If the .380 is so anemic and the pistols chambered for it are unreliable then why haven't manufacturers and gun owners abandoned them en masse?
I agree, the issues should be addressed, but the failures all result in the same thing, no shot. That's the main issue.Yes, it matters. If the issue really exists then doesn't it really need to be addressed? If that user can't shoot that gun reliably and safely then should that user be licensed to carry that gun? If it is a matter of training, then should that need to be addressed? If it is a matter of design or manufacture of that firearm then does that need to be addressed?
The second amendment disagrees with this. This is a topic for a different thread so, I'll leave this here for now.If there is insufficient time can't the person simply not be licensed until the issues are addressed?
Excellent question my friend. I'm surprised no one brought it up earlier. It goes exceptionally well with the question about me having personally fired a .380Auto; yes, I've fired a number of them. The .380s I remember firing:Rastoff,
Many people have reported reliability issues with 1911s, including a number of instructors who mention 1911s often don't make it through their courses without some kind of malfunction.
Does that mean all 1911s are unreliable? Will you stop carrying a 1911 because of that?
Some things are inexplicable, but I have a guess. The .380 is easy to rack so lots buy it just for that. The round itself is not anemic or incapable of effective defense. Shot placement trumps all. Even the venerable .22LR can be a decent defensive round. My Ruger Mark II and III work like clockwork.If the .380 is so anemic and the pistols chambered for it are unreliable then why haven't manufacturers and gun owners abandoned them en masse?
yes, I've fired a number of them. The .380s I remember firing:
Bersa Thunder
Ruger LCP
Llama (like a 1911, but smaller)
Sig P238
It's possible I've fired others, but I don't remember it. Out of this list, the Llama and Bersa failed. Both had failures to feed. I don't remember the other two failing in the 20-50 rounds I fired through them. So my personal experience is marginally better than my observations of others.
I have had a bunch that sucked, including 3 different PPKs. This little sucker has become my favorite “when I am in a suit” gun. Firestorm .380 by Bersa. This one has had 600 or so trouble-free rounds from various manufacturers through it. It is wonderful. I made the grips, but there are some decent ones out there.
Critical Defense, I wonder if FMJ round would be better.
Yes, if you choose to ignore the rest of the observations.
Neither have I. If you pull the trigger on a P230/232, it's going to work - every time.Hmmm. I've never had a failure in many of my 3 Sig 232's, with a variety of factory ammo.
Neither have I. If you pull the trigger on a P230/232, it's going to work - every time.
...Again, all small handguns ave small tolerances and all of them are prone to failure. Get a good one and rejoice. Don't? Send it back for repair, sell or trade it and try again until you do.![]()
Well, to take your "observation" argument in a slightly different but still parallel direction, having observed multiple Boy Scouts in Wilderness Survival training classes fail at starting a fire with only two matches allotted, I have come to the conclusion that fires cannot reliably be started with two matches or less . . .
My take:
380's are small. Tolerances are smaller. They are cheap. Some fail out of the box, some don't due to these tolerances. Trade in and keep looking until you find a good one.
You said 90% of people wouldn’t even come to the class if they didn’t have to. I bet they also aren’t shooting decent ammo, and if their targets don’t reflect any skill, isn’t it likely the way they handle a gun is part of it?
As I get older and now with arthritic thumb joints, I'm unable to both fully rack the slide and simultaneously engage the slide stop on a pair of Kahrs, similar in size to the many 380s available. I bring an empty magazine to the range with me. When I need to lock the slide open, I insert the empty magazine which I use to raise the slide stop. In this way, I don't have to break my grip to manually engage the slide stop.
My larger framed 9mms, both Glock and S&W, are not yet an issue for me.