On rec.guns there is, pretty much perpetually, debate on the effectiveness and paper ballistics of the .380.
One of the points is that there are two classes of .380's-- the pocket pistols with under 3" barrels (Colt Mustang, AMT Backup, etc) and the larger 380's with 3" to 4" barrels (Makarov, SIG 230, and so on).
Factory 380 specifications are listed for longer length barrels, and not much information is available about the velocity (and thus energy) loss from a shorter barreled .380. With this in mind, a little free range time, a borrowed chronograph and a couple of .380's, I set out to find out what I could.
The Guns:
What 380's I had handy. An AMT 380 DAO Backup, and a Russian Makarov in .380. Note that these results are only valid for these two individual guns. An otherwise identical gun may shoot the same ammunition differently, due to differences in bore size, bore roughness, chamber tightness, and other factors. However, I believe the general conclusions will remain consistent.
The Ammo:
A couple popular hollowpoints and a sample of generic FMJ.
I've been using Federal HydraShocks because they are easy to find, relatively cheap, and feed reliably in both guns. I bought the Golden Saber to try out the heavier bullets. The American Eagle FMJ because it was the cheapest 380 FMJ when I went by the store.
With the exception of the HydraShocks listed as (old)*, each gun was tested with ammunition randomly chosen from the same box.
As a check (and to answer another rec.guns FAQ), I tested some HydraShocks that had been stored in the car for several weeks, getting bounced, baked and frozen along with my upholstery. Those are listed as (old)* in the results.
The Chrono:
I borrowed an Oehler 35P proof channel chrono, and set it up at a local indoor range after jury-rigging a few lights. For reasons I suspect have to do with the lights, I didn't get as many readings as I wanted. Maybe if I get really bored, I'll redo some of these.
I computed both kinetic energy (ft-lbs) and, for grins, IPSC power factor (a measure of momentum with strange units) A summary of the results appears below, with the actual chrono data for each shot at the end.
The Results:
Factory (paper) Data wt (gr) mv (fps) bbl (in) KE (ft-lbs) IPSC PF
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal HydraShock 90 1000 3.75" 200 90
American Eagle FMJ 95 n/a n/a n/a n/a
Remington Golden Saber 102 940 4" 200 96
AMT 380 Backup DAO wt (gr) mv (fps) bbl (in) KE (ft-lbs) IPSC PF
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
American Eagle FMJ 95 895 2.75" 169 85
HydraShock (old)* 90 879 2.75" 154 79
HydraShock (new) 90 881 2.75" 155 79
Golden Saber 102 835 2.75" 158 85
Russian Makarov wt (gr) mv (fps) bbl (in) KE (ft-lbs) IPSC PF
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
American Eagle FMJ 95 1022 3.6" 220 97
HydraShock (old)* 90 982 3.6" 193 88
HydraShock (new) 90 981 3.6" 192 88
Golden Saber 102 970 3.6" 213 99
*this ammunition was from different lots and cannot be directly compared.
=============================================================================
.380 Chronograph Data - Tale of the Tape
-----------------------------------------
Chrono: Oehler 35P proof channel
Date: 5/2/96
Conditions: indoor range |
|
AMT 380 Backup DAO | Russian Makarov .380
2.75" barrel (measured breechface to muzzle) 3.6" barrel (ditto)
|
|
American Eagle 95gr FMJ |
----------------------- |
|
Velocity (fps) Energy (ft-lbs) IPSC PF | MV (fps) KE (ft-lbs) IPSC PF
880 163 84 | 985 204 94
878 162 83 | 1014 217 96
906 173 86 | 1031 224 98
902 171 86 | 1044 230 99
895 169 85 | 1037 227 99
907 173 86 | 1022 220 97
Average: |
(fps) (ft-lbs) (PF) | (fps) (ft-lbs) (PF)
895 169 85 | 1022 220 97
|
Advantage Makarov: (fps) (ft-lbs) (PF)
| 128 51 12
|
|
Federal HydraShock 90gr JHP (old, different lots)
--------------------------------------------------
Velocity (fps) Energy (ft-lbs) IPSC PF | MV (fps) KE (ft-lbs) IPSC PF
894 160 80 | 984 193 89
859 147 77 | 983 193 88
881 155 79 | 978 191 88
875 153 79 | 995 198 90
887 157 80 | 979 191 88
| 970 188 87
|
Average: (fps) (ft-lbs) (PF) | (fps) (ft-lbs) (PF)
879 154 79 | 982 192 88
|
Advantage Makarov: (fps) (ft-lbs) (PF)
| 102 38 9
|
|
Federal HydraShock 90gr JHP (new, same lot)
--------------------------------------------
|
Velocity (fps) Energy (ft-lbs) IPSC PF | MV (fps) KE (ft-lbs) IPSC PF
893 159 80 | 992 196 89
894 160 80 | 990 196 89
868 150 78 | 983 193 88
873 152 79 | 969 187 87
875 153 79 | 978 191 88
| 976 190 88
|
Average: (fps) (ft-lbs) (PF) | (fps) (ft-lbs) (PF)
881 155 79 | 981 192 88
|
Advantage Makarov: (fps) (ft-lbs) (PF)
| 101 37 9
|
|
Remington Golden Saber 102gr BJHP |
--------------------------------- |
|
Velocity (fps) Energy (ft-lbs) IPSC PF | MV (fps) KE (ft-lbs) IPSC PF
882 176 90 | 937 199 96
815 150 83 | 975 215 99
848 163 86 | 1012 232 103
794 143 81 | 940 200 96
| 977 216 100
| 976 216 100
|
Average: (fps) (ft-lbs) (PF) | (fps) (ft-lbs) (PF)
835 158 85 | 970 213 99
|
Advantage Makarov: (fps) (ft-lbs) (PF)
| 135 55 14
|
|