p380 purchase

[gasem]

I've been lurking on this list and reviewing various data on YOUTUBE regarding a p380 purchase. I have a PM9 made in 2011 with about 800 rounds down range that still has some nose dive problems especially with the 7 round mag aka good but not perfect, but it seems to be getting better with some judicious F n B.

I have a P3AT which after much rigamarole including a slide barrel and frame change out is now flawless. The P3AT is not a real range gun and is not a gun to stand up to heavier 380 loads over the long term. I also have a TCP which also will not take heavy loads and after much rigamarole is not and has never been flawless. It is not carry-able. I want a light accurate 380 I can carry in the pocket that will stand up to Buffalo Bore or Double Tap or Corbon and not blink and that I can shoot freely, in other words I want a 380 that is flawless, that I can shoot as much as I like, not abuse but neither tip toe around and is not a "carry a lot shoot a little" kind of gun. I own Sigs and Glocks and 1911's and revolvers as well and they all go bang without a hiccup. I treat them good and they treat me good. I like the design of the Kahr gun but I am not convinced of its reliability. A ten year old design should not still be trying to load bullets into the side of the magazine wall instead of the chamber.

I look on the forum and and there seems to be a lot of variability of experience, and it seems not all that good. Comments like "when it does shoot it shoots good but it just doesn't shoot much cause it spends most of its life on the way to the mother ship" does not engender much enthusiasm when it comes to reaching for the credit card to purchase a p380. So what's the deal with this gun POG (piece of gold) or POS?

[TD2K]

I've had mine since Feb 2010 without any issues what so ever.

It's a backup gun (BUG) and I don't shoot is as much as my MK9, but I trust it.

[wyntrout]

I have two... one since March 31, 2010 and one from this past April. Neither was without problems, but both are fine now. I waited 11 months to get one with night sights and sent it back unfired the day after it finally got here... with a dead front Night Sight! It later went back in the same box with my PM45 because the slide kept locking back prematurely. It's fine now and I wear it constantly around the house and sometimes for shorter excursions. I want to be armed always when outside the house or answering the front door, so I'm usually wearing in an an Uncle Mikes cheapie holster that doesn't require a belt, as I am now, with my PM45 inches away from my knee.

The newer one had a bad extractor... back to the factory... then the magazine catch failed... Kahr sent replacement part... then rear sight was loose... glued that with Red Permatex Thread Lock. If I can ever get my wife to try it out, I think it's ready. I have a P9 on the way for another get-home pistol choice. I may get that Mag-na-ported for her, but she's just not a gun nut... would rather go shopping!

The P380 is a terrific little pistol and loaded with 6+1 Buffalo Bore +P Gold Dots, I don't feel under-armed, but YMMV. Not all of them need TLC, but we mostly hear about those.

I originally carried a stainless .22 Walther TPH loaded with Stingers and it weighed about the same as the loaded P380. I had duds when I fired my carry ammo one day and decided I needed to carry fresher ammo... AND get a centerfire pistol! The P380 weighs a smidgen less and is MUCH MORE powerful and reliable for self defense!

The P380 came out about the time I had the bad .22 experience and I ordered the NS model which wasn't available. Then along the 11 month wait, I joined this forum and by January 2010 I started "collecting" polymer Kahrs... the PM9, PM45, P40, another P380, and soon, a P9.:rolleyes: I'm addicted!

Wynn:)

[JERRY]

Wynn, with all those P380 problems what caused them? what was the remedy? seems like a heck of a lot of trouble for one gun to end up risking it again on another one.

im tweaking my PM45 little by little so i can keep it in my hands and will know for sure it is fixed.

[wyntrout]

I do what I can myself. I've seen a lot of problems with other folks' experiences and I've had quite a few myself... more than my "fair".:D

I think that they had a new guy/gal installing the Night Sights... very amateurish... and he/she probably was too heavy handed, as there were pliers-like marks on the Trijicons and the front one was heavy enough that it must have broken the Tritium gas vial. The premature slide locks can be attributed to several things... my theory... the slop in the magazine well, especially at the top where pressure when gripping the pistol's grip and the magazine base pushes the top of the magazine to one side or the other... minutely, but too much to the right and FTFeed with the top round jamming into the feed ramp. With too much movement to the top left, the slide lock is prematurely actuated. Removing magazine follower, magazine catch, or slide lock actuator material... JUDICIOUSLY... can relieve these malfunctions.

I scalloped the ledge of the first P380's magazine catch... without touching the bearing ledge... AND I noticed in the new models' magazine catches, the ledge and the bearing surface have been "scalloped" or reduced as I did.

The new P380's extractor was out of spec and the "claw" was resting on the breech face and the rounds from the magazine could not slide under the claw and be retained until ejection. I showed pictures of this to Kahr Customer Service and they sent me pre-paid FedEx shipping to fix that. Then the catch was bad... soft metal ledge that failed... stuff happens and there are metal failures... they sent me a new part and that was fixed by me.

It's nice to have "spare" pistols and some spare parts on hand... stuff happens... and I tried to be prepared or at least watchful for problems. I do keep spare parts on hand for the problems I've experienced, but I get replacements for failures from Kahr Service as well.

I just bought a few more Torx bits and plan on having those handy at all times when away from the hose. Those slide lock spring keepers can get loose and need a bit of tightening. 5 or 6 out of 7(?) P40 mags stopped keeping the slide open and I later found that the screw needed tightening... which I did with the bare Torx bit and fingers-only torque. Metal into plastic threads and you can strip those plastic threads easily... and that requires a new frame, though you could try some other method, but all of the Super-Glue-like glues and thread lockers, NONE is advised for polymer/plastic... as the BOND is STRONGER than the plastic... and reversal makes a BIGGER hole.

Long-winded as usual... and JMHO.

Wynn:)

[JERRY]

metal screw into plastic threaded frame? how is that suppose to work?

id rather buy the scalloped magazine followers which have been redesigned to work right than to have to whittle them down myself, but thats what im doing....my mags are new from the factory and dont have the scallopes you mentioned.

[jocko]

ur might be right but the metal screw in the polymer has never been an issue. The foker works. We may not like it on the principal of it but again it works, y PMJ9 is over 5years old and I doubt if anyone has put more rounfs through a PM9 than I have and that little screw bastard has never loosed, or given one issue
I think the followers coulbe be better also but again, 99% never give an issue and some that do even are so minor that they cause no issues either. Again we live with it , adjust toit, b!tch some to, but for most it works out fine. I bought a used PMJ9 about 3 onths ago and have shot about 500 rounds thorugh it with no issues and I recently was just messing around and I checked my mags to see if the followes were grabbing on the mag rlease button. Both magazine grabbed somewhat, but have never given one issue. But I did relieve the follower knowing what I know could possably happen..

[TominCA]

I have 2 P380's and they are nice (very nice) but:

Finnicky as to ammo (they like the real expensive stuff) for 100% reliability
The new magazines (different lip config) are better
They sometimes need lots of breaking in
Like lots of lub and keep very clean at first
Can have wierd small problems specific to individual guns. Ie one of mine will almost always stove pipe the last round. Could never figure out why

On the plus side they are:
Beautifully made
Stronger than godzilla
fun to shoot
easy to get parts
American made
Light but not much recoil

These are pretty much last ditch defensive firearms built to a very high standard. They are so small and light for the cartridge that they push the envelope a little but IMO there is nothing better if you take the time to work with them.

[JERRY]

jocko, what is the remedy for the metal screw which comes loose from the plastic threads you mentioned?

you say lok-tyte is a no go, and you cant really torque it so what do you do? check it every 50 rounds or what?

[wyntrout]

I would keep a #6 Torx bit handy and just use the bare bit and fingers to tighten that screw, with normal cleaning... just a check... not usually a problem. The only one that has bothered me is the P40. I have spare springs, screws, and washers for all of my polymers... just in case I lose something. I've only heard of ONE slide lock spring breaking... cleanly in two... the one on MY PM45!

Stuff happens... and, evidently, a LOT to me and my Kahrs!

Oh! The scalloping I mentioned was on the magazine catch... on the part that engages the slot on the magazine tube. It protrudes and catches the follower in some models' magazines. I think a tiny "tweak" or the front of the magazine lips can stop some of the jamming into the right side of the feed ramp, especially with the 9mm 7-round mags.

Wynn:)

[jocko]

jocko, what is the remedy for the metal screw which comes loose from the plastic threads you mentioned?

you say lok-tyte is a no go, and you cant really torque it so what do you do? check it every 50 rounds or what?

no reaosn for that screw to come loose, ow if one constantly messes witht e screw then the polymer threads might get infected. If this happens. fingernail polis, super flue, epoxy o the screw threads will keep it in place. Locktite does do well on polymer.

I jsut never have an issue and my sdlie has been off my PMJ9 over 300 times. I have in all this time replaced that little springhy once, and I think I was at afault and kinda got it out of whack and I do keep a couple of those little springys around incase. It is really not a problem area. and I honeslty have not read of anyone stripping the threads out of that area, although if u over tighten that little screw ur gonna screw of the threads and then the above threadlockers come into play. I wish for my mental well being kahr wold have that little screw going into a metal insert within the plymer but to be honest, that area is just not a areaof issues either. Abuse it and u might have issues, do it right andu should be good to go. that litle springhy has to have soe play i it as it realy does two things at one time.

#1 it locks the slidelock leve rin place by snappinginto that little groove on the slide lock lever at the ed of the pin. #2 it also is alwys wantiing to pull the slide lock lever down ward. So I give that engineering of that part a big kudo for what it does andfor how unproblematic that area really is to..

\I really never check that screw out. the gun will let u know if something is wrong in that area

[ShastaDuke]

While I'm no p380 expert, I just picked up mine tonight serial #RC5*^% and ran 112 rounds through it without a single issue. 100 rounds of Winchester white box and 6 critical defense, as well as 6 good dots.

Fun to shoot so far and really happy with it. Adding to my permit tomorrow.