Aguila's .380 ACP is a 95-grain full metal jacket at 945 fps and 188 ft-lbs, numbers that put it on the mild side of the 95-grain ball loads on this site. From a 25-yard zero the trajectory table shows 2.2 inches of drop at 50 yards and 15.7 at 100. That is a lot of drop on paper, and it is also beside the point: a .380 pocket pistol is used at 7 to 15 yards, where the bullet is still on the sights. Recoil energy is second-lowest in its set, above only the Armscor.

Line it up against the others and it is a twin of CCI Blazer Brass 95-grain: same 945 fps, same 188 ft-lbs, same recoil estimate. Winchester USA 95-grain and Remington UMC 95-grain are both 10 fps faster, with recoil within 2 percent of the Aguila in the same pistol. Federal Range and Target 95-grain is the fast one at 980 fps, 35 fps ahead, with about 6 percent more recoil energy. Armscor 95-grain trails the Aguila by 25 fps and produces about 5 percent less recoil. At 7 to 15 yards every one of these prints to the same hold.

Pick it for volume practice in a small .380 when you want recoil a notch under the Federal and Winchester loads but not the softest in the set. It is also a reasonable stand-in for a mid-velocity 95-grain carry load. If you want practice ammo that matches a hotter defensive round, Winchester PDX1 Defender 95-grain JHP leaves at 1,000 fps and produces about 10 percent more recoil energy than the Aguila in the same pistol, and Federal Range and Target at 980 fps is the ball load that comes closest to it. If the lightest recoil is the whole point, Armscor 95-grain at 920 fps is softer still.