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The slide does lock back on an empty magazine, but there is no external slide release. You have to slingshot the slide when you load a new magazine. Cocked and locked is one option. With the safety on, it physically blocks the hammer from hitting the firing pin. When you engage the safety, it rolls up around the firing pin, preventing contact with the hammer. I keep my wife's in my night stand, loaded, one in the chamber, with the safety on and the hammer down. I have no concerns riding the hammer down with the safety engaged. It is a DA/SA pistol. If the hammer is down, first shot is DA, subsequent shots are SA. The trigger is very smooth, and felt recoil is almost non-existent.

The only reason we bought it is because it was the first semi-auto pistol my wife found that she could rack the slide on. She tried with my XD, but couldnt get it back. The slide on the PK380 is very easy to rack, which I assume adds to your feeling of it being flimsy. It is a very solid pistol from my experience with it. If it were a larger caliber, I wouldnt hesitate to carry it daily.

Welcome, there is a wealth of information here, and if you pay attention to it, you can learn a bit.


As for the PK380, out of the pistols I own, it is by far the most fun. I bought it for my wife, because she hated the taurus ultralight .38 special revolver, and couldnt rack the slide on my XD40 (you can rack the slide on the PK380 with almost no effort). She still hasnt shot it, but I took it to the range for its maiden voyage, and it was a blast. It had a recoil similar to a .22, and was as accurate as you could possibly be. The first magazine I shot out of it, I chuckled a bit at how fun it was. My buddy shot it, and wants to buy one. It also feels great in the hand. I have large hands, and my wife has tiny hands, and it fits perfectly into both of our hands. I picked it up at the gun show for $305.