380 Auto

27 Jan 10

Small, 380Auto Pistols:

Kahr, SIG, Kel-Tec, Taurus, Ruger, and now S&W have all recently united in producing small, thin, single-column 380Auto pistols, the smallest ever made in that caliber, designed specifically for concealed carry for those for whom going armed is a delicate, often embarrassing, issue and who must therefore carry with a high degree of discretion and secrecy.

Retailers tell me that five-shot, snubby 38Spl revolvers, from S&W, Ruger, and Taurus, have, for at least the past three decades, been top sellers. Seldom actually shot, but often carried, these little revolvers are everywhere and continue to sell well.

However, it strikes me that small 380Auto pistols are now taking over that market! The pervasive, continuing scarcity of 380Auto ammunition alone is prima-facie evidence of that!

Other driving factors include increased ammunition capacity (seven shots instead of five), thinness, reduced recoil, and rapidity/adroitness of reloading.

As a serious caliber, the 380Auto is limited, as we all know. For that matter, the 38Spl suffers from many of the same limitations. Happily, modern, high-performance ammunition, like Cor-Bon's DPX, have upgraded practical effectiveness significantly. And, while so limited, the 380Auto is still indisputably superior to remaining alternatives: the 32ACP, 25ACP, and 22LR.

For doctors, attorneys, nurses, ambulance crews, 7-11 clerks, taxi-drivers, pizza delivery-guys, and a host of others for whom discrete concealed-carry is a pseudo-profane, but desperate, necessity, legitimate choices, until now, have been profoundly limited.

Not any more!

/John

Leaking Batteries!

27 Jan 10

Battery Issue, from a friend in FL:

"I was at the movies yesterday and found it necessary to use my small flashlight to find something I had dropped. It is a tube-light and powered by two, 123 lithium batteries. They were many months old and on their last legs. The light kept going dim.

At home later in the evening, I heard what sounded like a small explosion in the kitchen. My flashlight, which I had left on the counter with the intention of replacing batteries, was still in its belt-holder. When I picked it up, it was so hot I was forced to drop it!

The light had exploded with enough force to blow out the lens in front, and push-button in the back.

Batteries themselves were corroded and leaking.

I cleaned up the mess, replaced the batteries with new ones, reassembled the light, and it now, once again, works normally."

Comment: While unusual, this happens now and then. We all have, and carry, flashlights. Check your batteries now and then! Corroded/leaking batteries need to be replaced immediately. After several months, all batteries need to be replaced, just to insure your light is up to par when you need it.

Don't neglect your critical equipment!

/John