New and frustrated

[Pookanator]

I purchased my first Kahr (CW380) this weekend. These are new to me because I. Used to Walther and Sigs. It’s lite, fits well and it looks sexy.

The frustration came today when I took my CW380 to the range. I’m in 100 rds of the 200 rds break-in. The first box of Tennessee Cartridge Co FMJ generally went off without a hitch. New gun, understandable. The second box was of Remington JHP (don’t remember the gr.) and began having problems the rounds feeding. The cavity of the hollow point would ride right into the feed ramp. The round would not feed and the magazine would not eject. I had to lock the slide open and, using a finger, slid the round back on the magazine.

I inow im n break-in. I have never experienced this type of feed problem. Is this expected during break-in? I intend to continue the break-in with different hollow points to see if it is just Remington ammo.

thanks for letting me in. I’m looking forward to being a happy Kahr user.

[Jester1023]

The guys will be along soon with suggestions. I'm new to Kahr and recently purchased a CW380 as well. I haven't found the time to get it to the range yet, but I have mine feeding everything manually, except Fiocchi...but it doesn't feed in my other .380 either. I did take the slide guts out and make some pre-break-in modifications, as well as polish the feed ramp. There has also been an extensive cleaning with Tetra Action Blaster. It was suggested I take my mag apart to make sure the spring was facing the correct direction. Mine was, but I've heard many are not and need corrected.

[CPTKILLER]

Some smaller pistols are very ammo sensitive. That is why I switched to a Ruger LCRx in .327 Federal Magnum.

More reliable
Still small and light
More powerful
Accurate

It is in a pocket holster at this moment right now with me.

https://ruger.com/products/lcrx/specSheets/5462.html

[berettabone]

Try using some stouter ammo for break in, and these pistols need a death grip to function properly. Ain't no Walther or Sig. It's just one of many reasons I stay away from .380. With the cost of .380 ammo these days, might as well have a 9mm.

[Mike_usn_ret]

With mine I used good ammo and polished the feed ramp and other internals, and finally did this mod...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwrBbUQze2k to get my CW380 to feed and eject all ammo in it. Got it working great and then sold it to buy a CM9. As berettabone said cost of 380 is such that might as well get a 9mm. Especially true with a Kahr that is very small anyhow.

[Pookanator]

With mine I used good ammo and polished the feed ramp and other internals, and finally did this mod...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwrBbUQze2k to get my CW380 to feed and eject all ammo in it. Got it working great and then sold it to buy a CM9. As berettabone said cost of 380 is such that might as well get a 9mm. Especially true with a Kahr that is very small anyhow.

I have seen that video. Unfortunately, I am not willing o disassemble by pistol. The failure I speak of is not covered in the video. I will try a different ammo.

Thanks.

[Pookanator]

With all respect, telling what I should have bought doesn’t help. I do appreciate helpful feedback.

[berettabone]

With all due respect, you got some. It's a starting point. Your also getting our opinion, which is priceless........................:p If you're not willing to work and learn with the firearm, sounds like you only have one choice.

[Mike_usn_ret]

Well good luck solving your feeding problem....I will say no more

[kwh]

Hornady FTX Critical Defense has the best reputation for feeding with a hollow point. However they do not penetrate enough using a short barrel .380 , if memory serves me correctly. Most will recommend an FMJ over an H.P. that does not penetrate far enough. Also no great loss if Remington H.P. will not cycle. I don't think they expand anyway. Try something else.
If the 1st 100 rounds cycled well,I would expect the pistol is broken in. Field strip the pistol and follow lube directions on the sticky.
For short barrel .380 use XTP bullet by by Precision One, Hornady, or Underwood. The new all copper fluted bullet by Lehigh has performed well in gel tests = penetration + wound cavity. Loaded by LeHigh or Underwood.
For discussion on .380 bullets, research ammo quest youtube.
Rule 1 use ammo that feeds 100%! Rule 2 penetration trumps expansion. Difficult to find both in short barrel .380.

[topgun1953]

Yeah, Hornady Critical Defense or any round using the XTP bullet generally works well. I carry Underwood extreme defense, I think that’s the name...the copper flute design developed by Lehigh after the extreme penetrator. As for your problem. I’m wondering if all the rounds in the mag were doing that (sounds like nosediving) or just the top rounds. I used to have nosediving issues but after breaking every thing in, including tight mag springs, it went away. Check out Magguts too, Enables you to put an extra round in your mag. Some say it improves feeding too. Good luck My P380 is one of my favorite range toys.

[Wlfman13]

OP,

Dont worry. Go out, and buy 8 different boxes and/or brands of 50-round ammo. Seriously. If you bought it, you probably plan on carrying it. If you carry it, your life could depend on it.

Shoot all 400 rounds. Buy a toothbrush at Walmart or at the range. Brush out all metal shavings every 50 rounds.

End the session with 20rds of Critical Defense or Corbon Pow’r Ball.

The 20 rds of self defense should feed correctly.

-Wlf

[MMyers1970]

The break-in period is definitely a thing with the CW380. I would get to the 200 round mark, polish the feed ramp, rack the slide a couple hundred times or more, and store it with the slide locked back for a week.

If you still have problems, send it back to Kahr. That's what I had to do,and now mine works fine.

[Pookanator]

I’ve been looking at the mouth of those Remington JHPs, 88 gr HTV (I have another box. My wife’s P238 eats those like ******* Jacks.) the mouth is about the size of the feed ramp. That and the steepness of the ramp causes the failure.

I’m off today to finish up the minimum suggested break-in.

[thughes]

"******* Jacks"

Seriously? The forum software censors C r a c k e r? ;)

<back to our regularly scheduled thread now>

[Bawanna]

Don't take life too seriously, nobody gets out alive.

[Armybrat]

My CT380 shoots most everything except WWB. Don't think I've tried Remington HP though.
It loves the Hornady Critical Defense.

[Pookanator]

"******* Jacks"

Seriously? The forum software censors C r a c k e r? ;)

<back to our regularly scheduled thread now>

I just noticed that. Too funny.

[Pookanator]

I finished the 200 rd break-in. Shot a box of Fiocchi and a box of BrassMaxx plus half of a box of PPU. All FMJ. The Fiocchi and BrassMaxx were horrible; failure to eject, failure to extract, failure to lock open, failure to go into battery and a couple of stove pipes. The PPU Shot fantastically. I finished the day with a box of Hornady Critical Defense which produce a handful of failures.

im considering senting it to Kahr.

[berettabone]

Jocko, is that you??????????????????????????????????????????????? ???

[topgun1953]

The Fiocchi FMJ will not run in the Kahr 380 unless you modify the extractor. The rim is thicker causing problems when feeding. I don’t have experience with BrassMaxx, maybe someone else will chime in.

[wyntrout]

I don't recall a problem with my P380, but my P40's didn't like the Fiocchi ammo... a VERY sharp and pronounced mouth/rim. It would catch at the top of the chamber and gave me fits until one day I decided it was the rim. It works fine in my Glock 23C.

I've shot many different kinds of ammo in my P380 since 2010... got it March 31 and sent it back the next day because the front sight was dead... I waited almost 11 months to get one with night sights!

There was a bunch of ammo made for Herters/Fiocchi and several other brands... by the same manufacturer, so it's possible to run into the same problems with one or more of the others.

Some ammo does cause problems with the Kahrs.

I did find some comparison photos of the S&B and Fiocchi cartridges from July 2014. Someone, or maybe I, had a problem and I compared them. The Fiocchi does have a wider mouth rim.

[Ed M]

FWIW - Herters = S&B, Brass Maxx and Perfecta = Fiocchi.

My CW380s had trouble chambering Perfecta, and my P380 wouldn't chamber it at all. I did the extractor mods (rounding the bottom of the extractor claw and removing .010 off the inside of the pin) and they all chamber and feed everything fine now.

Hornady Critical Defense worked fine before any modifications.

My suggestion would be to try another self defense round - something with a Hornady XTP bullet (there's several brands that use it). If that doesn't work, try the extractor mods yourself, or if you're uncomfortable doing the mods yourself, it's time to send it in to Kahr. They're currently taking about 12 weeks for a turn around time....

There is also a third modification that addresses the root cause of Kahr 380 feed issues - too much extractor tension. See the following posts:

http://www.kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?31400-Failure-to-Feed-Extract-Return-to-Battery-Fix

This is the easiest modification you can do yourself, and it only involved modification on a $2 part. Super easy to do.

I've contacted a Kahr representative that is in a Facebook group I belong to, and he's notified the engineers at Kahr about the extractor tension fix. Hopefully, we'll see this issue put to rest on future production 380s, but there's still many 380's from past production runs that still have this problem. Kahr DOES know how to fix these feed problems now.

[SlowBurn]

I finished the 200 rd break-in. Shot a box of Fiocchi and a box of BrassMaxx plus half of a box of PPU. All FMJ. The Fiocchi and BrassMaxx were horrible; failure to eject, failure to extract, failure to lock open, failure to go into battery and a couple of stove pipes. The PPU Shot fantastically. I finished the day with a box of Hornady Critical Defense which produce a handful of failures.

im considering senting it to Kahr.
Fiocchi doesn’t seem to work for anybody, but if Hornaday critical defense doesn’t feed, you definitely need to send it in. If you want to be double sure, have someone who is used to shooting micro 380s give it a try. That’s just to make sure it’s not your grip or technique. Kahr will probably upgrade the extractor and it will be fine.

[CCHGN]

Am I missing something here? Who breaks in a pistol with anything other than ball ammo? Why? Aside from the cost point, but why waste good HP? Any way, I save a lot of time and money, etc., by immediately stripping and polishing all moving/mating parts. That's the point of "breaking in", imo. I'd rather spend my bullets down range at a competition( IDPA, IPPSC, 3 gun). YMMV.

[topgun1953]

Am I missing something here? Who breaks in a pistol with anything other than ball ammo?

Curious people who want to get an early read on how their pistol is going to perform with SD ammo. 😀😀😀

[Bawanna]

I know a few with LOTS of money that always shoot what they carry. Never anything else.

A few departments are that way also. Practice with duty ammo. Must have awful nice budgets since that stuff is bloody expensive.

I have to reload to shoot much, but don't really mind reloading either.

[b4uqzme]

^^^ reloading is therapeutic.

[Bawanna]

Lord knows I need all that therapeutic I can get..

[miamivicedade]

Or get a gun that works!!


OP,

Dont worry. Go out, and buy 8 different boxes and/or brands of 50-round ammo. Seriously. If you bought it, you probably plan on carrying it. If you carry it, your life could depend on it.

Shoot all 400 rounds. Buy a toothbrush at Walmart or at the range. Brush out all metal shavings every 50 rounds.

End the session with 20rds of Critical Defense or Corbon Pow’r Ball.

The 20 rds of self defense should feed correctly.

-Wlf