Lorcin L380

welshgal2001 · June 25, 2013, 09:46 AM

hi all
i just bought on-line a Lornic l380 as my wife does like shooting my 12 ga

the thing is how safe are they? cos i've heard reports that they're dangerous, jam all the time and parts break easy too, is this all true?

but i have heard too if you keep them well oiled and clean they'll work just fine for many years?

i'm so confused which is true please help

royal barnes · June 25, 2013, 04:38 PM

Did you hear these things before you bought it on-line? I've never heard of one blowing up. The steel used is not the best and function is problematic. There are few parts available if it breaks, or should I say when it breaks. It is not a gun I would have bought my wife but that's just me.

TunnelRat · June 25, 2013, 04:44 PM

Quote:

hi all
i just bought on-line a Lornic l380 as my wife does like shooting my 12 ga

the thing is how safe are they? cos i've heard reports that they're dangerous, jam all the time and parts break easy too, is this all true?

Did you hear these things beforehand? If so why would you trust your wife's life to such a thing?

JAREDSHS · June 25, 2013, 07:14 PM

dump the lorcin and buy yer sweetie a s&w or ruger 380. trust the lorcin for boat anchor duty.

Bluestarlizzard · June 25, 2013, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Did you hear these things before you bought it on-line? I've never heard of one blowing up. The steel used is not the best and function is problematic. There are few parts available if it breaks, or should I say when it breaks. It is not a gun I would have bought my wife but that's just me.

My Dad hasn't just heard about it, he's seen one blow up.

It's actually a pretty funny story, or at least the way he discribes it is a hoot.
A guy he worked with showed up with his one day and was showing off and when he went to shoot it, it went kablooy. Of course, this major malfunction could have had signifigent user related reasons, but still, Lorcins arn't really known for their dependablity anyway.

**Tom Servo** · June 25, 2013, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by royal barnes

The steel used is not the best and function is problematic.

The problem is, little of the gun is actual steel. Most of its composition is a very soft zinc/aluminum alloy with a low melting point.

I've seen similar guns fail in somewhat spectacular ways.

ttarp · June 25, 2013, 08:02 PM

Its better than nothing, you should probably start looking for something else. The Hi Point is a super cheap handgun that has a much better reputation than Lorcin, it might be worth looking into if your budget is strained. Otherwise, shoot your Lorcin once or twice to make sure it works, worst case scenario you can get the first round off.

Skans · June 26, 2013, 09:27 AM

I have a Lorcin .380. The gun will not blow up, explode or injure anyone if you are shooting non-defensive .380. The frames and/or slides are not known for cracking or failing when using the right ammo.

However, this gun does have a couple major problems - the extractor is prone to breaking. Also, the extractor spring is weak (probably because the manufacturer knew the extractor is weak). The extractor on the L380 I have was replaced 3 times by the factory before the previous owner gave it to me. As far as I know, there are no after-market upgraded extractors for this gun. So, if you are going to shoot your L380, don't use any defensive loads - just the lower power/standard .380 ammunition. Still, there is a good chance that with range use, you will be replacing broken extractors.

kahrguy · June 28, 2013, 06:58 AM

Dump the locrin and get your wife a ruger or s&w snubby in 38sp. Nothing to figure out , pull the trigger it goes bang. Any 38 ammo will work in it.

superspirit · June 28, 2013, 07:25 AM

I bought a lorcin once when I was younger, thank god they took it back after 1 trip to the range. run as fast as you can.

kozak6 · June 29, 2013, 03:59 AM

My buddy (briefly) owned the 9mm version.

The first round would fire every time. After that, it might malfunction on every single remaining round in the magazine.

And it was creative in doing so. Light strikes, failures to extract, double feeds, stovepipes, everything.

The most entertaining malfunction was when the recoil impulse would activate the takedown button. The slide would begin to unhook itself from the barrel and half field strip the gun for you. It's just short of slingshotting the slide forward off the pistol.

dean1818 · June 29, 2013, 07:29 AM

I took a CCW class with a guy with a Lorcin in the lane next to me

It jammed every 3rd or 4th shot

(I also dont like the guy, because in qualifying for CCW, this guy was spraying the lanes and couldnt hit anything.....
I had one ragged hole on my target, than one about 18 inches below and to the left..... The side he was on... My score was one from perfect...

)

I have another friend who leaves his lorcin at home, because it jams so much

Really, if $ is a concern, you are better going with a Hipoint.... They are ugly, but they are reliable and accurate

Do NOT trust your life or your families to that gun

Skans · July 1, 2013, 08:00 AM

If you polish the feed ramp and lightly polish the chamber, the Lorcin actually feeds fairly reliably. Depending on the gun, other adjustments might be needed - but they can be made to feed reliably. However, I have found no "fix" for the weak extractor. I could probably find a better extractor spring, if I was inclined to put that kind of effort into this gun.

Maybe I'll take this on as a project and see how reliable I can get the L380 to perform. Don't get me wrong, I am not recommending the L380 to anyone! Not unless you are looking for a time-wasting project. I used the Lorcin to practice polishing the feed ramp before I attempted this on one of my other guns I cared more about.

June 25, 2013, 09:46 AM	#1
welshgal2001 Member Join Date: June 20, 2013 Location: upper marlboro md Posts: 21	Lorcin L380 hi all i just bought on-line a Lornic l380 as my wife does like shooting my 12 ga the thing is how safe are they? cos i've heard reports that they're dangerous, jam all the time and parts break easy too, is this all true? but i have heard too if you keep them well oiled and clean they'll work just fine for many years? i'm so confused which is true please help

June 29, 2013, 07:29 AM	#12
dean1818 Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2009 Location: Frisco Texas Posts: 844	I took a CCW class with a guy with a Lorcin in the lane next to me It jammed every 3rd or 4th shot (I also dont like the guy, because in qualifying for CCW, this guy was spraying the lanes and couldnt hit anything..... I had one ragged hole on my target, than one about 18 inches below and to the left..... The side he was on... My score was one from perfect...) I have another friend who leaves his lorcin at home, because it jams so much Really, if $ is a concern, you are better going with a Hipoint.... They are ugly, but they are reliable and accurate Do NOT trust your life or your families to that gun __________________ An imperfect servant of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Buying American made, wherever I still can

June 25, 2013, 04:38 PM	#2
royal barnes Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2012 Location: Wendell, N.C. Posts: 189	Did you hear these things before you bought it on-line? I've never heard of one blowing up. The steel used is not the best and function is problematic. There are few parts available if it breaks, or should I say when it breaks. It is not a gun I would have bought my wife but that's just me.

June 25, 2013, 07:14 PM	#4
JAREDSHS Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2004 Location: Mountains in North East Tennessee. Posts: 176	dump the lorcin and buy yer sweetie a s&w or ruger 380. trust the lorcin for boat anchor duty.

June 25, 2013, 08:02 PM	#7
ttarp Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2013 Posts: 888	Its better than nothing, you should probably start looking for something else. The Hi Point is a super cheap handgun that has a much better reputation than Lorcin, it might be worth looking into if your budget is strained. Otherwise, shoot your Lorcin once or twice to make sure it works, worst case scenario you can get the first round off.

June 26, 2013, 09:27 AM	#8
Skans Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2008 Posts: 11,144	I have a Lorcin .380. The gun will not blow up, explode or injure anyone if you are shooting non-defensive .380. The frames and/or slides are not known for cracking or failing when using the right ammo. However, this gun does have a couple major problems - the extractor is prone to breaking. Also, the extractor spring is weak (probably because the manufacturer knew the extractor is weak). The extractor on the L380 I have was replaced 3 times by the factory before the previous owner gave it to me. As far as I know, there are no after-market upgraded extractors for this gun. So, if you are going to shoot your L380, don't use any defensive loads - just the lower power/standard .380 ammunition. Still, there is a good chance that with range use, you will be replacing broken extractors.

June 28, 2013, 06:58 AM	#9
kahrguy Senior Member Join Date: October 1, 2012 Posts: 561	Dump the locrin and get your wife a ruger or s&w snubby in 38sp. Nothing to figure out , pull the trigger it goes bang. Any 38 ammo will work in it.

June 28, 2013, 07:25 AM	#10
superspirit Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2013 Posts: 211	I bought a lorcin once when I was younger, thank god they took it back after 1 trip to the range. run as fast as you can.

June 29, 2013, 03:59 AM	#11
kozak6 Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2005 Location: AZ Posts: 3,113	My buddy (briefly) owned the 9mm version. The first round would fire every time. After that, it might malfunction on every single remaining round in the magazine. And it was creative in doing so. Light strikes, failures to extract, double feeds, stovepipes, everything. The most entertaining malfunction was when the recoil impulse would activate the takedown button. The slide would begin to unhook itself from the barrel and half field strip the gun for you. It's just short of slingshotting the slide forward off the pistol.

July 1, 2013, 08:00 AM	#13
Skans Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2008 Posts: 11,144	If you polish the feed ramp and lightly polish the chamber, the Lorcin actually feeds fairly reliably. Depending on the gun, other adjustments might be needed - but they can be made to feed reliably. However, I have found no "fix" for the weak extractor. I could probably find a better extractor spring, if I was inclined to put that kind of effort into this gun. Maybe I'll take this on as a project and see how reliable I can get the L380 to perform. Don't get me wrong, I am not recommending the L380 to anyone! Not unless you are looking for a time-wasting project. I used the Lorcin to practice polishing the feed ramp before I attempted this on one of my other guns I cared more about.