Any suggestions on mini-glue guns?

[cwydro]

Bought a cheap one from Michael's, and it worked for about 8 squirts.

[Warpy]

1. I have one that's 25 years old and working fine

I got it at an indie fabric store.

It probably wouldn't survive a season on Drag Race, but it's worked fine for small jobs.

[cwydro]

2. Is it a brand that's still available?

At any rate, I just took them back to Michael's and got two more of another brand.

We'll see.

[Warpy]

3. It had a foil label but nothing remains but a spot of dried glue

so I can't help you there. This thin dry stuff we call air in NM is hell on adhesives except hot glue, which they probably should have used to label the hot glue gun.

I would imagine that then, as now, there are maybe two factories producing these things under many different labels.

I'd suggest taking the dead one back where you got it and swapping it for a new one in the hope the new one doesn't have a loose connection.