Anyone reloading 380auto?

[CJB]

I can't comment on a specific load. Its been too long and the powders have all changed.

This much I'll tell ya: I loaded a humpty-jillion 380's back from the early 80's to mid 90's. This was commercial reloading, and the 380's were done on manual pull Dillon machines - RL1000 or maybe the model before it, going from memory. I never set those up for automatic operation as I thought the safeguards were inadequate for the production gain... but I digress.

Unlike the @#$@# 9mm's to reload, the 380's are almost nearly straight walled. That makes things much easier over 9mm in a mixed brass reloading environment. In the day, we had a custom made taper crimp die, which in a prodution environment using mixed brass, allows for quite a bit of case length variation without getting a while lot of crimp variation. The taper die is just a "straightener-outer", not really a crimp.

I think the loading itself was unremarkable. Our load was for our own production cast bullets made from our range lead, and was about 90g, which we loaded fairly hot. Thing to remember is most 380s are light, and have strong springs. That requires the use of stout ammo to operate the actions.

All in all, the 9mm was much less forgiving than the 380 (or any other round for that matter....).

I'd not sweat it. Once you find a load your pistol likes and will digest well.... just keep it going.

[Jollyrogers]

I recommened the sizing die because YOU said this:
"but I now have 450 .356 88 grain bullets I won't use"

Now you are SAYING this:
"Exactly what I did, but had a Redding die for this. It worked fine."

So I need to ask, which is it, bullets you won't use, or bullets you resized and used ??
FYI, you can RESIZE jacketed bullets

I just thought I'd offer a suggestion, I'm confused now, but that's not unusual.
so nevermind

LOL. Yea, so I realized what happened, and at the time those .356 projectiles is all I had or could find. I ran the ones I was working up through a dedicated crimp for the 380, and it got them where I needed, so loaded the rest to have a box of 50. They worked, but it was a PITA for me to do so (IMO). Since then I have acquired a lot of 95grn .355 so will use them.

All I was trying to say was the .355 jacketed are a lot easier to deal with then .356 for the .380acp. Nothing else. I fully understand they can be used, I just think it is a PITA to do so and wouldn't use or buy them again unless I was desperate. Feel free to buy all the .356 jacketed projectiles you want to load .380 and enjoy.

[Tilos]

Resizing allows me a one bullet inventory/stock for 38/357/9mm/380
But that's just me,

[twowheels]

Yes. I load it given the difficulty of finding factory ammo and the cost of it when you can find it. I bought 2500 cases and have loaded 1000 berry plated 90 gr RN over 3.2 grain titegroup and CCI primers. They're pretty hot 380 loads but that is what my CW380 seems to like. My sig 232 also eats them up. I load on my Dillon 650 with Dillon dies. Easy, cheap and I far and away prefer my own reloads in all calibers to inconsistent and expensive factory loads, with the exception of SD ammo. Given what I have saved in loading my own 380, the dies etc. have already paid for themselves in the first 1000 rounds.

[jocko]

if it works for u, then taht is all that matters. Nice loaded that Dillon 650.. I guess I just never realy considerd any 380 as a range gun. I liked my P380 but once it got right and I found the right defense ammo it ceased to be my range gun. I don't reload so 380 range time is expensive compared to 9mm also.

[twowheels]

I hear you jocko. As I'm still trying to get comfortable with the cw 380, I am glad that I have lots of quality and inexpensive ammo to run in it as well as in my sig 232, which is as reliable as a hammer but pretty large for a 380.

I think I'm going to hit the range again today with 100-200 rounds of 380 and the cw. I'll probably also take some of my latest batch of 45 loads and my sig 220 (I'm confident in the CW45 and don't need to test it today), and some 9mm and my sig 938 which I've been working on.

[twowheels]

Back from the range: Sig 220--100%; Sig 938--100%; CW380--numerous stovepipes. It's going up for sale this evening. I'm done with it.

[100percent]

Hand loads too short for the gun? Did they pass the plunk test.

[Jollyrogers]

Anyone reloading 380auto?

I'm looking for one, but prefer that it run. What loads are you shooting through it, and how many are through it?

[garyb]

Bit the bullet tonight and ordered what I need to get 380 auto going on the press. Compared 500 rounds of ammo to new Hornady dies, new shell plate, 500 Barry's plated bullets, 500 once fired brass, and a spare set of retainer springs that I have neglected to have on hand for much too long. I have the powder and primers on hand.
So hopefully everything will get shipped and I can start customizing some fun for the wife's gun. She still has a good supply of ammo on hand, so it took some convincing...but Got-Er-done. The equipment will more than pay for itself in the long run.

Got everything I need to get started loading for the 380. Just returned from our annual trip to FL in our Class A to visit the kids and grand kids. It was nice to miss most of the NY winter this year. Spent 2+ months in the sun. Hope spring arrives soon. Just had more snow a few days ago.


I still have not started reloading for the 380. Wife and I have about 500 rounds of ammo to shoot up, but we are busy getting spring chores done now. IDPA started back up and turkey season starts up May 1st. I'll spend most mornings chasing that big Tom gobbler around in May. I don't see the 380 dies going into the Hornady LNL Autoprogressive until mid summer, after we get some projects done and shoot up some of the 380 ammo we have on hand. Will let you know how the loading goes later. Don't really foresee any problems. Happy Easter to all.

[DLButler]

Sounds good. I would feel like I am out of ammo if I get down to 500 rounds. I try not to go below 2000 of every caliber I reload except shotgun. I have decided not to continue reloading shotgun as I don't shot them often enough to save much. Good luck on your turkeys and reloads.

[garyb]

Sounds good. I would feel like I am out of ammo if I get down to 500 rounds. I try not to go below 2000 of every caliber I reload except shotgun. I have decided not to continue reloading shotgun as I don't shot them often enough to save much. Good luck on your turkeys and reloads.

Sounds like a good quantity of ammo to have on hand. I've often thought of loading more to have on hand, but I am still tinkering with loads for my 40 cals. I expect to do likewise for the 380 when I get around to start loading for it.


Have not seen any Toms around my food plots yet. I have had a couple hens around every day and the neighbor tells me there is a big Tom in the area....so I am optimistic. I've taken the big Tom contest in our local sportsmen club 8 of the past 10 yrs we've had the competition. I didn't hunt them last yr because I was building an elaborate elevated tower blind on a brush lot between two of my food plots. I needed a place to take my grandsons when they come up to hunt with PopPop. They can be little wiggle worms in the stand, so an enclosed stand is quieter, warmer and more comfortable with them. Being Fl boys, they are not used to the NY cold. When my grandson was 4, I shot a little spike on opening day. I would normally have let it pass, but he was so excited, he claimed it as HIS deer. When I shot, it fell and he jumped into my lap and hugged me yelling "You got him PopPop, you got the buck!" What an exciting morning for both of us....all over a little spike. I mounted it for him and it hangs on his wall at his home. He named it "Little Horn"...his first buck. For such a little buck, it is a day we will always remember having shared together. He still talks about that day. It is all about he memories.

[AIRret]

garyb, what a great story………..Thanks for sharing.

I've already told the story to several family members who hunt!

[garyb]

Yea, thanks AirRet. That little guy is all about hunting and mountain men stuff. Loves Jeremiah Johnson (movie). On his fifth Christmas I gave him a .32cal percussion rifle(told him I got the Hawken from Jeremiah for him), a fully stocked possibles bag (I tanned from a deer hide), powder horn. You'd of thought he won the lottery. He will sit and make stories up about how he killed a bear the killed Hatchet Jack...from his back yard gym set. He's a BS'er like his dad. All about hunting stories. Gotta love a kid like that.

[AIRret]

That's great, I'll have to pass that along as well!

"possibles bag" I haven't heard that one in a couple years!