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Picked one up yesterday.
Feels and disassembles just like a walther. Looks slightly different.
Just curious if anyone here owns one as well.
However, I've yet to find if the walther magazines are compatible.
Anyhow its all steel, very clean like new. I know some but there is very little on the web. Company was in business for only two years and "supposedly" they only made "1000"?
I very much doubt it because my SN is in the 3000' s. Cool if its true. But I heard they'd make the purchaser a custom SN if requested.
Anyhow it was a good deal given the price and quality just curious about a few things.
Anyone who's got one or has someone the know who may own one please chime in.
 
Yours sir? That'd be cool if someone here had one as well. Possibly disproving the whole "1000" ever made thing.
Its a real PITA trying to find info on the company, the exact steel used..etc.
 
My uncle was the owner of the Indian Arms Corporation and designer of the P380 and spoke to him personally about the gun when it was featured in a major gun publication. I asked him how I could purchase one and he said he would arrange it. Ended up, not only didnt he charge me, but used my initials for the SN. I was floored. I still own it and have 4 others. If you would like any other details on design, market or production jut PM me, email me or call.




PHP:
Picked one up yesterday.
Feels and disassembles just like a walther. Looks slightly different.
Just curious if anyone here owns one as well.
However, I've yet to find if the walther magazines are compatible.
Anyhow its all steel, very clean like new. I know some but there is very little on the web. Company was in business for only two years and "supposedly" they only made "1000"?
I very much doubt it because my SN is in the 3000' s. Cool if its true. But I heard they'd make the purchaser a custom SN if requested.
Anyhow it was a good deal given the price and quality just curious about a few things.
Anyone who's got one or has someone the know who may own one please chime in.
 
Michigan Armament made a a 1911 clone and a Walther clone that looked just like the Indian Arms .380. I worked for MA for a little while in Elsinore CA the early 80s. There were some issues with mag interchangeability with Walther's and I remember the worker bees making a beeline for the bank on payday because the folks at the back of the line might find the funds depleted.
 
Welcome to the site GPER!!

I'm sure there are a lot of members here that would appreciate any info and photos you may have on these pistols.

I have a cabin a little north of Detroit, so guns from this part of the country interest me as we'll.

I believe the article was in Shooting Times in 1976. They did personalize SN's for the P380. Stainless Steel was a relatively new material for handguns and the quality was not the highest so it will oxidize easily so treat it more like a blued finish. He purposely front weighted the design to minimize muzzle jump and set the design apart from the PPK. There was also a model manufactured with a "Key Lock" which was revolutionary for the early 1970's but I only saw a photo of one. I'm very bias but I thought Uncle George did a terrific job with the lines of the P380. He also worked for Stoner and Colt and was part of the design team on what was going to be the present day M-16. I am not a photographer but will try my at it this week.
 
Thank you for the info, I'm hungry for any additional info you have on it. Perhaps since you're closer to the inner sanctum you might be able to disprove this "only 1000 were made" rumor?
Don't get me wrong, it'd be awesome if it was true.
Any reasons as to why the company went under?
The pistol itself seems to be made very very well. I would have imagined it could have easily cost me 2-3 times what I payed for it.
 
Thank you for the info, I'm hungry for any additional info you have on it. Perhaps since you're closer to the inner sanctum you might be able to disprove this "only 1000 were made" rumor?
Don't get me wrong, it'd be awesome if it was true.
Any reasons as to why the company went under?
The pistol itself seems to be made very very well. I would have imagined it could have easily cost me 2-3 times what I payed for it.

Well they were a small operation and only in business for 2 years. The 1000 number is being tossed around but I have no hard numbers or proof. I could always check with my cousin who still lives in Michigan. Regardless, P380 owners seem to appreciate the quality and design. It's a testament to ability and ingenuity. By the way, he was not born is the US, my grandfather and grandmother immigrated from Italy in 1920 with their 3 sons. Like many immigrants with just the shirts on their back. Hopefully in America, dreams can still become reality.
 
Yeah I was quite impressed with its quality.
I gotta follow up question for you,
what's the best brand of magazine or surplus magazine you found that functions well with these?
 
i picked up one of these little beauties at a gun show in dallas about 4 yrs ago. my curiosity got the best of me because i had never heard of Indian Arms. its serial number is in the 3000's as well? so not sure if the whole 1000 only made thing is true. i bought it because i thought it might be collectible someday, or already is? i would also like to hear from anyone that has further info. on this lil pistol. i did have some feed issues with it at first, but took it to a gunsmith and had the slide rails and chamber polished up, works great now!
 
Yours sir? That'd be cool if someone here had one as well. Possibly disproving the whole "1000" ever made thing.
Its a real PITA trying to find info on the company, the exact steel used..etc.

Hello, I am a new guy in Liverpool. I also worked on some of the Indian Arms pistols. The '1000' made is about right. The numbers used were NOT consecutive. This was used to plan for future 'special' numbers and to give the impression of more than 'just a few' being made. The very first 2 guns had the serial numbers 'Stanley 1' and 'Stanley 2'. They were made for the company owner Stanley Pilarski. Also, the guns were made from 440 stainless steel. The first few were made from 410 stainless but when they realised that '410' was non-magnetic, it was a 'son-of-a-gun' to grind them on a magnetic chuck. All the castings were made from precision ceramic molds by Gray Syracuse in up-state New York. The publication that will explain the weapon (including test firings) can be found in 'Guns & Ammo' magazine from July 1976. It was the bicentennial edition with George Washington's pistols on the cover.
If anyone would like to hear about why they closed can ask me and I can tell you what the 'boss' told me.

Cheers from Liverpool, Bob
 
Yes! Any info would be awesome.

Did they use cast internal parts?

With mine The safety lever sheared apart under operation and cracked the slide.
Sad day.
 
Yes! Any info would be awesome.

Did they use cast internal parts?

With mine The safety lever sheared apart under operation and cracked the slide.
Sad day.
Hi there,
Gray Syracuse cast ALL the parts. I believe only the barrles and firing pins were made from scratch. The walnut grips were all made in Italy.
Cheers, Bob
 

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