Update on my CW380 ...

[DavidR]

Just to recap:

My CW380 went back to Kahr for persistent failure to return to battery problems. With over 500 rounds, it never once jammed or failed to eject but had battery failures with every ammo I tried except Hornady Critical Defense (Aguila FMJ, Blazer Brass FMJ, HPR Hyper Clean FMJ, Federal Hydra Shok and Lehigh Defense XP). Kahr paid shipping both ways.

It arrived at my house today, exactly two weeks from the day it arrived at Kahr (no notification from Kahr that it was on its way). The work sheet says: re-worked extractor, polished feed ramp, replaced recoil springs and slide stop spring, lubed and tested. They definitely put some rounds through it as it was pretty dirty. I cleaned it and lubed and hope to get to the range tomorrow afternoon. Fingers crossed! I will report back when I have some results.

Also, they sent it back in a P380 hard case - nice touch.

[timboy]

Got mine today too,I m going to update my thread.

[TheLastDaze]

Awesome deal, sounds like they hooked you up!! Not bad turnaround for you guys

[DavidR]

I was able to put 100 rounds of various ammo through my repaired CW380 today:

25 Blazer Brass FMJ - perfect (previously I had occasional battery failures with this ammo)

25 Federal Hydra Shok - 1 failure to go into battery when chambering the first round using the slide stop release, 1 failure to return to battery mid-magazine (previously I had occasional battery failures with this ammo)

25 Hornady Critical Defense - perfect (no previous problems with this ammo)

10 Lehigh XP - 1 failure to go into battery when chambering the first round using the slide stop release; with the square nose of this ammo, I'm just thrilled that it feeds fine after the 1st round is chambered (previously I had occasional battery failures mid-magazine with this ammo)

15 Aguila FMJ - 1 fail to fire, I think this was round 97 - the trigger reset but no boom, I ejected the round, re-loaded it into the magazine and it fired fine (previously I had about a 50% battery failure rate with this ammo)


So, my preliminary conclusions:

1. The gun is improved, but not perfect - previously I had battery failures mid-magazine with every ammo except Critical Defense, today it was only Hydra Shok.
2. The failure to go into battery when chambering the first round is a problem for quick re-loading of a 2nd magazine, but I don't carry a spare mag (that's a whole 'nuther debate!) so I'm not concerned by that.
3. For carry purposes I'll stick with Critcal Defense or Lehigh XP and will scratch Hydra Shok from the list.
4. I don't know what to make of the failure to fire but with 600 rounds now through this gun that's the only time it ever happened.
5. At this point I don't plan to send it back to Kahr although I'd like to hear some opinions on that.

At least for now, I'm going to carry my Ruger LCP. :)

[topgun1953]

If it were me, I'd carry with Hornady. I would also continue to run some range ammo through it. Find something that runs good like the blazer brass and practice with that. I purchased my CW and p with the expectation that some ammo would have issues and that is the case. I traded my CW towards an xds, but still use and carry the P. Put 100 rounds through it today. About 20 precision one xtp (total of 50 perfectly) and 80 Freedom reloads with one FTF . The FTF was one handed...I'm fine with that using flat nosed ammo.

[timboy]

Well that's better but not very encouraging,if the weather stays dry tomorrow I will get some rounds through mineto see how it behaves.

[ReManG]

DavidR,

Have you done the magazine follower mod? I know that has helped a P380 I had a hand in getting running. I like the Lehigh XP ammo, but you know they specifically list it as being incompatible with the Kahr in .380? So your single non load, I would look at that as pretty darn good..... I use the Hornandy CD because the narrow nose is reliable in my CW, and today found that the Fiocchi is not so good in mine, but shoots fine in a broken in P380..... As for the Aguila, I would call that an ammo fault, if you look at the primer, it is probably deeper than the other brands, that has been my experience anyway. With the narrow tolerances these Kahr .380s have, this sometimes gets you a misfire....

[DavidR]

DavidR,

Have you done the magazine follower mod? I know that has helped a P380 I had a hand in getting running. I like the Lehigh XP ammo, but you know they specifically list it as being incompatible with the Kahr in .380? So your single non load, I would look at that as pretty darn good..... I use the Hornandy CD because the narrow nose is reliable in my CW, and today found that the Fiocchi is not so good in mine, but shoots fine in a broken in P380..... As for the Aguila, I would call that an ammo fault, if you look at the primer, it is probably deeper than the other brands, that has been my experience anyway. With the narrow tolerances these Kahr .380s have, this sometimes gets you a misfire....

I have not modified the follower - will look into that.

Regarding Lehigh, I previously fired 20 rounds through the CW before sending it back to repair. Had one fail to go into battery on the first round when using the slide stop release but other wise it fed fine. The Lehigh website says they had some problems with the 1st round but once the 1st round is chambered, the rest of the mag cycles perfectly.