Bought a new Ruger LCP .380 yerterday, plus three box's of ammo.
One box of ammo is Magtech Guardian Gold, +P 85 GR. JHP. When i
got home and read the manual, it said not to shoot +P's in the pistol.
So to be safe i would like to pull the bullets, and reload them to a
safe, and standard load.None of my books show a load for an 85 GR.
bullet.Does anyone have any good load data for this bullet that they would share with me ? (Thanks)
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If you have to pull it, Make it smoke.
I'm no expert but I have ruptured a few 380's when I first started reloading. The data is all over the board. One manual for example with their 90 gr. bullet shows a starting load of 2.5 grs. Unique for 709 fps at 8,700 C.U.P. and a max. of 3.4 grs. for 967 fps at 15,500 C.U.P. Another manual shows for their 90 gr. bullet a starting load of 4.1 grs. of Unique and a max. of 4.6 Compressed! These are huge swings for such a small cartridge in my opinion and I would recommend starting with about 2.5 grs. and working up while only loading up a few at the time. I was using a much more substantial pistol in a Makarov at the time and the hot loads that didn't rupture bulged quite a bit into the feed ramp. I wouldn't want to try any of those loads in the new mini pistols.
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As an RCBS owner I choose not to participate in ammo shortages.
I wouldn't pull the bullets from factory loaded ammo. I would see if there was someone you knew who has a .380 and wants to buy them from you. If not then you can pull them and down load them.
On the LCP forum there are those who have shot the +p ammo through it with no ill effects but then again it is a forum and how can you believe everything you read?
Take the ammo back and explain the situation and see if you can trade it for ammo you can shoot. If that isn't feasible you could weigh a few powder charges(individually) from a few to see where they are loaded and then drop that by 10% and reload. That should get you down below the +P and in a standard load. Then you can use everything you have and dump the left over powder.
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Gun control is putting 2 bullets in the same hole.
wierd....theres load data for 80grs bullets and 90 but magtech sells a 85 gr bullet for hand loading
i'm wondering if thier 80 grain loading is used under a 85 gr bullet to get the +P rating ( not that i'm sayin try it....just thinkin)
I bought the gun and ammo at a gun show. If i can find load data for
a 85 GR. bullet, i think i will just pull the bullets, and down load. Can't
belive i can't find load data for a 85 GR. bullet. If someone does come
across load data for an 85GR. bullet, please get back with me. (Thanks)
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If you have to pull it, Make it smoke.
Barnes 4th has a 80 gr., Lee 2nd a 88 gr. and all my others are heavier. You may want to shoot Sierra or Hornady an email for assistance if you don't know who produced the bullet or just use data for heavier bullets and create your own load data which is more fun anyway.
The Lee book has data for 88 grain jacketed bullets. I have used that with 85 grain Magtech bullets and shot them from my P3AT which is pretty much the same gun as the LCP. It worked out fine.
I know it's an old thread but thought pics may help with my first post.Speer lists 21,500 PSI as standard but doesn't say which standard. To me this data would be considered +P while Lyman keeps most loads below 17,000 PSI. Lyman's and Speer's data seems questionable as Lyman's CUP and PSI #'s are too close together and I believe Speer's to be more appropiate for +p. Below is my +P+ experiment mention in my first post.
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As an RCBS owner I choose not to participate in ammo shortages.
If I wanted to shoot something like .380 +p ammo, I would buy a 9mm Makarov instead. Never try to reach further than the gun was designed. I wonder how many pistols have probably kaboomed because of shooting +P ammo.
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People think I'm paranoid because I own guns. If I own guns, what do I have to be paranoid about?
I know it's an old thread but thought pics may help with my first post.Speer lists 21,500 PSI as standard but doesn't say which standard. To me this data would be considered +P while Lyman keeps most loads below 17,000 PSI. Lyman's and Speer's data seems questionable as Lyman's CUP and PSI #'s are too close together and I believe Speer's to be more appropiate for +p. Below is my +P+ experiment mention in my first post.
I was loading 115 gr. bullets and at the time I didn't have as many reloading manuals as I do now(or shortly thereafter). With so little data available I choose to break ground and develop my own data. I wound up pushing it too far with nearly 0.5 grs. too much. After the first shot I said to myself " Hmm, an anomaly" and examined the ruptured case and it's handiwork. I loosened the grip screw on the Makarov to tuck the dovetail of the grips back in the frame and removed the next round from the mag with blooming jacket. I arrogantly readied for my next shot and once again the hot gases puffed the grip out it's dovetail, another ruptured case.
Luckily thats all the harm done and a vaulable lesson was learned. I then disassembled the remaining few rounds and quitely bought more manuals.
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As an RCBS owner I choose not to participate in ammo shortages.
ruger doesnt recommend anything +p in any of their guns. the reason they REALLY say not to +p in the LCP is because the .380 has no standardized +p value. stay away from +p in any firearm. just means less penetration.
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The right to bear arms is WAY less ludicrous than the right to arm bears!
