Got a cobra 380 as a gift...Now what?

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ldlfh7

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I family member bought me a Cobra Denali 380acp for Christmas... I was not rude and accepted and said thanks. I have seen one of these before and was not impressed to say the least.
Are there any tweaks I can make to it to minimize jams/stove pipes/FTF? I know this gun is a POS but hey I got it for free so if I could as least have a plinker or something like that why not.
 
Accept the gift,,,

Accept the gift,,,
Embrace the love it implies. :)

Buy one of those hide-away clocks or desk lamps,,,
The kind that are meant to hide a handgun.

Put the gun in it and leave it there,,,
Show your kin that you appreciate the gift.

Who knows what might happen,,,
It might actually save you in a home invasion.

But first I would take it out and shoot it,,,
The gun may not be aware that it's supposed to be a POJ. ;)

Seriously my friend,,,
It was a gift,,,
Keep it.

Aarond

.
 
^^^^^

Not much to be said than that. Go shoot it to see what you really have and go from there.
 
Well, if it makes you feel any better about your gift, I have a Davis Industries .380acp that appears to be the same thing. It's reliable. It was acceptably accurate until the rifling shot out after 200 rounds. It's still reliable though. It's seen maybe 300 rounds and has yet to explode or otherwise
fall apart.

It will be kind of expensive to shoot as a plinker (and I wouldn't want to put what .380acp I have through my Davis P380). But if you somehow had access to inexpensive .380 ammunition, it's still fun to shoot.
 
I would shoot it to see how well it works. If it works, use it for H.D. if not, get rid of it. After all it belongs to you. You can always say it didn't fit your hand. But I would accept it in the spirit it was given. My ex gave me a Universal M1 Carb.when I wanted a mil.spec. model. I gave her a big hug &kiss and said it was just the right one &she had done great! ;) I kept it about 6mo.s. The bolt broke about a month after I traded it for a 30-30 win.!
 
aarondhgraham -

Well said. I will for sure keep it as it was a gift meant from the heart.
It will be a back up to a back up to a back up as far as home defense.
If things get that hairy I will be glad to own it!
 
A friend gave my daughter a Bryco .380. I dry fired it once and the tip of the firing pin rolled out the barrel. I had planned to trade if for parts but at the encouragement of folks here I ordered a firing pin from Jemenez and tried shooting it. It's surprisingly accurate and has been failure free through a hundred or so rounds.

Shoot the gun, see how it performs.
 
Keep it for a while.
Don't shoot it.
Sell/trade it.
Tell the giver that you loved it so much, you shot it until you completely wore it out.
They are garbage. I've owned a Davis .380 and the ejector pin, spring, and ejector came out while shooting.
I made a new pin and spring and sold it, pronto.
 
Don't keep it in a place where you may actually need a gun. It's iffy at best, I would not want to pull that out during a home invasion, that's what your reliable guns are for.
I would sell it at a gun show, to a tourist who wants a cheap gun. Take the money and buy some ammo or something else you need.
 
Assuming the gun was legally transferred to you, you've already accepted it. I'd sell it or consign it; it's better to get what you can for it than to have it sit in the gun safe.
 
Tell the giver that you loved it so much, you shot it until you completely wore it out.
Click to expand...

Not this. They might buy you another one. :D

Seriously, though, I actually have a bit of a soft spot for these types of guns. I'd happily accept one given to me and keep it. Once I knew it would run a couple dozen rounds, it probably wouldn't get shot much after that, but might get tossed in a truck or tackle box.

I have a Jennings J-22 from aorund 1987, which is my only striker-fired, so-called "SNS: pistol, and it's actually quite a decent little gun. From what I read, though, their centerfire guns aren't comparable. Maybe, if I didn't already have the "Little-J", I'd trade a gifted Cobra toward one.
 
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Follow aarondhgraham's advice in post #2 and hope the person who gave it to you does not read this forum. It could have been a pair of red socks.
Keep peace in the family, shoot the gun, you may be surprised. If it breaks you will have your out and nobody's feelings are hurt.
 
Put it in the back of the safe and leave it there until you find a reason to take it out.

I have a Cobra .32 I bought new in the box a couple of months ago -- it cost me the princely sum of $39 plus tax.

I shot it -- it functions. It's in the back of the safe until ... until whatever.

Impulse buying is a bad habit.
 
This is what I was referring to,,,

Gun Concealment Clock,,,

When I was an undergrad I was in cahoots with my spooky old gray haired daddy,,,
We collected driftwood from the rivers, made furniture, and peddled it.

I bet we made and sold at least 50 of these over the years.

Aarond

.
 
Meh - I'd shoot it a bit and check it out. That way you at least have a valid opinion on the subject as to whether or not they're "really that bad". Putting a few boxes through it isn't going to hurt the resale value any (and resale on this is minimal to begin with - GrabAGun has them for $100 brand new).

If it does OK I'd just use it as a range plinker/conversation piece.
 
I'll join with the others by suggesting you shoot a box of ammunition through it.

Since you don't have any money invested in it why not keep it.Although not many on THR will admit to it there are situations or circumstances where a cheap, reliable handgun may fill the need.
 
Well I did shoot it 100 times. The gun was surprisingly accurate for what it is. Everything worked and I did not get FTF/FTE as I was expecting. I think this little gun may find a new home in my tackle box.
 
The Denali is not identical to the Cobra CA series. For one the mag release has moved and the frame has gone Hi Point's route and is polymer with steel inserts at key places. The finish is more durable as well because they're duracoated.

I'd shoot it and see how it works. Put 100 rounds through it and then decide whether or not it is a decent pistol.

"Kinda looks like a gun I used to have that was junk" is a poor reason to pre-judge it. By that logic the Browning Vest Pocket is junk because it kinda looks like a Jennings J25 that was problematic.
 
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