with many of the factory loads, cause they only get 800 fps in a 5" barrel, when you actually chrono them. 210 lousy ft lbs, no expansion, and 1/3rd or more of that "power" wasted on overpenetration of the chest.
Put a 6" barrel in a locked breech 380, you can get a 85 gr Silvertip jhp to 1450 fps. That's real expansion of the jhp, and 400 ft lbs, NONE of which is wasted on overpenetration of the man.
So much for the "power" of .45 ball, eh? When you compare gunsize to gun size, a 2.5" .45 Backup AMT has a 2.5" barrel, while a 6" OAL 380 has a 3.5" barrel. A 1911 that has a 3.5" barrel is 7" long. a regular 1911 is 8.5" long. Until you get off of your dead ass and put MUCH better ammo in that .45, it aint much at all.
Put a 6" barrel in a locked breech 380, you can get a 85 gr Silvertip jhp to 1450 fps. That's real expansion of the jhp, and 400 ft lbs, NONE of which is wasted on overpenetration of the man.