Ammo selection for Ruger LCP

[Fatman]

It's been 3 days now with no response from BB on the pressures in their 380 ACP line.  Being a former QA manager, I am always leery of a company labeling something for a non-existent (not published) spec or making a claim of product performance spun off a test minimum/maximum that does not apply to the the intended use of the product. 

For the ammo, you could assume that if SAAMI were to publish a +P spec for 380, it would fall in line with the percentage over standard pressure for those cartridges with a +P standard and load it to that theoretical spec and stretch a claim saying you meet SAAMI - or being a smart businessman you could realize the existing 380 ammo is loaded well below the maximum 21500 psi and load yours to the max. Calling it +P could be nothing more than label to point this out.


BB site does not have a  blanket statemet anywhere that all their ammo meets published SAAMI standards.  It does specifically have a SAAMI statment for two loads.
     
Would either Michael or the Halloways be willing to take a stab at this and get a definitive statement from BB?

[Overload]

There's a * on the Cabelas site for the 380 TAP FPD indicating a Cabelas Exclusive.
Overload in CO

[Michael Bane]

I'm not hugely worried about any ammo currently produced in the United States in any gun currently produced in the United States. That said, I would strongly suggest keeping BB "+P" to a minimum. In the absence of a .380+P spec from SAAMI, it makes sense to err on the side of caution.

Two points here:

1) In truth, all pocket pistols are always about shot placement, regardless of the ammo. Whether .38 Special, .380, .32, even .22LR from something like a TPH, we ABSOLUTELY have to rely on shot placement for them to deliver the mail. I'm not sure that kicking an anemic round up a 100 fps or so changes anything, and it makes the NECESSARY second and third shot that much harder to place. I know for a fact that I can precisely place multiple shots with the LCP with either Cor-Bon or Winchester SliverTips, and that knowledge is more valuable to me than a bump in fps.

2) With pocket pistols, we need to practice with ball. Better yet, we need to find an equivalent gun in .22LR and practice with that. Pocket pistols are unpleasant to shoot...DUH...and it's far too easy to generate a raft of bad habits. I know there's a whole school of thought about "only shooting what you carry," but that runs smack against the fact that training with .22LR or even AirSoft yileds huge gains...heck, remember that Tasuya Sakai won the Steel Challenge by spending a year in Japan shooting only AirSoft. SWAT teams and Special Forces routinely train with sims. We should take a page with what works. I'd love an LCP in .22LR...I can;t say Ruger is enthused about the project!

Michael B

[Fatman]

Good points, Michael. 

I finally found something from Ruger's Ken Jorgensen in Concealed Carry Handguns annual magazine regarding ammo for the LCP. "Because SAAMI has not established parameters on a +P round for .380ACP ammunition, we can't recommend it."  The author continues on (not quoted) Use of +P loads isn't a safety issue, but it will accelerate wear on the little pistol.

[ericire12]

+p also could theoretically cause enough damage to instantly render the gun a permanent paper weight.

[Sponsor]

[Fatman]

I don't see anything like that w/ a search. Talk to me, BAC! Where did you see it? 

[Fatman]

Never mind. I found the new .380 round.

[Overload]

As a followup, I ordered two boxes of .380 TAP, and received them within a week.  I've run them through my 3AT without any problems.  They feel slightly better (milder?) than the Federal Hydra-Shoks I also took and shot.  Both were snappier than the Fiocchi FMJ I also brought.  The 15 year old with me liked the TAP the best.

[Fatman]

Thanks! Now to see if I even get that show. With a bunch of kids in the house, I don't even get the HBO package. Why pay for what you can't use?

[Fatman]

As a followup, I ordered two boxes of .380 TAP, and received them within a week.  I've run them through my 3AT without any problems.  They feel slightly better (milder?) than the Federal Hydra-Shoks I also took and shot.  Both were snappier than the Fiocchi FMJ I also brought.  The 15 year old with me liked the TAP the best.

I haven't used TAP in the LCP, but I did use .45 TAP recently and liked it a lot.