Cobra FS380-how to make the best of it?

animalfilter · January 14, 2010, 02:32 PM

I recently picked up a new Cobra FS380 as a smaller option for my girlfriend to take to the range. After putting about 50 rounds through it today, I think we're back to the drawing board as far as finding her a good gun to call her own.

Needless to say, it jammed a few more times than I'm comfortable with... I won't outright knock it, you get what you pay for, and in a bind, I'd happily take it over nothing -- but if I had it to do again, I'd pass on this gun... But as it stands I'm pretty much stuck with it so I'm just going to make it a project to see if I can get it operating smoothly.

I've heard sanding and smoothing where the bullet loads into the chamber helps, and of course a good cleaning and oiling. (I'm using FMJ's, I'd imagine jams are even worse with personal defense rounds.)

Does anyone have any experience with getting a lower quality gun like this to extract and reload without jamming constantly? And basically any overall tips/tricks of the trade I could try to improve reliability? (I'm fairly confident it's the same design as the old Jiminez and Lorcin 380's)

I have a S&W 357 and a Mossberg 500 for home defense so I wont be relying on it for anything, just looking to salvage a bad decision... (No need to tell me it sucks - I got that memo about an hour ago at the range

Delaware_Dan · January 14, 2010, 06:32 PM

Welcome to the forum. My only advice is: buy quality once. You won't be sorry. As for the girlfriend, take her to the gun shop and put a couple of thing in her hands and see what she likes best. If you would like to stick to the .380, I reccomend the Sig Sauer 232.

By the way, this is the revolver forum.

w_houle · January 14, 2010, 06:36 PM

Meh, not the worst you could've done.
Ask these guys here
http://www.bryco-jennings-jimenezarm...orum/index.php

Microgunner · January 14, 2010, 06:43 PM

A good polish of the feed ramp and chamber would probably help but I think I'd leave the sand paper out of the equation and stick with metal polish and cloth buffing wheels on your Dremel. Empty brass will stick in a rough chamber because it fire forms to the contours of the chamber mechanically locking it in place.

CWPinSC · January 14, 2010, 10:11 PM

Is this the Davis Cobra that comes in several colors? :barf::barf::barf:

My wife bought one just because it was purple (her favorite color). We knew it was a POS when we bought it. We don't use it for anything but range plinking. Before we could do even that, it needed work. When they spray the color on, they spray it in many places it shouldn't be. I used a Dremel with a wire wheel and emery grinders to take the color off the contact points of the slide/frame and smooth up the machining marks. Then I gave the ramp a good polishing. After cutting two coils off the recoil buffer spring so it could actually be cocked by someone other than King Kong, it turned out to be a pretty reliable, fairly accurate gun. Caution: if you grip it too high, the slide will peel back a nice strip of web skin.

Good luck with yours and for Gawd's sake, don't carry it unless you have a death wish.

Nauner · December 17, 2010, 01:35 PM

A friend of mine gave me his because it jammed constantly. I like to tinker with stuff so got to tinkering and found that they put chrome on the bolt face and under the extractor. I scrapped all this off and now it only jams on the last round of the magazine.. only half jams, its like the round jams and holds it open like it has a slide lock. I hope this helps anyone doing a random google search since this is an old thread. Clean the bolt face and under the extractor and it should reduce your jams a whole lot.

KevininPa · December 24, 2010, 06:42 PM

.......Bersa Thunders or their Firestorm counterparts, both are made by Bersa. Uber reliable and not super expensive. Only got rid of mine because of a really sweet deal on a Sig 232 in stainless. Honestly, if Bersa would make a stainless model, I'd sell the Sig to get one. I liked the controls on the Bersa better. I still have a Firestorm FS22 as a cheaper practice version because of the same ergonomics. Feels the same, points the same as the Sig. Minor differences in controls. Also a lot of cheap fun!

January 14, 2010, 02:32 PM	#1
animalfilter Junior Member Join Date: January 12, 2010 Posts: 6	Cobra FS380-how to make the best of it? I recently picked up a new Cobra FS380 as a smaller option for my girlfriend to take to the range. After putting about 50 rounds through it today, I think we're back to the drawing board as far as finding her a good gun to call her own. Needless to say, it jammed a few more times than I'm comfortable with... I won't outright knock it, you get what you pay for, and in a bind, I'd happily take it over nothing -- but if I had it to do again, I'd pass on this gun... But as it stands I'm pretty much stuck with it so I'm just going to make it a project to see if I can get it operating smoothly. I've heard sanding and smoothing where the bullet loads into the chamber helps, and of course a good cleaning and oiling. (I'm using FMJ's, I'd imagine jams are even worse with personal defense rounds.) Does anyone have any experience with getting a lower quality gun like this to extract and reload without jamming constantly? And basically any overall tips/tricks of the trade I could try to improve reliability? (I'm fairly confident it's the same design as the old Jiminez and Lorcin 380's) I have a S&W 357 and a Mossberg 500 for home defense so I wont be relying on it for anything, just looking to salvage a bad decision... (No need to tell me it sucks - I got that memo about an hour ago at the range

January 14, 2010, 06:36 PM	#3
w_houle Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2007 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 1,391	Meh, not the worst you could've done. Ask these guys here http://www.bryco-jennings-jimenezarm...orum/index.php __________________ How could you have a slogan like "freedom is slavery" when the concept of freedom has been abolished?

January 14, 2010, 06:43 PM	#4
Microgunner Senior Member Join Date: March 6, 2006 Location: Central Florida Posts: 3,324	A good polish of the feed ramp and chamber would probably help but I think I'd leave the sand paper out of the equation and stick with metal polish and cloth buffing wheels on your Dremel. Empty brass will stick in a rough chamber because it fire forms to the contours of the chamber mechanically locking it in place. __________________ *Proud NRA Benefactor Member*

December 17, 2010, 01:35 PM	#6
Nauner Junior Member Join Date: December 17, 2010 Posts: 1	Got mine for free A friend of mine gave me his because it jammed constantly. I like to tinker with stuff so got to tinkering and found that they put chrome on the bolt face and under the extractor. I scrapped all this off and now it only jams on the last round of the magazine.. only half jams, its like the round jams and holds it open like it has a slide lock. I hope this helps anyone doing a random google search since this is an old thread. Clean the bolt face and under the extractor and it should reduce your jams a whole lot.

December 24, 2010, 06:42 PM	#7
KevininPa Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2007 Posts: 253	Check out the...... .......Bersa Thunders or their Firestorm counterparts, both are made by Bersa. Uber reliable and not super expensive. Only got rid of mine because of a really sweet deal on a Sig 232 in stainless. Honestly, if Bersa would make a stainless model, I'd sell the Sig to get one. I liked the controls on the Bersa better. I still have a Firestorm FS22 as a cheaper practice version because of the same ergonomics. Feels the same, points the same as the Sig. Minor differences in controls. Also a lot of cheap fun!

January 14, 2010, 06:32 PM	#2
Delaware_Dan Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2008 Posts: 1,304	Welcome to the forum. My only advice is: buy quality once. You won't be sorry. As for the girlfriend, take her to the gun shop and put a couple of thing in her hands and see what she likes best. If you would like to stick to the .380, I reccomend the Sig Sauer 232. By the way, this is the revolver forum.

January 14, 2010, 10:11 PM	#5
CWPinSC Junior member Join Date: July 1, 2009 Posts: 863	Is this the Davis Cobra that comes in several colors? :barf::barf::barf: My wife bought one just because it was purple (her favorite color). We knew it was a POS when we bought it. We don't use it for anything but range plinking. Before we could do even that, it needed work. When they spray the color on, they spray it in many places it shouldn't be. I used a Dremel with a wire wheel and emery grinders to take the color off the contact points of the slide/frame and smooth up the machining marks. Then I gave the ramp a good polishing. After cutting two coils off the recoil buffer spring so it could actually be cocked by someone other than King Kong, it turned out to be a pretty reliable, fairly accurate gun. Caution: if you grip it too high, the slide will peel back a nice strip of web skin. Good luck with yours and for Gawd's sake, don't carry it unless you have a death wish.