Gun Talk November Giveaway
Two winners this month.
- CZ Duty F4.0Manual safety
- Black Hills MK262 MOD 1-C460 rounds, 77gr 5.56mm
Two winners. Must be 21+ to enter. Void where restricted.
Gun Talk November Giveaway
Two winners. Must be 21+ to enter. Void where restricted.
November 6, 2026
DoubleTap Ammunition makes hunting rounds, precision rounds and defensive loads. Mike McNett says the secret is a lot of R&D, every day. For defense, this segment focused on loads for small pistols.
| Load | Bullet | Notes | Gel (on camera) |
|---|---|---|---|
| .32 ACP | 60 gr lead-free solid copper hollow point | 960 fps from a 2.5 in test barrel, per DoubleTap’s listing | About 10–11 in |
| .380 ACP | 88 gr jacketed hollow point (cup and core), per Mike | Designed as a .380 bullet, not a 9mm bullet | About 12–13 in |
| 9mm | 77 gr | Standard-pressure load, not +P, per Mike; runs in any 9mm | A little less than the .380 |
A lot of people still have a .32 ACP pistol in the closet, but defensive ammunition for it is hard to find. DoubleTap’s answer is a 60 grain lead-free solid copper hollow point. It is listed at 960 feet per second from a 2.5-inch test barrel, which is good ballistics for a tiny .32. Mike believes it is about the only .32 load out there that will expand and still penetrate deeply from a gun that small, and penetration is what a defensive load has to have.
Chris admitted people will poo-poo carrying a .32. He said that when he does not want to carry, or cannot carry, a full gun, he reaches for something like this. In the gel, the .32 did an amazing job, about 10 to 11 inches of penetration with strong expansion.
The .380 load is a standard cup-and-core bullet, lead with a jacket, at 88 grains. Mike says it was designed from the ground up to be a .380 bullet, not a 9mm bullet. It is built to expand, go deep and leave a good wound channel from a tiny pistol. Chris carries a .380 with 13 rounds in it, and he carries this ammunition. For him, the .380 today is a viable option.
In the gel it went about 12 to 13 inches, just about two inches from the end of the block, and it opened up nicely. Chris said the damage the bullet does on the way through is the most important thing.
The 9mm is the load Mike carries. He likes that it is lightweight, shoots straight and functions well in his guns. According to Mike, the 77 grain load is a standard-pressure round and not a +P, and it is made to run in any 9mm, no matter how small, how old or how new. The light bullet produces much less of a recoil impulse, which makes it soft shooting. That helps in tiny guns that some people do not like to shoot. At 77 grains, Mike says, you can shoot it without flinching, which is why he lets people try it.
The 9mm penetrated a little less than the .380 in the gel, which Mike called fantastic.
Everybody says .380 is not enough gun. Mike begs to differ. His point is that it is all about ammunition choice, and the right load can turn your mouse gun into what people would consider a real gun. The expansion on the .32 was picture perfect, and the wound channel and depth were serious. This was an informal on-camera test with single shots, so treat it as a look at how the bullets behave, not a lab result. As always, test any defensive load in your own gun for reliability before you carry it.
If you are serious about self-defense and accuracy, you need to be serious about your defensive ammunition. It has to penetrate and it has to do what it is supposed to do. DoubleTap gives small-gun owners a real choice, whether that is a .32 ACP from the closet, a .380 designed as a .380 or a light 9mm that is easy to shoot.
Watch the full episode on Shooting Sports Life at shootingsportslife.com.
Gun Talk Giveaway
One lucky winner will bring home:
Open to U.S. residents 21+ only. Void where prohibited.
