Cw380 issues

[Rat]

I recently purchased a new cw380. After purchasing it, I cleaned it and took it to the range..... I fired 100 rounds and I immediately started having problems with it. I'm just wondering if anyone else is having problems?
The gun is locking open after shots fired and failing to open on last round. I shot 100 rounds and it locked open approximately the first shot from every clip. Once or twice it failed to open after the last round fired. The ammo used was Winchester FMJ. I'd like to try some different ammo and maybe watch my grip a little better on where my thump rests before getting too upset. However, I have a g23 that has "never once failed" no matter what type of ammo was used in it. Just saying that because I feel if something is sold, it shouldn't leave the factory unless it is working properly. I'm saying that because I don't feel that its up to me to have to spend another $100 or so in ammo to make sure it is (kahrs words..."broken in") working properly. I will say that I truly like the way the cw380 feels...it's very accurate and I want it to be a keeper. I hope to get this fixed as I really like everything else about this gun. Anyway, any advice or input is surely appreciated.

[berettabone]

The firearm is new and tight. WWB ammo can be a tad weak, which could be the problem. Limp wristing could be the problem. Finger on the release could be the problem. If you didn't want to spend money for ammo, to break it in, then why did you purchase it? Should have done your homework.....................these firearms aren't like the Tupperware brands.;)

[Rat]

My G23 was new and tight also. No need to be a a** I'm just asking for a solution or a easy fix without having to send it back.

[DavidR]

Tough crowd. The guy bought a gun that isn't working well half way through the recommended break-in period. I guess you have to finish the break in period. but I'd be worried too.


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[jocko]

I recently purchased a new cw380. After purchasing it, I cleaned it and took it to the range..... I fired 100 rounds and I immediately started having problems with it. I'm just wondering if anyone else is having problems?
The gun is locking open after shots fired and failing to open on last round. I shot 100 rounds and it locked open approximately the first shot from every clip. Once or twice it failed to open after the last round fired. The ammo used was Winchester FMJ. I'd like to try some different ammo and maybe watch my grip a little better on where my thump rests before getting too upset. However, I have a g23 that has "never once failed" no matter what type of ammo was used in it. Just saying that because I feel if something is sold, it shouldn't leave the factory unless it is working properly. I'm saying that because I don't feel that its up to me to have to spend another $100 or so in ammo to make sure it is (kahrs words..."broken in") working properly. I will say that I truly like the way the cw380 feels...it's very accurate and I want it to be a keeper. I hope to get this fixed as I really like everything else about this gun. Anyway, any advice or input is surely appreciated.

shootng it left handed to see if kby chance u igt be hitting the slide stop lever.

anuutr ting jto check if to see if those rounds might be hitting on the inside of th slide stop lever and causing thatj. In the kahr tech section under the propper prepping thread there is a description on how to check tha tout. very simple and correctable if it is happening.

How ab out buying abox of good defense ammo. It is normaly in the +P range to test all this out to. Some of the over the counter range follder is alitt e on the lite side and for awhile ur gun is tight and once the recoil springs take their designed set, it would be OK but at first u "can' get some failure to lock open on the last round.

checkur magazines for two things busted follower and to be sur ethe mag spring is in correctly. u need to eliminate all the possable tha tu can do in house. That little sprighy on the side could be out of whack and causing this slide to lock open also. again that propper prepping thread addresses that.

About the only thing that can cause this slide locking open is

#1, rounds hitting on the inside of the slide lock lever

#2, the ol thumb hitting it and ot knowing it (shooting it left handed will eliminate that and show u what is possable )

#3 slide lock spring out of whack and needs tweeking. (wyn' has some dandy photos on theforumon how that spring should look when it is right . I think it is under cw45 fixes, but he will be along shortly to pop that photo up.

these guys hgere are allher et help u, some are ruff around the edges. Ol jocko is kinder than ever, so listen to both of us, but no one here means to down grade u. U asked good questions, u evidkently have some issues, but I think they might be correctble in house. For sur eu need to eliminate all the possables before contacting kahr. If it is hitting the slide stop lever, call kahr present ur case and ask for a new lever, they will obligue...:amflag:

[jocko]

Tough crowd. The guy bought a gun that isn't working well half way through the recommended break-in period. I guess you have to finish the break in period. but I'd be worried too.


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much as a tuff crowd but some have different ways of addressing this fellas issues. These little gus, no matter who makes um arejust harder to master than a big framed gun and gun and shooter hav eto mate up to be a good combination. Every one here is her eto help in what ever way we can.

Sometiems this break in for some kahrs is JUST necessary t. Some never need it..

I know at first my PM380 ahr had slide lockingopen issues and some one on her mentioned trying hotter defense ammo to see if it duplicated. I did and It worked perfect, and fater alot of rounds down range it wokred with ay 380 ammo. to me slide locking open on last round and premature slide locking is entirey to diferent things. Once can be an issue, the utter one can just mean more rounds needed..:amflag:

[berettabone]

My G23 was new and tight also. No need to be a a** I'm just asking for a solution or a easy fix without having to send it back.
Wasn't being an ***..................why would you purchase a firearm, knowing it has a breakin period, then complain that you don't want to have to purchase ammo to break it in?

[DavidR]

Yes Jocko, this is a great forum and has a ton of useful information and good people.


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[drewski115]

My G23 was new and tight also. No need to be a a** I'm just asking for a solution or a easy fix without having to send it back.

Apples and oranges. You are comparing a "compact" weapon to a micro. That Glock's tolerances are no where near what your CW380 is. The CW is significantly smaller than a G23. Many manufactures recommend a break in period especially for micro pistols. Some run fine from the git go others not so much then others need to go back to the factory. The first 50 rounds in mine I had a few issues with but it was the cheap "house brand" range ammo I was using. I found some Blazer Brass and ran thru it and it has been 100% so I would try a better brand of ammo before I got too worried about. I love this little gun....you will too! ;)

[Rat]

Thanks Jocko and Dave. I plan on trying more ammo through it and also the left handed technic. Beretta...you come across cocky hence my response. I came here for help and not to be ridiculed by you or any other. And no...I didn't know nothing about a break in period but that's water under the bridge now. Too be honest..I've never heard of such a thing. That's like buying a car and them telling you to put 10,000 miles on it before it will run right. Makes no sense...but again...I'm not complaining. I'm trying to solve the problem.

[Rat]

Apples and oranges. You are comparing a "compact" weapon to a micro. That Glock's tolerances are no where near what your CW380 is. The CW is significantly smaller than a G23. Many manufactures recommend a break in period especially for micro pistols. Some run fine from the git go others not so much then others need to go back to the factory. The first 50 rounds in mine I had a few issues with but it was the cheap "house brand" range ammo I was using. I found some Blazer Brass and ran thru it and it has been 100% so I would try a better brand of ammo before I got too worried about. I love this little gun....you will too! ;)

Thanks and I'm sure I will!;)

[mikemc53]

Rat,

Jocko's right and, trust me, berretabone's not cocky - he's been more than helpful a number of times to many of us. Maybe you're being a little touchy:o...maybe not, but it does get better.

Now, maybe you've never heard of a gun having a break-in period but it sure is not an uncommon thing. These little 380s are tight, tight, tight but they shoot really well.

I own two Kahr's and have had no issues with either - but I do understand your concern - and after trying the things Jocko suggested I'm thinking that it'll all smooth out for you.

Good luck and welcome.

[berettabone]

Research,research,research........................ ...............

[jocko]

well if ur young I can remeber back in the 70's when u bought a new car it had 10W oil in it and all dealers called it break in oil and to bring it back after a 1000 miles and they wold change it and install the correct weight oil. ALL guns and I don't give a fokk what gun maker it is, needs break in. Non e except kahr ever have the balls to tellu this but doe sit not make sense. The gun is new, machining is good but not smoothed out yet from cycling action. Triggers certainly get smoother with rounds down range. For dame sure recoil springs take their designed set and the guns are easier to hand rck. This is called break in. one call can it anything they want.

Why would any person bkuy a new gun and not soot it to se ehow it shoots, feels etc, This is break in. better to find an issue at the range than that first time u really need it. Ihad a Para carry 9 that i really love dthe trigger system but had feed issues, In talking to Para service about it they said callus after a 1000 rounds and let us know how it is doin. At around 500 rounds that issue just dissappeared. 99% of all kahrs work right out of the box, like most allguns do, but why not do a real chealing kand checking over before going out to the range and ASSUMING kahr or Smith or Glock serviced up thegun before shipping it oput, WHICH THEY DO NOT DO THAT EITHER. We hae seen some striker channels full of machings sh!t which could hinder reliability. Would u not want t6o make sure all of that is fine before carryiny it???? ASSUME NUTTIN my friends. I think we as gun owners should also assume some responsibility to.

Again most new cars bought today they wll not tellyou to drive it like u stole it in the beginning either. They all assume the engine needs some break in.

If u don't want to break in a handgun, just send it to ol jocko with 500 rounds and I will do it NO CHARGE gladly:amflag:

[Rat]

Lol..Jocko ...I like you already... You tell it like it is.
Update.. My dealer just emailed me after my last post and told me to bring it back in and he would give me another one. Already Done! Man it pays to be a rockstar....!!

Actually when I purchased the gun, my dealer told me his distributor offered a free lifetime replacement at no extra charge. Any problems ever bring it back and it's replaced for free. Guess he wasn't joking. Not sure if he was reading this post but anyway... Got a new gun and I'm very happy. I will update on how the break in goes on this one. Any tips on which ammo to start out with?

Ps...beretta.. I agree. I research everything I have ever bought but jumped when I saw this one without researching. Patience Grasshopper!

[getsome]

(Quote) "these guys hgere are allher et help u, some are ruff around the edges. Ol jocko is kinder than ever, so listen to both of us, but no one here means to down grade u. U asked good questions, u evidkently have some issues, but I think they might be correctble in house. For sur eu need to eliminate all the possables before contacting Kahr".....

Just who are you and what the Hell have you done with Jocko???...:75:

[45stopsemquick]

Do the prep that's recommended and you will most likely be fine. After doing the proper prep as well as polishing the breach face on my p380 I was able to hand cycle rounds non stop.

[SaltyNC]

Rat,

The CW380 treats WWB ammo like most kids treat collard greens. They may eat it, but not without a struggle. ;) I found round nose ammo fed much smoother for the break-in period. Even after several hundred rounds, my CW380 would occasionally not fully go into battery with WWB flat nose ammo unless I gave it a little bump on the back of the slide.

Here is the sticky to check to see if the round is hitting the slide lock lever:

#6 To check to see if you have any issues with the slide lock lever hitting the rounds in the magazine, take the slide off and insert the slide lock lever, then reinsert a loaded magazine. Check to see if the top round is hitting the slide lock lever and moving it upward. That is a NO-NO.

Also, check to see if the slide lock lever spring is positioned properly. See about half-way down post:
http://www.kahrtalk.com/showpost.php?p=184764&postcount=5

SaltyNC

[SaltyNC]

Any tips on which ammo to start out with?

Federal American Eagle FMJ

SaltyNC

[rjt123]

I've had good results on my P380 with my old standby for range ammo: Blazer aluminum (the black box stuff).

[el burro]

I'm an old guy with not a lot of shooting experience. I have an M&P full size 45acp, a Glock 19, 1911 45acp, and a Sig938. They all shoot fine with not a single issue. Recently I purchased a P380. After shooting about 600 rounds through it, I decided that it just wasn't for me. Yes, I had several FTF and a couple of stove pipes, but overall it shot fairly well. Performance improved considerably after about 300 rounds. In the end, it was more my fault than the pistols for the mis-feeds. I believe that this pistol is not for the "weak of hand" or the inexperienced shooter. It's just too small, light and snappy and requires an experienced and firm hand to shot it reliably. My hats off to those that shot it well!


Also, I found that adding a rubber padded grip - You know those rubber banded jobs that slip over the pistol grip, added to my mis-feed issues. I just couldn't hold it stout enough for the pistol to perform well.

[drewski115]

I'm an old guy with not a lot of shooting experience. I have an M&P full size 45acp, a Glock 19, 1911 45acp, and a Sig938. They all shoot fine with not a single issue. Recently I purchased a P380. After shooting about 600 rounds through it, I decided that it just wasn't for me. Yes, I had several FTF and a couple of stove pipes, but overall it shot fairly well. Performance improved considerably after about 300 rounds. In the end, it was more my fault than the pistols for the mis-feeds. I believe that this pistol is not for the "weak of hand" or the inexperienced shooter. It's just too small, light and snappy and requires an experienced and firm hand to shot it reliably. My hats off to those that shot it well!


Also, I found that adding a rubber padded grip - You know those rubber banded jobs that slip over the pistol grip, added to my mis-feed issues. I just couldn't hold it stout enough for the pistol to perform well.


Yep, I so wanted my wife to shoot a CW380 well but she could not pull it off. Her grip just was not tight enough. I shoot it just fine. No issues so I get a new pocket gun and bought her something else.

[DavidR]

You might want to try a CM9. There's a little more to hold on to so it might work better and it's still concealable.

[AB1968]

I have a P380 & if I'm not real careful my thumb will hit the slide stop & I'll get the slide locking open mid mag & not locking open on an empty mag, at first I thought it was the gun, upon further testing I noticed it was me causing it, so now I make sure my thumb is out of the way so it stays off the slide stop & my P380 functions flawless and its very accurate. Also I did do the recommended prep to the gun & also polished the feed ramp.

[Rat]

Well, after exchanging the defected gun for a new one...I took it home, cleaned it and lubed it. I finally had a chance to take the new gun to the range yesterday. I put 100 rounds of PCM bronze and 10 rounds of Hornady Zombie through it. The VERDICT............I love it! This one shot flawless and it is very very accurate. Anyway, thanks for all the help and I'm sure glad I found this forum. I'm not sure what the problem was with the old one but I sure am thankful that my dealer offered to exchange it for a new one. :Amflag2:

[Pernal]

Good for you; Glad the replacement is working out. :cool: