FMJ or Hollow point in small auto?

FMJ or hollow points in a .32 or .380?

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Hollowpoint, no matter the caliber. Although, in cartridges .380 and smaller, there might be some merit to a "dutch" or "staggered" load, i.e., alternating FMJ and HP in the magazine.
 
I think Manco makes a good point. Flat nose fmj like WWB or a load like fiocchi's warm-ish offering with the xtp bullet make some sense in this caliber.

Checking around the 'net (as above) reveals some pretty fierce penetration by .380 fmj in the jelly blocks. There is also evidence that this is born out in tissue; on this very forum someone who works around bullet wounds once made the comment (paraphrasing) that .380 ball is one penetrating SOB.

My only beef with fmj is, as noted above, the tendency for the bullet to slip and slide its way through tissue; penetration is best in a straight line, IMHO.

That said, it's probably a crapshoot anyways. We don't really have any idea what that little round is going to do when called upon for desperate plumbing.

I just took a class yesterday that saw some discussion of terminal ballistics, and one case was of a guy getting shot in the leg by 9mm ball with the exit wound being a small slit in the top of the opposite shoulder! I for one would like to think that bullets won't be making right turns inside bodies and getting lost on the way to the exit ramp, but it happens.

All I can say is, if you carry a .380 (and I'm very fond of my Sig 238) just be sure you can really run the heck out of the little thing.
 
True but it actually has to penetrate deep enough to hit those vital organs to damage them.
Click to expand...

The heart/lungs are less than 2" inches below the surface. If you shoot through his arm first, that's what we in gun circles call a "miss".
 
Personally, I think the best bullets in both the .32 and the .380 would be a semi wadcutter. I usually carry wadcutters in my .38 snubbie. I've had very good results on small game with them. Better than 9mm or .45 ball.
 
When running errands alone, I typically leave a UC9 in the car and carry my P32 in a pocket. I keep it loaded with S&B 73gr FMJ because not only has my P32 expressed its preference with this particular load by remaining reliable with decent accuracy, but this is a "face gun" in my opinion.

By face gun, I mean that if I ever find myself in a situation where I must use it, it's because for whatever reason I've lost the opportunity to scram and am likely close enough to put a couple into the assailant's face. I don't really think, in .32acp anyway, the aggressor will react any differently from FMJ or JHP punching through his snot locker and into this brain case. So, while carrying the P32, FMJ is sufficient for my needs.
 
KodiakBeer said:
The heart/lungs are less than 2" inches below the surface. If you shoot through his arm first, that's what we in gun circles call a "miss".
Click to expand...



Ooookay........


So you're saying that 2" of penetration is all you need from a bullet???


As mentioned what happens if the badguy doesn't just stand there like a deer in the headlights while you take aim and squeeze off a perfect frontal shot???

Let's just say you're up against one of those sneaky ones who actually moves or turns sideways to avoid getting shot or heaven forbid he sticks his arm up to block the shot and you "miss"???



You may feel confident with 2" of penetration, however I prefer a bit more just in case everything doesn't work out perfectly like I planned it in my head.





Two inches........


:D



I don't wanna get PM'ed by the mods again so I'll leave it at that. ;)
 
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KodiakBeer said:
The heart/lungs are less than 2" inches below the surface. If you shoot through his arm first, that's what we in gun circles call a "miss".
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Chances are his arms are not going to be hanging at his sides so you can get a perfect shot. ;)
41-vJzgKoqL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
 
If you shoot through his arm first, that's what we in gun circles call a "miss".
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I call it an obstacle - a commonly encountered obstacle. You'd be surprised how often hands and arms are hit.

armobstacles.jpg
 
Any of you guys carry the Buffalo Bore hardcast stuff in your .380's? I use the 100gr hardcast .380+p load in my lcp. 1100fps out of a lcp, and that hardcast nose will supposedly tear tissue a lot better than a round nose fmj.
 
I am a simple minded fellow, I run plain FMJ,
no boutique, KISS for me

I don't believe in hydrostatic shockwaves from pistol rounds,
do believe 380 penetration adequate, but will never be excessive, and needs nothing to handicap what it does have
(I don't shoot a lot of naked people, nor naked jello)

I want as much feed reliability as I can get in 380
I don't worry myself w/ hi-cap mags, but there is a reason these things ain't single shots
( I used to practice more mag dumps, but switched to doing successive DTs; if I am still alive after 3 DTs and they are still in peevish mode, try to slow down on that last shot)
 
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Screw all of the talk about penetration and expansion. An off-the-shelf SD jacketed hollow point is more than likely to come in +P velocities (and vice versa). And that's what counts as far as delivered energy, regardless if it's comparable weight FMJ ball or hollow point projectiles.
 
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If you're only working with .25 or .32 caliber, I'd personally trade a couple of inches of penetration for a larger diameter wound channel. With .380, I'd definitely go with +P JHP as well.

It's a personal choice, certainly, and you get into these tradeoffs when you choose to carry a low-energy/small-diameter round. There is no one right answer; evaluate your own situation and choose accordingly.
 
I voted FMJ. But only because thats all I could find in the stores. About a year ago when I came back from my deployment, I had to have a P3AT or a LCP. I ended up with the LCP due to the way it fit my hand. But I was only able to get one box of 50rnds when I bought it. $35.00 for a box of Winchester white lable 380s. Till recently that was the only ammo I saw for it. So I have only ever fired six round from the gun.

On a side note. I stopped by the local Walmart the other day and low and behold they had five boxs of 380acp on the shelf. Later I went over to Acadamy and they had ten boxs of Monarch 380 JHP. So I bought three to trie out in the LCP. So I guess I could have voted either way on it.

Wild Bill
 
So you're saying that 2" of penetration is all you need from a bullet???
Click to expand...

That's not what I said. In fact, all modern .380 rounds give 10" to 12" of penetration. Arguing for even more penetration at the expense of tissue damage doesn't make sense.

Bleeding (hydrostatic shock) is what causes death and incapacitation. HP's do more damage and create more bleeding than FMJ's.
 
If the gun is picky about ammo, then I would never use it for defense. There are so many good designs to choose from that there is no reason not to have a gun that can work with JHPs and FMJ ammunition.

If you're trying to save a buck, you're in the wrong game and have the wrong attitude. The gun is a life saving device. Owning a finicky self-defense gun is like buying $2 fire extinguisher for the the local fire department.
 
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