124gr .380 Ammo…Has Anyone Used It?

[guyfromohio]

I purchased a bunch of .380 ammo when ammo supply was short due to what I felt was a good deal. However, my son shoots .380 far more than I do and I never really looked at the bullet weight. It turns out it is a 124 gr bullet in .380. The manufacturer is Ammo Inc. I can’t find any reviews of it and I’d like to vet it a bit before I try it in my son’s PPK. Has anyone any experience with it? Anything I need to know…POA, recoil, etc…?

 

[12Bravo20]

That's pretty heavy for 380 considering most are between 90 and 100 grains.

 

[guyfromohio]

That's pretty heavy for 380 considering most are between 90 and 100 grains.

Exactly.

 

[JCSC]

I load 100’s in the 380. Was always curious about 9mm weight bullets, as I shoot 124’s. 1/4 less powder. Likely gonna be a dog.? I’m curious.

i don’t load hot, but 3.2 gr vs 4.1 in the 9.

 

[481]

I purchased a bunch of .380 ammo when ammo supply was short due to what I felt was a good deal. However, my son shoots .380 far more than I do and I never really looked at the bullet weight. It turns out it is a 124 gr bullet in .380. The manufacturer is Ammo Inc. I can’t find any reviews of it and I’d like to vet it a bit before I try it in my son’s PPK. Has anyone any experience with it? Anything I need to know…POA, recoil, etc…?

View attachment 1136522

What is the listed velocity of the 124-grain .380? Couldn't find it on their website.

 

[guyfromohio]

What is the listed velocity of the 124-grain .380? Couldn't find it on their website.

This ad says “770 FPS”

 

[Rodfac]

I've used both 95 gr & 100 FMJ's in my Smith .380 Bodyguard with good results (accuracy ~1" @ 7 yds offhand), but noted that the 100 grainers impacted higher by an inch. I'd suspect that 124's would hit much higher at longer defensive distances ~10-15 yds. Best regards, Rod

 

[481]

This ad says “770 FPS”

View attachment 1136630

Thanks.

Such a low number is not unexpected given the increased impingement upon case value that must occur with such a heavy/longer round. Even so, at 770 fps, the predicted maximum straight line penetration depth for the round should be right at 22 inches.

 

[PWC]

VERY snappy in a blowback.

 

[Riomouse911]

Never seen .380 that heavy. Heaviest I have seen/used was the 102 gr BJHP in the Remington Golden Saber line. (Which seemed to be fine SD ammo for that cartridge.)

I wonder what gun they used to get 770 fps? Bit of a difference between a Beretta 84 or an LCP. (Out of an LCP or AMT back up, I bet at 770 fps that ammo would be really snappy as @PWC said above!)

If you shoot it let us know what you think of it.

Stay safe.

 

[JohnKSa]

Regardless of what caliber it is, I'm not a big fan of ammo that's well out of the normal range for a caliber. Whether you go super light or super heavy on the bullet, or super light or super hot on the loading for caliber, you're trying to get it to do something that it wasn't really intended to do. That's just my feeling about it--not a position I'm going to defend rigorously, just an opinion.

 

[Leon tP]

I think it'll be snappy but not unsafe to shoot.

Compared to Buffalo Bore 380 +P Ammo.

380 Auto +P Ammo
100 gr. Hardcast F.N. @ 1,150 fps / M.E. 294 ft lbs

BB runs at a PF of 115.

The ammo above runs at about 95.5

So it's probably snappy, especially in a small pistol like the LCP.
I use the BB in my Bersa and that's snappy but not excessive, then again, it's a bigger, heavier gun.

This is the first time I've seen 124 in a 380, kinda curious what the peak pressures are inside. Can't be much room in the case for the bigger bullet.

 

[wesmonster]

I'd be curious how they're getting such a heavy bullet in a ,380 too.
In a 9mm there's quite a bit of 'room to play' when looking at 115 gr vs 147 gr. truncated, although not every firearm feeds flat nose reliably.
but .380 is ball ammo like .45 so either they're using something heavier than lead or that bullet has much more setback and/or overall length.
I've seen reloaders talk about best loads for .380w/124 gr. but never seen anyone make a commercial load in it. And other than Ammo Inc., I don't see anyone else making it.

 

[Monac]

I'd be curious how they're getting such a heavy bullet in a ,380 too.....380 is ball ammo like .45 so either they're using something heavier than lead or that bullet has much more setback and/or overall length.

(Quote edited.)

"Using something heavier" than lead made me curious. Google told me this: "...gold with a density of 19.32 would be a possibility. Other relatively available elements that are denser than lead and without toxicity concerns include palladium (12.02), rhodium (12.41), tungsten (19.35) and platinum (21.45)" https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/13908/something-denser-than-lead-but-with-lead-like-properties#:~:text=Other relatively available elements that,) or silver (10.5).

I think those numbers are for specific gravity, which is a concept I dimly remember from high school. It compares the weight of a given volume of a material to the weight of the same volume of water. (I hope. I'd hate to disappoint Mr. Ihlenfeldt.) The specific gravity of lead is 11.34, anyway, which seems to fit.

I think uranium is heavier than lead too, but that's probably where that bit about "toxicity concerns" comes in. I would go with gold or platinum, just for the prestige. I mean, who's ever heard of rhodium?

 

[Ironicaintit]

There was a fellow named Clark on here that would hot rod 380acp with 158gr and power pistol in a specific chassis that had excellent case support. Not for the faint of heart.

I think 90 grain is where 380 is happiest

 

[guyfromohio]

I’m hoping to get to the range with the kid’s PPK and see what it does this week. I may even put one to the bullet puller, but I’m thinking the bullet is just their 9mm 124gr stuck in shorter brass.

 

[481]

(Quote edited.)

"Using something heavier" than lead made me curious. Google told me this: "...gold with a density of 19.32 would be a possibility. Other relatively available elements that are denser than lead and without toxicity concerns include palladium (12.02), rhodium (12.41), tungsten (19.35) and platinum (21.45)" https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/13908/something-denser-than-lead-but-with-lead-like-properties#:~:text=Other relatively available elements that,) or silver (10.5).

I think those numbers are for specific gravity, which is a concept I dimly remember from high school. It compares the weight of a given volume of a material to the weight of the same volume of water. (I hope. I'd hate to disappoint Mr. Ihlenfeldt.) The specific gravity of lead is 11.34, anyway, which seems to fit.

I think uranium is heavier than lead too, but that's probably where that bit about "toxicity concerns" comes in. I would go with gold or platinum, just for the prestige. I mean, who's ever heard of rhodium?

You forgot the insanely expensive option of iridium! At 22.56 g/cc, iridium is a second only in density to osmium with a density of 22.59 g/cc. Unfortunately, when finely divided, osmium easily oxidizes into the highly toxic compound, osmium tetroxide, whereas iridium does not.

Of course, at current 'spot', a 124-grain bullet composed of iridium would be suitably compact but would cost approximately $1,200.00 per projectile.

 

[wayneinFL]

380s are so slow you can watch them go downrange to the target. A 124 grain at 770 fps is kinda neat, but I don't know why you would do it.

Then again I don't know why people want to push 380 with +P pressures and velocities, either. Everybody already makes small 9mm luger pistols.

 

[cfullgraf]

My Beretta M84 will digest 110 gr 38 caliber HP bullets without a hiccup. But I could never get the velocity up to reasonable levels at safe pressures for reliable expansion.

So, I’ve abandoned the idea of using heavier bullets in my 380 ACP guns.

100 grain is the max II reload in my 380 ACP guns.

 

[Steven_Seagull]

Reminds me of the .38-200 cartridge honestly.
A very heavy for caliber projectile at a similar velocity.

 

[Buckeye63]

I think they are exaggerating on the velocity..
i think a normal pressure 124gr FNFMJ would be great at penetration… which is the most important to a 380 bullet , just behind accuracy… expansion is gravy

 

[Howland937]

I've loaded 115gr FMJ in .380 using published data, but I don't recall ever seeing 124gr data. That's not to say it can't be found. 115gr loads ran about 770-780fps but a stopwatch may have been more accurate. (I had a bunch of bulk, crap bullets and was trying to use them up).