hello all i have pretty much made the decsion now that i have a CWP that i am going to go with the Ruger LCP i am also buying one for my future wife . however i am confused on the types of ammuntion i should use in reguard to self defense, i know for most weapons hollow point is a good choice such as my 9mm but i am hearing Full metal jackets are appropitate for this weapon. could someone clear up the confusion.

also i know there are various types of ammuntion out there. could someone savy me on some of them. (ex. Fmj, balistic, ect.)

thanks Greg

I bought my wife Federal Hydra Shocks (95 grn) for her Sig .380,Hornady also makes some very good ammo for a .380 and their web site will have some ballistic charts .

I don't know about where you live, but .380 ammo is getting harder to find in my area. I carry a .357, but for whatever weapon you choose, I think that the "Starfire " ammo does pretty good. Check with your local dealer for personal defense rounds, and I usually go buy a whole skin on pork shoulder roast, wrap it in an old shirt and jacket to see how much clothing will slow the bullet down. Some rounds get caught up in the fabric enough, if they are underpowered, to not cause enough damage. This will simulate a bad guy well enogh. The starfires went through and left a saucer sized hole and powdered bone. Good luck.

Hornady Critical Defense Is what I use in MI. The reason it doesn't get clogged when penetrating winter clothes. You need to run a couple of magazines though your LCP to make sure you you do not have a feeding problems. One more thing a 380 is a very marginal defense load. Shot placement is important. I would spend the extra money on the Crimson Trace for that gun the sights are horrible. Have you shot the LCP? I would try to rent one one to try before you buy. Also let your future wife try it. She may not like it. The LCP is a got BUG (Back up Gun). If your serous about self defense I would go with something bigger like a M & P in 40 or 9mm. The LCP is not the best defense gun out there but is better then no gun.

I've got a Sig P238 in .380acp, so I've been contemplating the same issue. I picked up several boxes of the Remington UMC 95 gr. FMJ ammo when I bought the pistol, but, don't know whether it's a suitable defensive round. There's an article in this month's American Rifleman about frangible ammo made by DRT, and they load it for .380's. Looks interesting. I might give some of that a try... I think they have a website at drtammo.com