Possibly buying a used P380....what do I need to check out before purchasing?

[smitzzz24]

Well, I'm getting antsy waiting for the cw380 to make it's appearance. While in my search, I've come across a used P380 w/ box and 4 mags for $475. The pics I have seen thru email have looked very good. The seller stated it has a few hundred rounds thru it (estimated 300 or so) and only seems to have issues in the past with some fiocchi rounds. Everything else has been flawless. I have never bought a used pistol before- what all (parts, etc) should I look out for when checking this one out? We won't have time to go to a range but he said he would give me a week to test it out and if I had issues, would refund my money. Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

[wyntrout]

There are several courses of action you can take. If you get the pistol, you can watch the takedown video for your particular Kahr and take the pistol apart, clean and inspect it for spring orientation... recoil spring and slide lock spring appearance and screw tightness... no extra 1/4 turn there... can strip plastic threads with metal screw... #5 TORX bit... and check the clearance under the extractor claw for enough room for the cartridges to slip underneath and be retained throughout chambering, firing, and ejection. Check the feed ramp for smoothness and the edges of the barrel shroud for dents or deformations that might interfere with feeding, chambering, or ejection. Check that the striker firing pin works by inserting a pen or dowel into the unloaded but c0cked pistol, then pulling the trigger while pointing the pistol at the ceiling and seeing if the object inserted is launched out of the barrel. This can vary from almost clearing the barrel to bouncing off the ceiling, depending on the softness of the object used and where the pin strikes it.

Please DO watch the take down video at least once and pay attention to re-assembly with respect to spring orientation and insertion of the very important slide lock pin... trying not to bend the spring... and make sure that the right free end of the spring is on top of the slide lock actuator being inserted, so that it lies on the little ledge and pushes down on the slide lock lever... to keep the slide from locking back UNTIL the magazine follower pushes it up to lock the slide back on empty magazine. The slide lock lever is designed to be easier to unlock the slide with a loaded magazine in place, OR no magazine inserted.

The easiest option at first is to get 4 boxes of reputable Factory FMJ... ball-type, not flat point, and go to the range. These little pistols sometimes get dirty after 50 or 60 rounds and then might have feed failures, so your experience may vary with lengthy shooting periods.

Use a firm grip when you use the slide lock release method to chamber a round. A loose grip during LOADING or FIRING can cause failures in operation due to the weak grip, or "limp wristing". These compact guns are tight-toleranced and need all of the slide's force to chamber a round... as in firing... a complete movement of the slide from back to chamber... no dragging or riding the slide.

Anyhow, if you decide to see if the seller is telling the truth about the condition of the pistol and go to the range, maybe there will be no problems and you'll start off with a great experience. I have many Kahrs and two of the P380's... both had their problems from day one, but between trips to Kahr and my own tinkering, there are both fine shooters. My first is an RA61xx series... one of the first factory night-sighted ones.

Here's some info for new owners/members:

Welcome to the Kahrtalk forum supported by Kahr Arms.
Here are a few essential links and things to do BEFORE you take your new pistol to the range, and ESPECIALLY BEFORE taking it apart and trying to re-assemble it! The Kahr is a different design… 6-7 unique patents cover the Kahrs. I’m not trying to imply that you don’t know anything about guns, but many don’t know anything about the Kahrs and some of the things you can do to damage or cause malfunctions of your new, or new-to-you Kahr pistol.
First, if you don’t have a manual, yet, or one didn’t come with your pistol, you can download the pdf file here:
http://www.kahr.com/PDF/kahrmanual.pdf
Impatient? Watch one of these videos FIRST! These videos can point out possible problem areas and emphasize correct procedures!
Take down and re-assembly videos:
T, TP, CW, P, & PM/CM Series:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=G2cZgVg_SwA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=G2cZgVg_SwA)
MK series:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...mSCnIOaUk#t=0s (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zXmSCnIOaUk#t=0s)
K series:
http://www.kahr.com/Pistols/Kahr-K9-Elite.asp
There are many links on fixing problems listed in several places… under the New Member or Kahr Tech sub-forums.
A very handy one is the Kahr Lube Diagram:
http://kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?t=14750
Many of your questions can be answered in these areas and you can learn how your Kahr works and not damage it with improper handling.
Frequently asked questions: http://www.kahr.com/faq.asp?

There are many helpful members here most of the time who might be able to help you, but as anywhere, there are many opinions and not all are correct. Be mindful of this before doing anything drastic to modify your pistol!

Info on a proper rack procedure:

http://www.kahrtalk.com/showpost.php?p=221775&postcount=11

Here's a video on racking the pistol:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=hjLbFOw8sow


Wynn:)
Aka wyntrout

[jocko]

Well, I'm getting antsy waiting for the cw380 to make it's appearance. While in my search, I've come across a used P380 w/ box and 4 mags for $475. The pics I have seen thru email have looked very good. The seller stated it has a few hundred rounds thru it (estimated 300 or so) and only seems to have issues in the past with some fiocchi rounds. Everything else has been flawless. I have never bought a used pistol before- what all (parts, etc) should I look out for when checking this one out? We won't have time to go to a range but he said he would give me a week to test it out and if I had issues, would refund my money. Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

if it was the early on P380, I would shy away from it. I think if memory serves me RA**** I would shy away from it. Those made in the past year seem to be very good


The nice thinbg in ur case is u can try it out before buying it. So even though it could be an early model, if it shoots great, then indeed go for it. Mine is one of the early models and ithad to go back once butnow runs great, so again the fact that u can test before buying is certainly a plus. There is nuttin in that gun that is gonna wear out except recoil springs and I doubt if they need replaced even. It is a great gun WHEN RUNNING AS DESIGNED..

[DJK11]

Don't dismiss purchasing an RAxxxx pistol. My RAxxxx P380 has well over 3,000 rnds. through it and is perfect. Still very tight. It had minor issues for the first 600 rnds. I suspect due to being so tight. Mine cycles flat nose WWB just fine.

[K.C.]

OP, One thing I would do before considering buying it is I would put an empty magazine in the gun, lock the slide back and then take a pencil, eraser side down and slowly push the follower down while lightly holding a finger on the mag release button. If the mag release button moves as the follower passes it you'll need to do a modification other wise guaranteed failure to feed issues will be the result.