When you’re carrying a pistol for defense or duty use, it better hold up to abuse—including the occasional bump, snag, or full-blown drop. Drop drills are standard practice in a lot of training circles for a reason. If your pistol hits the ground, it should stay safe and keep running. But not every gun holds up under that kind of pressure. Some have fire control issues. Others pop mags, eject rounds, crack parts, or break sights. And a few have earned reputations for failing these tests entirely. These are the pistols that struggle when gravity gets involved—and why they don’t get recommended by folks who actually run their gear hard.
SIG Sauer P320
Before the factory upgrade program, the P320 had serious drop safety concerns. It was shown that hitting certain angles on hard surfaces could cause the striker to release, firing a round without the trigger being touched. That’s not speculation—it’s documented and was part of multiple lawsuits and department policy changes.
SIG offered a voluntary upgrade that swapped out components and changed how the trigger, striker, and disconnect system worked. But if you’re running an older, unmodified model, you’re asking for trouble. During drop drills, some trainers won’t even allow unmodified P320s on the line. If you carry one, check the serial and get it upgraded if it hasn’t been. Until then, it’s one of the most notorious examples of a pistol failing drop safety expectations.
Remington R51
The R51 had a messy release, and one of its biggest issues was how it handled impacts. The hesitation-locked breech system is unique, but it doesn’t handle misalignment well. Dropping it often throws off slide timing, dislodges internal parts, or misaligns the bolt and breech block.
Even basic bump drills can cause failures to return to battery, and that’s if it doesn’t seize up entirely. Field tests and early user feedback showed that the gun had problems staying functional after being knocked around. If you use it in any defensive context, that kind of fragility is unacceptable. A drop shouldn’t turn your carry gun into a single-shot paperweight.
Raven MP-25
The Raven MP-25 is one of those “Saturday night specials” that was never known for quality to begin with. But when it comes to drop drills, it might be the worst offender on the list. The pot-metal construction doesn’t hold up, and internal parts are known to shear, break, or misalign with the smallest amount of trauma.
If the gun doesn’t go off when it hits the ground, it might still end up with a jam, a broken safety, or a cracked frame. Some even develop permanent light strikes after being dropped. It’s a cheap gun that needs babying to work right—and in real-world scenarios, that’s a non-starter. Gravity shouldn’t make your pistol unsafe or unusable.
Taurus PT111 Millennium G2 (early models)
Later models of the PT111 Millennium G2 got some updates, but early ones had drop safety issues, especially involving the striker block. There were cases of unintentional discharges and functional failures after impacts that shouldn’t have caused problems.
The trigger design and internal safeties weren’t as consistent as they needed to be, and some early testers reported striker drag and broken parts after drop tests. Taurus eventually cleaned things up, but if you’re running an early model or haven’t inspected the internals, it’s not something you’d want to rely on for hard-use or training environments. Drop it once, and it may not come back ready.
Jimenez JA-380
The Jimenez JA-380 doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence to begin with, and during drop drills, that reputation gets even worse. The frame and internal parts don’t handle stress well, and there’s a history of safety levers disengaging or even cracking with light impact.
If the magazine doesn’t fall out, you may end up with the slide jamming or the firing pin sticking. It’s one of those guns that fails not just mechanically, but structurally. It might look fine on the outside after a fall, but inside, it’s likely compromised. You don’t want to be the one who finds that out when it matters.
KelTec P-11
The P-11 is known for its long, heavy trigger pull and compact size, but it also developed a reputation for failures under stress. Drop drills exposed how easy it was for this pistol to shift internally and become unreliable. Some shooters reported broken extractor springs, and the plastic frame didn’t always hold up to repeated abuse.
The trigger system can bind after impact, and in some cases, the gun wouldn’t reset properly until it was fully disassembled. In a self-defense pistol, that’s not acceptable. While KelTec made a lot of budget-friendly guns, this one didn’t pass muster in the rough-and-tumble world of real-world carry.
AMT Backup
The AMT Backup is stainless and heavy, but the internals don’t always handle impact well. Drop drills often cause the safety to shift or the hammer to move out of position. Some versions would even lose firing pin spring tension after a hard hit, making them unreliable until repaired.
The frame holds up, but the guts are what give out. And because the gun’s internals are tight and complicated to reassemble, it’s not a quick fix. One drop can take it out of commission for the rest of the day. That’s not what you want in something you carry for personal defense.
Cobra FS380
The Cobra FS380 is another pot-metal budget gun that fails under any kind of impact. Drop drills cause all sorts of issues—magazine disconnect failures, broken safeties, cracked slides, you name it. Some even eject parts when they hit the ground.
The construction just isn’t up to task, and it shows. If you drop this gun, best case it still runs but loses zero. Worst case, it becomes unsafe to fire. Either way, it’s not something you trust. The money you save up front turns into frustration or danger when things get rough.
SCCY CPX-2 (early runs)
Early runs of the SCCY CPX-2 had drop safety issues, especially around the trigger system and frame pins. Drop it hard enough, and you could end up with a dead trigger or internal misalignment. Later models got better, but if you’re running an older CPX, it’s worth inspecting closely.
This isn’t just cosmetic stuff. There were reports of guns that wouldn’t fire after being dropped, and in some rare cases, parts walked out of the frame. It’s an affordable pistol, and they improved over time, but early versions are known to fail drop drills more than once.
Bryco Model 58
Bryco pistols are notorious for poor build quality, and the Model 58 doesn’t change that narrative. The frame and slide are soft, and any kind of rough handling—including a drop to a hard surface—can lead to broken safeties or cracked internals.
Some even had issues where the trigger bar would slip out of position and render the gun inoperable. Drop drills aren’t extreme torture testing. They mimic real-world accidents. And if your pistol can’t take that kind of hit, it has no business in a holster. That’s the reality with the 58.
Llama .380
The Llama .380 has that old-school 1911 look in a small frame, but it’s not built like a tank. The internals are delicate, and many shooters have seen firing pin or safety issues after a simple drop. Even moderate impact can lead to cracked grips or ejector misalignment.
Some models have better metallurgy than others, but consistency was never the brand’s strong suit. A gun that can’t survive a fall off the nightstand or a drop during a reload isn’t going to hold up well under pressure. You may not see a crack, but you’ll feel the results when you try to squeeze the trigger and nothing happens.
Phoenix Arms HP22A
The HP22A is fun to shoot, but it’s not built for rough handling. Drop tests have shown failures in the safety, magazine disconnect, and even broken trigger parts after impact. The zinc alloy frame doesn’t absorb shock well, and internal alignment can get thrown off easily.
It’s a range toy, not a duty gun. If it hits the ground, you better inspect it carefully before trusting it again. And in most cases, you’ll need tools to take it apart and verify nothing’s cracked or misaligned. For a carry gun, that’s not a good sign.
Taurus Spectrum
The Taurus Spectrum had a lot of hype as a soft-shooting pocket pistol, but it didn’t deliver under stress. Drop drills revealed issues with the striker channel, trigger reset, and even the polymer frame flexing under impact.
Some models would fail to fire or reset after being dropped, even from waist height. It doesn’t take a lab test to see the issues—real-world shooters noticed problems the moment they tried to train hard with it. For a pocket pistol, it needed to be better built. And unfortunately, gravity exposes its flaws quickly.
Jimenez JA-Nine
The JA-Nine is another zinc-framed budget pistol that doesn’t take drops well. The slide is known to crack, and the internals can shift under moderate impact. Some shooters have had them seize up completely after being dropped onto dirt or gravel.
Drop drills are a hard pass for this one. Even dry firing after a drop can feel off—the parts just don’t settle back into place the way they should. In terms of durability, it’s one of the worst performers when it comes to accidental impact. If you have to train around the idea of not dropping your gun, it’s not the right carry piece.
Lorcin L380
The Lorcin L380 rounds out the list with all the classic flaws of low-budget pot metal guns. It’s soft, poorly fitted, and drop drills turn it into a rattletrap. Magazines pop out, slides shift, and safeties get stuck halfway.
Some even slam-fire if they hit the ground hard enough—a worst-case scenario that no one wants to risk. These guns were never meant for duty or serious carry, and it shows. If it takes more than one drop to knock your gun out of the fight, it shouldn’t be in the fight to begin with.
*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.
