reloading .380 ACP question.

[jcb7469]

So the girl is picking up a walther pk380. And thats seems to be a farily rare caliber at the local wally world. I read somewhere that .380 shares a bullet with 9mm is this accurate. I know case and powder will be different just wondering.

 

[Younggun]

Kinda, it is the same diameter but outside of the 95gr there aren't any shared bullets. Very few 9mm loads go that light and .380 isn't gonna do well with anything heavier.

Be careful loading .380, the small case capacity and powder charge makes overcharging very easy.

 

[jcb7469]

Thanks,
I respect your opinion and experience. Im also going to be reloading .45 and .40 so im thinking wait for a few hundred successful 40 and 45 reloads before i start doing 380?

 

[deemus]

380 cases are small, so you have to be careful when setting up your dies. I crushed a few case mouths before getting my powder through expanding die set just right.

Also, I ordered bullets from Montana Gold. Free shipping and $115 for 1K. The 95 g bullets work great.

 

[Vaquero]

Don't seat the bullet too deep. That small case wil have major pressure changes due to change in seating depth.

 

[ROGER4314]

I load for .380, 9x19 Luger and 9x18 Makarov. I echo the comments about overcharging the cases. Any case is vulnerable to overcharge but the tiny amount of Bullseye required for the .380 makes it tough to see a double charge. A double charge will easily fit in the .380 case.

I use cast lead bullets to load the 9x18 and Remington 95 grain FMJ for .380. So far, they have been easy to get.

Incidentally, the 9x19 Luger and 9x18 Makarov cases are very similar and you can trim a Luger case to use it for 9x18. I also load the .380 so it would be easy to pick the WRONG cartridge for the pistol I'm using. For that reason, I never use anything but the proper case with correct headstamp. Using a 9x18 Mak load with a 9x19 headstamp case is asking for trouble.

It's been my experience that the small cases are harder to load. I have giant hands so that may be something that my hand size creates. It may be different for you.

Flash

 

[jcb7469]

Thanks guys,
I really didnt want her to get a 380 i wanted her to buy a 9mm but this one was pink and she loved it so...lol

 

[ROGER4314]

These are the projectiles that I use for .380.
Remington Bullets 380 ACP (356 Diameter) 95 Grain Full Metal Jacket

Flash

 

[jrbfishn]

If you want some .380 brass, i have about 275,you can have them. Guns galore in killeen has 90 grhp for 380 and berry's,extreme and rocky mtn reloading all have 100 grain. I know they work well in my 9mm


Sent from my iPhone by a coffeeholic

 

[jcb7469]

Thanks jrbfishn, i may take you up on that when i get home. I gotta tell you im not really a big fan of guns galore, too much of a lets gouge the troops kind of feel everytime i went there(of course most of killeen gives me that feeling). Could of just been a chip on my shoulder who knows?