Detonics Pocket 9 dissassemby story...

S

Skans

New member
I purchased a Detonics Pocket 9 several years ago. I have tried, and tried, and tried, and tried to disassemble it over the past several years, always with a loud @#$%^ and then giving up. I looked at youtube videos, read blogs about how to field strip it , etc.

Now, I have field stripped many guns over the years, had some real challenges getting them back together, but the Pocket 9 was about the toughest I've encountered. Somehow, I finally got it apart. I was so happy - cleaned it, lubed and oiled it - thought to myself - this is actually a well-made little 9mm. And, it is probably the smallest true SA/DA 9mm ever made.

Then, I tried to put it back together. Cut my hand in several places with blood dripping all over the gun (and my the kitchen counter), lost the trigger return spring twice (and lost over an hour looking for it), and nearly gave up until I figured out what I was doing wrong. When I corrected the problem, it snapped together still requiring a good bit of muscle. I thought I was going to have to do the "walk of shame" on this one; thought I'd have to bring the bucket of parts into a gunsmith and pay him to reassemble it.

Well, so far, I haven't met a gun that I couldn't take apart and put back together....and now I have the scars to prove it!
 
Skans,
Thanks for reminding me of another reason why I got rid of mine back in the early 90s. Well made? Maybe, but the delayed blowback action required the massively thick slide and a powerful recoil spring that makes it such a joy to assemble. Stiff recoil (blowback 9mm), horrible trigger and uncomfortable aluminum grip panels made it brutal to shoot. The Star M43 that I replaced it with was gentle and refined by comparison.
 
From the Detonics Defense website FAQ's:

"Do you service the Detonics Pocket 9?

We do not have any parts available for the Detonics Pocket 9, nor do we do any service on them. Our recommendation for the Pocket 9 is to buy up as many of the extra parts or extra pistols you can on a site like GunBroker.com and service your Pocket 9 that way."

That's being honest at least. :D
 
Congratulations on beating your Pocket 9 into submission, and avoiding the walk of shame. A Pocket 9 about beat me into submission years ago. They are certainly small, do seem to be well made, and the one I shot was functionally reliable. Part of the reason it could be so small is that it utilizes slide mass and a strong recoil spring, with an action not mechanically locked, to retard slide opening. I put a magazine of standard pressure 9MM through the one I got to try out. Recoil was unpleasant, to say the least, with that straight blowback action. I then foolishly decided to run a magazine of 9MM +P through the gun. I think I'd rather shoot a cylinder of 300 grain ammo through my .454 Casull than do that again;-)
 
Only problems I ever had with mine was the bottom plates on the mags would pop off unloading the spring and bullets on the ground. I brazed all the bottoms on my mags for the Pocket 9. At the time it was the Pocket Nine was smallest 9MM available and also stainless.. It is kind of heavy and a direct blow back so it kicks. A lot better guns out there now days.
 
I added floorplate extensions to my magazines in an effort to create a little more grip area. Unfortunately, no one made comfortable replacement grips for it either. Most of the people that tried shooting mine at the range would set it down after a few shots.
 
Just a side note. The reason I cut my hands and lost the trigger return spring (which I did find) was because I took the aluminum grips off. Mine are in really nice condition and I didn't want to risk messing them up. The problem with that is that the frame corners are like razors without the grips on it.

Probably the hardest gun I ever disassembled and reassembled was an H&R .32 Self-loader. This was pre-internet, so I didn't have any blog to consult or youtube. I was quite proud of myself several months later when I finally figured out how to put it back together.

I do wish that someone would make a true da/sa modern pocket 9mm. Something as small as the Boberg XRS-9 or the Diamondback 9mm.
 
I had the same problem with a Remington (current manufacture) 870 pump riot. I beat it and vowed to never take it apart again. Instructions were very vague and it took three strong fingers and three hands (small ones) just to get the slide to marry up with the receiver while balancing the carrier.
I'm sure there is an easier way, but I couldn't find it at the time.
 
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