My manufacturer says not to use +p, so I was trying to avoid it. I was confused by whether +p is ALWAYS marked, or if I was supposed to know with some other stat on the box. Clearly I am knowledge deficient, this was stated early on by me. If anyone has any good reference material I would be grateful for a referral. I need something that isn't hypertechnical, much like a "Handguns and Ammo for Dummies". I don't know anybody with guns, so I have nobody to ask or talk to.
If the ammo you're buying is made by a SAAMI-compliant manufacturer, and I'd say nearly all of the large commercial firms in the US are for safety/legal reasons, it will have the proper markings on the box and on the case heads so you know what you're loading your mags with regarding the pressure of the round (+P, +P+, etc.).
As strange as it sounds, you may want to invest in a reloading manual for the sake of understanding how ammunition is loaded, what makes up the various components in a cartridge, how they interface with the various actions whether they're rimless, rimmed, etc. in terms of handguns regarding the headspacing, and other related info. Each reloader typically has a preference or two on reloading data, but I really like and enjoy the Lee reloading manual which can be found easily online or in most reloading supply shops from around $12-$20. The reason I like it so much is for some of the history and explanations given on many of these subjects and quite a few more as it pertains to putting together your own handloads. Even if you never endeavor into reloading it still outfits you with quite a breadth of knowledge on what to look for with regards to troubleshooting some ammo-related problems, plenty of technical data on many cartridges reloaded today including dimensions, etc. Some don't like the Lee book since he tends to market a lot of his products in the book, but it's all done tastefully and I don't believe it detracts from the value of the knowledge he provides and in fact educates you on things to look for in reloading equipment. I personally enjoy and use a lot of their products for reloading. For the true reloader, multiple manuals/books is the way to go to double- and triple-check your data prior to assembling and firing your ammo.
Regarding the subject at hand, I can't think of any .380 ACP ammo off-hand that I'd warn or recommend against using in a firearm over considerations of safety because of the amount of energy expelled with each cartridge, and the +P warning is honestly a generic warning or recommendation found in nearly every firearm manual purchased today for liability reasons. Most guns of modern manufacture from anyone half decent can likely handle at least a handful of +P ammo IF it's produced in said cartridge but the general thought process is it's harder on the gun and should be used sparingly when possible. I'm certain there are genuine cases where heeding the warning is absolutely a must given the type of action or construction of the gun, but generally speaking guns are proofed and made to handle firing a cartridge that's significantly hotter than what you'll shoot at the range for the simple sake of verifying the integrity of the gun and its build strength to protect you from a potential disaster, and the manufacturer themselves in court.
