Setting aside any potential manufacturing defects, that looks like weak ammo.
ETA: although I have had issues with other ammo - I have not seen a single failure with Fiocchi 73 gr ball, across several different lots. I recommend getting some and testing again. If you guard against rim lock...
I know of no one else but S&W making a locked breech micro 380 and true DAO (and in current production). If that's what one wants they are the only game in town. I hope they fix the OP's or replace it with one that works.
Generally rimlock requires stripping the mag forcefully because the slide is driving the locked rounds forward. There is no clean immediate action I know of. Much better to prevent it.
Further testing today.
Shot 7+1 from each of these in order, one brand per mag in a rotating cycle:
32 rounds each, one mag at a time:
Magtech 71 grain FMJ
Fiocchi 73 grain FMJ
PMC 60 grain JHP
Magtech was noticeably weak and inconsistent in report and recoil. On the last round of one...
This past weekend circumstances dictated very discreet carry. After considering my mode of dress requirements I chose my 2001-2002 LWS32 w/PMC JHP in a hip pocket holster. Prints like a wallet and and I did not have to go unarmed. I think that's really the point.
Today:
Pistol does not like semi-jacketed hollow points. Extracting case gets hung up on the edge between jacket and lead. No more SJHP for you, P32 #1.
It does however as of now (after KT repair) eat fiocchi ball ammo like candy. Could not make it fail in 56 rounds. Strong hand, weak hand...
Appreciated, but the direction I'm going is to get bone stock rounds to work as is. It's possible my brand new RSA has fixed it, but I won't know for sure until I test more. As a side note, I have a spare new P32 which demonstrates catching on the case mouth when I manipulate the barrel...
I had considered the BG380 as a DAO option with mostly ideal features:
Ideal features: DAO w/unloaded firing springs mechanism (very safe), steel chassis, should be reliable, safe in a pocket (w/holster)
Not Ideal: reliability concerns, don't need or want thumb safety, experiences with S&W CS...
This should help http://www.1bad69.com/keltec/flyerwire.htm
Even better: https://web.archive.org/web/20240000000000*/https://ktrange.com/articles/a5/a5.html
Today I thought hard on this further, that it's possible the recoil springs were worn enough from using mostly hotter euro ammo. I was thinking slide velocity might be too high, slamming the barrel down onto the magazine stack as extraction took place. So I replaced the recoil springs and...
Yup. The NAA is straight blowback, the Seecamp has a chamber ring to provide the delay. Both snap, but I found the NAA more snappy even being heavier., and doesn't fit my hand as well as the LWS32.
That's a beauty. I'd pay $400 (with three mags?) in a heartbeat. I bought one of those made in '88 when they came in as unissued surplus. You did very well.
TBH As a lay person with an eye for detail but no realistic mechanical skill, I have learned to fix minor issues myself, mostly to avoid waiting for my gun to return and not be fully fixed. I think S&W and others have fallen into the trap of depending too much on part swapping because: a) most...
I don't have a bodyguard 380 but I'll suggest something anyway :)
Field strip it and mount the slide only onto the frame. Run it back and forth slowly and check for smoothness. You might discover a burr or something interfering with slide travel. That's all I got.
NAA still makes a version of the Seecamp, I have had one a long time. They did away with the heel mag release in favor of a standard button. I prefer the Seecamp design in a pistol that tiny. Both can be snappy being blowback.
Today I ran a mag of PMC 60 gr JHP (no issues), then a mag of Fiocchi SJHP (extraction failure), then the rest of the box of PMC (no issues) then again another mag of the Fiocchi SJHP (extraction failure).
The Fiocchi extraction failures were almost identical to the ones I originally had - but...
Received my P32 back from the factory. They replaced the barrel with an updated version and polished the feed ramp on it. They replaced the mag catch and spring, and fired two mags of unspecified ammo with no malfunctions. I took took it out for a spin yesterday and had the same failure as...
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.