, over the years. The old lady still has my latest. I carried and felt confident (as confident as one could) with the Remington Golden Saber or the Fiocchi loaded with the Hornady XTP bullet. After seeing the tests done (they didn't exist, when I started carrying a .380), I favor the Fiocchi loaded with the XTP. The XTP bullet is a very good loading.

 

If for some reason I had a .380, I'd probably load it with the Hornady 90gr Critical Defense. That might give you a reasonable combination of penetration and expansion.

But I consider the fact that we need to discuss whether it's necessary to use FMJs to get sufficient penetration out of a .380, as a good reason to avoid .380 as a defensive round.

 

But I consider the fact that we need to discuss whether it's necessary to use FMJs to get sufficient penetration out of a .380, as a good reason to avoid .380 as a defensive round.

Valid point, and I'm in the process of demoting the .380 to a backup gun, just as soon as I decide what to use for my primary EDC piece.

 

Lehigh or Underwood with the bullet that looks like a Phillips head screwdriver

 

Just popped the mag out of my LCP. Looks like Critical Defense fits my bill.

 

I usually carry a S&W j frame so I don’t feel undergunned when I carry the LCP.
As for taking a couple.380 rounds in the chest? The way those little rounds ring my 12”steel plates at 10 yards ....no thank you.

 

Timely topic...

While out at the range earlier this week my wife and I were plinking with our Sig 229's in .40 and me a bit with my G29. We got to talking and she reminded me that years ago she inherited a small pistol from her mom who used to work graveyards as a nurse that she could only recall at the range being the likes of a 25 or 32. So I told her we ought to check it out and if it were either of those calibers, sell it and buy more ammo for the pieces we do own.

So I get home and after some time digging, she pulls out a Colt Mustang MKIV in .380 ACP. It had a bit of rust on it in the screws and slide serrations but overall looked good if not super dry. There were even 5 rounds of lead ball ammo in the mag. I watched a you tube vid and did a complete tear down and re-lube and it looks like new, pretty smooth with an impressively clean breaking trigger pull.

I know reliability is mixed on this gun and it is picky with ammo but for as small as it is and how much it cost us, I am willing to give it whirl. For now, I ordered some FMJ and this 85gr monolithic stuff and just now ordered some of the Precision One listed above but if I had my choice, I think I would go right for Underwood's 90gr Xtreme Penetrator.

I like the idea of a backup and super small carry but .380 is right at the very edge of being effective so I envision this as a very close encounter type of use.

 

I carry my LCP every day at home, WWB fmj is what’s loaded in mags.

I live in the country with just wife and I at home so over penetration isn’t even a thought.

When I carried it out in public I’d keep one mag loaded with fmj for home and two with jhp for when I left house, always had jhp in pipe.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Our lives are the same as yours and we do the same. 'Cept we only use FMJ ball ammo in ours.

 

If people like, a few years ago I tested XTP from Fiocchi, Precision One and Underwood as well as Xtreme Penetrators and Defenders in 380.

There’s gel, fruit and barrier tests and comparisons to 9mm.

JCN ballistic and random testing compilation master thread

When I started testing it was out of curiosity and desire "touch the stove" myself. Then kept going as a stream of consciousness.... So the testing made sense to me, but might be hard to follow if you weren't there from the beginning. With some renewed interest in some of the testing threads...

www.glocktalk.com

 

If people like, a few years ago I tested XTP from Fiocchi, Precision One and Underwood as well as Xtreme Penetrators and Defenders in 380.

There’s gel, fruit and barrier tests and comparisons to 9mm.

JCN ballistic and random testing compilation master thread

When I started testing it was out of curiosity and desire "touch the stove" myself. Then kept going as a stream of consciousness.... So the testing made sense to me, but might be hard to follow if you weren't there from the beginning. With some renewed interest in some of the testing threads...

www.glocktalk.com

Thanks for doing those.

I especially got a kick out of the canned ham test; never saw that before.

 

Inspired by a comment from user Borg Warner in this thread:
Doctrine on pistol home defense: how many rounds at...

I'm asking whether or not my EDC Glock 42 should be loaded with hollow point or not.

Borg Warner wrote:
"For the G42, Hollowpoint may not be your best bet. Because the 380 doesn't have the power to both expand AND penetrate, so if it expands that reduces penetration and in most cases expansion without penetration is NFG."

He then suggests the Underwood 90 grain XTP load.

While I'm waiting on ammo availability to return, and the ability to actually... buy those, what is the current consensus on whether I should be loading my 42 with JHP or FMJ?

Personally, my recommendation would be if your barrel is less than 3.5”, I’d go with a flat point FMJ for defense. Otherwise I’d recommend HST.

A lot of people like XTP based on the shooting the bull tests. I don’t agree with his methodology. He automatically pitches anything over 18” of penetration, based on the FBI standard.

Over-penetration is pretty much a myth, especially when talking about .380. It’s just not a relevant factor in ammo selection. Hitting others by missing is the only real concern about collateral damage.

 

I agree with you 100%! Over-penetration is BS not saying in wouldn't happen just saying low % that it will hit someone like all the BS hype says! I think this over-pen crap got started by ammo Co. to sell more ammo. And people with little gun knowledge that were new to the gun world jumped on the old bandwagon!

 

So you're suggesting I try this in my 42?

Underwood's 380 ACP +P 90 Grain Xtreme Penetrator

 

So you're suggesting I try this in my 42?

380 ACP +P 90 Grain Xtreme Penetrator

Not the Penetrator, the XTP. The XTP will both expand AND penetrate. the fluted Phillip's head ammo supposedly doesn't need to expand because the magic flutes produce such impressive "Wound Channels" in ballistics gel.

But still, the UW Penetrator is still plus +P and is 90 grains and is still better than any other 380 ammo, so I would suggest that you try both in your G 42 and see which one works the best in your gun, but I still think the 90 Plus+P Xtp is the better ammo for defensive use.

 

Okay, to make sure we're 100% on the same page, this?

380 ACP +P 90 Grain XTP Jacketed Hollow Point

 

You can cook up a 380 "+P" and do whatever you want with it because there are exactly 0 standards/measurements/specification for a "380 +P"

So, make it as hot as you want to have the leading velocity and foot pounds of energy out of your round. Beat the competition.

Test fire a box to make sure it runs in your gun, but then do you run the risk that the next rounds you fire, in need of SD, will cause a problem?

No thanks.

No such animal as 380 +P, it's entirely unregulated and wouldn't use in my LCP or Glock 42 if I owned one

 

Find a case that's 2mm longer, and load your .380 +P loads into that.

 

I'm certainly not crazy about coloring outside of the lines with self-defense tools, no.

I would almost want to get a second 42 just to test the +P in, and then I'd have to run hundreds of rounds through the test piece for the kind of proof of concept I'd get close to trusting...............

But, then, I'd have to worry about possible differences between the two pieces, and...

Yeah, I guess if I put my conservative self-defense hat on, running +P in a 42 would convert it into a range-only pistol from that point on... and I don't think a 42 is my idea of a fun range gun. Maybe a 1911 like grampa used to have...

 

I’ve shot a couple hundred rounds of Underwood +P XTP through my Beretta 84F with no issues, and excellent accuracy...it is my carry load, and I feel pretty well armed with the Beretta and 14rds.

 

Underwood has strict manufacturing standards and they pressure test all their ammo. Maximum chamber pressure for the 380 is 21,500. Maximum pressure for the 25 auto is higher at 25,000 PSI piezo pressure the 22 Long rifle is slightly less at 24,000 which is more than the .380. Underwood has obviously chosen a slightly higher pressure limit which is not just some arbitrary number but one which they consider safe using guidelines of the differnces in other caliber between standard and Plus+p ammo. And the fact that they've sold many thousand of rounds of this ammo and have never been sued by someone who's gun it destroyed is pretty good evidence that it IS safe. I just wouldn't use it in anything but a Glock 42 because of durability and controlability issues.

The 380 was designed for use in low pressure Blowback pistols and the Glock 42 is locked breech. And the Glock 42 is only slightly smaller then the G43 which can be used with Plus+P 9mm ammo which has a maximum chamber pressure of 38,400 PSI.

 

For argument's sake, would I need to also start practicing with +P if I moved to +P for carry?

I'm assuming I would, right?

 

Yup, otherwise you'll never gain competence/confidence with it

 

I looked for some Precision One in 2017, but it was out of stock or selling at a premium for the time. If somebody had to buy some 380 hollow points now, the Precision One at a dollar a round is only slightly more than the FMJ reloads listed on ammoseek. I settled for some Fiocchi Extrema from Bud's and the confirmation is below. I bought some Hornady with the 90 grain XTP for a relative who just bought a .380.

Date Ordered: Saturday 11 November, 2017

Products

4 x Barnes VOR-TX 357 Remington Magnum (Mag) XPB 140 GR 20 Round (21543) = $75.64

2 x Fiocchi Extrema 380 Auto 90gr XTP JHP 25/bx (25 rounds per box) (FI380XTP25) = $25.22

3 x S&B 40SW 180GR FMJ 50/1000 (SB40B) = $37.14

Sub-Total: $138.00

Shipping to Alabama: 9 x Ammunition 9 lbs (Insured - (full refund/replace for items lost/damaged in shipping)): $14.00

NRA Donation: $1.00

Total: $153.00

 

Some time ago, I carried a .380 for a couple of months. I tested some Lehigh Defense Xtreme Penetrators vs standard RNFP. Here are the results (Screenshots, I'd upload the video if I could).

I know very well that watermelons are not much into home invasion, but...

Anyway, having used "funny nose bullets" for years on dangerous game, I'm more than convinced that they offer a very serious and viable alternative to hollow points.

Moment the bullet hits

Entrance

Exit



Lehigh Defense (also loaded by Underwood)

Moment the bullet hits

Entry, exit, whatever...

Guess what ammo I want in my EDC? Barrier blind, doesn't need to expand, penetrates to wherever it's needed, makes big holes in soft tissues. Underwood loads these and similar bullets in most common calibers.

 

I'm in the south, so it is important to know what rounds I'll need if the watermelons acquire sentience...

 

All the testing I've seen indicates that Hornady's XTP bullet performs the best, so I carry Hornady American Gunner in my .380s.

Mostly though these days, I'm carrying Speer Gold Dot 147gr in my G26.

 

This.

 

Bersa CC .380 pawnshop find. Nickle plated in perfect condition. $175 OTD.

I use Winchester .380 FMJ-TC 'target' ammo. Groups are literally one ragged hole at 7 yards. The Winchester ammo comes in 100 round 'value' boxes. I have two of them and I reload .380 (and I have hundreds of 95gr FMJ slugs.)

Now I just about never carry this gun (I'm a Glock man) but it's 100 percent reliable (I have 3 Bersa factory mags) and I got a kyndex holster from a guy .. free!! I have no qualms about carrying it with that Winchester ammo.

Now how may of you gents can shoot your carry ammo a lot? I can!