Ammo Quest: Polycase ARX Inceptor test in .380 ACP and 9mm

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• published: 08 Apr 2015
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This is a "Combined" edition of the Ammo Quest, as I'm testing both .380 and 9mm in this one video. Therefore, this represents the Thirty-Third in a series of a quest to find the overall best defensive ammunition for modern 9mm pocket pistols (such as the Sig Sauer P938, Taurus PT709, the Ruger LC9, Kahr CM9, Beretta Nano, Kel-Tec PF9 or S&W; Shield or any other popular 9mm micro-pistol using a barrel length of approximately 3"). And, it is the Thirty-Seventh installment in the quest to find the best defensive ammunition for modern micro-compact .380 ACP pistols (such as the Taurus TCP 738, the Ruger LCP, Sig P238, Beretta Pico, Kel-Tec P3AT or S&W; Bodyguard or any other popular 380 micro-pistol using a barrel length of around 2.8"). In this installment, I am testing the PolyCase ARX Inceptor ammunition, in 56-grain .380 ACP and 74-grain 9mm versions. I am chronographing the rounds as well as firing multiple rounds per block so that we get a more statistically relevant result, rather than the typical ammo test where only one round is fired. Ammo can behave a bit unpredictably, and the results of any one bullet are not necessarily representative of how the ammunition performs overall. In this test, I fired two bullets of each type into bare gel, and observed acceptable performance from the .380, and tremendous performance from the 9mm. All the bullets penetrated deeply, and did a surprising amount of damage considering that these are not expanding bullets. I then fired two shots of each in denim-covered gel, and saw excellent performance. Note: I'm not making any claims for these videos other than that these are the results I achieved, in my own testing, from the stated pistol. I have no intention to make a blanket endorsement or indictment of any product, only to review and report what I found in a given instance. Obviously it is incumbent upon each individual to conduct their own research and make up their own mind about which defensive ammunition is best for their own purposes, in their own firearms. Also keep in mind that individual firearms can be persnickety; my pistol may feed a particular round consistently whereas your pistol might jam on those rounds, so -- please conduct your own testing before trusting any particular ammo. The purpose of this testing is to find which rounds of ammo perform well enough from a short 3" barrel that they can reliably deliver the penetration (with expansion) that has been documented and proven necessary in order for the bullet to be able to reach the vital organs of an attacker and deliver an incapacitating hit. We are NOT talking about 12" of penetration through a body! We're talking about 12" of penetration through ballistic gel. For those who don't understand why the 12" penetration distance is so important, please see my blog entries on the subject: http://shootingthebull.net/blog/bullet-effectiveness-whats-the-big-deal-about-12-penetration-anyway/ http://shootingthebull.net/blog/bullet-size-the-other-major-factor-in-bullet-effectiveness/ http://shootingthebull.net/blog/more-on-bullet-penetration-and-why-we-dont-use-bones-when-testing-ammo-in-gel/ http://shootingthebull.net/blog/what-about-bullet-overpenetration/ Subscribe to the channel here to see the rest of the episodes in this series, as well as other ammo tests and equipment reviews. And check out the blog at www.shootingthebull.net.