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Thread: CW380 ammo (re) test

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
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    163

    Default CW380 ammo (re) test

    I've been having problems with getting my reloads to function 100 percent in my CW380. The bullet ogive is hitting the slide stop about 5-10% of the time regardless of the seating depth I use.

    I was beginning to wonder if maybe there was something wrong with the gun, so I went out and ran some different ball ammo and sd ammo through it.

    Blazer brass fmj: 100 rounds no prob

    Geco FMJ: couldn't get through a single mag due to light primer strikes and failure to return to battery. I expected problems with this one, but it was on sale for $10/50 so I had to buy it😀.

    Hornady American Gunner: 25 rounds no prob.
    Speer Gold Dot:25 rounds no prob
    Ruger ARX Polycase:. 25 rounds no prob. This is interesting ammo. I kinda expected it to hang up on the feed ramp, but it ran great. Super light recoil. I might look into what the YouTube testers have for ballistics results. If it's not a total gimmick I'd seriously consider carrying it.

    Of course, one my gun was good and dirty from all the above, I busted out my reloads and got 3 slide stop stoppages in 100 rounds. No, I'm not hitting the slide stop with my thumb. First, I'm a left handed shooter. Second, I can see marks on the bullet where it's hitting the slide stop.

    So my lessons for the day:

    Geco ammo does not work in this pistol. primarily because the primers are too hard, as others have also discovered. I guess that's why Kahr recommends using decent American made ammo.

    Blazer is decent American made ammo.

    This pistol will devour any SD ammo I've tried. That's what counts.

    If you reload, Xtreme round nose flat point can cause stoppages. Choose a round nose bullet such as Berry's.

    Hope this helps!

  2. #2

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    I cast bullets with Hensley Gibbs mold 55S round nose and with the Lee 356-95-RF flat nose Ranch dog design for my CT30 and CW 380. Both work great.

  3. #3
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    Oct 2013
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    Quote Originally Posted by tony k View Post
    Ruger ARX Polycase:. 25 rounds no prob. This is interesting ammo. I kinda expected it to hang up on the feed ramp, but it ran great. Super light recoil. I might look into what the YouTube testers have for ballistics results. If it's not a total gimmick I'd seriously consider carrying it.
    It not only makes the Kahr even more comfortable to shoot, but it actually makes your gun a little lighter. If you use the magguts conversion to get an extra round, your carry weight will be the same as 6 rounds of fmj. The velocity is a step up, it expands well, but some reviewers don't like that it falls a little short of 12" penetration in ballistic gel. Personally I'm ok with that.

    FYI, Ventura Munitions carries it in bulk and the price is close to range ammo. They don't advertise it as "Ruger" but that's whats stamped on the shell. I've run a lot of it, probably more than 500 rounds, and can't tell any difference from the Ruger-branded which is priced much higher. As a result its both my carry ammo and what I often shoot at the range.
    Rest in peace Muggsy

    "Individual Muslims may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world." Winston Churchill 1899

  4. #4
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    Feb 2014
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    Quote Originally Posted by SlowBurn View Post
    It not only makes the Kahr even more comfortable to shoot, but it actually makes your gun a little lighter. If you use the magguts conversion to get an extra round, your carry weight will be the same as 6 rounds of fmj. The velocity is a step up, it expands well, but some reviewers don't like that it falls a little short of 12" penetration in ballistic gel. Personally I'm ok with that.

    FYI, Ventura Munitions carries it in bulk and the price is close to range ammo. They don't advertise it as "Ruger" but that's whats stamped on the shell. I've run a lot of it, probably more than 500 rounds, and can't tell any difference from the Ruger-branded which is priced much higher. As a result its both my carry ammo and what I often shoot at the range.
    Are we talking about the same ammo? There's no way the stuff I'm talking about can expand.

    Shooting the bull 410 tested it in his "ammo quest" series of videos. I tend to respect his tests because he tries to be consistent and explicit in his methods. In his tests, 3 of the 4 shots made the 12" minimum. The one that didn't was 11.75"). His main concern was that it tends to veer off track after impact.

    These newer fluted solid bullets are not a gimmick like the G2 Rip, but I'm going to remain skeptically optimistic.

  5. #5
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    Feb 2014
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    Looks like same bullet loaded a little hotter than the Ruger branded ammo. https://www.venturamunitions.com/ven...mo-250-rounds/

    Interesting that the Ventura stuff is stamped with ruger. My ruger cases were stamped with "Inceptor".

  6. #6
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    My concern with this ammo is how it will perform against bone. It's a pretty safe bet that the ammo you use may need to penetrate bone to get to vitals, be it the cranium, ribs/sternum, or even arm bones if the bad guy has his arms raised in an offensive posture.

    Last time I went to their website I found conflicting information, but there were indications that the round is frangible upon contact with bone.

    For me, that's a non-starter.

    Quote Originally Posted by tony k View Post
    Are we talking about the same ammo? There's no way the stuff I'm talking about can expand.

    Shooting the bull 410 tested it in his "ammo quest" series of videos. I tend to respect his tests because he tries to be consistent and explicit in his methods. In his tests, 3 of the 4 shots made the 12" minimum. The one that didn't was 11.75"). His main concern was that it tends to veer off track after impact.

    These newer fluted solid bullets are not a gimmick like the G2 Rip, but I'm going to remain skeptically optimistic.

  7. #7
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    Feb 2014
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    Quote Originally Posted by boscobarbell View Post
    My concern with this ammo is how it will perform against bone. It's a pretty safe bet that the ammo you use may need to penetrate bone to get to vitals, be it the cranium, ribs/sternum, or even arm bones if the bad guy has his arms raised in an offensive posture.

    Last time I went to their website I found conflicting information, but there were indications that the round is frangible upon contact with bone.

    For me, that's a non-starter.
    Me too. Tnoudoors9 tested them through drywall, plywood, a 2x4, and thin sheet metal. They fragmented a little on the sheet metal, but still penetration to about 10". None of the YouTube testers I like have done any on bone.

    I think they are frangible on steel plate, and it seems like they're more likely to fragment in higher velocity calibers

  8. #8
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    Oct 2013
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    Quote Originally Posted by tony k View Post
    Are we talking about the same ammo? There's no way the stuff I'm talking about can expand.
    Yes, its the same ammo. Poor phrasing on my part. They say the rotating fluted projectile expands the wound cavity, not that the bullet expands.
    Anyway, I really like how this ammo shoots. I even feel like I'm more accurate.
    Rest in peace Muggsy

    "Individual Muslims may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world." Winston Churchill 1899

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by tony k View Post
    I've been having problems with getting my reloads to function 100 percent in my CW380. The bullet ogive is hitting the slide stop about 5-10% of the time regardless of the seating depth I use.

    I was beginning to wonder if maybe there was something wrong with the gun, so I went out and ran some different ball ammo and sd ammo through it.

    Blazer brass fmj: 100 rounds no prob

    Geco FMJ: couldn't get through a single mag due to light primer strikes and failure to return to battery. I expected problems with this one, but it was on sale for $10/50 so I had to buy it.

    Hornady American Gunner: 25 rounds no prob.
    Speer Gold Dot:25 rounds no prob
    Ruger ARX Polycase:. 25 rounds no prob. This is interesting ammo. I kinda expected it to hang up on the feed ramp, but it ran great. Super light recoil. I might look into what the YouTube testers have for ballistics results. If it's not a total gimmick I'd seriously consider carrying it.

    Of course, one my gun was good and dirty from all the above, I busted out my reloads and got 3 slide stop stoppages in 100 rounds. No, I'm not hitting the slide stop with my thumb. First, I'm a left handed shooter. Second, I can see marks on the bullet where it's hitting the slide stop.

    So my lessons for the day:

    Geco ammo does not work in this pistol. primarily because the primers are too hard, as others have also discovered. I guess that's why Kahr recommends using decent American made ammo.

    Blazer is decent American made ammo.

    This pistol will devour any SD ammo I've tried. That's what counts.

    If you reload, Xtreme round nose flat point can cause stoppages. Choose a round nose bullet such as Berry's.

    Hope this helps!
    Funny, my CW380 actually shoots Xtreme round nose flat point just fine. In fact one of my preferred ammo.

  10. #10
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    Jun 2014
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