Defense loads for Bersa 380

[papajohn428]

I just picked up a Bersa 380 yesterday, fired about a hundred rounds thru it to test functioning, and had once quirk show itself.  If I loaded the mag with seven rounds and one more in the chamber, it (twice) failed to go fully into battery on the last round out of the magazine.  A whack on the rear of the slide fixed it, and when I loaded the gun with 6+1, it wouldn't do it.  The gun is used but apparently was a safe queen, I doubt it's been shot much, if at all.  So I'm going out Monday to run a couple hundred more rounds thru it.  Most of the shooting will be with ball ammo, but I've tested it with a MagTech load, and it worked fine.  

Anyone have a favorite factory load in 380?  I'm looking for a hollow point load that will reliably expand from the short (3-inch) barrel.  Any suggestions?

PJ

[oldhunter]

Recently sold a Bersa .380 that favored PMC Starpoint HP ammo better than any others.  Federals would jam in the magazine sometimes and I finally gave up on them.  Just used the Starpoints and they cycled and shot just fine.

[TOGO]

I have a Bersa .380 and did some milk jugs filled with water testing at 21 ft. I bought just about every brand of factory loaded hollow points I could find. To be honest with you, none that I tested really had great expansion, wish I would have mic'd them but didn't think about it at the time. Most rounds would penetrate through 5 to 6 jugs. If I remember right, the Wolf, Bear Russian brand ammo had the best expansion compared to the rest.

[Mikey]

papajohn428:  I went through that business of trying to find the best expanding hollowpoint for my Beretta 70S in 380 and found that none of them worked well enough to my satisfaction to spend the money on them.  I also found that reloading the 380 auto to high end velocities with hollowpoints simply made it harder on the gun.  All of this was a buncha years ago and I finally settled on plain jane ball ammo as it gave me the best penetration.  Then I settled on Sellier and Bellot as it was new manufacture, brass case, reloadable and incredibly inexpensive.  

I found that Wolf ammo and some of the Russian stuff was sooooo dirty that after 25 rounds my Beretta was getting so dirty it was jammin' up.  The Sellier and Bellot would allow me to go 250-300 rounds before she needed coolin' off and a chamber brush.  HTH.  Mikey.

[dawei]

Snip..............

Anyone have a favorite factory load in 380?  I'm looking for a hollow point load that will reliably expand from the short (3-inch) barrel.  Any suggestions?

PJ

Remington Golden Saber® 102gr BJHP.

[papajohn428]

Back when 380's were first approved for off-duty carry, I did a series of tests from a Beretta 84, and the W-W Silvertips were good expanders, and very consistent.  Guess I'll try them next.  If nothing else, maybe I'll just keep a Glaser in the chamber and ball in the mag!  That would ruin ANYONE'S day!

Thanks guys!  

PJ

[michbob]

Interesting point.  Do you have experience with Glasers?  How do they perform?feed?, etc.  Boy, they are pricey!

Michbob