Chime in. PK380 Good or bad experience.

[380fan]

Originally Posted by Krohbar

380fan, on a side note, what do you think of the ruger mini-30???

The Mini-Thirty is a hoot to shoot (Hey! It rimes!).
As far as functionality this is a great piece of engineering. Relatively low recoil, easy to break down for cleaning (the PK could learn from this, and this is a rifle), very clean except the gas port and chamber. That could be due to the cheap east block ammo I use.

I did have problems with sighting in a scope, but not sure if it is rifle, the scope or the shooter that is to blame, but will receive a red/green dot next week and will see how this goes.
BTW, I am banished to the right-most spot on the range due to this thing flinging brass 10-25'.

This will never be a marksman rifle, making 3-4" groups at 100. This is my experience as a occasional shooter, but pretty much reflects others experience with it.
It was bought as a toy and not a hunting rifle. I enjoy going to the range, and even more so now, and having a semi as property (not home) defense is to me a must. I am playing with the idea of getting a bolt action rifle for reaching out to 200-300 yards, so any "cheap" suggestions are greatly appreciated.

The Mini is great fun and I can highly recommend it to anyone who want a fun shooter. It isn't exactly cheap, coming in about twice the AK's and SKS's on the market today, but it is light and small and supposedly more accurate.
I personally picked the 7.62x39 due to knock down power, but if one is more inclined to a flatter trajectory the .223 is a valid alternative. .223 used to be a semi expensive round, but they are now close to the cost of the 7.62. BTW. Those claiming that the .223 is a more accurate round in the Mini may be right, but the difference is so small at 100 yards, and it should really never be used for hunting at any greater distances due to the groupings going to 6-7".
I do have the occasional misfire with the east block ammo, but for range use that doesn't bother me much. I do have some US made ammo in the safe for more serious intentions.

Compared to an AR this has less noticeable recoil and thus will be easier for a long range session.

Hope this long winded reply was useful!

[teddyballgame]

Quick update on my 380. I had to send it back today because I had a 'roll pin?' sticking out on the thumb side of the grip. I'm a righty so it was under my palm just below my thumb. I was told that it would cause the gun to twist when fired. They also said that it looked like it was too short from the factory.

Anyone else seen this problem?

Ted

[evo79]

Yes.....

Took a drift pin and tapped it back into place and hit each one with one drop of blue loctite. It's enough to keep it in place, any still allow you to remove them if necessary. Never had a problem since.

[11PK380]

Originally Posted by evo79

Yes.....

Took a drift pin and tapped it back into place and hit each one with one drop of blue loctite. It's enough to keep it in place, any still allow you to remove them if necessary. Never had a problem since.

Good info THANKS!

[nerdybaldguy]

I bought two of these, one for me and one for my wife for concealed carry. Both have been cleaned. Both have had several FTF in the first 200 rounds. Only a couple FTE issues. Different types of ammo, but best so far has been S&B. One of them DOES NOT like Speer Gold Dot and I get at least one FTF with each magazine.

I've only cleaned them once and fired each once. So I'm gonna break them down and give them a deep clean. If I still have problems I'll document and give S&W a call. The FTF's, btw, look like light primer strikes to me.

[frogger]

Very poor experience with this gun. Firing pin failed during first 50 rounds. 7 weeks at
Smith and Wesson so far and no one has touched the gun for repairs yet. Both Walther and Smith get a big thumbs down. If I ever get this gun returned, it will be leaving my collection ASAP.

[searcher451]

Have you rattled the cage, Frogger? Have you asked about the status of your pistol? Have you sent an email to the head of S&W's customer service operation? I hope that you've some taken steps, at least, beyond posting here. Seven weeks seems like a long time.

[chefrob]

searcher.....i don't doubt frogger's frustration with S&W's CS. i have been trying to get a replacement cap for the lazer on my pk380 since october and for one reason or another i just can't get it done. after many emails and a couple of phone calls i've just given up. S&W can learn a lot from ruger CS. if there was a REAL problem with the gun i'm sure i would have more fight but it shouldn't be this hard to get a plastic cap taken care of. because of this experience i will say i will never buy a smith & wesson product....there are too many options out there.

as for the pk380, for me it had a couple of hickups at first but after a very thorough cleaning and finding what ammo it likes, i have to say that this has been a good purchase for me. i bought it for my g/f and she has become proficient with it and carries most of the time now. it has proved to be reliable and surprisingly accurate with it's favorite ammo.

[frogger]

As a last resort I sent certified mail to Mr. P. James Debney, CEO of Smith and Wesson Holding Co. 2100 Roosevelt Ave Springfield MA 01104. For the future its best to stay away from companies that don't honor warranties. Smith and Walther won't be on my Xmas list!

[searcher451]

Sorry to hear of your troubles, frogger. This is not the normal experience that forum members report from S&W's customer service operation. It is highly unusual, in fact. I wonder if something else isn't going on.