Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Bought a Kahr CW 380 last night.

I have a Ruger LCP and have been happy with the gun the last 4 years, but oh, the trigger is hard and long, reliable though. Sold a collector gun to raise the cash for another carry pistol, was looking at a S/W Body Guard, but ended up getting a Kahr instead as I like the looks of them.

Have read that they require some special effort to get to shoot reliably, but in truth, all the pocket .380's that I checked into need special time and effort/ammo to trust your life to. Any suggestions from an owner of one?

I read that if you get a jammo matic, you can send it back to the factory for adjustment, use Mother's Mag and Aluminum polish to smooth out the internal contact surfaces, rack the slide back 100 times, run them wet (lots of lube, my favorite for all my guns) and even leave the slide locked back for 24 hours to cure your ills. Also, try different ammo, using mostly solid FMJ for reliable feeding.

Back in the 1970's we mostly used solid FMJ bullets in the semi-auto pistols as you usually had to have a gunsmith do a "throat job" to get them to feed reliably. Times sure have changed since my tender youth as the modern pistols will eat anything if they are of larger sizes in frame.

Had one for a couple weeks, traded it for a set of C-T Laser grips for my J frame and a rail light for my Walther P22. All I will say.

Kahr QC is completely hit or miss. They state in their literature that 200 rds is required to break them in but you’ll likely know quicker than that if you’re going to have issues. I could tell you some sorted adventures about my Kahr experiences but I’ll save you the sad stories.

If you get a good one, hold on to it cause the next one may be a dog. A friend of mine just bought his second or third Kahr 9mm and it won’t shoot 2 magazines without a malfunction. It’s got issues that must be handled by the factory.

I will say that Kahr CS was good to me as they sent me free return shipping labels 5 or 6 times. You’d think they’d figure out it’s cheaper to make them right the first time but what the heck do I know.

One thing’s for certain; I spent enough on “break-in” ammo to buy another gun and I’m not going to be a beta tester for Kahr ever again. I know where half a dozen used one's are right now that I'd buy if they were to ever come up for sale because I know they work, but buying a new Kahr ain't never going to happen for me again.

I hope you have good luck with yours. When they work, they shoot really well.

This is my impression, too. I lucked out and the only Kahr I ever bought was a keeper (never a jam), one of the first P9s, but a friend of mine bought one and it was back and forth to the factory, and then finally replaced, and still no good. finally, he dumped it at a local gun show. I'd never sell mine, though. Proven track record.

Have got the P380...several boxes of ammo down the tube, mostly JHPs and ZERO issues... Friend bought one, loved it and bought two more for the kids...zero issues also...

Bob

Only have experience with one Kahr, a CW9, reliable from the first round fired,but I've only fired FMJ thru it. I like it.

Here’s just one example of the disparity in reliability;

Regardless of the parroting BS kicked around on the internet, limp-wristing isn’t the cause of most malfunctions in most semi-auto pistols.

However, I had a P380 that would malfunction on demand if you didn’t hold it firmly. I’m talking a 100% rate of malfunction if you held the gun with less than a decent grip.

In contrast, a friend of mine has a CM380 that you CANNOT make malfunction, no matter how light you hold it. In fact, we attempted to induce a limp-wrist malfunction by having one person hold the gun with just finger pressure while someone else actuated the trigger.

Our grip on the gun was so loose it almost came out of our hands but it still cycled completely. This particular CM380 has NEVER malfunctioned - not even once. Wet, dry, clean or dirty .... it just works.

The question is not if there are spotty dependability problems, it is why. What causes it? The mags or the gun is overly "tight"? Are the tolerances too tight to function reliably? For example, a Glock has a lot of play and slop in its function. It's what gives them the bulletproof track record.
If you've shot or handled a Kahr, you quickly realize there is much less play or slop.

I have a P-380. It took 200, more or less, for it to run reliably. I just ran 100 rounds thru it last week and not a single bobble. We have 2 CW9's as well. Neither bobbled right out of the box and have never done so since. Ran about 150 rounds thru it last week as well. Kahr's are tight outta the box, no doubt about it.

I know their chambers must tend to run tight. I had some slightly out of spec reloads (I didn't make 'em) at one time that would often not chamber all the way to battery in my K9, but my Hi-Power would eat 'em up with no problem.

I've had six or so of the Kahrs and all have run very well with no issues.. The only one that needed the factory was my P-9 that had a frame rail separation (polymer). I sent it in, they installed a new frame w/new serial number and sent it back - no charge, even though this pistol was way out of any stated warranty..

I have no hesitation in obtaining another one if I had the need..

As to your specific 380, (and as in most compact or 'pocket'-style pistols, they can be really more 'ammo-specific' than others.. When you find the stuff it swallows w/o a hiccup - then STAY with that ammo..

FWIW..

My only experience with Kahr is the CW9. Perfectly reliable. Have had it three years. Not one malfunction. It is exceedingly accurate for its purpose; better than one would expect.

Just scored on a P380 for a song. It is used, which I am fine with. Cuts down considerably on break-in ammo costs. Fingers are crossed on getting a reliable one.

Tight chambers was the story I got from the gunsmith at the shop where I bought mine. The K40 was perfect with factory rounds but had a few issues with some handloads. I fixed that with a Lee FCD & Bulge Buster, it became 100%. The CW9 had iirc 3 FTE in the first 50 or 60 rounds & is now perfect. I was using up the last few grains of a couple of different powders I had lieing around for my break-in rounds; those 3 were 800X. I suspect they just weren't quite hot enough. Doesn't matter now, they've been shot up & the pistol runs fine with my current loads.

HE112, I'm looking forward to your range report.

800X??? wow.. I can't believe that stuff is still used by anybody.