Ammo Quest .380 ACP: DoubleTap 95-grain Controlled Expansion test
Thirty-fifth in a series of a quest to find the overall best ammunition for modern micro-compact 380 ACP pistols (such as the Taurus TCP 738, the Ruger LCP, Sig P238, Beretta Pico, Kel-Tec P3AT or S&W Bodyguard or any other popular 380 micro-pistol using a barrel length of around 2.8").
This is yet another "bonus" episode. While I have already published the "Final" video summary of the quest, there are new rounds (or rounds I've finally been able to get my hands on) that make it worth re-opening the quest.
In this installment, I am testing the DoubleTap 95-grain Controlled Expansion jacketed hollowpoint ammunition in .380 ACP (DoubleTap product link: http://www.doubletapammo.net/index.ph...)
This ammo uses a new bullet design which, if I'm not mistaken, is a DoubleTap original design. And the performance in bare gel was simply outstanding, with complete expansion and an average penetration depth of nearly sixteen inches(!) This makes it the highest-scoring .380 round on the MacPherson Wound Trauma Indicator, at least in bare gel.
In denim, the results were nowhere near as promising. I ended up with six shots in the block (I thought one had exited so I tried a sixth shot). Two expanded, and four didn't. Of the two that expanded, they both shed their jackets so only the core penetrated deeply. Of the four that didn't expand, two were plugged with denim. One of the four that didn't expand was an ideal penetrator, the other three were overpenetrators. However, the wound tracks left by the bullets were comparatively rather huge, showing evidence that at least some of the bullets commenced tumbling, aggravating the amount of damage done.
All in all, there was no under-penetration, the bare gel performance was scintillating, and the denim performance was no worse than an FMJ, so overall I think it's a pretty good round. Beware the recoil though, as it's quite stout for a .380.
Note: I'm not making any claims for these videos other than that these are the results I achieved, in my own testing, from the stated pistol. I have no intention to make a blanket endorsement or indictment of any product, only to review and report what I found in a given instance. Obviously it is incumbent upon each individual to conduct their own research and make up their own mind about which defensive ammunition is best for their own purposes, in their own firearms. Also keep in mind that individual firearms can be persnickety; my TCP may feed a particular round consistently whereas your TCP might jam on those rounds, so -- please conduct your own testing before trusting any particular ammo.
Finally -- note that the purpose of this testing is not to try to establish that a .380 is "just as good" as pistols in the major calibers (9mm, 10mm, 357 Mag, 357 Sig, .40, .45, etc). Of course it isn't and never will be; those other cartridges all contain much more power than the .380 does. What I'm trying to establish is: are there any rounds out there for the .380 that can reliably deliver the penetration (with expansion) that has been documented and proven necessary in order for the bullet to be able to reach the vital organs of an attacker and deliver an incapacitating hit? That's all. You would always be better armed with a bigger caliber. But the question I'm exploring here is: if you've already chosen to carry a .380 micro-pistol (for whatever your personal reasons), what ammo will make it most effective?
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For those who don't understand why the 12" penetration distance is so important, please see my blog entries on the subject:
http://shootingthebull.net/blog/bulle...
http://shootingthebull.net/blog/bulle...
http://shootingthebull.net/blog/more-...
http://shootingthebull.net/blog/what-...
Subscribe to the channel here to see the rest of the episodes in this series, as well as other ammo tests and equipment reviews. And check out the blog at www.shootingthebull.net.