Kahr P380..how do they compare with other pocket .380's

[woodsltc]

I just obtained a Kahr P380 in a trade.......does anyone have any experience with these?? Are there any problems I should be on the look-out for?

How do they compare with the Ruger LCP and Kel-Tec P3AT's??


Don

 

[dmar]

I bought mine a few years ago when they first came out, and I love it. I had a Ruger LCP at the time, and just liked the quality of the Kahr better. It has a very nice/much better trigger pull, much better sights, and better resulting accuracy than my LCP. It also feels better made. Kahrs are good quality guns, and the Rugers and Kel Tecs are a little more economy grade guns, IMHO. I liked my LCP fine, it just did not compare favorably to the P380. Anyone want to buy my LCP...?

My P380 has been very reliable, and has fed everything 100%, except for some Fiocchi hollow points that had a ridge on the bullet shape. So, I don't use Fiocchi hollow points in that gun... Otherwise, not a single issue with any other .380 ammo that I've run through it.

I also have a Kahr PM9 that I carry. Also a great gun, nice quality, great trigger, nice sights, very small for caliber, 100% reliable with all ammo, and accurate. Kahrs are a little pricey, but I think they are very good guns.

Good luck with the gun, and I hope you have as good of luck with yours!

 

[venomballistics]

Ive been kinda eyeballing a PM45 as a hot weather gun

 

[trukinjp13]

I've got at least 500 rounds through my p380. It has been 100%. Super accurate for a lil gun, great trigger and descent sights. The recoil is also very good with hotter rounds compared to the lcp, or the s&w bodyguard. Defintitely better trigger then them also.

 

[coltgun]

i have 450 rounds through my kel tec p3at, no jams or probs of any sort...

 

[HAWKEYE10]

I had some problems with my Kahr P380 and sent it back to the factory twice at no expense to me. It works fine now and I carry it every day. Don

 

[woodsltc]

I had some problems with my Kahr P380 and sent it back to the factory twice at no expense to me. It works fine now and I carry it every day. Don

HAWKEYE, that's one of the things I asked about....what kind of problem did you have??

Don

 

[gasaman]

Personally I never really felt comfortable about staking my life my Kel Tec P3AT. I got rid of it after I had the magazine release while in my IWB holster. I realized it when I went to remove the gun from the holster and the mag flew across the room. I now carry a Seecamp 380.

 

[Engieman]

I love mine. They say the best carry gun, is the one you carry. With the Kahr .380, ANY outfit will lend itself to concealment. Not always so with my other, higher caliber guns depending on your dress, time of the season, etc. Gun was a little stiff out of the box, sometimes would not fully seat the first round when putting in a new magazine, but that is to be expected when new. One session at the range for break-in cured that. Very nice trigger, pleasant to shoot. Head and shoulders above similar sized competitors in quality, firing characteristics, reliability. I suspect that a lot of the rants you read on other forums are a result of operator error, failure to lubricate, clean and maintain. The Kahr .380 is a terrific little gun.

 

[HAWKEYE10]

HAWKEYE, that's one of the things I asked about....what kind of problem did you have??

Don

I had a problem with the slide staying open before the magazine was empty. I fixed that by grinding just a little off the take down pin. A bullet would hit it and cause the slide to stay open. My other problem was it was stove piping. I didn't know what was causing that and still don't. I had to send it back to Kahr twice to get it fixed and they didn't say what they did to fix it. I know early on Kahr had some problems with the P380 but I don't know about now. Mine is working good so I haven't done any research on it. Don

 

[woodsltc]

I had a problem with the slide staying open before the magazine was empty. I fixed that by grinding just a little off the take down pin. A bullet would hit it and cause the slide to stay open. My other problem was it was stove piping. I didn't know what was causing that and still don't. I had to send it back to Kahr twice to get it fixed and they didn't say what they did to fix it. I know early on Kahr had some problems with the P380 but I don't know about now. Mine is working good so I haven't done any research on it. Don

Thanks for the feedback....apparently there is some "prep-work" and a break-in of at least 200 rounds needed for the P380's.

Don

 

[GKC]

Thanks for the feedback....apparently there is some "prep-work" and a break-in of at least 200 rounds needed for the P380's.

Don

I believe Kahr recommends at least 200 rounds break-in on all its pistols. There are prep recommendations on the Kahr Talk site as well.

Kahr triggers are very smooth, and I briefly owned a Kahr CW9...and may buy another one...but two things give me a pause: one is that they only offer a 5 year warranty, and the other is that they only provide one magazine with their "budget" line. I know other brands do this as well, but I think it is a cheap shot...their cost on these mags can't be more than $10, and they could easily include a second one on a $400 pistol.

 

[gaf]

P380

I have a P380 and like it a lot. It functions flawlessly and has from day one. It feeds any .380 ammo.
I had one that experienced serious malfunctions, stovepiping at least 1 or 2 times a mag. I sent it back to Kahr on their dime. They had it for a week and I received a call from them advising me that they were going to replace the firearm with a new one and requested the name of my local FFL for them to contact and arrange the return of the replacement. The factory rep also asked if they could provide me two extra mags for the trouble. I received my new flawless P380 and 4 mags about a week after the call.
I was never told what the problem was with the first one but I do give their customer service high marks.
gaf