Crowd marketing

[jdaddy15911]

I am a 1911 enthusiast. I love the .45 acp, because like me, it's short, fat, and slow but still gets the job done. But it is a little much for my wife. So I went out and found a Rock Island Armory Baby Rock for her. I don't want to get into the debate about .380 ACP being a lousy round. But interestingly the .380ACP is 85% the size of a .45ACP. So, the Baby Rock is an 85% scale model of a full frame 1911. Everyone I show the pistol thinks it's awesome. But no one's ever heard of it. It's actually hard to find because there isn't a lot of demand for it. The same is true of the Browning 1911-380. It's sad, because it's concealable, well made, and surprisingly accurate. Plus it isn't over powered feeling like some of the tiny .380s out there, or anemic feeling like a 380 built on a frame shared with a 9mm. Its a frame built for the .380. Plus my wife thinks its adirable that she has a miniature version of my full sized 1911. Out of curiosity, what unique or ingenious pistols have you owned that you feel like the public-at-large doesn't know about, dye to lack of marketing?

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[albin25]

That 1911-380 is an excellent choice (as is the 1911-22). I have both and they fit my hand perfectly (ya, small hands) and are very slim/light, to carry. The 22 is a great "first time" gun to teach new shooters and I use it all the time for that purpose. The 380 is the only center fire handgun that my wife will shoot because it is so easy on her hands.
I think the reason that the 1911-22/380 isn't as common as many other 22/380 pistols is price. They're really great shooting, quality guns but there are a lot of really, really cheap 380's on the market.

The Beretta Cheetah line has the same problem, excellent, high quality, accurate, dependable and pricey...also, Being chambered in 380 doesn't help with the "what if you're attacked by a rhino in chainmail" crowd.

 

[MrRob96]

In which parameter is the 380 cartridge 85% of 45 ACP? COL? Certainly not energy.

Guns that are popular due to marketing? Glock.

Guns that are really good and no one pays much attention to because of little to no marketing? Grand Power, Tanfoglio

 

[jdaddy15911]

A .380 acp cartridge is 85% the diameter of a .45 acp cartridge.

 

[jdaddy15911]

The grand power looks pretty cool, like a sleeker version of a CZ-75. Do you know if the slide sits inside the frame the way it does on a CZ?

 

[MrRob96]

And it's 68% the frontal area, which IMHO is a much more important aspect.

Just pointing out that 380 isn't 85% of 45 in anything except the numbers in the name.

 

[MrRob96]

The grand power looks pretty cool, like a sleeker version of a CZ-75. Do you know if the slide sits inside the frame the way it does on a CZ?

No. The grand power is a rotating barrel design. It is similar to the berreta px4 in that regard except it is available in 10mm auto and has a superb trigger.

 

[jdaddy15911]

Like I said, I know the 380acp isn't a great round. I just thought the use of the ratio was cool.

 

[Medic!]

A .380 acp cartridge is 85% the diameter of a .45 acp cartridge.

About 43% of the mass.
That's way less than half the mass.


But if that is what makes you feel all tingly inside then go for it.
I have no Idea what your capable of doing with 95 grains at 650 - 1000FPS?

 

[Ownerus]

.... "what if you're attacked by a rhino in chainmail" crowd.

LOL!. Hey! It could happen!.... couldn't it??

 

[Geardo]

I am a 1911 enthusiast. I love the .45 acp, because like me, it's short, fat, and slow but still gets the job done. But it is a little much for my wife. So I went out and found a Rock Island Armory Baby Rock for her. I don't want to get into the debate about .380 ACP being a lousy round. But interestingly the .380ACP is 85% the size of a .45ACP. So, the Baby Rock is an 85% scale model of a full frame 1911. Everyone I show the pistol thinks it's awesome. But no one's ever heard of it. It's actually hard to find because there isn't a lot of demand for it. The same is true of the Browning 1911-380. It's sad, because it's concealable, well made, and surprisingly accurate. Plus it isn't over powered feeling like some of the tiny .380s out there, or anemic feeling like a 380 built on a frame shared with a 9mm. Its a frame built for the .380. Plus my wife thinks its adirable that she has a miniature version of my full sized 1911. Out of curiosity, what unique or ingenious pistols have you owned that you feel like the public-at-large doesn't know about, dye to lack of marketing?

Same idea, the llama .380 is a blast to shoot. Small scale 1911, the one so had was made of very soft metal though.