[gstone80]

Just picked up a new Spectrum, local store had them on sale for 119.99. Now have one for me and one for the wife. Looking at getting some ammo for winter carry that has better penetration then the Hst rounds we currently use. I'm looking at either the Polycase Arx or the Lehigh Xtreme Defenders. If anyone has tried these in their Spectrum let me know, also if you have other suggestions that you have tried in it let me know. I've only ran Wwb flat nosed, Blazer fmj, and Hst 99gr but they all ran 100%

 

[mawguy]

I carry the Xtreme defenders in every gun I own: .380, .357, 9mm and 40S&W

 

[gstone80]

Have you tried them in a Spectrum. They are not cheap to order and I hate to waste that much on ammo that isn't going to work.

 

[mawguy]

I have never fired a Spectrum so I can't answer your question. What I can tell you is that I have fired this ammunition out of the Taurus TCP, the Ruger LCP II...both in 380 and it worked fine. As I mentioned, it works in every gun I own and in every caliber I have tried. If you are worried about spending a lot of money on ammunition that won't work, the safest thing is to use round nose FMJ.

 

[gstone80]

Fmj for defense sounds risky. Tiny wound tracks and almost a guarantee to over penetrate even in 380. I would just continue using the HST before I used Fmj unless that's all I had. I will pick up a box of Arx and see how it goes. I figure if the flat nosed Wwb feeds, anything should. Have you tested those rounds any? I seen a YT vid of them testing though a windshield and it basically turned to dust. I don't plan on shooting windshields mind you. But I wonder how they fair if they hit bone, will they disintegrate into dust or keep going?

 

[jlewis39]

Fmj for defense sounds risky. Tiny wound tracks and almost a guarantee to over penetrate even in 380. I would just continue using the HST before I used Fmj unless that's all I had. I will pick up a box of Arx and see how it goes. I figure if the flat nosed Wwb feeds, anything should. Have you tested those rounds any? I seen a YT vid of them testing though a windshield and it basically turned to dust. I don't plan on shooting windshields mind you. But I wonder how they fair if they hit bone, will they disintegrate into dust or keep going?

I have generally carried round-nose FMJ ammunition in my EDCs, asmy mindset is somewhat of: if I'm having to draw and shoot for defense, anything is better than nothing. I know, I know...a plebeian mentality, I'm sure.

However, I did just pick up some Inceptor ARX ammunition for my Spectrum. I have not had a chance to get to the range with it yet, so I'm of no use to the OP with regard to performance. I will be following this thread with interest, though, and will post up if I get a chance to try it out.

I will note that Inceptor makes some decent frangible ammunition that worked well in my G2. (Frangible ammunition was a requisite for my indoor NRA Basic Pistol course a few years ago.) It fed/fired without error and was quite accurate for my needs at the time. I'm hopeful that the ARX .380 ammunition is of similar quality and result consistency.