Buffalo Bore 380 Auto 100gr Hard Cast – Reliable Standard Pressure Load

Description

The Buffalo Bore 380 Auto 100gr Hard Cast is the standard pressure version of Buffalo Bore’s deep penetrating 380. A 100 grain hard cast flat nose at 975 fps produces roughly 211 ft-lbs, and it is still rated for over 20 inches of straight line penetration. No +P, so there is no question about whether your pistol can take it. Twenty rounds per box, item 27E/20.

• Buffalo Bore 380 Auto 100gr Hard Cast Overview
• Standard Pressure 380 Hard Cast Ammo Ballistics
• Why The 100 Grain Flat Nose Carry Bullet Still Penetrates
• Specifications
• Where This Deep Penetrating 380 Auto Load Belongs

Buffalo Bore 380 Auto 100gr Hard Cast Overview

The bullet is cast from a hard lead alloy with a flat nose, not jacketed and not hollow. It is not meant to deform, so it keeps its full weight and full diameter from entry to exit. The penetration figure comes from that, not from velocity.

That is the important insight here. Dropping from the +P load’s 1150 fps to 975 costs about 28 percent of the muzzle energy but barely touches the penetration, because a non expanding bullet’s depth depends far more on weight, shape and sectional density than on speed.

Buffalo Bore built the Buffalo Bore 380 Auto 100gr Hard Cast for the pistols that should not be fed +P. Older blowback designs, very small pocket guns, and anything a gunsmith has looked at doubtfully all have a place for a standard pressure load that still does real work.

Standard Pressure 380 Hard Cast Ammo Ballistics

The published real gun figures cover the small pistols people actually carry. A 3.75 inch Browning BDA gives 1011 fps, a 3.5 inch Walther PPK gives 995, a 2.75 inch Colt Mustang Pocket Lite gives 910, and a Kel-Tec gives 902 fps.

Those work out to roughly 227, 220, 184 and 181 ft-lbs. Against the +P version of the same bullet you are giving up about 70 foot pounds in every gun tested, which is a consistent and fairly modest penalty.

What you are not giving up is the headline number. Buffalo Bore rates both loads at over 20 inches of straight line penetration in flesh and bone, which is why standard pressure 380 hard cast ammo is a genuine option rather than a consolation prize.

Why The 100 Grain Flat Nose Carry Bullet Still Penetrates

Penetration in a non expanding bullet is mostly a question of weight, shape and how well the bullet holds together, not of speed. Once a projectile is not trying to deform, extra velocity adds surprisingly little depth, which is why this load and the +P version share the same 20 inch rating.

A 100 grain flat nose carry bullet cast from hard alloy has all three qualities. It keeps every grain of its weight, its wide meplat cuts a full calibre hole rather than sliding tissue aside, and there is nothing in its construction that can fail.

That matters particularly in a 380, where the usual failure mode is a hollow point that either does not open or opens and then stops short. Neither can happen here, and it happens at a pressure your pistol was designed for.

The bonus is comfort. A low recoil 380 pocket ammunition load is far pleasanter to practise with than a +P load in a ten ounce pistol, and a gun you will actually shoot is worth more than a slightly hotter box of ammunition you flinch through.

Specifications

Where This Deep Penetrating 380 Auto Load Belongs

Be realistic about backstops. Twenty inches of penetration means a 100 grain flat nose carry bullet will pass through a person and continue into whatever is behind them, and then through interior walls. In a home with other people in it, an expanding load is the more responsible choice.

Where it fits is outdoors, in heavy clothing weather, or in any pistol you are unwilling to feed +P. That second case is the whole reason this version exists, and it is a good reason.

Confirm feeding with a box. Standard pressure 380 hard cast ammo sits close to ball in profile but is not identical, and small 380 pistols are individually particular about what they will run. One box through your own gun settles it.

Practise with it if you can. This is the load to do that with, because a deep penetrating 380 Auto load at standard pressure is easy enough on both you and the gun that a full box in one session is no hardship.

Low Recoil 380 Pocket Ammunition Availability

This low recoil 380 pocket ammunition is in stock and ready to ship from MAG5 Firearms, a family owned FFL dealer in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. Ammunition orders ship to most states, and local customers are welcome to pick up in the shop. If you need case quantities or the +P version instead, call us and we will check what our distributors have on hand.

Manufacturer details are on the Buffalo Bore site. If your pistol is rated for it, the 380 ACP +P 100gr hard cast gives about 175 fps more. For an expanding bullet, see the 380 ACP +P 90gr JHP, or browse our full ammunition selection.