New member and P380 Update:Range Report Rounds#100-200

[darkwang]

Hey everyone, just made an account. I just purchase the all black P380. It wasnt cheap, but hoping it will be a great pocket gun! I will update when I take it to the range soon. Hope to have no issues! I will be getting a CM9 whenever they become available as well, so Im a new KAHR guy!! :D

[eastenn]

strange name, but we don't discriminate ( i don't think) so welcome to the forum

[darkwang]

haha sorry, its been my forum name on many different sites for years so just easy to remeber..... its partly from an old cartoon and not much else to do with anything else, especially since Im a white guy lol.

[jlottmc]

Damn I thought I was the only one who remembered that cartoon. Disney was on a duck kick at the time if memory serves.

[kpm9]

Welcome and good luck with your p380. I have the same one and it has been pretty good through 600+ rounds,

[DriveMyKahr]

Welcome to the forum. Let us know if your P380 is a keeper. Good luck and good shooting.

[darkwang]

good catch jlottmc!!!! Thanks everyone, im very excited to go pick it up hopefully tomorrow afternoon since it should be in. Range report soon! :D

[Cokeman]

What ammo are you going to use?

[darkwang]

Ive got 100 rounds of Federal and 100 rounds of WWB.... I picked up gun and have cleaned and oiled it in accordance to link in tech section. I have also racked slide 500 times or so. Its supposed to rain tomorrow so I may not be able to test it out until Saturday :(

[darkwang]

Hey everyone, I just put 50 rounds of federal, followed by 50 rounds of WWB through the new P380.

I was scared immediately when gun locked back after the first shot. It continued to do this for the first few magazines(fully loaded 6 rounds). Im not sure what that was all about and hope it doesnt happen anymore. Didnt do it after maybe 6 magazines through it, but dunno.

Besides the first round lockback issue, I havent had anything too serious to have me very worried at this time. It only has a 100 rounds through it and malfunctions seem reasonable according to kahr guidlines. Here is my report:

1 light primer strike where round did not go off, I feel I did not return to full battery and I did not see it.......

1 FTE(stovepiped)

1 failure to return to full battery(coincidentally 1 round after the FTE)

In summary I experienced 1 ( I believe 2) failures to return to full battery while shooting, 1 failure to eject properly, and 1 light primer strike, but I believe that to be the other failure for slide to fully close after it cycled and I didnt catch it. Not really all the bad and infact the more frustrating part was the gun locking back after first round shot for a while. I hope that has worked itself out though... not sure yet..... I really am not too worried at this point. Right now I feel that the gun may already be smoothing iteself out. I will probably clean it again tonight and shoot the next 100 rounds tomorrow and see how it does. I am extremely optimistic at this point. I also can see how improper hold on a gun like this could very easily cause tons of issues.........

On a plus note, the P380 is extremely accurate, much more so than I currently can be with it, but I was very impressed. The felt recoil is not bad at all, though the plastic doesnt feel great on the hands for long when recoiling. Not a problem though and I have a hogue Jr. Grip on the way. The trigger is fantastic and sights are good(not used to kahr sites yet). If I do my part and the weapon does its and becomes reliable, this will be the most impressive .380 I have ever shot or owned.

Looking forward to comments/suggestions and stay tuned for next range report of rounds #100-200 tomorrow most likely.

[Bawanna]

Might be hitting the slide lock lever with your thumb. Easy to do. You must have adjusted your grip to make it stop. Long as it quits locking back and behaves itself, nothing to worry about.

[jocko]

nice report, and indeed the gun will smooth out with more rounds. What your having is probably just break in rounds and getting used to the small gun yourself. It takes two to make a good gun go bang. Indeed the most accurate 380 u will ever shoot. unbelievable IMO. nice report and it does look good for you. a 100 rounds in one trip is alot of rounds for that gun, not that the gun can't take it, asit can but normqally the shooter gets alittle tired kand doesn't know it and then things happen. so kinda document your round count when you have an issue and see if it shows up in the later stages of the 100 rounds.

[kpm9]

Might be hitting the slide lock lever with your thumb. Easy to do. You must have adjusted your grip to make it stop. Long as it quits locking back and behaves itself, nothing to worry about.

+1 - That's what my money is on.

BTW - I shot 50 rounds of Amer Eagle through my P380 today, without issue.

[darkwang]

ya Im going to be really careful about slide lock tomorrow in order to make sure I dont do that since its very very possible! Excited and hopeful about next 100 rounds! Update soon!

[darkwang]

put another 100 rounds through the gun today. Results were pretty decent. Had some compliments on how accurate the gun was(i played a part in that too haha). Results:

1 Failure to Eject

4 slide lock backs

2 failures to return to full battery. (1 on purpose to try and successfully duplicate issue, which i was able to do with thumb riding slide lock up)

I was extremely careful not to have thumb hit slide lock and while watching my thumb not move, I had a slide lock back. Im not going to say its not me, but I would like to know if there is anything else that could randomly cause this? The failure to return to full battery I believe is from thumb. I was able to duplicate it on purpose, but it is kinda painful to push thumb up on slide lock while shooting, so I just dont see my thumb locking gun back all those times, but I guess it is possible. I watched it so closely when it failed though and saw no contact or felt any contact either...... 1 FTE is not bad at all and really my only issue is these slide lock backs. The failures to return to full battery I believe are a thumb issue. Comments?

[Jeremiah/Az]

Check to see if the bullets are hitting the slide lock on the inside. I had to hone mine down a little.

[darkwang]

how? do I just have slide open and insert a magazine and see if round touches that little metal piece? (lock)?

[jocko]

it is very easy to check to see if the rounds are hitting the slide lock leve. refer to the kahr tech section and hit on propper prepping of ur new kahr andit will direct you to how and what to look for. 3 things can cause premarture lside lock.

1. thumb
2, slide lock spring is out of whack
3 rounds are hitting the inside of the slide lock lever

my bet it is #3 and two ways to correct it. 1. callkahr and tell the what it isdoing and they will send you a new one--be nice. #2. take a small file and file back just a tad of that nub that is hitting the rounds, smooth with fine paper and retest, go slowly, u can tune that slide lever with ease. If by mear chance it is ur thumb. Cut off thumb!!!

[darkwang]

yep looks to be ever so slightly touching the round. Its enough to probably be causing the intermittent lock back most likely happening from variation of how round pops up in magazine..... I dont really know just guessing, but it looks to be enough to me to cause this random lockback. Im very very excited by this find!!! Thanks so much Jeremiah for initial info and of course to you Jocko for great detailed fix! Im going to go grab some more .380 right now and a fine file!!! Already got some 600 grit paper for after filing. This will eliminate gun issue and I will know that if I get this tuned and still have issue...... That thumbs gotta go ;)