Finally shot my Micro Desert Eagle

[Purplehood]

Background: I have never shot a .380 caliber firearm before. I decided that one would be handy for instances when my sub-compacts are simply "too big".

I purchased a Micro Desert Eagle and fired it for the first time at ASC in Houston this past weekend.

Ugggggh. I fired a full magazine (6 rounds) and felt each and every recoil between my thumb and trigger-finger. I handed the weapon to two of my brothers and they each fired a magazine off. We agreed that it is accurate, but definitely not "fun" to shoot.

Are all .380's this way, or is it just this brand or perhaps the individual weapon itself?

[CompVest]

For what it is worth, 380s are probably my least favorite caliber but I don't find my Walther PPS to be painful to shoot. I have shot several 380 Bersas as well and don't find them painful either.

[Oldgringo]

My Sig P-230 SL doesn't get shot as much as the others ONLY because the .380 MT's are too hard to find in the grass AND .380 ammo is so scarce and expensive. We used to have a Kel Tec P3-AT that was easy to carry but was definitely NOT fun to shoot.

[LarryH]

It's not just .380, although all three of ours are "snappy".

The prime factor is the size and (light) weight; you don't have much mass to absorb the force of firing the round.

We have (still) a P3AT, but my wife, who carries it as a purse BUG, will not shoot it at the range. I'll put a magazine or two through it a couple of times a year.

As oldgringo said, it's no fun.

[Purplehood]

Thanks for the input all. At least I know that the weapon shoots and hits what it is aimed at. I just won't take it for "fun" at the range anytime soon.

Note: Yes, I know I should shoot it often if it is a carry-weapon.

[function12]

My wife has a Bersa Thunder .380 and I would rather shoot my Glock G30 .45 ACP all day then that thing.

[The Annoyed Man]

I have two pistols in .380 ACP. One is a Colt Government, the other a Keltec P3AT. The Colt is not at all hard to shoot. The recoil is a bit snappy, but not at all painful to the fingers or hand. The Keltec is a pain in the. . . .well, you know what I mean. The only good thing I can say about the Keltec is that the trigger is not bad for a double action only semi-automatic.

[shootthesheet]

I have a P3AT too and it is one of the worst to shoot because of the light weight and short barrel. It isn't meant to be anything but a gun that is carried when no other can be in my opinion. I shoot mine just enough to make sure it still puts the rounds thru the paper and no more. I wouldn't trust a .380 as a primary but some do. I don't even like carrying a 9mm but trust it more than I do a .380. Good luck and if you find something that isn't heavy and has a great trigger pull let me know. I will get one for my wife.

[Oldgringo]

I really enjoy every aspect of my Sig P-230 SL except the cost of the .380 ammo. It's a joy to shoot - either single or double action. Did I mention that it carries and conceals well?

Got .380?

[A-R]

I'll preface by saying that I'm beginning to think I have the most abnormal hands in the world ... the basic Glock grip feels GREAT in my hands and my Ruger LCP, while not "fun" to shoot, is certainly not a chore or a pain. I don't trust it much beyond 7 yards. But I'm getting better the more I practice with it.

My first ever pistol was a Colt Mustang Plus II (basically a Colt Government .380 grip with a Mustang-length barrel and slide). It was a joy to shoot and I kick myself at least once a month for selling it to buy my Glock (though I do love my Glock, it is like any other Glock, the Colt .380s are becoming an expensive rarity). It shot better than Walther PPK by far. Have never fired the Sig 380 or Bersa, but like the feel of both guns (though the Sig is quite large for a .380).

Back to your question: The barrel on that Micro Eagle is even shorter than an LCP or Kel Tec, I think. And the LCP with grip extension has more space on which to squeeze your two middle fingers into some form of a "grip" on the weapon. The Eagle's construction and ergonomics remind me of the old AMT Hardballers. Solid, well-made gun. But feels like you're shooting the round directly out of the webbing between thumb and forefinger. My good-riddance Kahr PM40 felt like that when I shot it. My Charter Arms Undercover .38 felt like that.

I don't think it's the round. It's the gun. And I'm not saying this is a "bad thing" nor a "bad gun" just that it is so compact and the ergonomics are so tight, that it's never going to be fun (or accurate) to shoot. Many people also don't like the ergos on the LCP/Kel Tecs. I'm just lucky in that I don't think they're all that bad - though I'd rather shoot my Glock any day. Funny thing is, I took a colleague to shoot about a month ago. He's a bit of a noob and he disliked the Glock but LOVED the LCP. Actually shot the LCP BETTER than the Glock and better than even I could shoot the LCP and he'd never even touched it before and had only fired maybe three handguns in his life.

I think how a gun fits in your hand is the single most important facet of accuracy. All other aspects can be taught and learned. But if your hand doesn't like the gun, you'll never shoot it well. That being said, the greatest increases in accuracy I've found, especially from smaller carry guns (LCP & Smith J-frame) is regular dry firing - really concentrating on holding the gun steady in a solid, but comfortable grip, and working the trigger. The only difference between this and live fire is the recoil. Once I get my mind set that I've got a good grip and good trigger pull mechanics, the recoil can (but not always will) become an afterthought.

Lastly, not sure if there is a laser site available yet for the Eagle. But CT laser on my LCP has greatly increased my accuracy and confidence.

[Purplehood]

Back to your question: The barrel on that Micro Eagle is even shorter than an LCP or Kel Tec, I think. And the LCP with grip extension has more space on which to squeeze your two middle fingers into some form of a "grip" on the weapon. The Eagle's construction and ergonomics remind me of the old AMT Hardballers. Solid, well-made gun. But feels like you're shooting the round directly out of the webbing between thumb and forefinger. My good-riddance Kahr PM40 felt like that when I shot it. My Charter Arms Undercover .38 felt like that.

That is the exact problem, the webbing on my hand gets battered, and Yes, the barrel is extremely short.

I don't think it's the round. It's the gun. And I'm not saying this is a "bad thing" nor a "bad gun" just that it is so compact and the ergonomics are so tight, that it's never going to be fun (or accurate) to shoot. Many people also don't like the ergos on the LCP/Kel Tecs. I'm just lucky in that I don't think they're all that bad - though I'd rather shoot my Glock any day. Funny thing is, I took a colleague to shoot about a month ago. He's a bit of a noob and he disliked the Glock but LOVED the LCP. Actually shot the LCP BETTER than the Glock and better than even I could shoot the LCP and he'd never even touched it before and had only fired maybe three handguns in his life.

It is a solidly constructed gun, indeed. Fun? No. Accurate? Good groups when my brothers and I fired it. We just all agreed that it was not fun to shoot.

[Mike from Texas]

Pretty much all mouse guns are going to be somewhat unpleasant to shoot. I have a Kel-Tec P3AT and I shoot it maybe 50 times a month. It's not fun, but then again not unbearable either. Those type of guns are meant to be carried a lot and shot a little just to verify that it will function when you need it to.

[Purplehood]

Pretty much all mouse guns are going to be somewhat unpleasant to shoot. I have a Kel-Tec P3AT and I shoot it maybe 50 times a month. It's not fun, but then again not unbearable either. Those type of guns are meant to be carried a lot and shot a little just to verify that it will function when you need it to.

50 times a month, or 50 rounds? If you shoot it 50 times I would suspect you of leaning towards Sado-Masochistic behavior. Can I say that?

[carver]

First I would like to introduce myself, as I'm new to this fourm. I'm a disabled Vet, and retired form the U.S. Postal service, and live in East TX. Like some of the others I also think that the .380 is at the low end of the SD weapons choice. Still, it gives 10" to 14" of penitration in balistic jell, enough to get the job done. I own several of the small light weight hand guns, and none of them are really fun to shoot. In .380 caliber I do own two, one is a Jennigns I got in a trade, and the other is a Tuarus PT .380 HC, with a 19 rd. mag. This gun is accurate, and fun to shoot. It now belongs to my wife! I have let several ladies shoot this gun, and all of them loved it. Recoil is low, mag capicity is high. When I carry it I carry it in conditgion 2. First rd. is double action, and the rest are single. I suppose that all small guns will have a greater felt recoil than any of the larger guns in that same caliber.

[Rex B]

I have two pistols in .380 ACP. One is a Colt Government, the other a Keltec P3AT. The Colt is not at all hard to shoot. The recoil is a bit snappy, but not at all painful to the fingers or hand. The Keltec is a pain in the. . . .well, you know what I mean. .

Once you get into a metal pistol just a step above the Keltec/LCP size, things get a lot more pleasant.
I have a number of Star and llama .380s, along with Colts, that are a real pleasure to shoot.
But they are enough bigger and heavier that they stay home while the LCP or KT gets the ride.

The theory is, if you every need it, you won't notice the pain.