Diamondback DB380

Spotlight On …

Diamondback DB380

Diamondback, based in Cocoa, FL is not a household name in firearms - not yet anyway – but that day may not be long in coming if this relatively new company continues to imbue the kind of quality we’ve seen in its future offerings.  Diamondback Firearms LLC was established in 2009 and started shipping its first effort, the micro compact DB380's, later that same year.

The DB380 is a polymer frame, striker fire, extremely thin and light “pocket pistol” which chambers – as the name implies – the 380 auto cartridge.  It is very thin and very light, which make it an ideal candidate for a consumer who wants to drop the gun into a pants pocket or small handbag and forget it’s there. 

The Diamondback employs a “locked breach” design instead of the more common “blowback” system for engagement of the slide into the breach of the barrel.  The locked breach design reduces the amount of physical recoil transmitted rearward into the shooter’s hand as compared to the blowback. Even so, the extreme light weight and thin backstrap of the DB380 contribute to the noticeable “felt recoil” it transmits to the grip hand, but not significantly more than competitors in the Pocket 380 class.

As with most striker-fired designs, trigger pull on the DB380 is long and stout but “breaks” clean and a bit of practice should make it very predictable.  The pull length nor weight are not greatly exaggerated over its competitors but are noticeable to shooters accustomed to a hammer and firing pin pistol design. A potential buyer with small hands and/or short fingers should have no trouble adapting to this ergonomic but those with larger hands and/or longer fingers should consider whether they would get “cramped up” excessively in an emergency situation.

The DB380 we tested is one used for concealed carry regularly by one of our staff.  This unit has hundreds of rounds of “experience” at burning gunpowder, so it has been “well broken-in.” The owner reports that the pistol did experience some feeding problems when new but after some wear-in has become completely reliable.  This report mirrors others from various customers. After break-in, the pistol tolerates a wide variety of ammo. In fact, we fed the test unit every kind of 380 we could find laying around, including various bullet shapes and power loadings. We were rewarded with a 100% reliability experience. Feeding, extraction, and ejection of a variety of ammunition are important considerations in a defense situation, and the DB (after sufficient break-in) passes this test with flying colors. Of interest is that the unit used for our final test session had not been cleaned for several hundred rounds and yet performed perfectly.

The short sight radius and barrel length precludes the DB380 from being a 25-yrd pistol marksmanship tool, but the gun does shoot to point of aim within self-defense ranges of 7 to 12 yards.  A good shooter with quality ammo and a bit of practice with the ergonomics and trigger pull should be able easily to paint groups under 4 inches at these distances, and even a novice (with some practice) should be able to put up an effective defense.

A couple of design “features” could present a problem for some.  The slide does not lock back when firing the last round from the magazine.  In fact, the slide never locks back in normal operation and there’s no lever or catch to force it. In other words, the slide does not lock back. While there are no tools required for take-down, the procedure does require that the trigger be pulled to release the striker before disengaging the slide stop, which is a safety concern for some.

The selling price of the Diamondback puts it in the “budget” category but its design quality and relatively high level of fit ‘n finish make it a real value.  It’s a lot more gun than one would expect to pay for the kind of quality built in.  There are several appearance and functional variants available, including one with a laser sight built into the grip and one with a compensated barrel to reduce muzzle flip.

Our overall impression of the DB380 is that it is a whole lot of gun for the money. Reliability and accuracy are up to the task of a self-defense weapon. Light weight and small size (in all dimensions) give it exceptional marks for concealability. Ergonomics, while not excellent for all, are at least acceptable for medium-to-small handed shooters.  In other words: if it fits your hand you’re good to go!

Respectfully Submitted,

The Bunker Bunch

September, 2014