Pink P380 for the wife?

[green02crew]

She has a S&W Bodyguard 380 and finds it difficult to shoot for fun making her not like it and not want to carry it. The trigger is very heavy as it is double action only and recoil stings. I only want to shoot a box of 50 through it before I'm done so I know what she's going through.

I found a P380 in Pink, which they don't make anymore, for $450 plus tax. Thoughts on that? I know the trigger is better and we handled it and she likes it. Haven't shot it so no idea on the sting factor from the recoil if it will be any better. She likes my PM9 and find it shoots very well.

Note for both, she is not able to rack either gun easily for first round. Tried a Berretta Bobcat in .22 with tilt up barrel but she wasn't fond of the round. She can rack my full sizes fine.

[DKD]

Go for it, that is a great price for a P380. The first round will still be alittle stiff, but should loosen up a bit once a few hundred round go down range. Have her try the overhand push pull method of chambering a round, just remember to let the slide fly home and don't ride the slide and all should be fine. You can also just use the slide stop to chamber the first round, since the gun is a double action only pistol so one up the snout is a common carry practise.

[yqtszhj]

The price sounds OK to me.

[wyntrout]

Just be sure she will like the PINK! Not every woman wants a PINK gun!

Wynn:)

[green02crew]

Ohhh pink is what she's all about. The price is okay to me, not amazing. I still have to pay tax and shipping to my FFL on top of that as I live in NH and this one is right over the border into Maine.

My major concern is just that the P380 will have as much if not more recoil than the Bodyguard which is half of her problem. The striker fired trigger is much better than the heavy hammer on the Bodyguard.

[Charlie]

If you love her by her a 9 mm and leave the .380 to paper punching. The difference in actual real life stopping power is imense.

[jocko]

She has a S&W Bodyguard 380 and finds it difficult to shoot for fun making her not like it and not want to carry it. The trigger is very heavy as it is double action only and recoil stings. I only want to shoot a box of 50 through it before I'm done so I know what she's going through.

I found a P380 in Pink, which they don't make anymore, for $450 plus tax. Thoughts on that? I know the trigger is better and we handled it and she likes it. Haven't shot it so no idea on the sting factor from the recoil if it will be any better. She likes my PM9 and find it shoots very well.

Note for both, she is not able to rack either gun easily for first round. Tried a Berretta Bobcat in .22 with tilt up barrel but she wasn't fond of the round. She can rack my full sizes fine.

u answered my question. It is a real b!tch to hand rack the kahr P380. very stout recoil springs. I seriously doubt if 95% of women can hand rack that little gun. If she uses the slide lock to load as kthe manul sates then she is ok EXCEPT if she has a jam or misfire, then she is screwed IMO. If is easier to shoot than IMO any 380 on the market but ity is one of the smallest made to, and asnovelty as it looks to a woman if she ca't properly do the TAP, RACK KAND BANG drill then I wouldnot buy it. Not surte what the household is bvut if kids ar ein the home then she is gonna wantto have it unloaded and I think that would be a real trial for her to do even. Just sayin.

Pink isnice but trust me u have eliminated ever reselling it to a MAN :behindsofa: I think the P380 is one of the best 380's out there but I also think it is not the gun for a woman, expecially one who is not totally gun savvy like a few we have on this forum. That isnot degrading a woman either, just guns for most are not in their daily schedule either. She has to be totally comfortable or she won't carry it, she has to be able to do the drills with it or she will not carry it. Kahrs have the stoutest recoil springs of most any model gun BY DESIGN. They are what they are. I think a cm9 owuld be much better for her, not that much bigger, also something she can get her hands around, and her chances of hand racking it are 75% better after the gun is broken in and the recoil springs take their set. U can work with her easily with the cm9. It will be as pleasant as that little 380 to shoot IMO. Just so much more gun for her to get ahold of and her chances of limping a cm9 is far less than the P380. Sure would be nice if she could field test a P380 but they are hard to find in rental ranges.

My opinion on this. I would pass on it for her and unless u want the guys in the local bar to run u out of it I would not own a pink gun. Just sayin.:behindsofa:

[southsound]

She has a S&W Bodyguard 380 and finds it difficult to shoot for fun making her not like it and not want to carry it. The trigger is very heavy as it is double action only and recoil stings. I only want to shoot a box of 50 through it before I'm done so I know what she's going through.

I found a P380 in Pink, which they don't make anymore, for $450 plus tax. Thoughts on that? I know the trigger is better and we handled it and she likes it. Haven't shot it so no idea on the sting factor from the recoil if it will be any better. She likes my PM9 and find it shoots very well.

Note for both, she is not able to rack either gun easily for first round. Tried a Berretta Bobcat in .22 with tilt up barrel but she wasn't fond of the round. She can rack my full sizes fine.
Just a couple comments from my experience with my wife. We both have M&P 9c's and I "used to have" a Bodyguard 380 for Sunday carry. My bride was pretty much unable to conceal the 9c unless she was wearing a coat or heavy over shirt, so I suggested that she try the Bodyguard. She loved the size and liked the Blackhawk IWB holster. But her first experience at the range was pretty much the same as your wife's. Hard to rack and much different trigger than her 9c. With some suggestions regarding grip and breathing from an instructor/friend and a little practice, I think that my wife is as good with the Bodyguard as I was. At 7 yards, she has no problem putting every shot within a 5" group. Not bad for a little gun. Maybe not the most comfortable to shoot, but will certainly do the job. As for the racking problem, there is a great post about racking on the Cornered Cat website. For those who are not familiar, it is a site designed by a woman and for women - but full of great information for men as well. Here is the link to the page about racking: Cornered Cat - Rack the Slide (http://corneredcat.com/Rack_the_Slide/).

Since my wife took my Bodyguard, I had to replace it with something else small - so I bought a Kahr CM9. I find it to be almost as small as the Bodyguard and only a few ounces heavier. Of course, you know this since you have the PM9. Probably not a good gun for her because of how difficult it is to rack. Maybe mine will loosen up when I get few more rounds through it. I got a Hogue Handall Jr. grip for it and it helps so much that I'm going to get one for my wife's Bodyguard. This might help with her experience as well.

[green02crew]

Jocko, Great advice. I'm not overly worried about resale though as I've only sold 1 gun before and I regret doing that even though it was an easily found cheap Mossberg 500, hard to part with part of your family. My hopes are not only to get her to carry it but to also go to the range with it more often. If I can get a pink 1911 she'd be pretty happy too for range use although too big to carry.

She's small and complains that my PM9 is too large to carry on a daily basis. A .380 is really where we're at for her as she will not go with a smaller round than that. I still think the tip up barrel of my bobcat would do the trick but she just doesn't believe in the .22

southsound, thanks for the link, the act of racking is really what we need to work on with her. She's much more comfortable with a shotgun than a compact handgun but we're working on it.

[bonjorno2]

get a cm9 and have it duracoated pink/thread

[jeepster09]

The price is nothing special. Cabelas has them for that too.

[green02crew]

This is through a Cabelas in a neighboring state as my state has none. Hard to find them in this pink though. I have a buddy with an FFL that I can ship to for no cost. I already talked to Cabelas and they'll cover shipping costs and give me a gift card equal to the cost of taxes. Looks like I'll be $450 out the door on this one. Can't say no to that.

[jeepster09]

They were done for Cabelas promotion. Only they have them I beleave.

[steveschu]

I bought my daughter a pink 380 and she loves it. She fired it for the first time yesterday with spectacular results, especially considering it was only her second trip to the range. With proper technique and practice she will be able to lock the slide back to load the gun; it was difficult for her at first. Assembly and disassembly she can do, but more practice is necessary.
Range report for the first firing of her 380...one casing got caught in the slide and I found it necessary to file the rounded front edge of the magazine bottom plates to allow the magazines to engage the stop easier after a few magazine faults. No other problems except the cheese grater grips. Some grip tape will solve that.
I would be proud to post pictures but I do not have permission by the Posting Rules. Sorry.

[LorenzoB]

...I would be proud to post pictures but I do not have permission by the Posting Rules. Sorry.

Post 'em when you can!
I like to show these to my wife so she warms up to the thought of having her own gun ( and maybe carry). :)

[green02crew]

Here is the original Kahr flyer:

http://www.kahr.com/PDF/kp3835.pdf

"Limited Production Run Sold Exclusively by MGE Wholesale!!" whomever that is.

[steveschu]

I tried Cabaleas to find a pink Kahr after someone on the forum recently posted that they had them for a crazy low price like $450. I called them and they didnt have any. I DID notice that many online dealers claim them to be in stock, but they are only search engine bait items to get you to their website. Some will even take payment stating the item is in stock only to refund the money months later.

[green02crew]

I went into a Cabelas store and this just happened to be in the back room, new old stock. My sister in law was curious if they had pink guns otherwise I would never have known it was there. According to Cabelas it is not listed anymore so they cannot search other stores for it. It's going to take leg work I would imagine calling to each one to ask if they have it in stock.

[steveschu]

$450??!! Jump on it, you cant go wrong!

[Cokeman]

Cabela's has had them for $450 for ever.

[green02crew]

Originally they were higher than that and have been marked down. Seems the few they have currently aren't selling well. Might be because they aren't listed anywhere or in the case, you have to ask to see them.

[green02crew]

I couldn't pass up the deal and I ordered it. After a little convincing I got it for $425 out the door and no FFL fees. That's a good price from store to my hands. Now to just teach her to rack it efficiently! Are there any known issues with these that I should watch for? I have no issue with Kahr service after what little experience I have they have been great.

[JJJJr Shabadoo]

Just got home from Cabela's where my wife finally decided to buy the pink 380 she's been eyeballing for the past few months.

http://i745.photobucket.com/albums/xx91/Rosewood1977/Misc/P380.jpg

[green02crew]

That's the bugger we just picked up! Haven't gone to the range yet but going to be trying it out soon!

[jocko]

bieng they can make um in pink sure would be nice to see something in a desert tan or something in that order.Just sayin.

[green02crew]

I agree, color alternatives would be nice. Even limited production runs such as the pink model would be okay. OD green might be my choice, with a black slide of course.

[Tinman507]

Like this?
http://i1147.photobucket.com/albums/o542/tinman507/Kahr_P380_Green_01.jpg
http://i1147.photobucket.com/albums/o542/tinman507/Kahr_P380_Sand_01.jpg

The Kahr Sorbet Collection in Lime and Peach

[green02crew]

They look like candy. I was thinking something darker that would make my mouth water less. But we're getting there! Although I take it those are all photoshop guns?

[Tinman507]

Yeah, not for real. Photoshopped.

[Cokeman]

I want the green one bad.

[muggsy]

She has a S&W Bodyguard 380 and finds it difficult to shoot for fun making her not like it and not want to carry it. The trigger is very heavy as it is double action only and recoil stings. I only want to shoot a box of 50 through it before I'm done so I know what she's going through.

I found a P380 in Pink, which they don't make anymore, for $450 plus tax. Thoughts on that? I know the trigger is better and we handled it and she likes it. Haven't shot it so no idea on the sting factor from the recoil if it will be any better. She likes my PM9 and find it shoots very well.

Note for both, she is not able to rack either gun easily for first round. Tried a Berretta Bobcat in .22 with tilt up barrel but she wasn't fond of the round. She can rack my full sizes fine.

I think I'd just die if I was ever shot by a pink handgun. (Pun intended.)

[steveschu]

Just got home from Cabela's where my wife finally decided to buy the pink 380 she's been eyeballing for the past few months.

http://i745.photobucket.com/albums/xx91/Rosewood1977/Misc/P380.jpg
Now buy her a set of rubber textured Talon Grips to eliminate the cheese grater grips.

[JFootin]

Now buy her a set of rubber textured Talon Grips to eliminate the cheese grater grips.

I wonder if anyone makes pink grip sleeves or grip tape?

[Cokeman]

Now buy her a set of rubber textured Talon Grips to eliminate the cheese grater grips.

She's actually tougher than you and therefore doesn't need them. :D

[green02crew]

Little bit of follow up from the range visit today. I shot her old S&W Bodyguard 380 and she shot her P380. Neither would reliably cycle with steel cased tulammo, go figure. The P380 loved expensive ammo and doesn't seem to like anything else, it is still being broken in however.

The trigger on the P380 is leaps and bounds over the terrible one on the Bodyguard which is long, heavy, and breaks too late. The Bodyguard also is uncomfortable to shoot. After 1 magazine of the P380, I wanted to shoot it more (yes I looked great shooting a pink gun). After 1 magazine on the Bodyguard, I stopped and thought, jeeze, that was uncomfortable. It stings to shoot.

The P380 is the winner in our book. The real sights make it a blast to shoot even at distances where the Bodyguard left some things to be desired. Why did they ever think that all black sights were a good idea? Even though it's pink, I would carry it over the Bodyguard any day, built in laser or not, which is really the only selling point of the Bodyguard which otherwise fails, miserably.

[TucsonMTB]

Little bit of follow up from the range visit today. I shot her old S&W Bodyguard 380 and she shot her P380. Neither would reliably cycle with steel cased tulammo, go figure.
Yep! Many people say, "Commie steel ammo is for commie (eastern bloc) guns."

It's a little like cars. You bought a BMW. It needs high test gas. http://home.mindspring.com/%7Ejustsomeguy/icon_lol.gif

[Cokeman]

I've never dared to buy it. What problems did it cause?

[Planedude]

I remeber the break in day for my P380. It was a bit of a chore shooting 250 rounds of FMJ target and then 50 rounds of SD ammo. We had three failures, one FTF on the second round of the third mag, never has happened again. The other two were stovepipes and both by the same shooter and we all agree that it was most likely limp wristed. After adjusting his grip the same shooter never had another issue.
Although I liked many features of the P380, I liked the sights on it the best. My trijacon sighted P380 is the Cadillac in it's class.

Good luck and may you and the wife enjoy your P380.

Davisons has the pink Khars this week. http://www.galleryofguns.com/genie/Default.aspx?item=KP3835&mfg=Kahr+Arms&mdlno=P380

[green02crew]

The steel cases simply wouldn't feed in either gun. They don't seem to even fit in the barrel all the way. After one box of good stuff we were able to get one magazine of steel to feed then it started up again, they can't even be hand feed in. The slide sticks slightly on the P380 but only with cheaper ammo. A slight tap and it goes all the way forward.

[josp]

Eventually it should get better. But expect some failure to feed with Tulammo, and mine occasionally chokes (usually on ejection) with Winchester bulk white box.
Of course, it's not a bad idea to practice clearing a jam either.......