I have a Davis Industries .380 that likes to slam fire when you rack the slide to chamber the first round. How do I fix this? Almost blew up my hand the first time it did it. Any advice would be appreciated because at this point, I am ready to fill it with concrete and toss it in the lake.
The lake sounds like a good idea. I would suggest getting a Bersa if you like the .380 round, but why not get a Hi-Point in 9mm or .45ACP ? Granted they're ugly as sin, but they work. How can ya beat cheap but effective AND reliable?
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" This house is protected by the good Lord, and a gun......."
Wait until the next time the police have one of those "turn in your guns for cash" programs. If they have a good price for pistols, say $150 or more apiece, turn that Davis in and use the money to put a deposit down on a real pistol. Or if you get really lucky, buy yourself a retired police service revolver in .38 Special.
thats a good idea. i have heard about those turn ins but never seen one though ( been out of the country for about 10 years)
what cities do they do those in?
Wait until the next time the police have one of those "turn in your guns for cash" programs. If they have a good price for pistols, say $150 or more apiece, turn that Davis in and use the money to put a deposit down on a real pistol.
I like that idea, might as well get something for it rather than giving the lake a freebee lol.
Hey if you need something in a pinch, CZ82 pistols are pretty good. They are 9mm Makarov, and not very big either. If you have a C&R, it will come right to your door. Cyrano has a good idea, if you could get $150 its almost all paid for!
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The "guns for cash" program is an excellent idea! I'm going to have to find one of those. The gun was given to me for nothing so I'm not worried about losing any money on it. All I was looking for at the time was a small enough pistol that my wife could fire without knocking her over, all 100 lbs of her.
The "guns for cash" program is an excellent idea! I'm going to have to find one of those. The gun was given to me for nothing so I'm not worried about losing any money on it. All I was looking for at the time was a small enough pistol that my wife could fire without knocking her over, all 100 lbs of her.
Ninja Piper, if that's the issue I have some suggestions for pistols she might enjoy.
As the Colonel noted, the CZ-82 is a nice medium-sized semi-auto. I'm not the Incredible Hulk and I have no problem with the recoil; it's not as if you have to "ride it." But if you have a choice- and if you can find one - get the CZ-83 instead. The -82 uses 9x18 Makarov ammo, the -83 uses .380 ACP. The magazines will accept either round without modifications. It's simply that in North America, it's usually easier to find .380 ACP than 9mm Mak.
The PA-63 is a Walther PP (another good choice if you can find one) with a Hungarian accent. I like mine a lot; it's fun to shoot and easy to maintain. If she has a recoil problem with it or thinks the trigger is too stiff, Wolff Springs makes a spring kit that will let you mix and match the springs to tune it to her liking. Again, the only downside to the gun is the 9x18 Mak ammo. My gun store stocks it, but many don't; you might have to buy it in bulk online.
I've already recommended the Walther PP.
If she thinks pistols in the 9mm range are too hard for her to handle, I'd get her something in .32 ACP, either a CZ-70 or a FEG AP-9. (Note: the AP-9 has been marketed under a plethora of names, but it's the same pistol no matter what name or designation is stamped on the slide.) The CZ-70 you might remember from The Man From U.N.C.L.E.; it was the United Networks' issue pistol for their regular agents. (Special Agents like Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin could arm themselves however they liked.) The action is solid and the trigger is light, and the steel frame eats up most of the recoil. You might want to take a file to the rear sight notch and paint the front sight, though. The AP-9 is the PA-63 chambered in .32 ACP. I don't even notice the recoil. The only fly in its ointment is you have to be very careful when you field-strip it for cleaning. There's a little bearing spring on the slide release that looks like half a paper clip that wants to fall out, and it is a PITA to get it to stay put long enough to remount the slide.
Bersas are good pistols too. If she is concerned about recoil, get her the Thunder in .380 ACP.
There are lots of good pistols with gentle recoil on the market. The trick is to find one she likes. Have fun!
Depending on her experience level, for a CCW type gun I'd consider a revolver:
(like the Smith 442/642, Ruger LCR or SP-101, or one of the Tauruses).
Although the Bersa and the like are good guns, an autoloader does demand more training in basic usage and clearing--especially a TDA. They also demand more training to get back into action if a FTF occurs. More levers on the gun usually means more effort and practice on the basics to develop good habit patterns.
The only reason I mention this is I see many people at our range with some form of .380 who've never fired a gun before and were struggling with the basics--and who I think would have been much better suited by a revolver in .38 or similar.
I am in agreement that if you have a cheap .380 that slam fires (although a thorough cleaning might help) it's probably time to get rid of it and get a good quality firearm if your budget allows. Any gun is usually better than no gun but remember you are dealing with a piece of survival equipment and it might be better not to skimp on a gun-- to forgo a new cell phone or not get that new video game to save up and get something that is reliable and works well.
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God gives us free will; the statist tries to take it away
my dad bought one of those from a friend (former friend) it was brand new in the box, i shot it once and a part actually flew off the gun (some kind of pin next to the ejection port) anyway after that happened it became a single shot pistol...would not eject. only good for one thing....planting it on the dead body of a home burgler.
my bad....i think it was a Jennings 380 but either way they are both crap. Take a grinder to it and make a throwing star out of it.
Teach
