I just picked up a pistol that I've been looking for. I've had P230's and P232's as well. but I always ended up trading them for other "must haves". I'm not really planning to carry this; however, I want to get some defensive ammo so it isn't just a pretty safe queen, and it could be used in a pinch. Does anyone carry one? What kind of holster and ammo do you use? Is there a vendor that has spare parts? I'm not planning to punish this pistol at the range, but parts are always a good thing to have, especially recoil springs.

Thanks

I don't have one now but have owned a couple in the past. They are great guns and very smooth when shooting. The problem, as you know, will be finding some parts.

Numrich has been my go to for parts but so is another favorite of mine, Top Gun Supply. While they have some parts, firing pins can be tricky to find. I am sure there will be others along shortly who know more, who can help with parts acquisition.

My 232 and 230 always ate anything I put in them but you will have to try and see what works best in yours. I like/use Winchester Silver tip or Remington Golden Saber ammo in most of my guns, just because they never caused any issues but that's just my preference.

My wife liked my P232 so much she claimed it for her own. I can't remember what iwb holster she used for ccw but there are many good ones out there, you just have to decide which you like more and how you want to carry it.

I assume your pistol is a 380. When I carried a P232, I used CorBon PowRball ammo as its profile enabled it to feed reliably and perform well.

In 380, I generally don't like hollowpoints -- penetration is always compromised if they expand as designed.

I prefer the underwood xtreme defender load, which will deliver good penetration, and the tissue destruction is likely to be better than FMJ (if gel tests can be trusted).

Incidentally, for low-recoil, low-price practice ammo, the sinterfire 75gr copper NXG loads are extremely nice. Muzzle energy is about equal to a standard 90-some grain FMJ, but momentum is less (and thus recoil impulse) due to the lesser mass.

Fiocchi or Sellier & Bellot if you want to go FMJ with a hotter, quality Euro .380

Hornady Critical Defense .380 if you wanted to go with JHP and the polymer tip will help with reliable feeding.

I carry either critical defense or any quality factory loading using the XTP bullet. You may want to look at these results in your research.

https://www.luckygunner.com/la...listic-tests/#380ACP

There are also compelling arguments to be made for FMJ or Xtreme defender type bullets in a .380. Personally I feel a sharp/square nosed JHP that doesn't expand will probably do a little more damage and still penetrate just about as well as a round/smooth FMJ, and if it does expand (as long as it penetrates sufficiently), so much the better.

The Hornady bullets in either Critical Defense or XTP work pretty well in .380. They don't expand much, but they are fairly consistent and still reach sufficient penetration in testing. That's what I run in my LCP and PPK on the rare occasions I carry one of them. Worst cast is they don't expand and act like FMJ.

I'm interested in the fluted bullets like Extreme Defender, but I don't know that .380 has enough velocity to rely on the flutes and they cost way more than regular FMJ.

Some really good choices already listed above. I have tried most of them(PowrBall, Hornady Critical Defense. Corbon DPX, and Underwood Extreme Penetrator).
I would feel comfortable with a pistol loaded with any of them. However, right now my choice is the Underwood load.

90gr XTP loads such as Fiocci during the summer, and Winchester 95gr flat nose during the winter for extra penetration.

These in my P238

Buffalo Bore 100gr +P flat point hard cast ammo also shown in the picture but I never carried any. Cost to performance ratio didn't pass my sanity check compared to the loads mentioned above.

When I carry my P230, I normally carry the standard pressure Buffalo Bore Hardcast.

If I am in a very densely populated urban area, gold dots.

The Hardcasts penetrate. Almost too well. But, where I live, pass throughs are not much of a concern. In LA. Vegas etc. I try and be conscious of that though.

Federal HST
Speer Gold Dot
Underwood Xtreme Defender in the +P loading

Before more compact 9mm off duty/backup pistols became available, I carried my P230/P232 and felt confident with it. Our department's armorers did a lot of testing and both Winchester Ranger and Speer Gold Dot came out on top.

Either the Underwood/Lehigh Defense Extreme Defense/Penetrator or a good flat nosed FMJ.

Critical Defense is the choice for my P232.

Hornady Critical Duty and Winchester Ranger both have functioned fine in my P232.

With the exception of my Seecamp LWS380 (which are extremely limited on the type of ammo they can use), I carry Lehigh Defense "Extreme Defense"(68 grain) fluted, solid copper, non-expanding rounds or (if you can find them) the "Xtreme Penetrator", 90 grain rounds of the same design. The .380 ACP cartridge's biggest issue is sufficient penetration and using any hollowpoint bullet accentuates this problem IF the round expands at all. Fluted bullets like those designed by Lehigh Defense provide sufficient penetration, disrupts soft tissue like a hollowpoint but without the issues of unreliability of expansion.

The Lehigh solids function well with older designs such as my Walther PPK, that are notoriously picky about bullets that are anything but FMJs. My Sig P238, Ruger LCPs, and LCP Max all feed, fire, and eject the Lehigh Defense offerings extremely well and every pistol I've used with them has demonstrated that they are amazingly accurate as well.

https://lehighdefense.com/ld-a...d-ammo-380-auto.html

https://underwoodammo.com/380-...n-xtreme-penetrator/

^^^^^^
Thanks for the informative post pulicords.

Certainly not hollow points, so presumably legal even in NJ.

The previous posters recommending any factory load with the XTP bullet are spot on. They're pretty much the only HP available with limited expansion to facilitate sufficient penetration approaching or meeting the FBI standard. I think it's also an ideal general purpose woods bullet for many calibers up to and including the magnums for hunting, hiking, etc. But especially for the 380 and the 9x18 in particular.

There's a YT video from about a decade ago that summarized this tester's results with available .380 defensive ammo at the time. The XTP bullet was the clear leader of this pack. I think this was even discussed on the forum once upon a time.



He subsequently tested the Extreme Penetrator from Lehigh Defense and found it did really well also, although it did have a real tendency to go beyond the FBI's 18" penetration maximum.



And about a year after these two videos, he put the HST through the ringer. Not as good as the HST name would lead one to believe...

quote:

Originally posted by monoblok:
<snip>
He subsequently tested the Extreme Penetrator from Lehigh Defense and found it did really well also, although it did have a real tendency to go beyond the FBI's 18" penetration maximum.
<snip>

I think the Lehigh Defense "Extreme Defense" (68 grain) bullet wouldn’t have the over penetration problem of the Lehigh Defense "Xtreme Penetrator" (90 grain).

Both mentioned a few posts above by pulicords.