Handgun Self-Defense Ammunition Ballistics Test

Hey guys

Here is an interesting study done by Lucky Gunner

give this a look

http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/

ight now its just .380ACP 9mm .40 & .45
they say they plan to expand & cover other calibers in the future

I found it interesting that some of the "Big Name" bullets easily clogged with material & failed to expand. (Like the Federal Hydra Shok or Hornady XTP)

I was shocked that the Hydra Shok fared so miserably. It was a standard law enforcement round back in the 90's. maybe it still is.

The Hornady XTP also seem to fail in most of the calibers tested, yet the Hornady FTX performed well.

Sadly I carry Hornady XTP's in my Kel-tec. (all I could find) going to have to junk those.

If you listen:D  to some people the bullets in your keltec aren't the only junk...

RRCmdrBennett wrote:If you listen:D  to some people the bullets in your keltec aren't the only junk...

................He says, as I sit here with a P3AT in my pocket full of Hornady Critical Defense Ammo.

Its just Keltec is a brand you either hate it or love it. I have looked it up and it seems you fall into one of those two camps.

I'm indifferent to them. I LOVE the Sig I bought for my wife, but I don't hate on other brands. My brother and I were just talking about Keltecs the other day, and we both felt they were a decent midish level gun. Better than JA Arms or Highpoint...

I think you should carry the best you can, whatever that is. Too many times people get carried away with performance differences, which may be legitimate, but don't consider that something, anything, is better than nothing!

RRCmdrBennett wrote:Its just Keltec is a brand you either hate it or love it. I have looked it up and it seems you fall into one of those two camps.

I neither LOVE nor HATE mine, but is is the only piece that I have found that Fills-the-Bill for my needs.

It is the Smallest, Lightest, Flattest piece that is reliable and fits in my pocket and is no larger than my wallet.

At 25 feet it will put 6 shots in the center of a Paper Plate.

The finish is rubbed away to the point that I don't worry about keeping it "purdy". However, when I am working in an environment full of dirt & sawdust, I have to keep it in a Zip-Loc Bag to insure that debris does not migrate into the Firing Pin Channel & make it unreliable.

I have a $450.00 Kahr sitting in my Arms Room, but the darned thing hits 8" low at 25 feet. That's not acceptable accuracy for a situation like a threat under Partial Cover or a Hostage Situation (not that I would choose such a pistol for such a situation, but confrontations are generally "Come as You Are" Affairs).

No ftf or fte? How many rounds have you put through it?

A few boxes. I generally want to take it on my Range at least once per month, but lately all of my shooting has been over my Green-Field getting Zeroed for Deer Season, and the backstop conditions are not appropriate for handgun.

The only malfunctions were Failure to Fire when the Firing Pin Channel became blocked with debris while chain-sawing wood. I had to send it to the Factory (and they either gave me a complete new slide assembly or re-finished the Original).

Since then, I have learned that the Firing Pin Channel is the Achilles Heel of this pistol, and take appropriate action.

Also, Russian/Ukraine Steel Cased Ammo (Silver Bear?) is oversized for the pistol's chamber, and it will not feed. I expect that this is because the locked-breach P3AT has a tighter chamber than most .380's (which are generally "blowback").

I tried the Russian stuff in a blowback .380, and it functioned fine in it.

Claymore wrote: ...when the Firing Pin Channel became blocked with debris while "chain-sawing" wood.  

Just how fast does that weapon fire?! If you ever watched Top Gun, on one episode the contestants used a gatling gun to cut through a post.

"...........always watch what you say around a Commissioned Officer."

(Remember, there's NOTHING like a Senior-Chief's Revenge.)

Claymore wrote: (Remember, there's NOTHING like a Senior-Chief's Revenge.)

Stop me if you've heard this before.

On my first ship, when I was an E-5, a new senior chief reported aboard. Nice guy overall, but he had a huge chip on his shoulder, always wearing his "presidential" badge from when he was part of the White House communications team. One day, he was standing there, among his peers, and talking about those days. I noticed him holding an empty coffee cup in his permanently hooked finger, when I had a flash of (dumb) inspiration. I walked over and dropped a quarter in it. He had a momentary look of confusion, and then turned beet red when the other chiefs stated to guffaw. I walked away quickly. As far as I know, he never got even for it.

Excuse me, there's a strange scratching noise on my deck. I need to check it o......................................................

Man, nothing like Poking the Bear.

Not many places on a ship for an E-5 to hide.

----------------------------------------------------

Now I know why you were Commissioned; it was part of the Witness Protection Program.

Now we aren't even talking about guns or ballistics.

We're telling War Stories, here.

Sit down, and grab a Cup of Coffee!

He's too young for that. He'd be too fidgety to sit and listen to stories...

Oh yeah.

I've got nine of those at Church.

Thirty-nine is too fidgety?

Next time I derail a topic I want a free pass...!

NEVER!!!

Don't make me tap dance you Philip!

O.K., now where was I?

Oh yeah...........

"There I was, up to my waist in Grenade Pins..................."

ccm2361 wrote:

Where did the Thread FIRST start to get away from "Ammunition Ballistics"?

I guess that I'm having a Senior Moment, and can't quite put my finger on it:

RRCmdrBennett wrote:If you listen:D  to some people the bullets in your keltec aren't the only junk...

Just ordered a box of Corbon DPX (which fared well in those tests) for my Kel-tec

This may sound like heresy, but up there in "Eskimo Country" it may also be worthwhile to consider having 2 types of ammunition:

Something like your DPX for May through September, and a non-hollow point for November through March, when the opposition may be wearing leather coats and multi-layered parkas.