Gunblast's PK 380 Review

Gunblast is a new addition to the Forum and Reference section on the left sidebar. Jeff Quinn has a great site where he reviews a variety of guns, and he makes good videos, which he uses on his page. This video is a quick overview of the Walther PK 380. Click Here to see Jeff's post about this great little pistol. There are a few important facts you need to know if you are looking for a .380 pistol. Many of the handguns in this caliber are simple blowback actions, which means that they have a heavy slide and a fairly heavy recoil spring. Newer designs on the market use a locking recoil system which makes them lighter and easier to carry, and allows for a lighter recoil spring. This type of system means that people with a weak grip can probably cycle the slide on the newest .380's. Nearly all of the new pocket size .380's on the market use a double action only trigger, which means that you have a long trigger stroke which cycles the hammer or striker for every shot. You need to check these designs carefully before you buy to make sure that the user can indeed cycle the slide reliably, and can operate the trigger. The PK380 can be fired in both single action mode or double action. The double action only pistols will not have a safety, but the PK380 does, and this means that the user must take the time to become very familiar with the gun's operation before using it as a carry weapon. The extra time spent is well worth it, because this little gun is very reliable, and it is easy to shoot in single action mode. Most people who carry it will probably leave the hammer cocked at all times and set the hammer-block safety on safe. UPDATE: Conversations on the internet about this pistol show that some have a difficult time taking it apart and reassembling. Takedown does require the use of a key, which is supplied with the pistol. The key stays in place once you have rotated it, and you turn it back before you can remove it when reassembling. It's pretty easy to do if you read the directions and look at the pictures in the manual. Compressing the recoil spring stymies a few, too, but it is also very easily done. Insert a section of cleaning rod through the hole in the front of the slide, thread the recoil spring over it, then push the cleaning rod section out with the spring guide rod. Set the head of the spring guide rod in its catch, and you are ready to put the slide assembly back onto the frame. SIG Sauer's P238 is a 1911 styled pocket pistol with a single action trigger and a safety. Be sure to check out both of these guns when you go shopping for your concealed carry weapon. MORE UPDATE!!!! Do you enjoy shooting, and visiting with other shooters? Sign up to attend the seventth Annual Gun Blogger Rendezvous in Reno, Nevada. Click over to the GBR website for more info, and the registration form. The Rendezvous is September 5-8, 2012. Watch the video below to see some of the good times. GBR is organized by Mr. Completely; steel shooter, and blogger extraordinaire.