Is .380 FMJ better than hollow points? Exclusive gel test.
The .380 ACP, developed by gun guru John Browning in 1908, has always been a problem child. It produces half the energy its bigger cousin the 9x19mm does, and a mere third what the mighty 10mm Auto pounds out. This low kinetic energy means hollow point loads in the caliber are notorious under penetrators. In short, they often do not drive far enough into an assailant to damage vital organs in a reliable manner.
“So what?” You may ask, “Just use FMJ.” Trouble is full metal jacketed bullets (the original .380 loading) have the potential to over penetrate, which can generate significant liability problems for the civilian defender or law enforcement officer.
.380 ACP has become quite popular over the last few decades. The pistols which chamber it are small and handy, and appeal to the carry gun and backup gun market. We decided to see for ourselves if .380 FMJ is the way forward when it comes to defense against people wearing heavy winter clothing. To find out, we ran Federal’s American Eagle 95 grain FMJ through our exclusive “Frost Giant” gel test fixture.
The result surprised us, and we think it will you as well. Grab some popcorn, take a gander at our terrific video, and see for yourself if .380 FMJ is better than you think.
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At time of publication, LocaCarnivore had no commercial interests in any products or brands mentioned in this video.
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