First Time Out For The P380

[Cokeman]

I took the P380 out today for the first time and shot 50 rounds. The ammo was S&B. The first four mags worked great. The next four had a few issues. I had one stove pipe and had to push the slide closed four times. I didn't investigate much, but just kept shooting. I noticed that the shells were flying different directions. Most were going to the right but some were actually going to the left. One landed on top of the gun. The erratic flying shells started on the last four mags. I'm wondering what changed half way through. Extractor? We had been shooting lots of other guns throughout the morning and finally left because the wind has getting pretty strong or I would have shot it more. I was hoping for better but can't really complain.

[jocko]

more rounds before assessing if u have a problem gun. Try some different ammo also.

[Cokeman]

I cleaned the little sucker today and noticed that the firing pin does not retract after it comes forward. If I push the firing pin safety down and then push the firing pin forward by hand, it protrudes from the slide and does not retract. Is this normal? It's not normal for my Glock.

[Bawanna]

I believe it's normal. When you retract the side the firing pin will return to its at rest safety position. Actually its very similar in the Glock. The firing pin safety plunger keeps it back until depressed. If you hold it down and shake the slide the firing pin should rattle back and forth. Release the plunger and it should not.

[CJB]

Why do problems appear after uneventful initial firing?

Could be improper initial prep
Could be improper lubrication - either too much or too little, or wrong kind
Could be just plain ol' ammo-grunge on a new pistol thats not quite 100 percent yet - builds up under extractor or in chamber

I'd keep shooting it, and as others said, also try other ammo. The S&B stuff I've shot in the past was all .38sp's, and was very dirty ammo (but dirt cheap at the time for $4.50 a box!)

[Cokeman]

It was pretty dirty after only 50 rounds. I cleaned a lot of black out and some black shavings off the rail area. Hopefully that will help.

What .380 is less dirty?

[Cokeman]

How much?

[Cokeman]

Not bad.

[Cokeman]

I took the P380 out today for the first time and shot 50 rounds. The ammo was S&B. The first four mags worked great. The next four had a few issues. I had one stove pipe and had to push the slide closed four times. I didn't investigate much, but just kept shooting. I noticed that the shells were flying different directions. Most were going to the right but some were actually going to the left. One landed on top of the gun. The erratic flying shells started on the last four mags. I'm wondering what changed half way through. Extractor? We had been shooting lots of other guns throughout the morning and finally left because the wind has getting pretty strong or I would have shot it more. I was hoping for better but can't really complain.

I went out again tonight and had a rerun of last time except that the slide stayed open three times instead of four. The first four mags worked great. The next four had a few issues. All three times that the slide didn't close were on the first round of the mag. I noticed each time and pushed the slide shut before pulling the trigger. I'm thinking that the S&B ammo has something to do with it. Too dirty? I could pull the slide back a 1/4 inch and let go and it wouldn't close. If I pulled it back 1/2 an inch, I could feel the spot where it wanted to hang up. This only happened after the first four mags got the gun dirty.