Posted: 3/7/2009 10:24:26 AM EDT
| Anyone out there have any experience with one in .380? I got some extra cash and have always found them appealing. |
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I had one in .32 for a very long time and regret selling it, I had to replace the slide spring after 25 years,,
buddy, a LEO wanted a reliable back up ankle gun, I let him have it cheap, I NEVER HAD A FTF in all the years shot it. great little gun IMHO..cant imagine the .380 running any different,, |
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Quality was "Okay" and they usually were reliable, depending on the ammo and the magazine.
As above, parts are drying up, and genuine magazines are getting very hard to get in new condition. There is no importer or factory support if it breaks or needs adjustment. The disconnecter also acts as part of the hammer drop system, and it tends to wear fast, developing a chipped-out area and burrs on it's upper rear face. http://www.stevespages.com/ipb-astra-constable.html As a gun, it's a rather "old school" which means it's large for a .380 auto. It feels good in the hand, and the size and weight help hold down the sharp, snappy recoil of the .380. |
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$295 is a decent price for one near new, but only near new.
While these were fairly good guns, they don't hold value very well. The Constable was imported from 1965 to 1991 and some features were up-graded in later versions. Specifically, the trigger on later guns was more curved, etc. |
| I bought mine NIB in early 1978 for $150. It is a blued .380 Constable II (second generation) with the extended beavertail, two screw black plastic grips, and, I believe, an inertial firing pin to prevent an AD if dropped without the safety\decocker engaged, none (except the safety\decocker) of which I believe were on the Constable I. While the round count through it is only somewhere around 900, I have used Federal, American Eagle, Magtech, Ultramax, Remington, and Sellier&Bellot ball; and mainly HydraShok and Speer Gold Dot HP, all without any problems. It did have a real problem with 50 Independence ball, which made it fail to feed literally 2 out 3. Being somewhat concerned, I then ran 14 HydraShoks through it without a bobble. Last time out 6 months ago, I put 50 Ultramax and 50 S&B ball and some Hydras through it with 0 malfunctions. I clean my guns before and soon after going to the range, and it has retained 95% of it's bluing, with some wear on the frontstrap and under the beavertail. Nothing has ever broken, and I am very satisfied with it; mine is a very finely made weapon. I do have an aftermarket magazine which will not engage the last- shot slide stop to function, but the original factory mag has been perfect. As for the $295 price, well, I would not part with mine for that. If that's for a Constable II, with the longer beavertail, in good condition, I'd recommend it. Only thing is, at 26 oz. unloaded, and 32 oz. with 8 Hydras in the gun and 7 S&B ball in a spare mag pouch on my Pocket Pal pocket holster, it's sometimes obvious in my cargo shorts front right pocket that what's flopping around is probably not my Baby Sequoia and the Acorns. So I only occasionally carry it now thusly, replaced by a very reliable KelTec P-32 with 10 round mag, one additional in chamber, same holster with spare 8 round mag total weight exactly 16 0z., no print, no flop.I read somewhere on the 'net that the Constable was designed for urban Spanish police, and therefore for carry on a uniform belt or under shoulder carry plainclothes. Parts could be a problem eventually under heavy firing; Numrich, among others, seems to have a pretty good supply, although original mags may be tough to get. It is a somewhat heavy, old school (as previously pointed out) all steel weapon, but mine is fun to shoot, and has been as reliable as any other weapon I've owned, including Smiths, Colts, Rugers, and, yes, a KelTec P-32. |