ATTENTION:  Effective Sept 1, 2020, the BBTI Project is in "Archive Status."  No further tests will be conducted, but we will maintain this site and data for the use of the firearms community.  Thank you.

.380 ACP Results in fps (2010)

Click here for a Muzzle Energy graph for the tests in this caliber.

barrel length Buffalo Bore
90 gr.
JHP +P
Buffalo Bore
95 gr.
FMJ +P
Cor Bon
80 gr.
DPX
Hornady
90 gr.
HP/XPT
FPD
Hornady
90 gr.
FTX
Speer
90 gr.
Gold Dot
Winchester
85 gr.
Silvertip
Winchester
95 gr.
PDX1 Bonded
18" 1441 1348 1050 1042 n/a 1218 1099 1184
17" 1407 n/a 1091 1049 n/a 1207 1092 1150
16" 1411 n/a 1103 1056 n/a 1218 1108 1181
15" 1396 1349 1133 1153 n/a 1238 1099 1175
14" 1384 n/a 1086 1048 n/a 1234 1104 1149
13" 1394 n/a 1092 1013 n/a 1224 1113 1169
12" 1397 1329 1103 1134 n/a 1233 1071 1200
11" 1384 n/a 1107 1027 n/a 1231 1098 1187
10" 1355 1280 1125 1026 n/a 1201 1095 1129
9" 1346 1289 1068 1022 n/a 1184 1065 1126
8" 1329 1271 1081 1011 n/a 1177 1053 1103
7" 1314 1244 1077 978 n/a 1164 1026 1091
6" 1290 1223 1060 960 n/a 1132 1019 1042
5" 1254 1175 1021 936 n/a 1093 990 1062
4" 1226 1147 994 907 960 1052 966 966
3" 1158 1090 946 860 877 958 900 905
2" 1052 984 875 780 790 852 813 830

 

real
world
weapons
Buffalo Bore
90 gr.
JHP +P
Buffalo Bore
95 gr.
FMJ +P
Cor Bon
80 gr.
DPX
Hornady
90 gr.
HP/XPT
FPD
  Speer
90 gr.
Gold Dot
Winchester
85 gr.
Silvertip
Winchester
95 gr.
PDX1 Bonded
Walther
P380
3.66" barrel
1131 1088 962 856   1008 925 913
Bersa
Firestorm
3.5" barrel
1126 1073 943 857   961 914 920
Walther
PPK/S
3.35" barrel
1167 1088 1008 877   1020 949 969
Rohrbaugh
380
2.9" barrel
1052 1009 893 794   930 886 910
Taurus
738 TCP
2.84" barrel
1057 961 895 802   913 869 888
Diamond-
back
DB380
2.75" barrel
1052 956 920 791   883 835 862
Ruger
LCP
2.75" barrel
1054 986 849 796   918 839 896
KelTec
P3AT
2.7" barrel
1047 993 912 790   888 863 852
SIG
P238
2.7" barrel
1077 1022 891 798   922 861 855
Kahr
P380
2.5" barrel
1053 1019 905 803   896 843 874
NAA
Guardian
2.5" barrel
1042 986 901 774   898 855 863
Magnum
Research
Micro
Eagle
2.2" barrel
948 895 800 685   773 757 767

see also the 2008 tests of .380 auto

Other Resources

BBTI is not the end-all of ballistics testing, just one more component available for the common good.  In addition to extensive discussion about ballistics to be found at many gun forums, here are some other great resources pertaining to ballistics testing you should check out.  (And if you would like to recommend a site to list here, please send an email.)
  • BrassFetcher:  excellent resource, with an emphasis on bullet performance in ballistic gelatin
  • The Box O' Truth:  testing ammo penetration through various barriers
  • Terminal Ballistics Research:  Specializes in the research of cartridge & projectile performance, using hard data gathered from 20 years of hunting game.

Acknowledgements

We'd like to personally and specifically thank Pat Childs at Fin & Feather in Iowa City, as he not only helped get most of our ammunition and other supplies, he was the brilliant gunsmith who worked with us to make this insane project much more practical.  Without his help all of this would have been much more difficult and perhaps impossible.  Anyone who uses our data owes him a debt of gratitude.

And thanks to our spouses, who were not just tolerant but enthusiastically supportive of this rather nutty project.

Disclaimer

This project, and all of its results, is only our fault.  We (well, Jim K, mostly) paid for everything ourselves, and we did not receive any kind of sponsorship or remuneration from anyone.  We did all the work.  We used products we were either familiar with, or because they were what was available, and mentioning them by name does not constitute an endorsement of any kind.  Furthermore, the data is provided purely for entertainment purposes - to better facilitate arguments over what ammo or caliber or gun is "best."  How you use the data is entirely up to you.  And if you think you could do better, feel free to spend the money and do the work and publish your own results.  Or not.  Your choice.