.380 Pistols and Reliability
January 16th, 2010 by Syd
From the KTOG list:
When I posted earlier that I carry a small snubby most of the time for SD, I received a reply or two questioning why I would carry a wheel gun when it is somewhat larger than a small semi-auto and carries less rounds and is slower to reload.
American Rifleman recently published a report on nine .380 semi-autos, all but one, the Rohrbaugh R380 @ $1150 MSRP, had malfunctions during testing, from a few to many malfunctions and the text on individual guns indicated that some were ammo sensitive. I realize that these guns were not broken in yet. I do think the tests indicate a tendency to unreliability. I doubt if there was a test of .38 spl snubbies that were not broken in, there would be very many malfunctions or ammo sensitivity.
You may find the report interesting. It’s at http://tinyurl.com/yhv79sp
Be sure to follow the link to the second page with the photos and text concerning the individual guns.
Alan
Editor’s note: This is one of the many reasons I prefer the revolver.
“I doubt if there was a test of .38 spl snubbies that were not broken in, there would be very many malfunctions or ammo sensitivity.”
NOT BROKEN IN. I read the article, and they mentioned the 380 semi autos they tested weren’t broken in.
You’re assuming that once these are “broken in” they will become reliable. That isn’t a safe assumption. Some may and some may not. A lot of .380 pistols remain unreliable regardless of how much they are shot. And, 200 rounds does not constitute “broken in” in my opinion. 1000 rounds is much better for a real break in, and most people don’t run that much ammo through these guns.
Overload: I never knew you had to “break-in” a snubby or any other revolver. Just keep them clean and don’t go gonzo hot on the loads.
Syd: I’ve but dang near 1K through my Bersa 380 and it’s worked like a charm. To my knoweldge, the Bersa Thunder 380 is the only reliable 380 on the market but they do need to be kept scrupulously clean. The PPKS comes in close, but it’s really picky on ammo and bites your hand when you fire it.
Good wheel guns like S&W, Ruger, and Taurus will never go out of favor because they do what they are supposed to do: Go bang every time, back-up that bang with a good chunk of lead, and are proven threat neutralizers.
Younger shooters, or the ill-informed, often ask why revolvers appear to be the domain of old geezers. We reply that this is so because we’ve been around long enough not to fall for gimmicks, and we tend to be skeptical of the army of fairy-tale ghoulies that the gun manufacturers and main-stream reviewers cook up to peddle the newest toys. We know that five or six rounds of .38spcl or .357 is going to get the job done in the real world. (Speed loaders and such are carried just in case we encounter a one in a million exception) to the five round rule or we really feel the need to lay siege to a crack house.
My carry gun is a S&W 642 snub nose 38. It is so convenient and easy to carry that sometimes I forget it is in my pocket. I carry a reload by means of a Safariland speed loader. My only modification to the gun is I put on a Hogue monogrip which greatly aided the handling and shooting qualities (arthritis problems). I learned about the Safariland speed loader and the Hogue monogrips from Syd’s “The Snub Nose Files” blog. Thanks Syd. Why a revolver? RELIABILITY. If I need it I don’t want even one malfunction. If it doesn’t work when you need it to save your life it doesn’t matter how many rounds your gun holds.
Carrying a flat Bianchi Speed-Strip with extra revolver ammo is not quite as fast to reload as a SpeedLoader, but will not bulge a pocket the way a SpeedLoader can.
I have found that while rubber grips provide a better grip for shooting, they do so at the expense of grabbing onto cloth while holstered (thus making it more likely that the concealed gun will print through, and also harder to get cloth out of the way to draw the gun). These drawbacks are magnified when using a pocket holster.
Wood grips will eliminate those drawbacks.
I have bought … and sold … several pocket carry tools. I’ve just about given up on the pocket .380s, regardless of brand. The pocket 9s were just a little better. So after much reading and studying I have settled on a 642 .38 snub with CT grips in an ankle holster, sometimes with a speed strip in my pocket. I’ve almost completed the 2000 Dry Fire breaking-in period and the trigger is smoothing out (or my finger is strengthening) nicely. Fine self-protection tool, and I cannot see myself going back to the autos. I still carry my 1911 wherever I can, but the 642 is with me –always–.
I carry a S&W model 637-1 in an Uncle Mike’s size 36 pocket holster in the front pocket of my jeans in the summer. With my tee shirt out it’s invisible. It even allows me the ability to sit comfortably.