wvtengnr
02-05-2014, 09:15 PM
I picked up a new CW380 off of Gunbroker last week and got to try it out over the weekend.
Here are my pre-shooting impressions:
1. The size and form factor are awesome. It is very thin, compact, and light. I have CM9 for CCW which I thought it was pretty compact but it seems bulky and heavy after handling the 380.
2. The recoil springs are pretty stout. This coupled with the narrow slide means there is no *****-footing around when racking the slide. Not a real issue but something to keep in mind if you have a weaker grip.
3. The gun didn't come with a plastic case like my CM9 did. Also not a real issue but it would have been a nice addition.
4. The quality of the components and finish is very good. It's a nice gun and very well made.
5. It has a real 'cool factor'. It's as tiny as the other pocket .380's but it has all of the features of a real, shootable, full sized pistol. Hard to explain but it just adds to the appeal.
I took it out for some shooting fun and was pleased at how well it shot.
First and foremost was how accurately I was able to shoot it right from the start. 10" diameter plates were easily hit from 10 yards and with just a little more concentration 20 yards was no problem either.
The only other pocket 380 I've shot is the Taurus and there is no comparison in ease of shooting and accuracy.
The sights are fairly low profile (as they should be) but are easy to pick up and work well. As a sidenote I blacked out the white bar on the rear sight since I tend to shoot better with a plain rear sight.
I hope someone will come out with a fiber front sight which would be great in low light conditions.
The trigger is typical Kahr which equals an awesome double action pull.
Extremely smooth with manageable weight and an exceptionally clean break.
Reset is not that short but, alas, nothing is perfect.
Feeding/reliability was initially a mixed bag. The first 100 rounds of PPU FMJ were a little frustrating. It fed, chambered, and ejected just fine but didn't lock open on the last round. I used the factory mag and a 7rd extended mag I picked up at a local shop. Neither magazine would lock open on the last round.
I thought maybe since the gun was new and stiff possibly the PPU wasn't hot enough to fully cycle the slide. So I tried some Gold Dots and had the same results - the slide did not lock back on the last round.
That night I searched through the forums here and read that some people were having similiar issues due to a 'thumbs forward' grip interfering with the slide stop.
I also stripped off all the factory lube with rubbing alcohol and did a full Frog Lube treatment. After about a year of using it on all my guns I am fully sold. It just makes them run slicker and smoother and makes for less effort in cleaning.
The next day I did a 1 handed shooting test and sure enough, the slide locked back just like it should. So with this new knowledge I made a conscious effort to tuck my thumbs out of the way and thankfully this cured the issue.
I could also tell a noticeable difference in how smoothly it cycled with the fresh Frog Lube treatment. The more I shot and the hotter the gun got, the better it worked.
I tried some Fiocchi FMJs which the gun did not like. The rounds would not chamber and had to be slapped into battery. Comparing the Fiocchi to some other ammo I believe the reason was due to a different style crimp halfway down the case on the Fiocchi. I'm not familiar with that type of crimp but I think it just makes the case somewhat of an hourglass shape so I don't really blame the Kahr for not feeding these well. Lesson learned - don't buy any more Fiocchi .380 for this gun.
I fired 100 rounds of Magtech FMJ which, coupled with my new grip style, functioned flawlessly. I finished off the box of Gold Dots (my carry loading) and these also functioned 100%.
Overall I rate the function/reliability very high but with some caveats.
Watch your grip and thumb placement and avoid ammo with mid-case crimps.
This weekend I will try a few more types of practice ammo to test function.
TulAmmo, Remington UMC, and Winchester white box in particular.
Overall I'm very happy with my new gun!
Here are my pre-shooting impressions:
1. The size and form factor are awesome. It is very thin, compact, and light. I have CM9 for CCW which I thought it was pretty compact but it seems bulky and heavy after handling the 380.
2. The recoil springs are pretty stout. This coupled with the narrow slide means there is no *****-footing around when racking the slide. Not a real issue but something to keep in mind if you have a weaker grip.
3. The gun didn't come with a plastic case like my CM9 did. Also not a real issue but it would have been a nice addition.
4. The quality of the components and finish is very good. It's a nice gun and very well made.
5. It has a real 'cool factor'. It's as tiny as the other pocket .380's but it has all of the features of a real, shootable, full sized pistol. Hard to explain but it just adds to the appeal.
I took it out for some shooting fun and was pleased at how well it shot.
First and foremost was how accurately I was able to shoot it right from the start. 10" diameter plates were easily hit from 10 yards and with just a little more concentration 20 yards was no problem either.
The only other pocket 380 I've shot is the Taurus and there is no comparison in ease of shooting and accuracy.
The sights are fairly low profile (as they should be) but are easy to pick up and work well. As a sidenote I blacked out the white bar on the rear sight since I tend to shoot better with a plain rear sight.
I hope someone will come out with a fiber front sight which would be great in low light conditions.
The trigger is typical Kahr which equals an awesome double action pull.
Extremely smooth with manageable weight and an exceptionally clean break.
Reset is not that short but, alas, nothing is perfect.
Feeding/reliability was initially a mixed bag. The first 100 rounds of PPU FMJ were a little frustrating. It fed, chambered, and ejected just fine but didn't lock open on the last round. I used the factory mag and a 7rd extended mag I picked up at a local shop. Neither magazine would lock open on the last round.
I thought maybe since the gun was new and stiff possibly the PPU wasn't hot enough to fully cycle the slide. So I tried some Gold Dots and had the same results - the slide did not lock back on the last round.
That night I searched through the forums here and read that some people were having similiar issues due to a 'thumbs forward' grip interfering with the slide stop.
I also stripped off all the factory lube with rubbing alcohol and did a full Frog Lube treatment. After about a year of using it on all my guns I am fully sold. It just makes them run slicker and smoother and makes for less effort in cleaning.
The next day I did a 1 handed shooting test and sure enough, the slide locked back just like it should. So with this new knowledge I made a conscious effort to tuck my thumbs out of the way and thankfully this cured the issue.
I could also tell a noticeable difference in how smoothly it cycled with the fresh Frog Lube treatment. The more I shot and the hotter the gun got, the better it worked.
I tried some Fiocchi FMJs which the gun did not like. The rounds would not chamber and had to be slapped into battery. Comparing the Fiocchi to some other ammo I believe the reason was due to a different style crimp halfway down the case on the Fiocchi. I'm not familiar with that type of crimp but I think it just makes the case somewhat of an hourglass shape so I don't really blame the Kahr for not feeding these well. Lesson learned - don't buy any more Fiocchi .380 for this gun.
I fired 100 rounds of Magtech FMJ which, coupled with my new grip style, functioned flawlessly. I finished off the box of Gold Dots (my carry loading) and these also functioned 100%.
Overall I rate the function/reliability very high but with some caveats.
Watch your grip and thumb placement and avoid ammo with mid-case crimps.
This weekend I will try a few more types of practice ammo to test function.
TulAmmo, Remington UMC, and Winchester white box in particular.
Overall I'm very happy with my new gun!