Handgun Ammo Question.

[Raider]

I'm backing up the recommendation for Winchester white box JHP for either caliber.  It's a decent defensive load that performs reasonably well in all tests and doesn't cost nearly as much as premium ammo.  I'd run several boxes through each gun to be sure it'll cycle well. 

Use whatever cheap FMJ you can find for the majority of your practice work.

I'll also jump on the unsolicited advice bandwagon and will also recommend the 9mm for all the reasons previously mentioned.

[MarkT]

I've never had a jam or feed problem with my Walther PPK .380.  Or my Baretta .380 either.  Both have had several boxes of factory ammo thru them. They are older guns.  Maybe they just don't make them like they used to. They are both premium guns however.  Don't know the quality of the guns and ammo that are reportedly jamming.  I only carry the Walther if I absolutely must have the tiniest carry that might work defensively - it's only a little smaller than the J-frame .357s which are jam proof and hit HARD accurately with lasers.

[3fan4life]

This has been a very informative thread.

I really don't have anything to add on the original topic.

Someone mentioned that having a gun that you would actually carry was important.

I used to have one of these (the EX wife has it now):



Not much "stopping" power but .22's are lethal.

It was cheap I paid about $75 new for it in the mid 1980's

It was also cheap to plink around with.

It did have a habit of jamming if you rapid fired cheap ammo through it, but with Stingers you could shoot as fast as you wanted to with no issues.

The small size meant that it could easily be concealed almost anywhere.

The ex got used to carrying it around in her purse and insisted on taking it with her when she left.

I figured that if it helped her to go that it was a good deal, so I didn't insist on keeping it.

I figured that I'd replace it but didn't have any luck finding another one.

I wound up buying a larger .22 that was very similar to a S&W model.

Something inside of it broke the first time that I took it to a range and it has been sitting in a drawer ever since.

[Jess from VA]

My mom has one of those Jennings in 25acp (one of dad's impulse buys at a gun show). 

I believed it to be crap, and took it out back of her house a couple years ago and fired it fast and slow and sideways and upside down and as fast as I could, and limp wristed it, and I could not make it jam or not work one time (ball ammo only).  It even grouped up at 4" in a close-by tree.   It still may be crap, but it is apparently reliable crap.   

I told her to please be careful and not shoot her foot after racking it, and she told me... I may be old (85), but I haven't gotten stupid.  It's not her primary, just her backup.  LOL

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

Here is my take on 380. Years ago 380 were not considered a self defense round. You had to go to 9mm or larger for a proper self defense round. Fast forward 20 years and bullet design, powder, and better engineered pocket pistols have gained 380 merit for personal protection. I have not looked, but I bet balistic tabels from 20 years ago show 9mm at the same or even less than todays 380. I carry a glock 42 380 everywhere. It is small and easy to hide. I rarels carry my full size XDM in 40 or the 357 j frame. I have practiced with this glock more than anything else I own and am very confident in it at 20 yards. Not many pocket pistols will shoot like that.

Agree. I've got a boatload of handguns to chose from but it's a KelTec .380 that's in my pocket now and 90% of the time. If you're going to buy an LC9 I'd go with the LC9s or LC9s pro. Both have vastly improved triggers.

I prefer the .380 for carry not just because of the size of the gun but also because the .380 is a little less likely to pass through a bad guy and cause unintentional damage elsewhere. Better to just let a bad guy kill you than to unintentionally hurt a bystander in my opinion. The small .380 and 9's can be unpleasant for extended shooting.

Wahter makes a nice larger framed, double action/single action, soft shooting .380 too. It's the PK380. A family member has one and I have shot it and liked it. Larger gun than I want to carry but it works out well for the 6'3" owner.

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

I'm backing up the recommendation for Winchester white box JHP for either caliber.  It's a decent defensive load that performs reasonably well in all tests and doesn't cost nearly as much as premium ammo.  I'd run several boxes through each gun to be sure it'll cycle well. 

Use whatever cheap FMJ you can find for the majority of your practice work.

I'll also jump on the unsolicited advice bandwagon and will also recommend the 9mm for all the reasons previously mentioned.

Agree concerning the White Box JHP.

[3fan4life]

My mom has one of those Jennings in 25acp (one of dad's impulse buys at a gun show). 

I believed it to be crap, and took it out back of her house a couple years ago and fired it fast and slow and sideways and upside down and as fast as I could, and limp wristed it, and I could not make it jam or not work one time (ball ammo only).  It even grouped up at 4" in a close-by tree.   It still may be crap, but it is apparently reliable crap.   

I told her to please be careful and not shoot her foot after racking it, and she told me... I may be old (85), but I haven't gotten stupid.  It's not her primary, just her backup.  LOL

I'm glad to see that it has at least one other fan.

I know that there are a lot of real gun afficinados on this site and I fully expected to take some ribbing about the post.

Don't get me wrong I understand that this gun is a Yugo and not a Mercedes.

But, it's a Yugo that works.

I found it to be reliable and surprisingly accurate.

Also it's forgiving of neglect and abuse, something that most guns aren't.

[bassman]

I've had good luck with UMC Mega packs, Winchester White Box, Blazers and Remington ball for plinking.  I avoid any steel case and all Russian ammo since most of the indoor ranges in my area don't allow it.  Your experience may differ.

[BobB]

If you are fixed on the Ruger LCP be sure you get the second version, the LCP II.  The original had a crappy trigger and the slide did not lock open on an empty magazine.  These are not good pistols on a range, to small. 

I started shooting again just last year.  Picked 9mm as my caliber as it is the least expensive factory ammo available above .22 cal.  I buy ammo on line, usually in bulk to avoid shipping cost.  A good site to know is AmmoGrab.com a search site that seeks out the best current prices.

I started with a Glock 19, a very popular pistol that will be used for home defense.  Found it easy to shoot and after running 2000 rounds through it in three months I had improved my groups to as best as my 72 year old eyes will allow.  My second purchase was a Glock 43, a sub-compact single stack 9mm, that I will carry.  I have yet to get good control of this pistol even after 500 rounds...

[Pappy!]

You mentioned the LC9.
It has pretty much been replaced by the LC9S or LC9Spro......and it needed to be replaced!
The original LC9 trigger was abysmal at best.
The diff between the 9S and the 9SPro is that the pro will shoot a round if the mag has been removed from the gun. The standard LC9S will not. The standard LC9S also has a thumb safety.

[fudgie]

One of my favorite weapons is my Bersa Thunder, easy to shoot, easy to carry.

I love my Bersa's!  I have 3 of them.  I first had the 380+ which holds 15 I believe. I then bought the .40 and now carry the .45. The Bersa 40 & 45 are exactly the same size, just the 45 shoots better. I don't even look at other brands. 

[Oldfishguy]

By far my favorite You Tube gun guy; evaluating the Ruger LC9 series that I think the OP was interested in.


https://youtu.be/p2bBSHxk-Oc

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

I have an LCP Custom for the wife waiting on me to get time to Cerakote it. She likes the feel of the grip and the sights way better than her KelTec.

The LCP Customs have gotten a little hard to get, at least for small shops like mine though.

[RP#62]

Wait, you can buy ammo already assembled?   Seems expensive.

-RP

[Valkorado]

I have an LCP Custom for the wife waiting on me to get time to Cerakote it. She likes the feel of the grip and the sights way better than her KelTec.

The LCP Customs have gotten a little hard to get, at least for small shops like mine though.

Yes, the original LCP sucked!  Sold my LCP and got a LCP Custom with the improved red trigger, stainless rod and real sights.  The Custom is so much better it's a completely different pistol.  Some reviewers who have compared it to the LCP II like the custom better.  With a Hogue Handall grip it feels good, too!

http://blog.cheaperthandirt.com/ruger-lcp-custom-a-shooting-lc/

[PAVALKER]

Vintage Ruger fan.....   KP93DC(9mm), KP94DC (9MM), KP944DC (.40), KP89 (9mm), KP90DC (.45) need a PC9 Carbine to go with, and they have handled all brands without problem.   Interested in possibly the Ruger American Compact (9mm).  The KP93DC is the smallest and just barely a potential CCW at times.  But I usually have my P3AT in the rear pocket.