What's the deal with the P380?

[Ed Carneal]

My first post and my first Kahr pistol. Don't know for sure that I would have made the purchase had I read all the reports on this forum proir to the purchase. Guess I lucked out as my serial # falls in the RC17XX series. I didn't do any prep work at all. I got it home and took it apart to see if it needed cleaning and it was clean and oiled. My daughter and I took it down in the woods behind our house and basically loaded it and fired two boxes of PMC ball ammo without any problems at all. She shot it at least 40 times and it just went bang, bang, bang. It shot just a tad bit to the right, so I drifted the rear sight just a tad bit to the left. So far, I've run 250 rounds of ball ammo thru it and about a half box of Federal Hydrashoks. I can sling shot load it, or use the slide release and it works everytime. The only thing it has done wrong is fail to lock back on the last shot, maybe three times. I ain't sweatin that.

So there ya go. I didn't ratchet the slide 500 times, or perform any break in drills. I simply loaded it and shot the dang thing. Just came in from firing another box of PMC without any malfunctions. It's hitting dead center now too. Guess I lucked out and got a good one. Did I say it was absolutely fun to shoot? My wife thought it was a cigarrette lighter. :)

[crazymailman]

Very cool. For a while there were quite a few P380s that had issues, but more good stories as of late. Glad you got a winner.

[jocko]

absolutely a great report. congrats, for IMO when the P380 does what it is desinged to do there is none in its class. I am a kahr fan but I call a spade a spade and I have not been sold on the P380 but when they do what they do, there is one better. I think kahr is working the bugs out of the P380 ..

u also have one of the latest made P380 out there to, so that should tell us that things are changing for the better. My RA version had to go back and did many others in that same RA range to.

[Ed Carneal]

It is a very cool little pistol. I got it for concealed carry of course and you hardly know it's in your pocket. There's a creek running in our backyard and I shot a few rounds into the water where it was about 15" deep. It was pretty easy to recover the rounds to see how well the little hydrashoks mushroomed. Each was perfectly expanded just like the pics you see in gelatin tests. I had a great time today firing at a silhouette target and my various metal ones. I'll tell ya one thing. The .380 won't rock a 1/2" pig silhouette, but it will make a nice sound on the 1/4" hanging disc. The 1/2" stuff is best left for the big boys. :)

[FearlessNKY]

If you continue to have any more problems with the slide not locking back on the last shot fired, pay extra special attention to where your thumb might be making contact with the slide stop lever. With the P380, it's so small that it's easy to let your thumb ride on the slide stop...(For a right hand shooter that is).

Glad to hear another good P380 report out there!....Mine is a RB serial number, and IMO the best 380 on the market for CCW.

[Devil Fish]

Thank you! I have been going back and forth on whether or not to get one of these based on some of the posted reports. My new CW9 has been fine, so thanks for reinforcing my belief that the problems with the P380 were the exception rather than the norm.

[rjt123]

I recently bought a P380 from JodyH. He'd had trouble with it and sent it back to Kahr three times. It's working great for me, it just doesn't like the WWB flat-nosed ammo. The Blazer had noticably more "snap" to it, and it worked without any issues at all. And the Buffalo Bore +P round feels more like shooting a 9mm than a .380.

From recent reports, it sounds like Kahr has found and fixed the bugs they had in the P380. It is fun to shoot and absolutely disappears in a pocket. I use it for a BUG when I'm carrying my PM45 OWB.

[jocko]

I won't shoot the flat nose wwb in my P380, just because I can buy so many other rounds that seem to be would do better. The flat nose just scares me. so why blame a gun that shoots the other stuff but hates one brand, just get away from it and move on.

[Cokeman]

Do you guys notice that when you are shooting, you have your thumbs sticking way out away from the gun hanging out in the air? I always catch myself doing that and wonder if anyone else notices. It's a funny looking grip.

[Cokeman]

I won't shoot the flat nose wwb in my P380, just because I can buy so many other rounds that seem to be would do better. The flat nose just scares me. so why blame a gun that shoots the other stuff but hates one brand, just get away from it and move on.

It's also one of the more expensive practice rounds. The cheapest ammo works in my gun, so I've never tried the WWB.

[rjt123]

I won't shoot the flat nose wwb in my P380, just because I can buy so many other rounds that seem to be would do better. The flat nose just scares me. so why blame a gun that shoots the other stuff but hates one brand, just get away from it and move on.

Exactly!

[Ed Carneal]

I bought the PMC ball ammo at the local gunshow for right at 15 bucks per box. Then, I found it for only 12.97 per box at the local Gander Mt. I couldn't believe it was so cheap cause they wanted almost twice as much for the WW as compared to walmart. The PMC shoots great in my tiny pistol.

I'll check the next time I fire it to see if maybe my thumb is resting on the slide release, causing those couple of failures to lock to the rear on the last shot.

There's another gunshow at the Richmond Showplace on the third of March. I plan on purchasing another pistol. Can't decide between a G26 and a PM9. I have a Firestar in 9mm, single column, single action auto. Now, there's a little pistol which never experienced any sort of failure to fire, of malfunctions since I bought it new 17 years ago. It's pretty tiny too. I'm also hoping I can locate some of those buffalo defense rounds at the show for the 380. Might have to end up placing an order over the net though.

I also want to look and fondle an MK9 at the show if possible. I like the idea of a ten round magazine in the G26 as compared to the six in the PM9. I already have a G36, so right now, I don't know what I will wind up with, but I need another "fix" soon. :)

[Coop45]

I have about 300 rd through my P380 and it's worked slicker than .....well it's worked. Sent it to XS in Fort Worth and had a set of Big Dot's put on it so my seeing eye dog wouldn't have any trouble seeing the sights. Thumbs up on them too!!

[jocko]

I have xs on my P380 and they are dandies. ur gonna love them. nicereporton the p380 to. so good to hear these good reports lately, makes me wanna grab my P380 and put some rounds through it.

[JFootin]

I have xs on my P380 and they are dandies. ur gonna love them. nicereporton the p380 to. so good to hear these good reports lately, makes me wanna grab my P380 and put some rounds through it.

Jocko, you don't want that P380. You ought to give it to me. I'll love it and feed it. :p