cw380

[rhwillia]

New to the forum here. I was considering getting the cw380 but came across this forum talking about how many problems they have. Does anyone not have problems with them? I like the kahr but if I am going to just put extra money in mag springs, extractors, etc. I would rather just buy a different gun. Am I blowing this out of proportion?

[dsk]

All the tiny .380 pistols on the market tend to be very finicky with ammo, cleanliness/lube, manner of hold, and possibly even the day of week. The Gen1 Ruger LCP seems to have the fewest complaints, but even then there are those who run into problems. I can't advise you on a Kahr because you might get a perfect one, one that needs a little adjustment, or a problem child. It may not just be a Kahr thing, however. My Glock 42 runs like a well-oiled sewing machine for example, yet on the Glock forums there are legions of frustrated owners. I'm just lucky that I got a good one, while at the same time I apparently got a bad Kahr. Others might have the exact opposite experience with these two pistols. Sometimes people fail to appreciate the amount of engineering that is required to shoehorn a .380ACP round into a tiny handgun the size of yesterday's .25ACP pistols, and how there are concessions made to enable them to work without blowing up in your hand. The downside is that such a gun will be very sensitive to the things I mentioned in my first sentence, so no matter what you buy you need to be willing to experiment and find ammunition that it likes. If you are considering a Kahr definitely get the CW380, not the P380, because there is nothing the P380 offers from a practical standpoint to justify the additional cost.

[boscobarbell]

If you look at my recent thread, I was in the same situation as you...except that I already owned a CW380 (a lemon) which I sold, and yet STILL wish I had one. dsk's explanation pretty much sums it up, so you'll have to decide if the investment risk is worth it.

Me? After lots of additional research here I decided that I just couldn't do it. I just ordered a Beretta Pico from grabagun for $249. Similar size, thickness, and weight, quality build, great sights. I wish it had the Kahr trigger, but it checked off enough boxes that the tradeoff appears to be worth it.

Given my track record, I'll be back here in a few months complaining how I wish I had a CW380, though.

[bbjwho]

The best in class size, weight, trigger, and sights. On the down side, the slide spring is very strong making it difficult to rack. But, and the big but, is reliability is always a question.

In my first 11 range sessions I shot 489 rounds of ammo and I had 20 malfunctions (about 4% failure rate). I used PMC, Sellier & Bellot, Magtech, and Hornady. The worrisome issue is the malfunctions are of every manner, and happened spaced out thru all 11 range sessions... even after the so-called 200 round break-in period. I cleaned between each session. Essentially, the gun just isnt reliable for self defense purposes whichis a shame. I still carry it as a backup or an "around the house" gun.


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[MMyers1970]

I had a problematic CW380. Kahr recommends a 200 round break-in. I did that, and had difficulty getting through a complete magazine without a FTF. In one of the early range sessions, the pistol LAUNCHED THE SLIDE STOP and it bounced off the range lane partition. If I had been outside I might have lost it. Good news? Kahr's customer service is the best. I shipped it to them on a Friday and had it back the following Thursday. They kept it in house for one day, replaced all the springs and polished the feedramp, and now it's perfect.

The CW380 is the smallest .380 on the market with good sights and a last round hold open. It's well worth buying, and if yours is a problem, Kahr will fix it. No worries.

[Ed M]

My CW380 has been 100% reliable from round one - as long as I don't feed it cheap Perfecta ammo from Walmart. Every other ammo, both FMJ and JHP has worked flawlessly in it. It's got 800 + rounds through it now, and it runs like a Swiss watch. It shows almost no signs of wear as well.

Yeah, it's still not "easy" to rack the slide, but with good technique it's not too bad. I'm so used to it that it's not an issue for me. Wouldn't trade it for ANY other 380, regardless of cost.