When I was young and foolish I purchased a Davies .380. Despite everything I could do, it used to smokestack almost one round per magazine! I used only factory ammo. After not being able to get it to function correctly I put it in the gun safe and there it has resided for since the mid 1980s.
Just recently a friend acquired a 380 and wanted to know if I would reload a few boxes for him. I loaded a couple boxes and the re-loads worked great.
Curiosity got the better of me and I pulled the Davies out of the safe and we took it to the range.
I was flabbergasted! The rounds I had loaded up for the friend performed flawlessly in the Davies with zero smokestacks!.
Went back out today and shot off another 50 rounds and all fired well .
Tried a couple of the friends factory ammo and low and behold! a Smokestack! again
Measured everything, everything looked in spec on the factory loads.
The reloads are using AA#5 with a 95g LRN seated to .980 and the fmj factory loads appeared to be about .010 longer.
Dont know if this was the problem, but as of now the little Davies is performing as well as a Davies can!
I would never carry the Davies as its not that accurate and not that safe, but nice to know I made a safe "Queen" into a passable shooter. have to chuckle, I think I paid under $90 for it new!
Just recently a friend acquired a 380 and wanted to know if I would reload a few boxes for him. I loaded a couple boxes and the re-loads worked great.
Curiosity got the better of me and I pulled the Davies out of the safe and we took it to the range.
I was flabbergasted! The rounds I had loaded up for the friend performed flawlessly in the Davies with zero smokestacks!.
Went back out today and shot off another 50 rounds and all fired well .
Tried a couple of the friends factory ammo and low and behold! a Smokestack! again
Measured everything, everything looked in spec on the factory loads.
The reloads are using AA#5 with a 95g LRN seated to .980 and the fmj factory loads appeared to be about .010 longer.
Dont know if this was the problem, but as of now the little Davies is performing as well as a Davies can!
I would never carry the Davies as its not that accurate and not that safe, but nice to know I made a safe "Queen" into a passable shooter. have to chuckle, I think I paid under $90 for it new!
