[zeke1312]

I have a govt Colt .380 and plan to use it when qualifying for CCW. I can't find much about the gun, i.e., prices, users and their experiences. I bought the gun some years ago, never used it...too busy with my Lugers. Any users of .380s out there?

[gringolet]

I own the pocketlite pony..a DAO colt 380 made only one year...
and I really like the thing...I wish they'd make more...
somebody should buy the rights to this thing modify it a bit
to improve some things here and there and produce a fine
close carry pistol...ANYWAY...what you got? are a variety of colt 380's...
and they are all fine guns. Many will tell you the 380 is too light a caliber for
defense...yes and no...up close it is more than enough and on a par with the 38 in a snubby when well loaded (federal hp)...and allows a quick, easily carried and easily handled arm that may be superior in actual use to a bigger gun that is harder to access and handle. and your 380 will probably actually be concealed instead of being like a baseball stuck in your pocket. The 380 has its place and I think you will enjoy yours.

[gringolet]

for a start check out this site...has a couple of tests on 380 rounds...

http://www.firearmstactical.com/test-data/380acp/hor380-90xtp-b85.htm

at least I think I got that right...if not just use thru the .com part and
check out the defensive handgun caliber tests and scroll to 380.

are other decent sites also...you might try a web search with key words...
defensive handgun ballistics...and such...
hope this is helpful.

[gringolet]

determined to get this out to you..maybe this time will get it done...
http://www.firearmstactical.com/briefs.htm
and you want the august 2002 personal defense ammunition test data...
(compare the 380 with the 38 from a snubby...)

[Rokman]

I have two colt 380's that were given to me by my father. One is a Pony and the other is a Mustang. I shoot them great and since I recently got my chl I thought I would use them for carry purposes. They seem to feed reliably with fmj rounds, but are not reliable with jhp rounds. Neither gun has more than 300 rounds through them. Hoping to get more range time with them and see if the feeding problems continue. Meanwhile I am reconsidering my options.

[gringolet]

for the feeding issues...the speer gold dots tend to feed well in most guns
due to the bullet shape...also, if you have a dremel tool..use the felt bullet shaped tip and some of the polishing compound and polish up the ramp and the throat
of the chamber a bit...not trying to remove material, just polish and slick it up. These may help if you have not already tried. If you really want to do them up right, give the people at cylinder and slide a call...but you will pay for their expertise and will not see the guns again for months!...but, when they come home you are going to like 'em.

[GunFrek]

I have a Colt Mustang II 380 that I've put around 500 rounds through. I've never had a single problem with it. I do break mine down and clean it thoroughly after each use. For a price guide you could use http://www.gunbroker.com It will give you an idea of what it's worth.

Tom
GunFrek
NRA Life Member

[Peter M. Eick]

I have a gov 380 that is my backup gun. They are reliable, accurate and easy to shoot. Mine and several others suffer from geometry issues and barrel problems. Basically the lugs in the barrel do not engage enough metal in the slide and the gun is beating itself apart.

PM me if you want me to send some pictures of the problem so you can watch for it. I now baby my gov 380 and shoot it a lot less since they are hard to replace.

To bad though. Great little gun.

[wroclaw]

Hi to all!

I'm new here but this topic is about the actual reason I got registered in the first place...

I intend to buy a Colt Gov. 380 tomorrow (used, black well kept) as a second gun to be carried while totally concealed. I have a few questions to those of you who know this gun well:

1. I'm used to my Sig 228 or FN-HP as in terms of reliability. I do not intent to dump this colt in sand before shooting, but still I would like to know truly how reliable is it? Sometimes when I carry a gun for a few days, 18 hours a day (I attend many conferences due to my job), it gets packed with cotton fibers and also rather dry of oil. The Sig doesn't "mind" about this, but I would like to know if the colt is expected to react the same, or is it a "keep it clean and it would work fine" gun?

2. How does the Gov's react to moisture the kind they sometimes react to while carried on your ankle in the summer? I know its not stainless, but hope it doesn't become brown just by reacting to a mans breath...

3. How reliable are the original mags? I assume those mags were kept loaded by the previous owner. The 228 mags are extremity reliable - is there any specific flaw expected?

I ask all this since my second option is the Sig 232. The main problem is that it is slightly too big to be always fully concealed. I also fell in love with the classic shape of the colt...

Thanks to all!

[Peter M. Eick]

1) Never had a problem with the colt and rust in houston and humidity, but then again I take care of my toys.

2) Mine has been exceptionally reliable. I cannot remember a jam that was not a reload ammo problem.

3) I have 7 of the original mags and again, never had a problem. They just work.

The bigger issues you need to decide are cocked and locked or empty chamber. I rarely will carry with the hammer down on a live round, but not often. My cocked and locked is ok, but I don't like to just carry it in the pocket that way.

I like rem 102 grn ammo for mine. Never every a problem.

[Aguila Blanca]

Both the Pony (which is double action only) and the Mustang are smaller than the Government 380, both in barrel length and in grap frame length/height. They also hold fewer rounds. The Government 380 is single action only, very nice little pistol, but not reknowned for accuracy. Like the other two, it's good as a backup gun or a small CCW for when you can't wear enough clothing to cover a full-size pistol.

I like them, but it wouldn't be my first choice of a pistol to use for qualifying ... unless it was my ONLY choice of a pistol to use for qualifying.

Wroclaw -- IMHO the Government 380 is too big for an ankle gun. Look for a Mustang (NOT a Mustang +2) or a Pony.