9mm is also stiffer: a Power Factor of 140 ver- sus 95. Power Factor is a pistol competition way of comparing felt recoil between cali- bers. It is simply the bullet weight times the bullet velocity divided by 1,000. The almost 50 percent more felt recoil from the 9mm re- ally matters in very small auto pistols. In terms of internal and exterior ballis- tics, the 380 Auto is very close to the high- pressure, 38 Special +P. The 380 Auto has a chamber pressure of 21,500 psi compared to 20,000 psi for the 38 Special +P. The standard pressure, non +P operates at 17,000 psi. The 380 Auto and the standard pressure 38 Special both produce 200 ft-lbs of energy. However, the bullets typically loaded in the 380 Auto are decidedly more effective than the ones typically loaded in the standard- pressure 38 Special. For what really counts, the 380 Auto has proven on the street to have the same wound ballistics as the high-pres- sure, 38 Special +P from a snubnose revolver.
One-Shot Stops
In the 1980s and 1990s, a large number of of- fi cer-involved shooting reports were gath- ered and categorized. A One-Shot Stop was arbitrarily defi ned as 1) one bullet impact to anywhere on the torso, not counting the head, neck or extremities; 2) if the subject was shooting, he stopped shooting; and 3) if he ran, he ran less than 10 feet. The 380 Auto caliber (all bullet weights and hollowpoint designs) ranged from 67 to 70 percent One-Shot Stops. This was led by the Federal 90-grain Hydra-Shok. The 38 Special +P caliber (all bullet weights and hollowpoint designs) fi red from 2-inch re- volvers ranged from 60 to 68 percent One- Shot Stops. This was led by the various makes of 158-grain Lead Hollowpoint. The 380 Auto caliber is not as powerful as the 9mm caliber. That point has been made over and over by 380 Auto detractors. How- ever, the 380 Auto is as effective as the 38 Special +P carried as a back-up and off-duty by law enforcement for decades.
Modern JHP Ammo This stopping power data collection was done in the 1990s and 2000s, which was before the more modern designs like Rem- ington Golden Saber; Winchester Ranger-T and Bonded PDX1; Federal HST; and Hor- nady Critical Defense.
There are many Jacketed Hollow Point (JHP) loads in the 380 Auto caliber from each ammo maker. The six loads tested here
Hornady and most of the major ammo makers develop their ‘personal protection and personal defense’ lines of ammo with different performance goals than their ‘police and tactical’ lines of ammo.
A wide variety of very good hollowpoints, like this Federal HST, are available for the 380 Auto pistols like the Glock 42, Ruger LCP, Sig P238, and S&W Bodyguard. Any of these hollowpoints are better choices than the FMJ.
www.lawandordermag.com 47
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68