Diamondback Arms?

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adluginb

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Here is the latest news from On Point Firearms:

Review: Diamondback DB380

Check out the latest .380acp pocket pistol on the market: the Diamondback DB380. It's made in Cocoa, FL, supposedly by one of Kel-tec's defectors, and it's a solid little carry piece. At first glance it looks like the Glock that Glock never made. The DB380 also field strips instinctively like its aforementioned Austrian brother. It's striker-fired and the trigger pull is long and smooth, not unlike the legendary Kahr double action only. 6+1 rounds of .380acp are fed from what appears to be an Italian Mec-Gar magazine. Fit and finish are excellent-- especially when you consider the $302 price point. So far everything looks and feels great, but how does it shoot?

I took the DB380 out to the range this morning, gathering whatever .380acp rounds I could find at the shop-- a dismal 40 count. And it was a sorry ragtag bunch-- a mixed bag of Magtech FMJs, Speer Gold Dot, Corbon Pow'r Ball, and two lead nose reloads of unknown origin. I cleaned and lubed the gun with CLP and loaded the first magazine. The first two rounds went off without a hitch, but then came the first malfunction: a failure-to-eject the spent round effectively. I pulled the mag from frame and cycled the action to clear the jam. Unfortunately, the magazine doesn't really like to drop free 100% off the time, even when loaded to capacity. So, this is one of the rough edges of this new firearm that needs to be ironed out. The little DB380 ran flawlessly for another two magazines (12rds), but then I encountered a couple of failure-to-feed malfunctions. Out of the forty rounds fired, I ended up with a half dozen of these malfunctions. This is an issue that needs to be addressed before it can be considered a concealed carry gun in my book. Then again, the DB380 is a brand new gun from a brand new company-- so I give it some slack. They're well ahead of the curve.

After shooting, I returned to the shop and was able to compare the feed ramp of the DB380 to its more expensive cousin, the Kahr P380. The ramp on the DB380 has a narrow groove in the center, which should be more gradual and accommodating like the Kahr's design. I think this the weak link that is having an adverse effect on feeding. Also, the frame to magazine fit needs to be tweaked slighty to allow for a smoother operation. Overall, the Diamondback DB380 shows a lot of potential. This is the first generation of pistols from the brand new company and I believe they will iron out these issues and bring a truly exceptional product to market. This is definitely a company to watch in 2010!

URL: http://www.onpointfirearms.com
 

dlbleak

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Ordered mine today should be here Monday. I plan on taking it out of the box and throwing it right down on the ground and kicking it around then firing it. If it's gonna look like a Glock then it better perform like one. I'll let you know after the test. I might even film it and make a link to it.

I like this line of thinking!
 

Jamie_s_72

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I got mine in yesterday and will fire it tomorrow. After reading reviews from everyone I have to say that I'm already anticipating sending it back to Diamondback for the new slide install. I'll keep you updated
 

andrsnsm

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Where did you get yours? I have heard of one at Gunworld in Del City but no chance of buying it there because of their prices. It looks nice, is it as nice as it looks?
 

Jamie_s_72

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I got mine in yesterday and will fire it tomorrow. After reading reviews from everyone I have to say that I'm already anticipating sending it back to Diamondback for the new slide install. I'll keep you updated
 

dennishoddy

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My dad just bought one. It was the only pocket pistol that he liked after messing with the Ruger LCP, the Kel-Tec 3PAT, or the Sig 238. Neither of us had tried playing with a Kahr at the time which I'm looking at now.
The second he held it he knew it was the one. To me the DB feels like a real gun where the LCP and 3PAT feel like little plastic toys. It's got a real nice grip and shoots like a tiny glock. In fact it feels like someone put a shrink ray on a glock and just scaled everything down.
I had a few problems chambering the first round but I doubt it was the guns fault. I'm just not experienced enough yet. I wasn't throwing back the slide and releasing fast enough. Other than that there weren't too many bad things to say about it. We'll do some more testing in the comings months and i'll let you know.

Looks similar in size to the keltec's and rugers, as far as size, but how thick is it in comparison? I own the P3AT
 

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