MrMarty51
Member
I have this old Sterling Arms model 400, stainless in 380 Auto.
It had been so long since I had fired it that I decided to get it out and see what it had been doing. It just seemed that it was doing something weird last time I had shot it.
I started by removing the slide and disasembling as far as I needed to get it all nice and clean and lubed up.
After giving it a good drenching in CLP Break Free and wiping it down and making sure the firing pin was floating proper, I reassembled the pistol.
Now, for the tricky part.
I have a 6X12 block of wood in the garage.
I loaded the mag with seven rounds, it will hold eight but it will always chamber that round in order to get the magazine to lock.
I placed the block of wood into the bottom corner of the floor to wall of the garage and pointing the pistol so that if it would fire, the round would have to go through the twelve inch side of the block then through the wall and into the ground outside, and, nothing in the yard that it could harm if it did go through.
I manually operated the slide, chambering and ejecting several rounds, while watching the action of the cartridge leaving the mag, sliding up the ramp and going into the chamber.
It seemed that all of the rounds wanted to stand on end and not properly chamber. OK. remove the magazine and empty it out.
By slightly, and I mean very slightly, tweaking the magazines lips I got the pistol to chamber each round, time for the real test.
I have an old barn dwelling that I use for storage on the propity, under the floor there is a dugout with a hatch covering the hole.
I removed the hatches cover, loaded one mag. with UMC 95gr. FMJs, cocked the slide back and let it go, the first round loaded succesfully, then, squeezing off, as fast as I could, I fired off one full mag of eight rounds without a hitch.
Next, I loaded the mag with federal 80gr hollow points, they did`nt fare as well, I had to baby in four of the eight.
I then reloaded the mag with the UMCs and fired off eight more rounds of the FMJs and had nbot one mishap, no stove piping or empties half ejecting.
This pistol is very compact and I can see that it will be My CC unit.
The only problem I have with this pistol is the safety lever is broke off, so, it is in fire mode all the time, I just am very carefull that there is not a round chambered and the hammer is not cocked.
I will be looking for a safety and will post about that in the wanted section.
I watch Numrich constantly and have yet to see a safety for the 400 model.
My only other choices for CC would be My High Standard Super Matic Military target pistol on 22LR cal or My 36 cal BP cap and ball revolver which would be OK but after two rounds the target would be hooded in smoke. :banghead:
It had been so long since I had fired it that I decided to get it out and see what it had been doing. It just seemed that it was doing something weird last time I had shot it.
I started by removing the slide and disasembling as far as I needed to get it all nice and clean and lubed up.
After giving it a good drenching in CLP Break Free and wiping it down and making sure the firing pin was floating proper, I reassembled the pistol.
Now, for the tricky part.
I have a 6X12 block of wood in the garage.
I loaded the mag with seven rounds, it will hold eight but it will always chamber that round in order to get the magazine to lock.
I placed the block of wood into the bottom corner of the floor to wall of the garage and pointing the pistol so that if it would fire, the round would have to go through the twelve inch side of the block then through the wall and into the ground outside, and, nothing in the yard that it could harm if it did go through.
I manually operated the slide, chambering and ejecting several rounds, while watching the action of the cartridge leaving the mag, sliding up the ramp and going into the chamber.
It seemed that all of the rounds wanted to stand on end and not properly chamber. OK. remove the magazine and empty it out.
By slightly, and I mean very slightly, tweaking the magazines lips I got the pistol to chamber each round, time for the real test.
I have an old barn dwelling that I use for storage on the propity, under the floor there is a dugout with a hatch covering the hole.
I removed the hatches cover, loaded one mag. with UMC 95gr. FMJs, cocked the slide back and let it go, the first round loaded succesfully, then, squeezing off, as fast as I could, I fired off one full mag of eight rounds without a hitch.
Next, I loaded the mag with federal 80gr hollow points, they did`nt fare as well, I had to baby in four of the eight.
I then reloaded the mag with the UMCs and fired off eight more rounds of the FMJs and had nbot one mishap, no stove piping or empties half ejecting.
This pistol is very compact and I can see that it will be My CC unit.
The only problem I have with this pistol is the safety lever is broke off, so, it is in fire mode all the time, I just am very carefull that there is not a round chambered and the hammer is not cocked.
I will be looking for a safety and will post about that in the wanted section.
I watch Numrich constantly and have yet to see a safety for the 400 model.
My only other choices for CC would be My High Standard Super Matic Military target pistol on 22LR cal or My 36 cal BP cap and ball revolver which would be OK but after two rounds the target would be hooded in smoke. :banghead: