Anybody here reload 380?

[gregintenn]

I'm getting a list together to place an order, and thinking about adding some 380 reloading dies, brass, bullets, etc. to it. Seems like it would be more beneficial and cost effective than loading 9mm, which I currently do. However, the 9mm is small enough I find it sort of a pain to work with. I know the 380 will be worse. Let's here your thoughts.

[jtmaze]

I am just starting as well. I just got my bench set up today and sized and decapped about 250 cases. I haven't bought powder yet and was going to get on here to ask for recommendations for a good all around pistol powder. Starting with .380 and going to also reload .40 and 45. [IMG]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/12/03/mu7u5e3e.jpg[/IMG]


JTM
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[buck1032]

I do load 380 as well as 9mm Para. Just be mindful of keeping the 9 and 380 brass seperated when loading. Dont bother asking how I know about such "issues". LOL But in all actuality it isnt anymore difficult to load than 9. For once fired brass I dont usually bother trimming, but thats just me.

[Jonnin]

I reload the 380. For less that $5 a box, its very worth it if you shoot much of the caliber. I double up the savings -- I adapted the cheap LRN bullets for my 380 to my 9, keeping the costs down for both.

The only problems I had with 380 were trying to use a hot powder.... too small a charge, use a fatter powder, try something that uses 4 grains or more unless you have precise powder and scale.

[jtmaze]

I have an rcbs powder dispenser and Hornaday scale.


JTM
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[rcrespo106]

[quote name='jtmaze' timestamp='1354502429' post='854033']
I am just starting as well. I just got my bench set up today and sized and decapped about 250 cases. I haven't bought powder yet and was going to get on here to ask for recommendations for a good all around pistol powder. Starting with .380 and going to also reload .40 and 45. [img]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/12/03/mu7u5e3e.jpg[/img]


JTM
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[/quote]I use w231 for .380, 9mm and .45 works really well.

[Hershmeister]

I use accurate #5 for all my pistols. Very versatile and a load fills @ 2/3 the case, which i find a nice safety feature.

[Guest CajunKen]

I have been reloading .380 for about 2 years. It saves a bunch of money. I use Unique and Universal powders. If you have a RCBS Charge Master or similar Scale/Dispenser, either Powder works fine, but with the
rcbs Uniflo Powder Dispenser, I Never could get consistently accurate charges with Unique. powder As for bullets for the .380, I order mine ( 95 gn LRN from www.friendswoodbullet.com located in Friendswood, Tx. His prices are competitive and the quality is top notch. He will ship to anywhere in U. S.A, I have no connection whatsoever with the Co, but he is a nice young man ( I met him once when I was visiting Kin in the Houston area and picked up my order at his house )who started his business part time and since he is supplying a sometimes scarce product, I wish him success..

I don't trim the cases.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask here or pm me.

[gregintenn]

Thanks guys!

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I reloaded about 300 .380's a couple years ago with a dillon SDB press and dies. But currently only have one tiny NAA .380 gun and haven't been shooting it much. One of these days when I find a Beretta Cheetah "real cheap" (keep dreaming) will reload more.

Dunno if it is a die problem or bullet dimension problem. I think it is a bullet dimension problem. Had got 500 XTP 90gn .380 bullets, and my caliper and micrometer measures them about a thou or two smaller than what the box says, and all the other XTP bullets I've had measure bang-on to what the box says. Anyway, wasn't able to adjust the crimp die to any position which would hold the bullets firmly enough to avoid "at least a little bit" of setback, but the loads I made are so light I'm not real afeared of setback problems with those particular loads I made. The obvious thing would be to get another brand of 90 gn bullets, or try some experimental .380 loads with 124gn 9mm bullets just to see if they crimp tighter (because they mic a little bigger diameter).

Also bought a lee factory crimp die for .380 for future experimentation (haven't messed with it yet) to see if that would hold onto the bullets a little tighter. In the case that maybe it is a dimensioning problem with the dillon crimp die rather than slightly-undersize bullets. If I ever get around to it and discover that the Lee fcd will make the bullets tight but the dillon die won't, will contact dillon about it and they will most certainly make it right. Just hasn't been high-priority because I don't shoot much .380.

Would also like to get around to buying a cannelure tool sometime. That would definitely solve any setback even with the "loose bullet" loads I made, and a cannelure tool would also be neat to have for full-tilt-boogie .357 mag loads.

The brass in .380 is noticeably thinner than ferinstance 9mm or .357, so dunno if that complicates issues, but ferinstance if the metal was thin enough, obviously it would be harder to talk the metal into making a tight crimp.

[R_Bert]

All total, I have done ~500

I found the Lee FC to be essential in getting a decent crimp on the .380 ACP. I could never get consistent results on the others.

Last 300 were using Unique in my P3AT. No problems so far. All using range brass that I have not bothered to trim.

[Guest Frightful1]

I've been loading .380 for about 5 years now. It is a bit tedious due to the small size of cases and bullets, but well worth it. I am using Bullseye powder and watch the load weight VERY carefully. Berry's and Xtreme bullets from T.J. Conevera's helps hold the cost down.

[Westwindmike]

I load .380's with Accurate #5 and I cast my own 95 gr boolit. Shoots good in my Bersa.

[The Man]

I've been reloading .380 only recently. My 1st try at it , I used Unique, at a measured load of 2.8 g r n s.  I used a 95 LRN bullet. I had a couple of jams and one round actually made a fizzing noise and the bullet never made a 25' distance target. I went to 3.0 grns and had the same results.   I went back to my powder book and to a few forums  decided to try WIN231. It seemed to be the most recommended powder for .380    What a difference. I used a measured load of 3.0 grns  for 25 rds and another 25 rds at  3.1 Grns.  The MAX recommended was 3.2 Grns.  I also micro measured the length of the completed round to exactly .984   No jams with either load..  I have a Walthers PPK .  The rounds were into the black at 25 '.   It's important to use the right powder and the absolute correct powder load along with the correct finished length in semi-autos for the firearm to operate correctly.   Good luck

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I load .380's with Accurate #5 and I cast my own 95 gr boolit. Shoots good in my Bersa.

 

Westwindmike, do you like your Bersa .380? Have read good comments about them, and they are nice-looking little guns that don't cost much.

 

I went back to my powder book and to a few forums  decided to try WIN231. It seemed to be the most recommended powder for .380    What a difference. I used a measured load of 3.0 grns  for 25 rds and another 25 rds at  3.1 Grns.  The MAX recommended was 3.2 Grns.  I also micro measured the length of the completed round to exactly .984   No jams with either load.

 

Yeah I used W231 as well, because for a long time W231 was the only powder I loaded 9mm in, and had plenty of it around. I used 3.2 gn W231, but that is with a lighter 90gn jacketed hollow point XTP, and the published max for that combo must have been a little higher than 3.2gn, because I hardly ever load to max and the first test ones then all the rest of the 300 loaded so far were at 3.2. OTOH I have an older Lyman reloading book and they say the older books often list bigger max loads than are common nowadays.

 

I found the Lee FC to be essential in getting a decent crimp on the .380 ACP. I could never get consistent results on the others.

 

Thanks R_Bert. Maybe the FC will also help my crimp problems if I ever get around to testing it.

[Westwindmike]

Westwindmike, do you like your Bersa .380? Have read good comments about them, and they are nice-looking little guns that don't cost much.

 

 

Yes I do. It has been totally reliable with all different ammo both cast and fmj.

[leroy]

All:  3.9 grains of WW231 and anybodies (...mostly hornady...) jhp shoots just fine thru my sig p238.  Brass looks good.  Accuracy good.

Havent chronograped it yet; but im bettin over 900 fps.  Would probably work great with a lead bullet as well.

 

leroy

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Thanks Leroy. Bet it shoots great in that p238.

 

So far my only .380 pistol is a little NAA Guardian that is a cute and well-made little thing, but will beat you up shooting it. It wants to wear blisters on one part of the hand and on the bottom surface of the trigger finger just because it is so small and jumps around a fair bit when fired. So I wasn't trying for a hot load, just something that would work the action reliably, and the 3.2 gn W231 manages that 100%.

 

I most want to get a single stack cheetah for another .380 gun but every time I see one I chicken out on the high price. I WANT a cheetah but don't NEED one, at prices higher than a beretta 92 inox. :)

 

Have been tempted by a p238, bersa, and PPK as well. One of these days. Saw a weird old Taurus .380 at a pawn shop might should have bought for the heck of it. Taurus 92's are "near clones" of beretta 92's. I suppose this old .380 taurus was supposed to be the Taurus equivalent of a cheetah, but it didn't look hardly anything like a cheetah. Real fat and klunky with pretty wood grips. But it might have turned out a pretty good shooter, dunno. Oddball stuff is kinda neat sometimes.

[jtmaze]

I load .380's with Accurate #5 and I cast my own 95 gr boolit. Shoots good in my Bersa.

Westwindmike, do you like your Bersa .380? Have read good comments about them, and they are nice-looking little guns that don't cost much.

I went back to my powder book and to a few forums decided to try WIN231. It seemed to be the most recommended powder for .380 What a difference. I used a measured load of 3.0 grns for 25 rds and another 25 rds at 3.1 Grns. The MAX recommended was 3.2 Grns. I also micro measured the length of the completed round to exactly .984 No jams with either load.

Yeah I used W231 as well, because for a long time W231 was the only powder I loaded 9mm in, and had plenty of it around. I used 3.2 gn W231, but that is with a lighter 90gn jacketed hollow point XTP, and the published max for that combo must have been a little higher than 3.2gn, because I hardly ever load to max and the first test ones then all the rest of the 300 loaded so far were at 3.2. OTOH I have an older Lyman reloading book and they say the older books often list bigger max loads than are common nowadays.

I found the Lee FC to be essential in getting a decent crimp on the .380 ACP. I could never get consistent results on the others.

Thanks R_Bert. Maybe the FC will also help my crimp problems if I ever get around to testing it.

My wife had a thunder .380 that is a great little gun. Just stay away from aftermarket mags.


JTM
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[Guest jmcleod]

I load .380 and 9mm with a Hornady LNL and Lee pro auto disk.  For 380 I use 2.8-3.0gr of 231/HP38 with a 95gr bullet.  After shooting some of those, my wife won't shoot anything else in her LCP.  Just for fun I load the 95gr with HS-6 in my 9mm. 

[McAllyn]

It seems to me that the 380 brass I generally deal with is a little more... sensitive?  It took me a while to get the bell just right without breaking the case mouth but still have enough bell to seat the bullet reliably.  Maybe it's a little thinner than my 9MM brass, dunno.

 

As an aside, I will say that a 95gn bullet from my 380 stack accidentally loaded into my 9MM load built for a 125gn bullet will MOVE!

 

Mac

[Guest BUDDY37128]

I HAVE 300 TO 400 RDS  THESE ARE ONCE FIRED , I SOLD MY PPK   , I DID LOAD THEM BUT THESE ARE NOT LOADED . I MIGHT BE WILLING TO PART WITH THEM , BUT I WANT TO KEEP MY DIES JUST IN CASE.

[Guest Fruit jar]

Dang Buddy, who you yelling at?

You offering them out? I'll swap you some jigheads and sinkers.

After getting the dies and mold I loaded 6 boxes for my sister-in-law. It was like cutten butter with a toothpick.