F.I .380 Model D

[jobiin]

Hello all. Just joined the forums in hopes for a bit of help. I have a Firearms International .380 Model D pistol. There is some good info on this forum on the gun and it's been super helpful so far.

A lot of people seem to have some trouble with it feeding a next round. Some find resolution when changing ammo, or buying new mags. I know there has been some spring issues with the gun, being installed incorrectly.

The issue I am having with this is it wont eject the next round properly or if it somehow does manage to eject, it wont feed properly. I've narrowed the issue down to a few things.

First, the gun was taken to some gunsmith and altered to better fit a magazine. Pins were added at the base of the well which prevented the magazine from being inserted all the way. And then, the hole in which the mag catches the release was enlarged to catch before inserted all the way.

Here is a photo of the magazine's larger hole - I think it's larger than it should be. It seems to have been cut.



I am pretty sure this is why I am having all the issues. Because of this widened hole, the mag sits lower than it should.

Here are photos of where the pins where machined in - I have removed them. You can also see how the mag doesn't sit flush with the frame as it should if the pins where in. WHen the mag catches with the release, it isn't flush with the frame.





Then, while looking into the gun, the mag sits lower than it should



And this is where I suspect it should sit, when I push it all the way in.



So in the end, I really think this is just a magazine issue. Some gunsmith tried to fix something the hard way, and ended up not fixing a single thing.

The extractor and ejector seem to be fine. They aren't worn down or anything.

I've been searching online for magazines, which I know are difficult to come by. I've found a few sites that seem to have them, but most don't have any in stock.

http://www.triplek.com/products/id/38/grp/412/prd/729/ - in stock, is that the correct magazine?

http://www.gun-parts.com/star/ - never answers email or fax so I have no idea...

Any help would be great. I also just purchased a S&W m&p22 and an m&p 15-22. Love them both. They are two of my first guns and after I want to use the m&p22 to practice before a 9mm, and the 15-22 is just super fun.

Thanks!

[Bill DeShivs]

You can use a Star magazine, but you will have to install your existing magazine baseplate on it.

[Jim K]

IIRC, that gun was also sold as the Colt Pony and the Iver Johnson Pony as well as the Star Model D and the Firearms International Model D. One of those magazines should fit.

Jim

[jobiin]

Thanks Jim. I heard one of those doesn't fit.. maybe the IJ?

[Bill DeShivs]

The Star magazines don't fit-unless you swap out the baseplate.

[jobiin]

Originally Posted by Bill DeShivs

The Star magazines don't fit-unless you swap out the baseplate.

Ahh. Okay sweet. Thank you bill as well. I ordered a new magazine so hopefully that will fix the FTE issue. I'd love to get this gun back in working order, strip the nickel from it and blue it. It is my girlfriend's grandfathers gun. He used it as a boot gun while he was a high way patrol. When it actually shoots correctly, they are nice little guns.

[ShawnDow]

Jobiin,
I had feeding issues with an old MAB model D in .32ACP, I had ordered a new Triple K mag for it hoping to correct the problem. Nope, I then ordered an original used mag, that fixed it. But this doesn't end the idea of the story, I examined the Triple K and the O.E. mag. The difference (and problem) was the cut out on the front of the mag where the bullet is striped out. The Triple K has a shallow cut out while the O.E. had a deeper cut out on it. This was catching the round getting stripped off, kicking the bullet up instead of forward. Any way, I just wanted to mention the cutout on the front of the mag, that might be a possible issue.
There is a post here on TFF, just look for MAB model D feed problem. There are pics showing the problem I had. http://www.thefirearmsforum.com/show...light=mab+feed
Hope this might help,
Shawn

[Jim K]

The MAB Model D is a different gun from the Star pistol under discussion.

Jim

[ShawnDow]

Jim, yes it is.. but I was just throwing the idea of the magazine possibly not having an adequate relief at the front for the rounds to strip off of the magazine... Just throwing out an idea.

[jobiin]

Originally Posted by ShawnDow

Jobiin,
I had feeding issues with an old MAB model D in .32ACP, I had ordered a new Triple K mag for it hoping to correct the problem. Nope, I then ordered an original used mag, that fixed it. But this doesn't end the idea of the story, I examined the Triple K and the O.E. mag. The difference (and problem) was the cut out on the front of the mag where the bullet is striped out. The Triple K has a shallow cut out while the O.E. had a deeper cut out on it. This was catching the round getting stripped off, kicking the bullet up instead of forward. Any way, I just wanted to mention the cutout on the front of the mag, that might be a possible issue.
There is a post here on TFF, just look for MAB model D feed problem. There are pics showing the problem I had. http://www.thefirearmsforum.com/show...light=mab+feed
Hope this might help,
Shawn

This is helpful. I was at the range today, and they actually had a star model D in. I was able to use it's mag, to test, but still ran into issues. Now, the casing isn't being pulled from the barrel by the extractor. I might try and order a new extractor, or bend mine in a bed to see if that works.

Does anyone know if the F.I model had a spring behind the extractor? Mine doesn't, or it didn't when I pulled it out. It's bow shaped so I figured it didn't need one.

Thanks

[Bill DeShivs]

Your extractor is an odd one, but I do believe it should have a spring.
I don't advise bending the extractor, but if you do use a vise, not a bed.

[Jim K]

AFAIK, all those Star pistols had a coil spring behind the rear tab of the extractor. That tab is NOT intended to be a spring and if it is bent it will probably break off.

Jim

[jobiin]

Originally Posted by Jim K

AFAIK, all those Star pistols had a coil spring behind the rear tab of the extractor. That tab is NOT intended to be a spring and if it is bent it will probably break off.

Jim

This is what the extractor looks like. THe slide has a curved groove to fit the ejector.





A spring goes somewhere in here?

[Bill DeShivs]

As many of these guns as I have seen and worked on, I have never seen one with that extractor! It looks to be it's own spring.

[jobiin]

Originally Posted by Bill DeShivs

As many of these guns as I have seen and worked on, I have never seen one with that extractor! It looks to be it's own spring.

See that's what I thought! Do I have a mutant gun? haha I've seen other photos on Google, from past auctions that have the same extractor.

[Jim K]

Yes, that looks like it is its own spring. I have never seen one like it, either, but I stand corrected about a coil spring.

Jim

[jobiin]

Originally Posted by Jim K

Yes, that looks like it is its own spring. I have never seen one like it, either, but I stand corrected about a coil spring.

Jim

No harm done. If it's it's own spring then, and it's not extracting the spent shell from the barrel, could this be my issue? Just get this replaced and see what happens?

After I fire a shot, I have to manually extract the shell from the barrel. I can see were the extractor tried to grab the shell, there are markings on it. Could it just not be grabbing it correctly?

[Jim K]

Since it is its own spring, you could try tuning it by clamping the bottom part (inner side) in a vise and tapping the top (outer) part with a brass or plastic hammer. (Note the word is "tap", not "bang on as hard as you can".) That is the way folks have "tuned" M1911 extractors for years. You risk breaking it, but it doesn't work now.

Jim

[jobiin]

Originally Posted by Jim K

Since it is its own spring, you could try tuning it by clamping the bottom part (inner side) in a vise and tapping the top (outer) part with a brass or plastic hammer. (Note the word is "tap", not "bang on as hard as you can".) That is the way folks have "tuned" M1911 extractors for years. You risk breaking it, but it doesn't work now.

Jim

I'll try this. I am pretty handy, I just didn't want to start this process without asking questions first.

Do you think the issue is that it's not bent far enough in? That over time, it's bent outwards a little, preventing it from getting a good hold on the shell?