When you think of the .380 ACP cartridge, do you think power? Accuracy? How about great bullet performance? If you don’t think those things, you’re not alone as the .380 wasn’t really known for any of the above. But today we are going to be taking a look at a cartridge of particular interest from Buffalo Bore, that being their 90gr +P JHP.
General Background:
Buffalo Bore is well-known for making some of the most powerful ammo loads available. They really don’t hold back when it comes to wringing performance out of any caliber and the .380 is no exception.
The goal with this ammunition was to provide the shooter with a full-strength load that’s powerful enough to compete with .38 Special in a small carry gun while offering a significant improvement over other commercial .380 options. Buffalo Bore says that these loads can produce a 150-200fps increase over conventional .380 jacketed hollow point options.
The 90gr bullet is said to expand rapidly and deliver a shut-down hit to the central nervous system from any angle, something that most .380 rounds can’t do. Spoiler: Buffalo Bore’s confidence in this product is warranted, as it does exactly as it is supposed to.
Accuracy and Basic Performance
I conducted my testing with this cartridge using a SIG SAUER P238 Emperor Scorpion. This is a fantastic pistol and has proven to be accurate and reliable over the course of several thousand rounds. I consider this gun to be a standard by which all .380 pistols are judged.
The accuracy I was able to get out of this cartridge and gun was very acceptable for self-defense use. I fired five-shot groups at both ten feet and fifteen yards. This pistol can be accurate far beyond those ranges, but I wanted to conduct my testing at likely personal defense ranges. Groups came in at under an inch and 2.5” at those respective ranges from an unsupported standing position.
Buffalo Bore rates this round at 1,200fps, which is significantly faster than its competition. My testing from the P238 revealed that they come out at an average of 1176fps from the 2.7” barrel. This is incredible performance from a .380 ACP round. Recoil is much more noticeable with this load than less powerful alternatives. It is not bad at all, but it is more pronounced.
Ballistic Performance
I used a block of 10% FBI gel from Clear Ballistics for this review. The bullets to be tested were fired in at a distance of six feet to simulate a self-defense situation.
In bare gel, the light weight bullets rapidly and dramatically expanded, delivering a surprisingly deep and wide wound channel. The full penetration depth came in at around 12-13”. I experienced no exits through the 16” block during this testing, so over-penatration isn’t a concern.
Wound channels were large and showed instant expansion on contact. The temporary wound cavities showed that the tissue expanded almost from contact, measuring about 5” in length and 2.5” in general width. This is tremendous for a light bullet weight .380 and is better than some 9mm personal defense ammo tested.
Firing through thin fabric yielded excellent results as well. The bullets didn’t seem to care that they were going through fabric, although I noticed jacket and core separations. Terminal performance was equal to bare gel.
Heavy denim and leather, however, did present a challenge to this load, but not as much as you’d think. Penetration depth was about equal, although expansion was less reliable. Instead, I saw some violent tumbling and yaw accompanied by cutting damage from the jacket material. Expansion did happen, but it sometimes didn’t occur until the bullet straightened out in the gel and opened after several inches of travel.
I tested the round on wood and drywall as well. The bullets were fully able to penetrate 2×4 boards and still expand in the gel. I had a couple that expanded in the wood and entered the gel partially open, which resulted in some very nasty damage. Drywall proved to be a challenge, but the bullets were still able to achieve 8-10 inches of penetration even when damaged or separated from the jacket.
Wounding Capacity
A .380 jacketed hollow point isn’t generally considered a great manstopper, but with modern loads like this it has made the jump. The dramatic expansion and resulting tissue damage upon impact show that this load will do the vast majority of its damage in a vital space.
The most concerning thing for a potential bad guy would be the cavitation and rapid bullet expansion on impact. Since jacket separations were common and the core relatively soft, splintering of bone and bullet fragments is a major possibility.
This is a savage load in an otherwise small defensive caliber. It brings the .380 into the wounding range of .38 SPL and 9mm. Permanent wound channels, although shorter than most 9mm loads, were wide for a .380 at .5” in diameter and about five inches long and started at less than an inch of penetration.
Overall Impressions
The Buffalo Bore 90gr JHP +P is something that the .380 has been missing for a long time. It brings a level of sufficient power to an otherwise wanting cartridge and does so without being excessive in recoil or blast. I think that the bullets themselves are just the right amount of toughness, as they do incredible damage in a small amount of space. I’d trust this load to do what it’s supposed to do when called upon.
List price is $26.05 for 20 rounds.
Ratings (out of five stars):
Accuracy: * * * * *
The SIG P238 is an accurate gun, and this is good, accurate ammo. It’s better than most .380 I’ve tested on paper and gives the most accurate stuff I’ve had a run for its money.
Handling: * * * * *
While snappier than standard pressure .380 loads, it isn’t painful to fire. Small guns can be difficult to use, but this wasn’t the case with the P238 and this ammo.
Reliability: * * * * *
Zero malfunctions in the course of my testing. I noted that brass ejected much further away than other .380 I’ve tried.
Terminal Performance: * * * * *
As a .380 there’s always room for more. What this round does is squeeze the performance out of the inherent limits of the .380 ACP round. The bullets expand reliably and penetrate deeply, especially for a .
Overall: * * * * *
This is probably one of the best personal defense rounds you can get today for the .380 ACP. I like it because it brings a level of gusto to the table that makes the .380 a very viable all-year carry cartridge.
Pistol featured in this article’s images is a SIG SAUER P238 Emperor Scorpion. Knife is an ESEE Camp-Lore CR-2.5.
Would it be safe to use in a Walther PPK?
How much do you like having hands and a face?
Talk about a juvenile response…
Yours or his?
Or mine?
But on topic…you could always load a B.B. round as the last cartridge in your .380 Pistol. If your down tonyour last round in a self defense situation than blowing up you gun on a final shot doesn’t seem so bad.
The manual for My S&W manufactured PPK/S says no. Not to mention it can be uncomfortable enough with regular spec ammo.
How so? The recoil on my wife’s S&W PPK/S is next to non-existent with standard loads…?
recoil has nothing to do with it, the PPK is a straight blowback gun, so the action isn’t locked, the pressure curve of a hot round like this can potentially lead to a case rupture if the action opens too early when pressure is too high. I’m honestly surprised that isn’t touched on in this article, as there are a lot of bersa thunders out there and a lot of them are owned by people who wouldn’t know about this possibility.
Strangely, I own a S&W PPK/S, yet in my owner’s manual it only states that use of +P ammo will result in accelerated wear. Granted that since there is no such thing as .380 ACP +P as far as SAAMI is concerned, this statement is likely just something that S&W copy/pastes in all their owner’s manuals, but it’s still there.
That being said, my PPK/S is of late production, coming out just before their production run of the PPK(/S) ceased in 2015, (Mine is dated November 2014 on the case.) so it’s probably just a discrepancy between owner’s manuals of different production runs.
Furthermore, apparently Buffalo Bore themselves tested this load out of a Walther PPK as listed on the product page on their website, so make of that what you will.
Personally, I don’t use this ammo, nor would I recommend that anyone else do so. If you want more power than standard pressure .380 ACP has to offer, then get yourself a pistol chambered in a more powerful cartridge. If the purpose of owning a firearm is to protect yourself, then it’s counter-productive to risk personal injury with the use of overpressure ammunition.
Really hmmm S&W380ez is the perfect gun for this round. I already use ARX Interceptor in it . I have used this ammo in my Sig 320 and will use it in my Sig 365. I want my wife to have stopping power for any aggressor . Shot mass with this round and no more threat . Period.
Is it safe to use this ammo in my PPK/S?
Why wouldn’t it be safe in a PPK? According to the article it was safe enough in the Sig and the Walther is quite similar, as far as I know.
Absolutely! Walther and Sig are some of the best and strongest 380s out there!
1) is there an actual spec for 380 +p?
2) do any typical pocket 380 manufacturers approve of the use of over-pressure ammo?
If I recall correctly the LCP manual specifically says not to use such ammo.
I plucked this from DefensiveCarry.com:
Quote:
Thank you for using the Ruger On-Line Customer Support Request Form. This e-mail is in response to your question or comment of 08/07/2009 Request No: 37758 Comment / question: I am an LCP owner. I would like to know Ruger’s official position on the use of +P 380 ammunition in the LCP. I fully understand that there is no SAAMI +P rating for the 380 but at least two manufacturers are selling 380 ammo with a +P rating, some with listed velocities as high as 1175 fps with a 90 grain bullet. Does Ruger consider these safe in the LCP? Thanks, XXXXXXXXXXX
Response: No. The Ruger LCP was not designed for use with +P ammunition.
Given the LCP’s lightweight and compact design, the use of +P ammunition in this particular model may result damage to the firearm or personal injury.
If you need further information, please visit our website at Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. or contact us at: Revolvers, shotguns, rifles, 10/22 Charger Pistol: (603) 865-2442 Pistols: (928) 778-6555 Serial Number History Information: (603) 865-2424
The S&W Bodyguard 380 Users Manual states:
• “Plus-P” (+P) ammunition generates pressures in excess of the pressures associated with standard ammunition. Such pressures may affect the wear characteristics or exceed the margin of safety. Use of “Plus-P” ammunition may result in the need for more frequent service.”
• “Plus-P-Plus” (+P+) ammunition must not be used in Smith & Wesson firearms. This marking on the ammunition designates that it exceeds established industry standards, but the designa- tion does not represent defined pressure limits and therefore such ammunition may vary significantly as to the pressures generated and could be DANGEROUS.
So, given that information, some of you guys who have these pistols should conduct an experiment. For the sake of ballistic science. Shoot 50 rounds of this ammo and let us know what happened. Pictures of your gun before and after. Also, pictures of your face, arms and hands before and after. And, please post pictures of your hospital reports… for science.
Trying to reply to daveltc Re: BB 90gr. +p ammunition in SW .380 Bodyguard:
I have a SWBG .380 that has fired >50 rnds of BB 90 gr. +p flat nose FMJ. It is apparently the same loading with the same bullet weight and published velocity as the hollow point under discussion.
The little pistol is recoil intensive with this round (read it stings the palm and knuckles and speed must be sacrificed somewhat to maintain accuracy at more than very close range). POI is high with this ammunition, but not by so much as to have much effect at the ranges these little pistols are intended for.
I’ve heard anecdotal claims of failure to feed caused by excessive slide velocity not allowing the mag to push a fresh cartridge up in time for the slide to catch and/or due to rebounding of the slide against the slide stops in the frame but cannot replicate this with my pistol in my tests.
I have had 2-3 FTF using this ammo in less than 100 rounds, but isolated it to the mag carried in the gun on my ankle daily for the last several years. The spare mag that has been left loaded but not carried had no such issue, and I suspect cleaning the lint and other contaminants from the carry mag, or else replacing the spring , would correct this.
There is a noticeable increase in recoil, blast and ejection energy with this ammo, and it is not pleasant to shoot from such a thin grip, light, tiny pistol. However, it is readily doable in my hands (ie I’d dump a mag of it to prove a point, if not just for the pleasure if it).
The pistol shows no signs of increased wear, cracking, stress marks in the polymer or any other mark suggesting the ammunition has had a deleterious effect on the pistol. I do suspect that the recoil deregulated the integral laser sight, moving it increasingly higher versus point of impact over the course of about 50 rounds, however I have no evidence this ammo is responsibly for the change.
Would I shoot a steady diet of this ammo from my BG.380? No, but I rely on it as a BUG for daily carry. If you supply the BB +Ps, a BG.380, and some padded gloves, I’d have no concern firing at least a few hundred of these, though I would want to inspect the relevant parts of the pistol for signs of excessive wear/impending failure periodically.
My BG.380 is currently loaded with 4 Fiocchi hollow points found by Shootingthebull.410 to be excellent performers from these very short barrels, with the remaining space in the mag occupied by the BB+p solids. The philosophy of use is that after 4 rounds of hp ammunition without a resolution to the precipitent for firing in the first place, the issue is likely to be insufficient penetration of either the target or intervening barriers, thus +p FMJ for the second ‘half of the magazine.
Modern, quality handguns do not grenade from a few rounds of hot factory ammo. SW has too much liability to sell a pistol that will explode dangerously on a hot factory load. Buffalo Bore has too much liability to sell ammunition that will turn a quality modern handgun into a bomb, at least without screaming out warnings and making the buyer sign a waiver.
Yes, they will sell ammo that will damage some guns, and certainly they sell ammo that will enhance wear on a gun, but this isn’t a 1600fps 300grn. 45 colt going into a black powder rated SSA, it’s a hot .380 folks, a mighty pipsqueak.
TL/DR: These are hot loads that sting in tiny guns, but a box of them will not damage a quality pistol nor blow off anyone’s hands…in fact, when talking about .380, that’s just ridiculous. My advice is to use them sparingly, only in heavy for caliber, quality pistols, or else frequently inspecting and being prepared to repair or replace one’s SWBG.380 after it (inevitably?) begins to show serious wear from these hot loads.
Question for any LCP owners; I’ve got an LCP my wife was gifted from her brother (by permission of the court). Haven’t shot it in probably 2 years. Got it out yesterday, dropped the mag and tried to rack the slide but as soon as the barr el tipped the slide stopped. Looked in the manual, took it down twice. Everything seems to be fine but the slide don’t rack. Am I doing it wrong? Is it broken? Is there something stupid I’m missing?
Make sure the retention pin is fully seated and the latch covering it is in the “up” position. It sounds like something is wiggling loose when the barrel unlocks out of battery and that pin is often it. If that has been eliminated, email Ruger or call them, they can probably help troubleshoot it while you’re on the phone with them.
🤠
I ran into a similar issue with my Keltec P-11. When reassembling the gun sometimes the barrel partially follows the slide when you draw it back to insert the pin. As a result the pin doesn’t engage the barrel cam. Now the slide can close and appears to be in battery, but when you try to rack the slide it stops short. When reassembling the gun and drawing the slide back to install the pin, reach in the ejection port with your finger and push on the barrel to make sure it’s fully forward, then insert the takedown pin.
thank you for the information on the LCP I was wondering if I could use these in my wifes ruger and you saved us some possible serious problems.Than You for that Gratefully Rudy Verdin
I remember when Speer/CCI .380 GoldDot hit the market. At the time, the ONLY .380s recommended for it’s use were the SIG P230 and the Beretta M84/85. This ammo is hotter, but I would think any modern, currently made .380 should be OK. My wife CCWs a Kahr P380 and my oldest daughter a Glock G42. This ammo sounds like a me a winner. How does it do against clothing (denim, leather, etc)?
Maybe should have mentioned this ammo is not compatible with many pocket 380s like the LCP.
There is no SAAMI spec for +P 380 ACP so the manufacturer is really just ballparking it.
This load is moronic. .380+p is moronic. It is a nonstandard load, doesn’t conform to SAAMI specs, and is prohibited by nearly every handgun manufacturer.
Would you load 10mm into a .40 s&w pistol? No, that would be moronic.
Would you load .357 magnum into a .38 Special revolver? No, that would be moronic.
Would you shoot 9mm ammo out of a
380? No, that would be moronic.
Shooting vastly overpowered, overpressure ammo out of a .380 is exactly the same thing. Moronic.
For your information, people have successfully converted Beretta 96s and USP40s to 10mm just by boring the chamber deeper, using stronger springs, and modifying a 10mm doublestack 1911 mag. I suppose that’s a different issue, though.
This ammo is good in Kahr’s (you can find the ballistics on their website if you look) and from looking online for 5 minutes, looks like the Sig he has can handle it too.
So putting ammo into a pistol that is not rated for it is moronic. Complaining that such ammo exits is also moronic. And I bet we all know how you “feel” about 45 super.
That TexTed is moronic???
Unless the chambers have been legthenef you CANNOT chamber 10MM in a .40S&W, nor a .357 Magnum in a .38 Special. Having said that, owners of S&W Chief Special .40s HAVE converted them to 10MM by swapping out barrels and magazines.
I wouldn’t want to shoot it in any .380, the recoil must be extreme. I prefer the Polycase with the flutes in the nose. They don’t require expansion to work and that’s important in .380 ACP.
Buffalo Bore makes good ammo and I have some. However, since Underwood Ammo came along and is using the xtreme penetrator and xtreme defense bullets from Lehigh Defense I’ve switched. Better wound channel, better penetration and barrier blind. And typically costs less than BBs offerings. It turns some pistol rounds into low end rifle rounds. There are many vids showing it’s performance. One of the better ones is Iraqveteran8888 shooting their 45 acp offerings.
+1, Texican. Right there with ya on the Underwood Extreme Penetrator. An amazing round.
Get a P365 or Shield and end this .380 BS once and for all.
Or a P938
The LCP and similar guns are way smaller than the Shield, P365 etc. The tiny .380s work great for pocket carry. The little 9s are only so-so for pocket carry. It makes sense to have both (plus an AirWeight snubby).
I pocket carry a P365 with the 12 round mag easily
Yes, but does it weigh 10 oz. I can jam a N-fame revolver into a pocket, but then I look a little too happy
I care far more about carrying an effective cardridge and capacity than weight.
After a gunfight, nobody ever said that they wished they had a smaller gun, less capacity and lower stopping power
For me the P365 is an IWB gun, not a pocket gun, that’s the point. That gun is about the same size as a Kahr P9, and I would not pocket carry that (I have and I found the un-supported weight unacceptable). I can slip a 380 IN A HOLSTER that supports the gun into a back pocket of a pair of jeans at it looks like a wallet. You can’t do that with your P365 (much less with 12 rounds).
If you are that concerned with being effective in a gun fight nothing will beat a IWB. You can draw faster, and the best part is actually use the rig in IDPA so you can get in some practice under pressure.
And we get back to the #1 rule in a gun fight, have a gun!
Bring enough gun !
Whenever I need more power in my 380 pistols I just load them with 9mm +p+ like my brother in law who is in the air force does. Hoorah bro!
Well I shot Pow’RBall out of a TCP. Supposedly went up to 1200fps. It ran fine. Oh and Jeff Quinn(Gunblast)runs +p or even +p+ in damn near every gun review. I still don’t want a 380. I’ll stick with 9 mm and a myriad of good cheaper ammo. They make some little 9’s…
Sorry, but nothing is as slim as a .380. I sold by PM9, and now go with a CW380 and a CW9 depending on carry. The PM9 is just too think for pocket and if I go IWB, might as well have a full grip. I always have my CW380 in my pocket, the PM9, not so much.
I have used this ammunition in my Ruger LCP. I still have all my fingers and my face is no uglier than before – except for the additional factor of aging. My experiences with Ruger are that the company builds pistols that are generally stronger than they need to be, they generally have lousy triggers, and the company goes through many more hoops than other companies do to limit their exposure to liability claims. Oh, and their guns are affordable.
Your snarkiness may vary.
I love my LCPs (the LCP II not so much, so much so that the company had to take it back in exchange for an original LCP given how failure-prone it was). Can it handle the higher pressure? Probably. But it’s like all things ballistic, what is your risk assessment and comfort level.
Personally I would probably shy away from this in an LCP, TCP, and such. I can see how in larger firearms like a Glock 42 or the Ruger LC380 it might be a viable option. But by the time you’re going to those larger 380s, it might be time simply to switch to a small 9.
Well, I liked the article. The .380 “+P” really can bring another 125 FPS or so. This is the only “+P+ load I’ve tried in my Bodyguard .380, and the difference in felt recoil is noticeable. It has been perfectly reliable for me as well, while giving decent accuracy. The .380 can use all the energy it can get, and obviously I practice with lower-power ammo.
Plenty of purists say that you shouldn’t shoot +P. Well, I shoot it just fine. The 5.56 is basically a +P. Sure, it’ll wear out your gun faster, but if they are reliable, they are worth it. Every shoot in self defense? You’ll wish for the most powerful handgun ammo – that is still consistent and reliable – that you can put in your gun. My Smith 627 – 5” is loaded with Underwood 125 grain bonded .357 JHP that is good for more than 1630 FPS and almost 750 foot pounds. It’s very accurate. If I was facing a bad guy, I’d rather have that load than a typical 550 FPE .357.
I feel the same about my 3″ and 6″ GP 100s that I keep loaded with Double Tap 158gr. Nosler SJHPs. I figure 600+ft/lbs from the 3″ and ~800ft/lbs from the 6″. There is one difference though, these and your Underwoods are NOT +p, they’re simply full po wer .357 loads.
BTW, those ‘bonded’ bull ets are Speer Gold Dots (for some reason Speer doesn’t like other manufacturers using the term ‘Gold Dot’). They should work great in hot loads from your 5″, but they simply don’t expand at lower velocities. The 158s are way worse – Check out Lucky Gunner’s tests. Now my stock up for the zombie apocalypse load is Remy’s 125gr. SJHPs (although the 158s are very good as well). They are the polar opposite of the Gold Dots. At higher velocities they will underpenetrate, but should work quite well from the 3″. IMHO the only reason to use a fully jacketed hollow point is because SJHPs won’t feed in semi-autos. However, when increasing velocities it might be wise to increase sectional density as well. But those Gold Dots in .357 seem to need plenty of velocity to break open.
The bonded 125s blow the snot out of gallon water jugs at 40 yards, so they definitely expand. I haven’t tried them in gel.
SAAMI publishes standards for only three +P loadings — 38Spl, 9mm and .45. Buffalo Bore admitted back in 2013 that its .380+P exceeds SAAMI standards for plain-Jane .380s, so I’m thinking that shooting those .380+Ps is like shooting craps.
Here the warning against shooting .380 +P ammo in a Taurus TCP 738, from the user manual pg 19.
WARNING
…There are only four calibers that can carry a “+P” rating from SAAMI. They are 38 Special +P, 9mm Luger +P, 38 Super Automatic and 45 Automatic +P. There are no other SAAMI approved “+P” loads. Any ammunition in any other caliber marked “+P” is not SAAMI compliant, may be dangerous and should not be used.Only fire SAAMI rated Plus P (“+P”) ammunition in Taurus® models designated by Taurus for +P use as below. Firing +P ammunition in other Taurus products may be dangerous and can result in serious bodily injury or death.
Model 85 small-frame revolver in 38 Special. Model 850 small-frame revolver in 38 Special. Model 851 small-frame revolver in 38 Special.Model 85 Polymer small-frame revolver in 38 Special. Model 82 medium-frame revolver in 38 Special. Model 817 compact frame (tracker) revolver in 38 Special.All firearms chambered in 38 Super Automatic. All firearms chambered in 45 Automatic (ACP). All firearms chambered in 9mm Luger.
NOTICE
Even if your Taurus® firearm is rated for Plus-P (“+P”) ammunition, such ammunition generates pressures significantly in excess of the pressures associated with standard ammunition. Such pressures may affect the useful life of the firearm or exceed the margin of safety built into many firearms. Unless you need +P ammunition, do not use it, particularly for practice.
What bullet is it using? Is this the same 90 grain JHP they’ve been loading for years, or is it a new projectile?
It’s either Lehigh Defense extreme penetrator or don’t bother with .380. Period.
There are a lot of figures laid out here in the article and the comments including bullet velocity, penetration depth, etc.
Of key interest for safety, though, traditionally, is what does +P mean in terms of peak pressure?
Peak pressure is determined by the dynamic dance between the pressure rise from the powder conflagration (gas generation and thermal rise) and the pressure relief caused by the increasing volume behind the bullet caused by it’s motion down the barrel.
And, based on that peak pressure, what is the factor of safety on the hoop stress in the barrel, and the case thickness and it’s ability to contain pressure on the back end?
If all the above works out ok, then your firearm has to deal with the effect of that higher pressure on the rest of the gun mechanism while it attempts to eject the spent cartridge and then chamber the next round. At best it is more wear and tear or just failure to feed, or an ejection that ends up knocking your neighbor out (kidding). At worst you have some mechanical failure(s).
SAAMI puts bounds on that peak pressure. If there is no +P designation standard for that particular caliber, such as the .380, it might be just as meaningful to say .380 “higher pressure”.
That said, it appears like the BB folks know what they are doing. But without some sort of details and a standard and analytical calculations and empirical testing, we sure don’t. And you are on largely your own if you shoot their ammo.
https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_list&c=164
I myself would rather use this load in my Colt gov’t model .380 since it is a locked breech auto, but years ago when super vel had thier hot 380 load , then followed on by corbon with thiers people who used their Walther PPK/s with them used to get a heavier spring for it ( which I am sure someone like Brownnels would have). if you are only going to fire just a few rounds through your Walther once in a while , it would probably be ok. but if you plan to make this your only load than I would get another spring. corbons load from a Walther PPK/s was cronnied at 1159fps. so it was hot.a guns smith would be able to recommend what poundage spring you would need. and at Brownnels, they may have a knowledgable person there on staff also to help you with that.otherwise , yes I think prolonged use of this load in a Walther PPK/s would wear the gun out over time, how fast depends on how much shooting.
Hell, folks! I have shot this stuff from a Taurus 738! Safe – you bet. Snappy? That also. Best 380 on the market.
These results are not impressive for newer .380 defensive ammunition. The Extreme Defender and Extreme Penetrator projectiles produced by Lehigh defense, and loaded onto Leheigh, Underwood Ammo and Black Hills cartridges, far exceed the performance of this Buffalo Bore rounds. The penetration into standardized ballistic gelatin, with and without the appropriate FBI-accepted brriers, and the resultant wound cavities of the Lehigh Defense bullets result in far better and consistent penetration, and with wound cavities 2 1/2 times that of expandable projectiles such as Buffalo Bore’s. Those are simply objective facts.
I typically load aluminum-cased CCI JHPs (I forgot the grain weight) in my Colt Govt. Officer’s model 380. Wondering how well it would handle a +P round? … anybody else have one and used +P rounds?
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