cobra ca.380?

[kir_kenix]

does anybody know anything about this pistol? i did some searching but didnt come up with any real reviews. my gf is looking for a "purse gun" and she really likes the looks/feel of this thing. but im worried that at $179 it might just be a worthless pile of poo. has anybody ever had any experience w/ these? thanks.

 

[MatthewVanitas]

I do not own a Cobra myself, however I do not believe that company has a good reputation. Hit the "Search" button with the keywords "Cobra" and ".380" for more info.

$179 is getting you awfully close to the price of a .380 Bersa, which is a very well regarded pistol in the Affordable category. Check out this review from Gunblast: http://www.gunblast.com/Bersa_Thunder380.htm

I believe Bersas go right around $199 at sporting goods stores in TX. There's also a "Compact" .380 version, which I haven't seen around here. Gunblast also has a review of the compact.

Check out past THR discussion on Cobra, I don't believe it's good. There are tons of THR discussions on Bersa, 90% of them very positive.

Bear in mind that both models are of the "blowback" design, meaning they rely on heavy spring pressure (instead of a locking mechanism) to operate. This means that some women may find the slide hard to rack, and many shooters will find the recoil a little "snappy" because of the relatively slide smacking back and forth. Not that it's a bad pistol, just don't think it's incredibly easy to use because it's tiny.

For a pistol that's lighter, far less recoil, and also well made, check out the Kel-Tec P32. Costs maybe $225 at a good store in TX.

-MV

 

[Phenom]

For around $50.00 more you can get her a Bersa which is a million times better than a Cobra. A Bersa= and a Cobra= and you won't be at the range

 

[kir_kenix]

i like the bersa .380 but its up to her i guess. in the last 4 months we have gotten her a ruger 10/22, a mosberg 20 guage, and a s&w .22 revolver. considering she had only gone out shooting a few times before she got her ruger she is really moving along the gun purchasing ladder. she recently became interested in buying a sd weapon after her friends home in columbus ne got robbed, so we are kind of testing the market so to speak. i dont have too much experience w/ anything smaller then 9mm (cept walther .380's) so this is totally new to me as well. looking at a .32 or .380 (really more the 380. any input is appreciated, thanks.

 

[MatthewVanitas]

Glanced through THR archives. The best anyone has said about Cobra is "they're better than they used to be". Apparently a step or two above Lorcin/Jennings/Bryco, but a step lower than Hi-Point.

If you want to go larger than .380, your first step is to check out the Kel-Tec P11. Run a search on THR for tons of info on these. The P11 is a proper Browning-style locking action, rather than blowback. So recoil should be moderate, and slide easy to pull back. You gf might think of the P11 as a "tiny Glock".

Glad to see that you're letting her pick what she likes rather than forcing choices on her, but you might want to advise her that the Cobra has a bad rep, and that there are far better guns (Bersa, Kel-Tec) available for not much more money. $25 extra today for a gun that will last the rest of your life instead of 10 months, and that you might bet your life on. Not a bad bargain.

-MV

 

[brownie0486]

Do her a favor and get her something else

I work ocassionally for a gun store, they are low end at best.

Brownie

 

[Tom Servo]

I ran into one of these at the range today. Poor guy paid $175 for it at a gunshow, and I had to tell him it wasn't fixable.

It was double-feeding on him, and I noticed that the slide was really sticky, like it hadn't been oiled. Tried to disassemble the gun, and I realized it's not meant to be taken apart. Wonderful.

I lubed it up as best I could, but the slide felt "slow" when I hand-cycled it. I put a magazine in, and the gun fired one shot before locking up again. Switched magazines and got three shots off before it locked.

It's worth noting that my 3-shot group was about 11 inches. I'm not exaggerating.

The gun has a safety, which did not work. The slide was very soft nickel-plated zinc, and the feed ramp was pretty rough. Given the alloy, I didn't even recommend trying to polish/file it.

This was a brand-new gun, and the guy looked crestfallen when I explained it to him. I can only imagine the dissappointment. It's not like he'll even be able to sell it.

As it turns out, Cobra is a new incarnation of Raven, and it shows. Once in awhile, you can get lucky with one of the ROF guns, but how long your luck holds...well, I'd say save up a bit more and go for a Bersa (or a Makarov) at the very least.