S&W BG .380 Thoughts?

[Howland937]

My dad decided to get a pocket gun after he shot my P238. He loved everything about it except the price, so he started looking for something less expensive. It came down between the LCP and the BG and he picked the BG.

Since the .380 ammo is non-existent, I started loading it recently and he's been working on loads too. I understand that light primer strikes are common on the S&W, and it's kinda finicky with ammo.

Finally got something that seems to do well cycling and accuracy-wise, but the first round of just about every mag doesn't fire and shows signs of light primer strike. It's only happening with the first round, and if it misfires, it fires with a 2nd trigger pull. It happens also with Federal factory ammo FWIW.

Wouldn't a spring issue happen with subsequent rounds too?

 

[zaitcev]

Cut the cases a little shorter. It's a minute out of battery condition, I suspect.

 

[halfmoonclip]

Have a look at the slide after chambering the first round; is it indeed fully in battery? Do your loaded rounds 'plonk' readily? Do you let the slide slam when charging the first round?
We can talk more about .380 reloads; been doing it since 1985, and have data.
Due respect, zaitcev, but I've never trimmed a pistol case. But you're right; a scosh out of battery is possible.
Moon

 

[Howland937]

Do your loaded rounds 'plonk' readily? Do you let the slide slam when charging the first round?

The reloads do plunk fully and freely. It has also happened with factory ammo. I can't swear that my dad isn't riding the slide, but when I tried it I tried slingshotting and using the slide lock and it didn't make a difference. Only thing I hadn't tried yet is starting with a closed chamber and cycling the slide to load the first round instead of starting with the slide back.

 

[MrChicken]

Either get a case gauge or pull the barrel and drop your rounds in as a test. They might be a little fat or long for your chamber.
My guess is fat because they are a little out of round. I did this when I shot competitions and it led me to get a final resize die.
After that every reload fit the case gauge, which was tighter than my chamber.

 

[Homerboy]

My BG .380 has probably fired 300 or so of my reloads. Never a light strike or malfunction of any kind. Factory ammo ran flawlessly too. I don’t fire it very often, though. 2 or 3 mags a few times a year.

 

[BC17A]

Light strike on 1st round only from a fresh mag is shooter error, most likely. If the slide is not completely into battery, then that first trigger pull is using some hammer energy to send it home which takes away from the firing pin hit. Once the BG is loosened up that first round should chamber nicely by dropping the slide using the stop.

 

[Strainer]

If at all possible try to get some domestic factory ammo to test it with. Mine is reliable firing Speer/Winchester factory ammo (and my reloads run fine too; I also use federal primers in my reloads for the BG, fwiw); and my buddy has one that runs fine for him too, I recall he was using Speer factory ammo. My opinion: If it gives light strikes on domestic factory ammo it should go back to to Smith and Wesson for warranty service, assuming your dad is the original owner. Good luck!

 

[FFGColorado]

Since the .380 ammo is non-existent,

Not 'non existent', just expensive.
https://www.cheaperthandirt.com/pmc....html?utm_source=wikiarms&utm_medium=ammofeed

https://bulkmunitions.com/gun-store...ML_Feed&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=14881

 

[W5BYR]

380 ammo is available on Gunbroker but it is expensive.