Whats the best load for my P3AT? The heaviest commercial load I can find is the Remington Golden Sabre 102 Grn. I'm leaning towards that. I'm a .45 ACP guy so I like heavy bullets. With such a short barrel, will the 102 Grn .380 perform as well, worse or better than lighter loads?

I know I could go with a Cor Bon but considering the weight of the P3AT, I really don't want a hot load.

Anyone have some experience/info on the subject?

I think you should just pick the load you like, and make sure the gun will reliably handle it. When I bought my P3AT, the dealer didn't recommend HPs thru it, but I've shot them with no problems yet. But I'm still undecided about which load I'll settle down with...

anyway, good luck.

My P3AT is a little touchy about reliable extraction.  The nickle plated cases of the Federal 90 gr Hydrashoks have been more reliable in mine than brass cased rounds.  I have not had any feeding problems with any of the rounds that I have tried so far.  My gun, however, is still very new. Watch-Six

Quoted: Whats the best load for my P3AT? The heaviest commercial load I can find is the Remington Golden Sabre 102 Grn. I'm leaning towards that. I'm a .45 ACP guy so I like heavy bullets. With such a short barrel, will the 102 Grn .380 perform as well, worse or better than lighter loads? I know I could go with a Cor Bon but considering the weight of the P3AT, I really don't want a hot load. Anyone have some experience/info on the subject?

Yes you do!

This is not 9mm Hirt in a 7 oz gun!  I shoot the MagTech +P JHPs pretty regularly from my P3AT.  .380 penetration is pathetic; you need every incremental advantage you can find.  +P is peppy, but quick followup shots are not a problem.

These rounds are weak on penetration - your best bet is probably ball ammo with everything .380 caliber or weaker.

I keep corbons in my p3at, just make sure it'll be reliable for ya.

Quoted: I keep corbons in my p3at, just make sure it'll be reliable for ya.

I do too for my CCW, but they are snappy little buggers  

IIRC the 102gr Remington Golden Saber load is the only .380 load that meets IWBA and FBI requirements in bare and clothed  gel, if you put any worth in those tests. I think it failed the barrier tests.

I ran through this thread in the ammo forum: www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=16&t=162042&page=1 quickly and didnt see anything for .380, but its a good place to find information on most common calibers. You might look it over more closely, in case I missed any .380 info.

Whatever you choose, shoot a couple hundered rounds of it and make shure its reliable in your pistol. Good luck!

ETA: I think the test pistol for the info I saw on the 102gr GS load was a NAA auto... about the same barrel length as your P3AT.

Quoted: IIRC the 102gr Remington Golden Saber load is the only .380 load that meets IWBA and FBI requirements in bare and clothed  gel, if you put any worth in those tests. I think it failed the barrier tests. I ran through this thread in the ammo forum: www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=16&t=162042&page=1 quickly and didnt see anything for .380, but its a good place to find information on most common calibers. You might look it over more closely, in case I missed any .380 info. Whatever you choose, shoot a couple hundered rounds of it and make shure its reliable in your pistol. Good luck! ETA: I think the test pistol for the info I saw on the 102gr GS load was a NAA auto... about the same barrel length as your P3AT.

Actually that load does not consistantly penetrate a minimum of 12"instead its 10-12" and falls short thus why its not in that thread.

Remington Golden Saber or Winchester Silvertip.   Remember, it's a belly gun, up close and personal.  I don't get too carrriede away by a lot of tests because many are inappropriate to my use.  Sure, you can get some relative information, but consider your purpose.  If you are an LEO, things are different.  I'm not a police officer, so my options are different.  My first option will be to show them how fast an old guy can run.  Barring that, it's a belly gun.  No 30 yard gunfights.  So, I let that be my guide.

The best advice is a few posts up:  run rounds through the pistol  All pistols have their "tastes" as far as ammo is concerned.  The two I mentioned are reliable in feeding and expansion.  Some other stuff or exotic handloads may be better, but incrementally so - the belly-gun, remember?  

Quoted: These rounds are weak on penetration - your best bet is probably ball ammo with everything .380 caliber or weaker.

+1

Quoted: Actually that load does not consistantly penetrate a minimum of 12"instead its 10-12" and falls short thus why its not in that thread.

I was going by memory, so that may be correct. I dont have a link with any data on .380 loads, but I'm pretty sure the GS is still one of the top performers in .380... and yes, its still a mousegun. Personally, I'd be tempted to carry ball ammo in anything smaller than 9mm.

Quoted: Quoted: Actually that load does not consistantly penetrate a minimum of 12"instead its 10-12" and falls short thus why its not in that thread. I was going by memory, so that may be correct. I dont have a link with any data on .380 loads, but I'm pretty sure the GS is still one of the top performers in .380... and yes, its still a mousegun. Personally, I'd be tempted to carry ball ammo in anything smaller than 9mm.

Yes Golden Sabre and Ranger both do about 10" in bare gel and 10-12" on denim covered gel.  Not bad if you ask me but if you go by the book you want FMJ... then again it slightly over penetrates.

Mine likes 85gr Win silver tips .

The P3AT can be a little finicky until it's
broken in , but on the same note the .380
beats up the little gun pretty good . So I
don’t shoot it more often then needed to insure
that it's functioning correctly .

The joke is that a .380 is a good thing to carry
if you don't have a gun , but 7+1 rounds of 85gr
JHP will let the piss & vinegar out of anyone

Good info so far. Thanks for all the input. What about jacketed soft point? I've seen Santa Barbara 95 grn jacketed soft point is supposedly rated at 995 FPS and nearly 210 Ft/Lbs at the muzzle. Any sources of geletin tests of .380 ACP JSP's?