Boolits in the Ruger LCP

[MikeSSS]

Got an LCP, that was easy, finding ammo was harder.

First up: some Serbian "hollow points" with a big flat nose. They looked like they couldn't work but they did, 6+1 twice with two different mags. Next: American Eagle ball, 6+1 with both mags, again flawless operation.

Note here, the slide velocity is pretty high and the cases went to the right, to the front, to the rear and sometimes to the left after bouncing off my hat. The little gun felt like it was taking a beating.

OK, now I had some brass to load....if I could only find it. .380 brass is very elusive on dried grass that is the same color as fired cases.

The boolit: 105 gr SWC from a Lee six hole mold, cast from range lead and lubed with Liquid Alox. These were air cooled and maybe cast a bit cool.

The powder: 2.2 gr of Win. 231.

Seating depth: just a bit of boolit shoulder in front of the case mouth.

Back to the range with high hopes and some doubt. (Last night I found a link to a Kaboomed LCP, some things are better off not explored.)

I loaded up 6+1 and approached the silhouette.......bam, bam, bing, boom, WOW, boy did these shoot nice. These loads give the LCP a reasonable slide velocity, function great, hit the target where you want without even aiming and all things good and truth and beauty and Jessica Alba!!! The reload brass flew into the air, had a lot less hang time and dropped to the right of the shooter where they could actually be found.

Well, that's the deal, based on very limited shooting the LCP just seems to be just made for reasonable cast boolit loads.

Now, it I could just turn 9mm brass into .380 brass.........................................

Edit to add: about stopping power, the boolit loads stopped a grasshopper just fine, one to wound him and a second to put him away. (He was about an inch long.) "The .380, now that's a real stopper."

[EMC45]

I use the Lee 120gr. sized to .358 in my KelTec. Works great.

[zardoz]

I just made up 50 rounds of .380, using the 105 grain Lee SWC, sized to .356 over 3 grains Unique.

Very consistent performance out of my KelTec P3AT, but the brass flew into oblivion. I even spent a short while with a metal detector trying to find out where they went, to no avail. Recoil was not as brisk, as when shooting some Lawman rounds with 95 grain FMJ bullets. I did find one of those cases by accident, perhaps 30 feet away from where I fire.

Currently working on making a brass catcher out of the fiberglass screening material. My shooting range, is out in a heavy forest area on my land, and the cases just get lost in the leaves.

[Lloyd Smale]

I dont worry to much. Ive got two of them. I put about 200 rounds through each to insure reliability and they both sit in vechicles loaded with gold dots. If i want to plink with a 380 my bersa is a much better gun for that anyway.

[slimpickins]

Any chance you can post the link to the kaboomed LCP?

[SlowLeadBullets]

http://65.172.200.34/ruger/ruger.htm

[JW6108]

Just FYI, for all the Kel-Tec and other micro .380's: attempting to get published factory ballistics with those short barrels is unrealistic. I've chrono'd the Federal 95 FMJ in my P3AT: 795 fps for 135 ft/lbs.

Federal's website shows 980 fps and 203 ft./lbs. for the same load. Big difference.

http://www.federalpremium.com/products/details/handgun.aspx?id=79

After trying this out for myself, I have gotten a lot more creative about ways to carry a Glock 27. The mouseguns have their selling points, but power is not one of them.

[9.3X62AL]

The mouseguns have their selling points, but power is not one of them.


Hear, hear.

[StarMetal]

I wonder if JW6108 is including the 30 Luger and 7.62x25 Tokarev as mouse guns? I hope not. Those Russian Tokarevs are plenty thin and light...great carry gun.

Joe

[EMC45]

My Kel Tec has gone on to another home. Replaced by a Smith Mod 36 with Hydra Shoks.

[S.R.Custom]

http://65.172.200.34/ruger/ruger.htm

That's the problem with loading for mouse guns. A half grain too much powder in a 45-70, nobody cares. A half grain too much powder in a .380 earns you the nickname "Three Finger Pete."

[Tristan]

My Kel Tec has gone on to another home. Replaced by a Smith Mod 36 with Hydra Shoks.

A wise choice, I think.

[EMC45]

A wise choice, I think.



Indeed. I would carry my 19911A1 every day if clothing and work would permit.

[JW6108]

I wonder if JW6108 is including the 30 Luger and 7.62x25 Tokarev as mouse guns? I hope not. Those Russian Tokarevs are plenty thin and light...great carry gun.

Joe

Not at all; they have enough barrel length to allow their cartridges to generate a significant amount of velocity (and penetration). From the few of each I have handled, they seem to be good handling and capable pistols. I have a 1903 Colt in .32 ACP that is thin and easy to carry, but it doesn't have the advantage of the high velocity that can be obtained from the Toks, etc.

I think of the genuine squeakers as being .22, .25, .32 and .380 in guns that can be easily covered with your hand. That's a generalization, but pretty much the way I look at them. They aren't worthless for defensive purposes as some seem to think, but they do require careful evaluation on an individual basis as to the best way to use them as such.

[Apiarian]

On the LCP kaboom, did you see that flattened primer on that blown case?
I reload for my P3AT and have run it up until I get well defined guppies in a case, then back it off. BUT, none have had flattened primers like that. I have found RP cases guppie worse than other brands. I only use the RP cases for mild loads.

btw, a really nice load is Solo 1000, 3.6-3.7gr under a 100gr Berry's for an ave. of 858fps. Also under a 102gr Rem Golden Saber at ave. 872fps. This load has no pressure signs in my P3AT using lapua brass.

[GUSTAVOAR]

Hello:
In my BERSA 380, I use 5 Gr of BLUE DOT with 105 Gr Lead Bullets.

[MGySgt]

If is were to carry a 380 I would probably carry the new Hornady Critical Defense loads in 380.
I bought some of them for my 9mm (3913). They shoot ok, less recoil and acceptable accurary at 20 yards (about 3 in).

[dirtdobbertwo]

kaboom?? http://65.172.200.34/ruger/ruger.htm

as i sit here with my lcp apart and in hand, and looking at these pics, it is very obvious that there has been some serious grinding done on and around his feed ramp.
with my barrel out and round dropped in, there is no unsupported case showing past the forward edge of the grove toward the boolit. all of that blown out or expanded part of his case would have been inside of the chamber in my gun.
i think he either bought the gun used and got screwed or he built some boolits that wouldnt feed and rather than correct the boolit he ground the ramp down until they would feed.
dont think he has a case against the gun or powder mfg. they cant fix stupid!!
meanwhile ill keep reloading for my lcp that i am verry happy with confident in..

[ronbo]

From the pictures of the blown up LCP chamber area. It looks like either the casing is not seated all the way in the chamber or the feed ramp has been ground down. Looking at the loaded round with cast bullet the leading edge of the cast bullet might be butting up against the chamber throat and preventing the casing being fully seated. I am shooting a RCBS cast 90 grain round nose that seats fully into the case, .356 diameter lead part of bullet fully seated into the casing round nose part exposed. For plinking in the LCP have gone as low as 2 grains of 700X and that still cycles the action fine. The old Lyman manual loads are pretty hot in 380 and 9mm.

[wallenba]

Dirtdobbertwo, just looked at my LCP, it looks the same as yours. I've only fired commercial Indy thru it. No problems. If you have any of that ammo left, pull some bullets and recheck the charges, then the case overall length. If all that is ok, slug the barrel and see if it is headspacing correctly.

[wallenba]

I got a little mixed up in my previous reply as to who had the problem, my apologies. Also, in a cartridge this small I would chose a powder with a very low VMD, so there would be more room for error in charging A little too much here is a lot! Could be too, the brass could have been used and thin near the rim.