Astra Constable (380) - any other owners out there?

AngelKing

AngelKing

Joined
Oct 13, 2010
Messages
5,490
Likes
1,596
Location
Hyde Park
Feedback: 14 / 0 / 0
picked one of these up in Lunenberg Saturday - came withthe original box that looks like its from the 70s, instructions and ironically, a warantee from Astra, which is now defunct.

It was cheap, I had cash in my pocket and said 'what the hell' and decided to make a go for it.

I have yet to fire this one and figured if it works, I have another CCW option at my disposal to go along with my 229, and my JFrame.

Does anyone else have or carry one? It looks as best as I can tell, to be a cheap version of the PPK - but I have to admit, I love the finish of this gun, it fills my hand really well, racking the slide is very crisp and tight and it definitely doesn't feel "cheap." I was considering getting a pocket gun just to have, but didn't care for the bodyguard and really wasnt going to shell out in excess of 600 bucks for a sig or PPK....yes, I realize, you get what you pay for.

Was wondering if a PPK holster would fit this gun, where I can get extra magazines (it came with just one) and if, aside fromtaking it to the range and letting it talk, if there was any recommended gunsmithing I needed to do with it to make it reliable.

I've seen very little on this gun online - some people love it, some people (includuding a few on NES) hate it, but being that the weapon is no longer made, information in general is very sparse.
 
I owned one for a while back in the early '80's. Only pistol I've ever "sold". Traded it dead even for a S&W Highway Patrolman with a 6". Guy I traded it off too wanted a small pistol to carry concealed.

I hated the DA/SA trigger. But that was back before I knew how to shoot one and not "lose" the trigger while aquiring the 2nd target. I bought it cheap even back then and made out very well in the trade.
 
Do you recall if it fed hollowpoints well? Mine appears to have been fired very very little, so I have a very shiny barrel and a feed ramp that appears to have no tooling marks on it.

Chuck Would said:
I owned one for a while back in the early '80's. Only pistol I've ever "sold". Traded it dead even for a S&W Highway Patrolman with a 6". Guy I traded it off too wanted a small pistol to carry concealed.

I hated the DA/SA trigger. But that was back before I knew how to shoot one and not "lose" the trigger while aquiring the 2nd target. I bought it cheap even back then and made out very well in the trade.
Click to expand...
 
ahh! you bought that? i was checking out out. wanted to buy it for my mother to shoot but passed it up in favor of the LC9.

are you a member of NLRG? you should come down some time, i can hook you up with some hornady critical defense .380 for that bad boy.
 
Yeah, I bought it...after staring at it for like an hour. I swear to god, when they say fool and his money or "easy mark," they have me in mind. It wasnt a terrible deal though - I had actually considered that Scorpion .22 at the front of the show, but even the guy selling it wasn't nuts about the gun.

No, Im not a member of a club just yet - Ive been driving down from Shirley to the south shore, breaking in my Sig, but havent decided on a local club, so I may take you up on that!
 
Sounds like fun - I want to check that range out because it looks to have more "stuff" than Shirley. Let me see if the Warden has any plans for me but that sounds cool.



atilla said:
we're having a pin shoot on sunday. come on by around 10 AM. $8 and you can shoot as much as you want.
Click to expand...
 
I have one with more mileage on it. I use it as my CCW when I carry. The PPK holster should fit as it is basically a clone. I have had some FTF with hollow points. I polished the feed ramp and it seemed to take care of the problem. I primarily shoot a FMJ. It feeds better and for CCW I would be concerned with the penetration of a hollow point.

Bob
 
Im going to try some HP rounds through it - the feed ramp appears to have been polished, but otherwise the gun seems to have been shot little - hell, the box it came in is yellowing on the cardboard, so I dont know how old it is. know where I can get some mags?


HorizontalHunter said:
I have one with more mileage on it. I use it as my CCW when I carry. The PPK holster should fit as it is basically a clone. I have had some FTF with hollow points. I polished the feed ramp and it seemed to take care of the problem. I primarily shoot a FMJ. It feeds better and for CCW I would be concerned with the penetration of a hollow point.

Bob
Click to expand...
 
AngelKing said:
Im going to try some HP rounds through it - the feed ramp appears to have been polished, but otherwise the gun seems to have been shot little - hell, the box it came in is yellowing on the cardboard, so I dont know how old it is. know where I can get some mags?
Click to expand...

I was looking for a magazine spring and posed the question here a few years ago KMM696 responded and here is his response:



Try Wolff Gunsprings (http://www.gunsprings.com/1ndex.html) - they may not have a cataloged spring for your mag, but if you call or email they might have something that will work.

If they can't help, go over to Gunbroker and look up a seller named Van Loos (http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/SellerAuctions.asp?SearchType=5&Keywords=id:139759&CountryCode=++). He's in Spain, and can get all kinds of Astra/Star/CETME parts that he may not have on auction. I've bought from him before.

Good luck!

I tried a generic mag spring with no success but I contacted Van Loos. At the time he had NOS mags but the spring was not available. I am kicking myself for not picking up a couple extra mags. Let me know how you make out.

Bob
 
I have some Remington UMC in 9mm (cleaning out the safe) to trade!

atilla said:
ahh! you bought that? i was checking out out. wanted to buy it for my mother to shoot but passed it up in favor of the LC9.

are you a member of NLRG? you should come down some time, i can hook you up with some hornady critical defense .380 for that bad boy.
Click to expand...
 

Similar threads

Geez—is there anything better than an old, slicked up revolver?
Replies
3
Views
257
tinhorn
tinhorn
Boston/North Shore Area looking to test fire a Keltec KS7? Or other cheap bullpup semi-auto/pump shotguns
Replies
0
Views
98
mmsteady
M
How do I get this spring out?
Replies
7
Views
259
milktree
milktree
Testing out a couple of builds
Replies
1
Views
161
MAJoe
M
Any idea what's happening here?
Replies
7
Views
454
AMV
A
Back
Top Bottom