And Everyone Said that I was crazy for carrying a BUG.

[Wvshootr5191]

So I decided to go to the Indoor pistol range we have in town yesterday to shoot my CCW (SW40VE) and my BUG (LCP). To begin I pulled my LCP from its Nemesis pocket holster and fired off 13 rounds of PowerBall.

I then pulled my Sigma from my Kholster, leveled the sights, took a breath and.....click. Tap, Rack, Click. I took a look at the rounds and the primers hadn't been touched. Under closer examination I found that the end of the firing pin had broken off. Long story short I'm waiting on the return label.

The thing that got me thinking was that if I would have had use my primary CCW, it would have gone click. That is the exact reason that I carry my LCP - another option. Now all I have is my LCP to carry until my Sigma gets fixed and I am wondering about the .380 as a effective primary SD round. Im just wondering if anyone has had this kind of smack in the face situation happen to them and what kind of thoughts it brought to mind.

As a side note I fed my LCP another 200rds of WWB and 50 rds of PowerBall without a hiccup.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[CowboyColby]

"Two is one and one is none" TCP in my pocket is great back up and can be drawn left handed if my right hand is preoccupied.

[10thmtn]

I would advise against PowRBall in .380. This round is light weight for the caliber, and most of the testing I've seen shows that it tends to shed its jacket, thus having poor weight retention.

An additional issue is that some LCPs (we have 3 of them - 2 for me and 1 for my wife) exhibit a tendency to put a "smiley face" on the ammo - with the polymer tip, the PowRBall could be more prone to the issue. I had this happen with my wife's LCP with PowRBall, and that was it for me. I even had it happen to one of mine with FMJ ammo...but Ruger fixed it up. Yours seems to eat the stuff up, but I would eject and check a few of the chambered rounds after firing the one in the chamber just to be sure you aren't seeing excessive bullet tip deformation.

With the .380, I tend to carry WWB 95 gr FMJ, which is a flat point bullet. Bearing in mind that the FBI calls for 12 - 15 inches of penetration, it seems that FMJ is the way to go. Check out some testing out of a similar P3at:

http://www.goldenloki.com/ammo/gel/380acp/gel380acp.htm

Oh...and I carry a LCP in my left pocket as a secondary to my primary G26. Yup.

[Guantes]

Not a fun discovery.
There is a method I use to check my firing pins. Take a piece of scotch tape and stick on the rear of a snap cap, then trim it down to the size of the rim. Insert the snap cap and go through the firing process. There should be a puncture in the scotch tape. While probably not absolute, it should show a firing pin so damaged that it does not contact the primer of the cartridge in the chamber with any force.

[Wvshootr5191]

I had read about the "smileys" placed on the end of the round and even told myself when I read it that the next time I was at the range I would check for them. Well of course I forgot to yesterday so taped a note on my shooting glasses to remind myself for next time.

I like to keep the FMJ in elsie in the winter months and stagger FMJ and PBall (well tested thru my LCP) in the summer. I have heard alot of good things about the PBall ammo and its what most of the LEOs in my town carry in their BUGs. 10thmtn very good penetration tests but the two main types of ammo that I carry, (PBall and S & B FMJ ) were not on the list. Anyone have any penetration tests with those types of ammo???

[Old School]

P18163004.jpg

I like the 95 grain Speer Lawman FMJ in my Diamondback 380 BUG because I want as much penetration as I can get from a round that has about 200 FP energy and 1000 fps of velocity. This round gives about 16 inches of penetration in bare ballistic gel according to tests I have read.

http://www.ballistics101.com/380_acp.php

[tkruf]

I've never read anything good about the Sigma line up.

[azchevy]

I've never read anything good about the Sigma line up.

X2. On my avoid list just like Taurus

[Skippys]

not sure how this would work in other pistols, but after cleaning and reassembly of my 1911s i'll drop a bic pen down the barrel, pointy end up, & launch it toward the ceiling. a pencil with a fresh eraser works well, too.

[64zebra]

I'm glad you discovered this at the range instead of when something was hitting the fan

the only time I've discovered something like this was when I first started carrying my HK USP 45
at the range I fired a couple of rounds and jam....cleared....jam....cleared....jam
come to find out mag spring was going/gone bad

this, combined with me knowing Mr. Murphy on a first name basis, caused me to always carry spare mags for my pistols
I also carry a bug most of the time off-duty, and always when I'm on-duty

[glockman10mm]

I've never read anything good about the Sigma line up.

X 3. First rule-have a gun. Second rule-carry a gun that works, with a reputation for reliability and quality.

[Wvshootr5191]

X 3. First rule-have a gun. Second rule-carry a gun that works, with a reputation for reliability and quality.

When I bought my Sigma I knew about the trigger and all the bad things that were associated with this firearm. But it was from a manufacturer that I had faith in. I haven't lost my faith in S&W, just the Sigma brand. But the ergos of the gun just fit my hand perfectly so I am now considering upgrading to their SD40. Wonder if they will let me pay the difference and them send me a SD back???

[chivvalry]

I got a sigma .40 for sale... but this might not be the right thread to hock it in. LOL

[10thmtn]

OP - Here is some done in wetpack...

http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/S...9;R%20Ball.htm

Bottom line is that light/fast-for-caliber bullets tend to under penetrate. That is especially undesirable in something like a .380. IMHO, use FMJ - all seem to get 16-17 inches, which exceeds the FBI standard.

Edit - Hornady Critical Defense gets close to 12, and may be a good choice if you really insist on using an expanding bullet. The 90 gr Speer Gold Dots and regular Cor Bon JHPs seemed to do well also...but none got to the 15 inches desired by the FBI.

[Ragin Cajun]

I would just leave the Sigma at home and carry the LCP then call it good. I would carry a BUG too if I carried a Sigma. :)