P380 questions

[skiflydive]

I recently bought a lightly used P380 S/N RC89XX. I love this little pistol. It shoots well, cycles well, and is super easy to conceal.

I have a question regarding manual slide lock. The gun came with the usual 6 and 7 round mags. When I pull the slide back it locks back with the 7 round mag but not the 6. It locks back fine when the gun is fired and the mag empties but not by hand. I have to push the slide lock lever up with my thumb.

Also, it's pretty easy to release the slide when there's an empty mag in it. I think it's supposed to be hard to release the slide when there's an empty mag in place.

I swapped the followers from the mags and now it "sort of" locks back manually but not really well. The slide lock doesn't fully engage in the notch in the slide.

So. I'm thinking I need to order a couple more followers and maybe a new slide lock lever.

Anyone else have this going on?

[flushermgti]

If your p380 runs good and locks back with both mags during live fire, IMO wouldn't mess with it. At most I would get a spare follower, and a couple more boxes of 380 and give that a try.

[kerby9mm]

The follower is pushed up by the mag spring. The mag spring must have enough “push” to overcome the slide stop spring that holds the slide stop down when firing. The mag springs could be weak.

[skiflydive]

The follower is pushed up by the mag spring. The mag spring must have enough “push” to overcome the slide stop spring that holds the slide stop down when firing. The mag springs could be weak.

Bingo! Actually when I first got the gun I was surprised how easy it was to load the mag and disassemble it compared to my CM9. Also, when I took the mag apart the spring didn't stick out of it much at all. Today I took the spring out and stretched it. Now the slide operates as it's supposed to. Probably not a permanent fix but will work until I get some new springs.

After I did that I went to the range and ran 50 flawless rounds.

Incidentally...the fellow next to me at the range had a MasterPiece Arms .380 he said he'd never been able to get to fire a whole mag. He called it a MasterPiece of $hit and that if he couldn't get it to run he was going to destroy it. Wouldn't sell it and stick someone else with it. Before he saw my P380 he said he has a Kahr P380 (and a P9) he loves...has never had any kind of failure.

Count me as a happy P380 owner.

[kerby9mm]

Good for you that it is a simple fix. All the time on here a new gun needs a new RSA or in your case new mag springs. I find it odd that new guns that have new springs need new springs. What's up with that?