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Thread: Browning BPT .380

  1. #1

    Browning BPT .380

    Hello. New guy here. Long time lurker, first time poster. I respect the all the knowledgeable experienced folks here.

    So I have a question. Does anyone have any experience with Browning BPT .380 ACP ammo? When I have to carry a small .380 I load it with FMJ as per the Doctors recommendation.

    I ran across the Browning BPT .380 (Browning Performance Target) a little while back and it seems to have some nice features. It has a 95 grain FN FMJ (it is the Winchester Flat Nose bullet I believe), black nickel plated casing, and a listed velocity of 1000 fps from a 3.75" barrel. It is supposed to be a "step up" in quality from their standard range ammo and a training analog to their BPX Personal Defense ammunition; bullet weight and velocity match.

    I ran 100 rounds through my pocket .380 and it ran without a hitch. I read somewhere that this stuff is loaded by Winchester. This might be a pretty good choice if the quality is up to snuff. Anyone know? Thanks
    Last edited by 4given; 08-23-2019 at 11:52 AM.

  2. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by 4given View Post
    Hello. New guy here. Long time lurker, first time poster. I respect the all the knowlegeable experianced folks here.

    So I have a question. Does anyone have any experiance with Browning BPT .380 ACP ammo? When I have to carry a small .380 I load it with FMJ as per the Doctors recomendation.

    I ran across the Browning BPT .380 (Browning Performance Target) a little while back and it seems to have some nice features. It has a 95 grain FN FMJ (it is the Winchester Flat Nose bullet I believe), black nickle plated casing, and a listed velocity of 1000 fps from a 3.75" barrel. It is supposed to be a "step up" in quality from their standard range ammo and a training analog to thier BPX Personal Defense ammunition; bullet weight and velocity match.

    I ran 100 rounds through my pocket .380 and it ran without a hitch. I read somewere that this stuff is loaded by Winchester. This might be a pretty good choice if the quality is up to snuff. Anyone know? Thanks
    Welcome!

    The black nickel-coated cases should aid in reliable extraction from the firearm's chamber after firing.

    The 95-grain FMJFN should/will have a greater tendency to remain in a "nose-forward" attitude during penetration as opposed to a FMJRN.

    As for terminal performance (here we're concerned only with penetration depth since the 95-grain FMJFN is highly unlikely to expand or deform during penetration), expect to see nothing unusual in the BPT's behavior as opposed to other typical 0.355" 95-grain FMJFNs. Assuming that you do see 1,000 fps from the muzzle (which, I think is an optimistic value) with the BPT FMJFN, the Q-model bullet penetration equation predicts a maximum terminal penetration depth of 20.82 inches* in close agreement with the MacPherson bullet penetration equation's prediction of 21.62 inches*.

    *modeled in both models as a SWC (semi-wadcutter) due its shape/form
    Last edited by the Schwartz; 08-23-2019 at 11:45 AM.
    ''Politics is for the present, but an equation is for eternity.'' ―Albert Einstein

    Full disclosure per the Pistol-Forum CoC: I am the author of Quantitative Ammunition Selection.

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by the Schwartz View Post
    Welcome!

    The black nickel-coated cases should aid in reliable extraction from the firearm's chamber after firing.

    The 95-grain FMJFN should/will have a greater tendency to remain in a "nose-forward" attitude during penetration as opposed to a FMJRN.

    As for terminal performance (here we're concerned only with penetration depth since the 95-grain FMJFN is highly unlikely to expand or deform during penetration), expect to see nothing unusual in the BPT's behavior as opposed to other typical 0.355" 95-grain FMJFNs. Assuming that you do see 1,000 fps from the muzzle (which, I think is an optimistic value) with the BPT FMJFN, the Q-model bullet penetration equation predicts a maximum terminal penetration depth of 20.82 inches* in close agreement with the MacPherson bullet penetration equation's prediction of 21.62 inches*.

    *modeled in both models as a SWC (semi-wadcutter) due its shape/form
    Thanks for the info! (I have the electronic version of your book BTW) My biggest question right now I think is, what kind of quality can one reasonably expect from this Winchester contract, Browning labeled "performance target" ammo? It obviuosly is not WWB repackaged.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by 4given View Post
    Thanks for the info! (I have the electronic version of your book BTW) My biggest question right now I think is, what kind of quality can one reasonably expect from this Winchester contract, Browning labeled "performance target" ammo? It obviuosly is not WWB repackaged.
    I agree with you. Seeing that they've gone to the trouble of using black nickel-plated brass suggests that the BPT is intended as a "higher-quality" offering and may even be intended (although this is strictly conjecture on my part) as an option in the role for which you are presently considering.

    The only way to determine if the BPT ammo is of acceptable quality is to run a few hundred rounds through your pistol. Seems like you are already off to a good start in that regard.

    If you don't mind me asking; How is it priced? Reasonably enough to run, say, another 200 - 300 rounds through your pistol?
    ''Politics is for the present, but an equation is for eternity.'' ―Albert Einstein

    Full disclosure per the Pistol-Forum CoC: I am the author of Quantitative Ammunition Selection.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by the Schwartz View Post
    I agree with you. Seeing that they've gone to the trouble of using black nickel-plated brass suggests that the BPT is intended as a "higher-quality" offering and may even be intended (although this is strictly conjecture on my part) as an option in the role for which you are presently considering.

    The only way to determine if the BPT ammo is of acceptable quality is to run a few hundred rounds through your pistol. Seems like you are already off to a good start in that regard.

    If you don't mind me asking; How is it priced? Reasonably enough to run, say, another 200 - 300 rounds through your pistol?
    It's not a terrible bad price. The only LGS I can find it in is Cabelas at $20 per box of 50. I've seen it on line for a little less but with shipping It comes out close to the same.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by 4given View Post
    It's not a terrible bad price. The only LGS I can find it in is Cabelas at $20 per box of 50. I've seen it on line for a little less but with shipping It comes out close to the same.
    Yeah, that's a little pricey, but not unbearable.

    I don't know what your level of comfort is for "proving" the reliability of a given round in your particular gun, but when it comes to decent-quality ball ammo (it is a nearly stock generation 3 Glock 17), I consider 300 rounds without a stoppage/malfunction to be "OK". I know the "number" varies for some folks, but that it the guideline that works for me.
    ''Politics is for the present, but an equation is for eternity.'' ―Albert Einstein

    Full disclosure per the Pistol-Forum CoC: I am the author of Quantitative Ammunition Selection.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by the Schwartz View Post
    Yeah, that's a little pricey, but not unbearable.

    I don't know what your level of comfort is for "proving" the reliability of a given round in your particular gun, but when it comes to decent-quality ball ammo (it is a nearly stock generation 3 Glock 17), I consider 300 rounds without a stoppage/malfunction to be "OK". I know the "number" varies for some folks, but that it the guideline that works for me.
    This particular 380 (LCP II) has run quite a bit of ammo both ball and jpg without a malfunction so I would be comfortable with 200 rounds or so of this Browning ammo. In contrast, I ran 675 rounds through my P365 before I was comfortable with it.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by 4given View Post
    This particular 380 (LCP II) has run quite a bit of ammo both ball and jpg without a malfunction so I would be comfortable with 200 rounds or so of this Browning ammo. In contrast, I ran 675 rounds through my P365 before I was comfortable with it.
    Kind of off-topic, but I have to ask simply 'cause I am curious...

    Was there any particular reason that you needed to see more rounds through the P365 than the Ruger LCP II?
    ''Politics is for the present, but an equation is for eternity.'' ―Albert Einstein

    Full disclosure per the Pistol-Forum CoC: I am the author of Quantitative Ammunition Selection.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by the Schwartz View Post
    Kind of off-topic, but I have to ask simply 'cause I am curious...

    Was there any particular reason that you needed to see more rounds through the P365 than the Ruger LCP II?
    Only because of all the hoopla, criticism and intense scrutiny the p365 as undergone. More so than any other pistol that I have ever seen in my 61 years on this earth. Most of it unwarranted I suspect. I can’t name any pistol that didn’t have a few hiccups when first rolled out, yes even Glocks. Don’t misunderstand me, I love my Glocks and each one I have owned has been flawless.

    My P365 has been flawless too. Go figure. I just needed to shoot it a bunch to be sure it was broke in and to give me confidence in it.

  10. #10
    Also, I have already shot a few hundred rounds of ball ammo through the LCP II with no failures so a couple hundred trouble free rounds of the BPT would work for me.

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