Barra The 380 BB Pistol Gun

Type: Non-blowback CO2 BB Pistol.
Manufacturer: Distributed by Barra Airguns.
Model: Barra 380.
Materials: Mostly plastic.
Weight: .93 pounds (422 grams).
Total Length: 6.89inches (175mm).
Barrel: 4.25 inches (108mm) metal non-rifled.
Propulsion: CO2 x1.
Action: Semi auto non-blowback, DOA trigger.
Ammunition Type: 4.5mm Steel BB's.
Ammunition Capacity: 20 round drop out metal stick magazine.
FPS: Claimed 410.

Trigger Pull: The Barra 380 NBB CO2 BB Pistol has a typical double action trigger with a longer trigger pull that requires more length and effort to pull, but we would say is still usable as an action shooter. Your finger will get a bit tired after several magazines of action shooting. The Barra 380 trigger pull makes the internal metal barrel move forward and out of the front of the barrel opening enough to see it clearly, then when you reach the release point it snaps back into the BB Pistol acting like the hammer and releasing CO2 and shooting a BB.

Accuracy: So let’s get right to it! For our Chronograph Test we put a brand new 12 gram CO2 into the Berra 380, we made sure everything was about room temperature 20C - 69F (Gun, CO2 and shooting area), and then proceed to shoot 5 rounds through my Chronograph. We were able to average 407 fps which is damn close to Berra’s claim of 410 fps so this first test was a pass! For our Accuracy Test we used our standard 30 foot paper target setup where we sit on a stool in the back with our hands rested on a sand bag up front. This allows for pretty stable shooting with less human factor than an unrested shooting position. It is not perfect but gives us an idea of the potential of the Barra 380 NBB CO2 BB Pistol. We proceeded to shoot 10 rounds into a fresh pepper target and got what we would say was a 2 inch grouping again from 30 feet away. There are no sight adjustment on the Barra 380 so we were hoping our grouping would be close to the bullseye and it was. Just a bit high but fairly well centered left and right. If you are aiming at a pop can 30 feet away you would most lily hit it every time near the top of the can if you placed your aim point at the bottom of the can (Just a Tip).

Build Quality: The Barra 380 NBB CO2 BB Pistol is a pretty much almost all plastic Airgun with only a few metal parts I can see on it. The trigger is metal along with the inner barrel and the area where the CO2 goes in. Because of the plastic build, it is rather light weight which can actually be good if you where to drop it on a hard surface as the mass is low resulting in less damage. Scratches will also be less noticeable on a plastic Airgun over a metal Airgun as the material on a plastic Airgun is all tan/black throughout the material rather than a painted surface that will show blemishes a lot more. The simplicity of the design means you should get a lot of use from the Barra 380 before encountering any issues.

Realism: The Barra 380 NBB CO2 BB Pistol is not a replica of an exact real steel gun in production but it does take after a compact Beretta when you look at the open barrel and similar trigger guard. There are few external mechanical working parts on the Barra 380 CO2 NBB BB Pistol other than the trigger, safety, magazine and inner barrel. The barrel is slightly recessed and the CO2 tab is hidden in the grip which helps in terms of it looking the part.

Pros:

• Nice compact size BB pistol easy to transport.
• Decent FPS rating of 410.
• Should get lots of shots per CO2 as it is non-blowback
• Picatinny rail on frame for adding accessories.
• Does have a white dot sight up front.
• Finger groves on pistol grips for a secure grip.
• CO2 tab is well hidden within the grip.
• Double action trigger pull is long but not too firm.
• Uses a generic all metal stick magazines commonly found on lower cost BB pistols.
• Simple design with not a lot of moving parts will make it reliable for a long time.

Cons:

• All plastic gun for the most part.
• Not many working parts, pretty much all moulded gun.
• Grip can pop of kind of easy if you pull a bit hard.
• Sights are non-adjustable and no white dots on the rear sight.

Comments: We often mention how we prefer blowback Airguns that have a more solid weight and feel to them with more working parts, but again there is a lot more that can go wrong and complex parts wear out over usage a lot quicker than a more simple design as in the the case of the Barra 380 NBB CO2 BB Pistol. Price is also going to be a lot less when looking a more simplified Air Pistol like the Barra 380, as the plastic build is a lot cheaper to produce over more expensive metals. Another bonus with non-blowback CO2 airguns is that they do tend to have a higher velocity with more shots per CO2 than a similar CO2 Blowback Pistol, so less expensive to shoot over time. It really depends what you are really looking for? A couple other strong points to mention about the Barra 380 NBB CO2 BB Pistol would be the compatibility with other similar styled CO2 BB pistol metal stick magazines and if you like the look of a Beretta then you may also like the look of the Barra 380.

Buy the magazine: BRR1112.