what to do with a davis industries P380?
- Thread starter mrming
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I wonder just how many people are coming out of the bushes to defend Junk pistols ? Just about as many that are coming out of the bushes with asinine comments like " the sucker is junk , throw it away" or "threw the sucker to the bottom of the sea". I guess Hi Points are junk because they are inexpensive or how about Norinco trash from China, or the surplus pistols now on the market. I don't own a Davis or a Raven or any of the other Saturday night specials, but I under stand those who buy one because they feel the need but don't have the pockets. But perhaps you're saying people in the lower class of our economy shouldn't buy anything if they can't the best, a Colt, Ruger, Walther or what ever? Shame on you, if that's what you're saying ,then you are indeed a gun snob. I can now buy just about anything I want, but the was a time, long , long ago when my family were dirt poor farmers in Michigan. I've met a lot of phony people in my life who claim they know whats best for every one, are you one of those. Vaya con Dios The Lone Haranguer
Member
Put a few rounds through it. It might surprise you.
trueblue1776
Member
That argument ALWAYS comes up, buy a PA63, CZ-82/83, all are 100 times the gun for the same price.
I'm sorry people have hangups on their income, a turd is a turd.
An Idea
I have a Jennings 22, I use to shoot it and only had a few jams. After reading the history of jennings and then davis, I put it back in the box and have no plans of shooting it again. If you ever come down to disney, I have been going off shore fishing every chance I get, we can give both guns a good resting place.
I have a Jennings 22, I use to shoot it and only had a few jams. After reading the history of jennings and then davis, I put it back in the box and have no plans of shooting it again. If you ever come down to disney, I have been going off shore fishing every chance I get, we can give both guns a good resting place.
atblis
Member
Lucite sounds good to me.
Ha ha ha. Give it some time. Make sure you wear safety glasses. The three dollar hammer is still made out of better material.
DAVE RICHARDS
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Knew a girl up in Detroit that needed a gun but didn't have alot of cash. She bought a Davis .380. Yes it's big and heavy. Ugly and cheap looking. It also fired everytime you pulled the trigger and was fairly accurate up close. In his excellent book "The Concealed Handgun Manual" the author Mr. Bird relates a couple of gunfights that occured in Texas I believe in which a Davis .380 was used.
In both instances a man was attacked by people that had far more expensive and larger caliber weapons than the intended victim did. Through good shooting on his part. Good use of cover and tactic. And luck. In both instances he killed his would be attackers. In the second incident a revenge attack for having killed a family member in the first attack one assailent had a shotgun the other a Ruger in .45. He killed one with a head shot. The other bleed to death a couple of blocks away trying to escape from wounds inflicted by the Davis..
In Detroit a perp with the .32 version of the same gun killed one officer with a head shoot and took another out with a round under the armpit (hence negating the officers vests). In the book "Complete Guide to Compact handguns" here are a few statement from the author Mr. Gangarosa.
"Even with it's undersized sights, the P-380 proved to be a surprisingly good shooter. "...even with hollowpoint ammo it proved itself to be perfectly safe, reliable, and accurate...", and he goes on "All in all , however, the Davis P-380 is an impressive pistol". And "For its price and caliber, this gun is a top buy"! And no way am I saying this gun is a Sig or HK.
But as far as basic protection it is far from junk. Similar to the Raven .25 it may be ugly and bulky. But like the Raven it works and is surprisingly accurate. It certainly wouldn't be a first choice. But it would see you through trouble if you do your part. And if funds are a problem it does give you a decent level of protection. And it was Grandpa's. So just keep it and enjoy it for what it is.
In both instances a man was attacked by people that had far more expensive and larger caliber weapons than the intended victim did. Through good shooting on his part. Good use of cover and tactic. And luck. In both instances he killed his would be attackers. In the second incident a revenge attack for having killed a family member in the first attack one assailent had a shotgun the other a Ruger in .45. He killed one with a head shot. The other bleed to death a couple of blocks away trying to escape from wounds inflicted by the Davis..
In Detroit a perp with the .32 version of the same gun killed one officer with a head shoot and took another out with a round under the armpit (hence negating the officers vests). In the book "Complete Guide to Compact handguns" here are a few statement from the author Mr. Gangarosa.
"Even with it's undersized sights, the P-380 proved to be a surprisingly good shooter. "...even with hollowpoint ammo it proved itself to be perfectly safe, reliable, and accurate...", and he goes on "All in all , however, the Davis P-380 is an impressive pistol". And "For its price and caliber, this gun is a top buy"! And no way am I saying this gun is a Sig or HK.
But as far as basic protection it is far from junk. Similar to the Raven .25 it may be ugly and bulky. But like the Raven it works and is surprisingly accurate. It certainly wouldn't be a first choice. But it would see you through trouble if you do your part. And if funds are a problem it does give you a decent level of protection. And it was Grandpa's. So just keep it and enjoy it for what it is.
evan price
Member
It's a cheap gun, made to be owned, kept loaded in a drawer just in case. I see guns like this all the time and the owner still has the original box of ammo he bought for it with only a few missing.
Buy a box of ammo, shoot a few mags through it, and keep it for what it was intended: A holdout. It's not like you paid anything for it. Stick it in your toolbox, in the garage, in your fishing tackle box, wherever you want a gun but don't want a nice gun. It's not a fire thousands-of-rounds at the range gun. It's a holdout. Shoot a few to get used to it. Put it away.
I have a Jennings J22 that I honestly hate, but it's great to drop in the tacklebox just in case- and if it gets wet or is lost overboard, well, it's not a Sig or Beretta or something I actually give a crap about.
Buy a box of ammo, shoot a few mags through it, and keep it for what it was intended: A holdout. It's not like you paid anything for it. Stick it in your toolbox, in the garage, in your fishing tackle box, wherever you want a gun but don't want a nice gun. It's not a fire thousands-of-rounds at the range gun. It's a holdout. Shoot a few to get used to it. Put it away.
I have a Jennings J22 that I honestly hate, but it's great to drop in the tacklebox just in case- and if it gets wet or is lost overboard, well, it's not a Sig or Beretta or something I actually give a crap about.
Stretchman
member
Mental images of "Caddyshack", with slightly dangerous overtones.
AtticusThraxx
Member
Even better if you have access to alot of liquid nitrogen....freeze it then wack with a hammer. Then put the shattered pieces in Lucite.
yesit'sloaded
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Do you honestly think a company would make a dangerous gun that would injure the user every time it was fired? They are not the best guns in the world, but they work. Keep it.
trueblue1776
Member
Maybe not every time, but the company has changed it's name (presumably for legal reasons) about ten times.
EmGeeGeorge
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- Aug 24, 2005
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davis...
have it encased in a clear bowling ball...
Challenge others at the range and tell them you can knock down more bowling pins with your davis .380 than they can with a high end-45 in less time...
Have them shoot first, then remove the bowling ball from you range bag and tell them you need to go to more appropriate facilities to perform your end of the challenge...
have it encased in a clear bowling ball...
Challenge others at the range and tell them you can knock down more bowling pins with your davis .380 than they can with a high end-45 in less time...
Have them shoot first, then remove the bowling ball from you range bag and tell them you need to go to more appropriate facilities to perform your end of the challenge...
that could be due to anything from
Unfair allegations of bad product by people who dont know jack. resulting in a stigma
Frivalous lawsuits by idiots who want to blame soem one else becasue thier son was a drug pusher and got shot
though i disaprove of ruining a firearms of anykind. that was HILARIOUS. thank you.
I have owned a Davis .380 for the last 10 years or so and I probably will keep it for many more. It was given to me by my brother and sister and they were so happy when they gave it to me because they thought that I would like it. I will keep it for that reason alone. These guns are cheap (low price and quality), marginally accurate and uncomfortable to shoot. I also use to demonstrate the difference in guns to people I teach to shoot.
Yes, you can get a better made gun for about the same price, like a surplus CZ. But try to think in the mindset of a low-income person unfamiliar with firearms. Generally, a person that would buy a "Saturday night special" is someone unfamiliar with firearms so the first place they would think of going to learn about firearms is a gunstore. So, they stop into their local pawnshop or gun merchant to buy something. If they are low income, that means that, more than likely, they live in a low-income neighborhood. The gunstore would stock products that they expect the local market is willing to buy. I doubt that many owners would have a store in “the Hood” and think that surplus weapons would fly off the shelves. Also, for those that don’t know firearms, “military” weapons have a bad stigma. They believe what the media has told them for years like military weapons have no sporting/self defense purpose and are only used for killing people. They aren’t looking to kill people, only to keep as self-defense.
As an experiment, go into any large gun store chain or inner-city pawnshop and see what they have for about $150. Act like you know nothing about guns and see what they suggest.
Yes, you can get a better made gun for about the same price, like a surplus CZ. But try to think in the mindset of a low-income person unfamiliar with firearms. Generally, a person that would buy a "Saturday night special" is someone unfamiliar with firearms so the first place they would think of going to learn about firearms is a gunstore. So, they stop into their local pawnshop or gun merchant to buy something. If they are low income, that means that, more than likely, they live in a low-income neighborhood. The gunstore would stock products that they expect the local market is willing to buy. I doubt that many owners would have a store in “the Hood” and think that surplus weapons would fly off the shelves. Also, for those that don’t know firearms, “military” weapons have a bad stigma. They believe what the media has told them for years like military weapons have no sporting/self defense purpose and are only used for killing people. They aren’t looking to kill people, only to keep as self-defense.
As an experiment, go into any large gun store chain or inner-city pawnshop and see what they have for about $150. Act like you know nothing about guns and see what they suggest.
I don't have a Davis, but I do have an RG-38 revolver (marked as a .38 Spezial). Inherited from my wife's dad. Not a great shooter, but I do pop a cap or 2 every now and then for his memory. Do the same for "Gramps" .380 Davis....just remember it is not an IPSC-class shooter
Have shot the .25 Raven that also belonged to F-I-L a few times, too. Again, not a top-shelf pistol, but works well for what it is.
Have shot the .25 Raven that also belonged to F-I-L a few times, too. Again, not a top-shelf pistol, but works well for what it is.
Gunnerpalace
Member
Bryco Arms
Jennings Firearms
Phoenix Firearms
Raven Arms
Jimenez Arms
They are all junkie but good if you are on a budget and sentimental value I would say keep it,
Fun fact: All those companies are pretty much one in the same.
Jennings Firearms
Phoenix Firearms
Raven Arms
Jimenez Arms
They are all junkie but good if you are on a budget and sentimental value I would say keep it,
Fun fact: All those companies are pretty much one in the same.
MCgunner
Member
I've got a Phoenix Arms HP22 I like a lot! Yeah, it's zinc, it was cheap. And, no, I don't carry it for defense. I've shot rabbits with it, though, and snakes. I made a little pocket holster for it, great for bummin' around when you want a concealed .22 for that sort of thing. I even bought a 5" barrel for it and finger extension magazine. The thing has had a few problems, but Phoenix Arms is really good with customer service, fixed me right up and quick. I've put a lot of rounds through that thing plinkin' at cans and such. I occasionally have to put a recoil spring in it, but they're so friggin' cheap, it's not that big a deal.
Oh, I've got better guns, but this is the only pocket .22 I've had that can shoot 3" at 25 yards with CCI stinger, pretty cool and pretty useful as an outdoor pocket tool. I can tell ya this, I had a Beretta tip up .22 that was a jammamatic and experienced light hit misfires about every third round. The HP22 works MUCH better even if it ain't steel. That Beretta was junk. It was cheap, too, just not quite as cheap as the HP22. I mean for the 70 bucks I gave for that thing, I don't think I went wrong on it.
The Davis P380 I had shoot 4"-5" accurate at 25 yards, was quite reliable, and never broke on me. I did, however, get a better gun for carry and sold it. I don't like striker fired guns for carry, good shooter or not, zinc or steel. But, that Davis did work pretty well. I'd shoot it and if you have emotional attachments to it, I'd definitely keep it. I have a couple of my grandpa's guns, a M10 Smith and a Remington M722 in .257 Roberts. I ain't sellin' either one. Of course, they're good quality guns, but that doesn't really matter. I wouldn't sell 'em if they didn't work just for sentiment.
Oh, I've got better guns, but this is the only pocket .22 I've had that can shoot 3" at 25 yards with CCI stinger, pretty cool and pretty useful as an outdoor pocket tool. I can tell ya this, I had a Beretta tip up .22 that was a jammamatic and experienced light hit misfires about every third round. The HP22 works MUCH better even if it ain't steel. That Beretta was junk. It was cheap, too, just not quite as cheap as the HP22. I mean for the 70 bucks I gave for that thing, I don't think I went wrong on it.
The Davis P380 I had shoot 4"-5" accurate at 25 yards, was quite reliable, and never broke on me. I did, however, get a better gun for carry and sold it. I don't like striker fired guns for carry, good shooter or not, zinc or steel. But, that Davis did work pretty well. I'd shoot it and if you have emotional attachments to it, I'd definitely keep it. I have a couple of my grandpa's guns, a M10 Smith and a Remington M722 in .257 Roberts. I ain't sellin' either one. Of course, they're good quality guns, but that doesn't really matter. I wouldn't sell 'em if they didn't work just for sentiment.
Ala Dan
Member in memoriam
Fuuny One
use it as a trout line anchor~! (Laughing Loudly)
use it as a trout line anchor~! (Laughing Loudly
)sig226
Member
The Davis/Lorcin/Jennings/Raven/Bryco/Phoenix/Jimenez design does generally work, and is safe to use at a range, but I consider the design to be absolutely useless.
The design uses the top of the grip to keep the safety and the trigger bar in place. Most of the grips are lightweight plastic, with the exception of the Raven, which used very thin, soft wood. If the left hand grip cracks or warps, the safety disengages from the sear. The safety no longer functions, although it may look like it is in the 'safe' position. All the guns have short trigger pulls, very easy to accidentally fire.
The right hand grip is just as bad. If that cracks or warps, the trigger bar can disengage the sear. Now it won't fire. It hasn't even got the good taste to go 'click.' The trigger goes back and nothing happens.
The guns are small and have rudimentary sights. They're no good for target practice. So why bother?
People come in asking for them every month. We don't sell them. If someone insists on the price point, I show them an old Smith revolver and tell them to start asking their friends, family, and coworkers if they have a gun to sell as there are several million of these guns in this country. They can turn one up for around $100.00 if they look for a little while, and it is a much better, more reliable firearm.
The design uses the top of the grip to keep the safety and the trigger bar in place. Most of the grips are lightweight plastic, with the exception of the Raven, which used very thin, soft wood. If the left hand grip cracks or warps, the safety disengages from the sear. The safety no longer functions, although it may look like it is in the 'safe' position. All the guns have short trigger pulls, very easy to accidentally fire.
The right hand grip is just as bad. If that cracks or warps, the trigger bar can disengage the sear. Now it won't fire. It hasn't even got the good taste to go 'click.' The trigger goes back and nothing happens.
The guns are small and have rudimentary sights. They're no good for target practice. So why bother?
People come in asking for them every month. We don't sell them. If someone insists on the price point, I show them an old Smith revolver and tell them to start asking their friends, family, and coworkers if they have a gun to sell as there are several million of these guns in this country. They can turn one up for around $100.00 if they look for a little while, and it is a much better, more reliable firearm.
MCgunner
Member
One thing I like about the HP22 is it's a hammer gun, not a striker gun, with a rebounding firing pin.
CajunBass
Member
I would wrap it in an oily rag, and put it, and a zip lock baggie full of ammo for it someplace safe but out of the way. I'd check on it from time to time.
There might come a day when a gun, any gun, will be worth it's weight in gold.
Besides. It was your grandfathers. I've still got an absolutly worthless "blank" pistol that was my mothers. I have no idea where she got it, or why, but it was her's. That's good enough reason for me to keep it.
There might come a day when a gun, any gun, will be worth it's weight in gold.
Besides. It was your grandfathers. I've still got an absolutly worthless "blank" pistol that was my mothers. I have no idea where she got it, or why, but it was her's. That's good enough reason for me to keep it.
jahwarrior
Member
i have this knife; it's one of those NATO style OTF autos, with the cheap diecast metal handles and even cheaper steel blade. my uncle, who died 2 years ago, gave it to me for my 13th birthday. i'm 35 now, and i still have the knife. it's more precious to me than any of the folders i own, because of the person i associate with it. it's in my safety deposit box, along with my daughter's records, my coin collection, and other treasures. you would honor your old pa by keeping that gun. there is no monetary amount that can equal that.
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