Good ammo choices for the Ruger LCP?

Mokumbear · February 24, 2010, 08:42 PM

I tried to search for this but ran out of time/patience.

I have read before that .380 ammo simply does not have enough power
to open up JHP ammo properly.

Would I be better off firing ball ammo rather than JHP?

Your ammo suggestions would be appreciated, particularly if you
have a LCP.

EdInk · February 24, 2010, 08:44 PM

Hornady Critical Defense.

gglass · February 24, 2010, 08:47 PM

Remington Golden Sabre 102gr

This is a link to plenty of tests for pocket carry .380 ballistics... http://www.ktog.org/cgi-bin/yabb2/Ya...num=1199737660

Yes current generation .380's do expand just fine.

ritepath · February 24, 2010, 09:15 PM

Hornady Critical Defense.

I'll second that, a friend of mine uses this stuff in his without any problems. He's run several boxes without problems.

Dukezern · February 24, 2010, 09:20 PM

I purchased an LCP last year. I do love that little pistol. Very liable and extremely accurate or a pocket auto.

I bought a box of cheaper, off the shelf rounds for my LCP, then reloaded those with Hornady Critical Defense, as EdInk suggested. Trust me, those things will sock it to ya!! I decided to drop a few $$ and buy a roasting chicken at Giant. I sat the chicken up about 15 yards away and hit it with the critical defense reloads. Trust me, ol' buddy...the Critical Defense loads will get the job done.

IdahoG36 · February 25, 2010, 01:16 AM

CorBon DPX is a good SD load for any small .380 IMO.

Kreyzhorse · February 25, 2010, 12:37 PM

I think running HP ammo in your LCP is fine. Personally, I carry mine with loaded with Federal HP and a spare mag with loaded with FMJ.

Delaware_Dan · February 25, 2010, 04:11 PM

With the .380 (and the .45ACP for that matter) round I prefer plain jane ball. American Eagle has worked just fine with only 2 hiccups. Both were when firing one handed, with the weak (left) hand, on my first range trip with the pistol. In short I prefer ball.

ARDogman · February 25, 2010, 04:52 PM

My LCP remains loaded with Remington Golden Sabre's alternated with Sellier & Bellot FMJ's...every other. Keep a box of spare's in each vehicle (PMC Starfire.) I have run the PMC Starfire, PMC FMJ, S&B FMJ, WWB, Fiocchi HP (this one is loaded with Hornady bullets), Magtech FMJ, Hornady Critical Defense, and obviously the Golden Sabre's. I have had zero failures to fire or eject, zero jamming. My dad has an LCP that has failed to eject on him a couple of times when dirty. I clean mine up EVERY time it's shot, and if it hasn't been shot for a couple of months, I clean it anyway, to get rid of pocket lint. I really think keeping these little guy's clean is the ticket.

That and shooting it enough to be intimately familiar with it.

podrav · February 25, 2010, 06:03 PM

Go with FMJ so you have 100% confidence in reaching adequate penetration.

Review the testing done here, The Box O' Truth #26 - Little Guns to see how poorly some JHP will perform in small guns.

Water-Man · February 25, 2010, 06:22 PM

The problem is more of a penetration issue with HPs rather than expansion.

usmcxd · February 26, 2010, 12:06 AM

I use the Remington FMJ rounds for any range shooting and then I keep the Guardian Golds on board when the power is in my pocket.

B.N.Real · February 26, 2010, 12:14 AM

The Cor Bon's have a hollow point with a plastic ball in the tip for the best of both worlds.

And they tend to be hot loaded as well.

For me though,I would load with ball ammo if I was concerned.

In winter time with a large body bad guy with a heavy jacket and alot of body fat,you'd be hard pressed to get through all of those layers to his vitals if you had too.

With my Mauser HSC,it has to use ball ammo to function right at all.

With a more modern gun like the LCP,the gun was engineered to use the more modern hollow point ammo.

February 24, 2010, 08:42 PM	#1
Mokumbear Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2005 Posts: 696	Good ammo choices for the Ruger LCP? I tried to search for this but ran out of time/patience. I have read before that .380 ammo simply does not have enough power to open up JHP ammo properly. Would I be better off firing ball ammo rather than JHP? Your ammo suggestions would be appreciated, particularly if you have a LCP.

February 24, 2010, 08:47 PM	#3
gglass Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2008 Location: Indiana Posts: 638	Remington Golden Sabre 102gr This is a link to plenty of tests for pocket carry .380 ballistics... http://www.ktog.org/cgi-bin/yabb2/Ya...num=1199737660 Yes current generation .380's do expand just fine. __________________ "...shall not be infringed." (Must be 18. Void where prohibited. Some restrictions may apply. Not available in all states).

February 25, 2010, 12:37 PM	#7
Kreyzhorse Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2006 Location: NKY Posts: 12,464	I think running HP ammo in your LCP is fine. Personally, I carry mine with loaded with Federal HP and a spare mag with loaded with FMJ. __________________ "He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson

February 26, 2010, 12:06 AM	#12
usmcxd Member Join Date: January 28, 2008 Location: disney world / orlando region Posts: 61	Ammo I use the Remington FMJ rounds for any range shooting and then I keep the Guardian Golds on board when the power is in my pocket.

February 24, 2010, 08:44 PM	#2
EdInk Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2009 Posts: 3,968	Hornady Critical Defense.

February 24, 2010, 09:15 PM	#4
ritepath Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2009 Location: Virginia Posts: 1,419	Hornady Critical Defense. I'll second that, a friend of mine uses this stuff in his without any problems. He's run several boxes without problems.

February 24, 2010, 09:20 PM	#5
Dukezern Member Join Date: January 9, 2010 Posts: 20	I purchased an LCP last year. I do love that little pistol. Very liable and extremely accurate or a pocket auto. I bought a box of cheaper, off the shelf rounds for my LCP, then reloaded those with Hornady Critical Defense, as EdInk suggested. Trust me, those things will sock it to ya!! I decided to drop a few $$ and buy a roasting chicken at Giant. I sat the chicken up about 15 yards away and hit it with the critical defense reloads. Trust me, ol' buddy...the Critical Defense loads will get the job done.

February 25, 2010, 01:16 AM	#6
IdahoG36 Senior Member Join Date: June 24, 2006 Location: Boise, Idaho Posts: 2,993	CorBon DPX is a good SD load for any small .380 IMO.

February 25, 2010, 04:11 PM	#8
Delaware_Dan Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2008 Posts: 1,304	With the .380 (and the .45ACP for that matter) round I prefer plain jane ball. American Eagle has worked just fine with only 2 hiccups. Both were when firing one handed, with the weak (left) hand, on my first range trip with the pistol. In short I prefer ball.

February 25, 2010, 04:52 PM	#9
ARDogman Senior Member Join Date: January 25, 2009 Location: Eastern South Dakota Posts: 247	My LCP remains loaded with Remington Golden Sabre's alternated with Sellier & Bellot FMJ's...every other. Keep a box of spare's in each vehicle (PMC Starfire.) I have run the PMC Starfire, PMC FMJ, S&B FMJ, WWB, Fiocchi HP (this one is loaded with Hornady bullets), Magtech FMJ, Hornady Critical Defense, and obviously the Golden Sabre's. I have had zero failures to fire or eject, zero jamming. My dad has an LCP that has failed to eject on him a couple of times when dirty. I clean mine up EVERY time it's shot, and if it hasn't been shot for a couple of months, I clean it anyway, to get rid of pocket lint. I really think keeping these little guy's clean is the ticket. That and shooting it enough to be intimately familiar with it.

February 25, 2010, 06:03 PM	#10
podrav Member Join Date: February 25, 2010 Posts: 43	Go with FMJ so you have 100% confidence in reaching adequate penetration. Review the testing done here, The Box O' Truth #26 - Little Guns to see how poorly some JHP will perform in small guns.

February 25, 2010, 06:22 PM	#11
Water-Man Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2008 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 2,126	The problem is more of a penetration issue with HPs rather than expansion.

February 26, 2010, 12:14 AM	#13
B.N.Real Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2008 Posts: 4,092	The Cor Bon's have a hollow point with a plastic ball in the tip for the best of both worlds. And they tend to be hot loaded as well. For me though,I would load with ball ammo if I was concerned. In winter time with a large body bad guy with a heavy jacket and alot of body fat,you'd be hard pressed to get through all of those layers to his vitals if you had too. With my Mauser HSC,it has to use ball ammo to function right at all. With a more modern gun like the LCP,the gun was engineered to use the more modern hollow point ammo.