Estimated studying time: 9 minutes
The trendy Spanish Arms business began when one firm copied the Colt M1903 and referred to as it the Ruby pistol. The French bought a ton for WW1, and dozens of Spanish companies produced them. This began a theme we are able to hint all through Spanish handgun manufacturing and into weapons just like the Astra Mannequin 80.
This theme sees the Spanish arms business taking established designs and producing barely modified copies. It’s indirectly cloning weapons and promoting them. They’re by no means an identical to their inspiration. Even the Ruby pistols used longer grips and nine-round magazines.
A look on the Astra Mannequin 80 will make you suppose you’re taking a look at a SIG P22x sequence. Upon additional inspection, it’s simpler to see that the gun differs from the SIG sequence right here and there. There are a number of P22X sequence weapons, and it looks like Astra aimed to repeat the P220.
How The Mannequin 80 Is Like a SIG
The most important similarity is the overall resemblance. The SIG P sequence has a reasonably distinct design, and the Astra imitates it effectively. It’s greater than seems to be. The Mannequin 80 is a DA/SA gun, which means the primary shot makes use of a double-action set off, however subsequent pictures are single-action.
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Just like the SIG P sequence, the Astra has a frame-mounted decocker positioned on the left aspect of the grip. Press it down, and the hammer drops into the double-action place. It’s very SIG-like.
It’s additionally an all-metal design, very similar to the P sequence. It’s hefty, feels stable, and even the grip feels very SIG-like in its form. The Mannequin 80 makes use of a European-style journal launch, however so did the early P220s.
How It’s Not Like a SIG
The lockup is totally different. It doesn’t use a single lug on the ejection port. Somewhat, it has locking lugs like a Hello-Energy on prime of the barrel. It’s actually not utilizing the SIG system.
Astra positioned the take-down lever on the best aspect relatively than the left. The chamber contour comes rounded relatively than squared, and the hammer additionally has a rounded design.
The gun got here in 9mm, .45 ACP, and some have been made in .38 Tremendous. Mine is 9mm, however the .45 ACP model is the extra attention-grabbing gun. It used a nine-round double-stack journal.
SIG wouldn’t create a double-stack .45 ACP til years later with the P227. The 9mm variant holds 15 rounds in its double-stack journal. The A-80 has a compact design, and it jogs my memory extra of a P228 than a P226.
Contours and Controls
The gun feels stable in your hand. The contours of the grip enable for a excessive maintain on the gun. Whereas it’s beefy and metal, the grip doesn’t really feel overly thick or obnoxious. It sits effectively, and you’ll set up a pleasant grip on the gun.
The SIG-inspired decocker is all the time sensible. It’s positioned completely to make decocking simple. After all, that assumes you’re right-handed. My thumb has no issues reaching the decocker with a firing grip. It drops the hammer with a stout click on that’s unmistakable.
The European heel journal launch has by no means been in style with Individuals, and on a full-sized gun like this, it’s a bit foolish. On tiny weapons, at the least a heel launch helps hold issues skinny. It’s not a deal breaker, and also you’re unlikely to ever really have to reload in a civilian defensive situation. In that case, you’ll be on the information and both get an award for bravery or go to jail.
Total, the Spanish made a stout little weapon. It does have a typically ergonomic really feel with an amazing grip and a tough-to-beat decocker. The heel journal launch sucks, however we are able to take care of it. The gun weighs a ton, so the carry ergonomics aren’t all that incredible. It’s additionally thick, very similar to a SIG sequence pistol.
Capturing the Mannequin 80
All metallic weapons benefit from lighter recoil than most weapons. We get a lighter recoil however extra muzzle rise. There isn’t a stiff rearward feeling that impacts your wrist or hand. Somewhat, it’s an upward movement that appears exaggerated in comparison with fashionable handguns. Very similar to the SIG, the gun retains a excessive bore axis, however it additionally has a heavy slide.
The hefty slide racing rearward tends to tip the weapon up and rearward. That’s on full show right here, and the Astra Mannequin 80 desires to get away from you. You need to crank down your grip, and if you happen to give it any slack, it’ll run away like a Mustang. The Mannequin 80 must be damaged and tamed with a agency grip.
It’s an attention-grabbing little gun to shoot and definitely a departure from the usual polymer body pistol. The Mannequin 80 will give your hand a very good exercise. The double-action set off is obnoxious. My Lyman scale ideas out at 12 kilos, and this set off exceeds that. It have to be shut to fifteen kilos. The only motion delivers a a lot lighter pull, however nobody would mistake it for a 1911 single-action set off.
Triggers aren’t almost as carefully associated to accuracy as folks suppose. It issues when the set off is so dangerous that it could possibly have an effect on your grip. On this scenario, the double-action set off can have an effect on your accuracy and your grip a good bit.
Ringing Metal
Invoice Drills and related pace and accuracy-based drills are tougher to drag off with the Mannequin 80 than a extra fashionable handgun. The combo of recoil and a tough double-action set off makes it difficult to manage the Mannequin 80 and hold it on course because it spews 9mm projectiles.
Total, the accuracy isn’t something to put in writing house about. You’ll hit your goal, however this isn’t a gun you’d measure teams with and be ok with. It’s okay, simply not spectacular.
At 25 yards, I can hit the B8 goal in a standing place, however there isn’t a assure that it’ll hit the black. You can also make torso pictures simple sufficient, however headshots would possibly really feel difficult past 15 yards.
The sights are high quality. The rear sight has a small white stripe between the posts. The white stripe on the rear sight aligns with a white stripe on the entrance sight. The entrance sight presents itself for fast acquisition and is sufficiently small to get on course with out obscuring it.
If you will get the sights on course, you possibly can almost assure it would go bang. In my taking pictures, I had no reliability issues. That’s a staple of Spanish pistols. They won’t be fancy, however they’re dependable.
The Mannequin 80 total isn’t tough to shoot, it’s simply harder than your fashionable handguns and even a few of its contemporaries just like the Beretta 92FS. It’s not a foul gun. It’s slightly below common.
The Mannequin 80 – Value It
The Mannequin 80 is of typical Spanish high quality. It’s well-made, dependable, and high quality. It’s not essentially the most correct, fashionable, or simple including, however it would go bang if you want it to and out the bullet shut sufficient to the place you need it.
READ ABOUT SIG SAUER IN OTHER CONTEXTS: California Authorized CCW Weapons – Glock vs. SIG. vs S&W
If you will get one for just a few hundred bucks, it’s an amazing purchase and an honest defensive firearm. They haven’t been imported for years, however they present up now and again at gun reveals and pawn retailers and could possibly be a worthwhile companion.
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Travis Pike is a devoted firearms author, a Second Modification Advocate, and an issue fanatic for all issues firearms. He’s an newbie competitor with goals of someday not coming in 4th place at an area defensive match. If he’s not placing textual content to phrase processor, he’s seemingly spending time with household, having fun with Florida’s Nature Coast, or consuming hipster beer. Because the resident Florida man he has a choice for obscure weapons and calibers.
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Hunter – Very long time deer and hog hunter within the swamps of Florida Teacher – Volunteers to show primary firearm security courses to youngsters, adults, and cats Wannabe Competitor – Has not too long ago dipped his toes into aggressive taking pictures and has fortunately found an costly passion. Marine – Served 5 years with the infantry earlier than transferring to the First Civ Div.
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