New CT380 jam-o-matic, newbie, help??

[Tobinator]

I found out that a limp wrist and a straight wrist are not the same thing. On my tiny Kahr I must be sure my wrist is absolutely straight to give resistance to the slide. A tight grip did not help so much as a straight wrist did. Yes, you will find the small Kahr more likely to have problems with jams than a larger pistol, and it can be a difficult learning curve. Yes, it is a bummer to have to use up expensive ammo ammo, but once broken in and functional, there is no finer small .380. Accurate, with less perceived recoil and a sweet trigger pull. Please continue to report back in. Smart people here will help you figure out if it is the gun and ammo or the shooter.

Interesting point. I've been careful to keep my wrist straight when shooting 9mm (I was having some recoil issues and wanted to make sure the recoil went into my forearm instead of my thumb joint) but it's possible I got lax about that with the 380. I'll keep an eye on that tomorrow and report back.



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[Tobinator]

You are a great shot, with good aim. That doesn't mean your grip is necessarily right though.

Not all, but a majority of the problems with these little pistols are with grip. Even though I had many thousands of rounds through other Kahrs, when I purchased a CW380 I had the same type of problems you are seeing. The little CW380 was actually bouncing around in the palm of my large hands. I had to change the way I held the pistol, and the problems vanished.

Welcome to the forum! There are other causes and another similar thread going right now talks about lots of them: http://www.kahrtalk.com/showthread.p...new-Kahr-CW380

Don't worry, it will get sorted.

Thanks for the kind words. When I posted that I kind of assumed that if my grip were loose the shots would've been all over the place, but maybe not... As you pointed out, grip and aim are two different things. I did manage to get six shots off without a FTF that time, at least.

How did you change your grip, can you describe it? My hands aren't that big, so I don't think that's my issue, but who knows...

I'll check out that other thread. Thanks!




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[Tobinator]

Welcome to the site! The K9 and P380 rentals at the range is probably past the break in . Yours will get there, just be patient, and have lots of ammo! I agree with the others, Froglube might be a good lubricant, but you need to grease up your Kahr, especially for the breakin. I use a product called superlube synthetic grease. Follow the lube diagram on this site. I would use round nose ammo and give it a good break in, and keep going from there.

You purchased the gun new, right?

Yes—I didn't want to risk buying a used gun because I wouldn't know what to look for when checking it over.

I tried leaving the gun wetter after this cleaning, but if the results are still poor tomorrow I'll clean off the FL and borrow some regular gun oil from my husband (or should I actually go and buy grease?).



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[kwh]

Oil should be fine for the break-in. I would recommend cleaning after every 30 rounds. In the early,early days, Kahr recommended a bullet with a pointed nose profile over a flat nose.

[ZardozCZ]

I have been so close to getting a Kahr 380 so many times, but I keep reading threads like these and am grateful I haven't. Instead I have a CM9, a K9, and lately an MK9 and have great results with each of them.

I did pick up a Bersa Thunder 380 and a CZ83 in 380 to see which the girlfriend preferred, but kept the CZ83 for myself. It's about the size of the G26 but does it perform flawlessly for me! It is likely my most accurate center fire pistol, especially with fast follow up shots. Some find it snappy but it's gentle in my hands. If you're sticking with 380, you might give one a try. 12+1 rounds is a plus for self defense, and Lehigh extreme penetrators/defenders are a potent round for self defense as well.

I'm still tempted to try a Kahr 380 but I just take the CZ to the range and fall in love with it all over again (not really but you get my drift).

My Kahr 9s fill their roll well too.

[nmkahrshooter]

Sorry to hear about your problem. As I remember the CT line is not a small gun. I used Magtec FMJ for break in with no problems on CT9, CT45, and CW380. Also I do not use frog lube and that might be an issue. I just use gun oil- no grease! I do not think that you are having a holding problem. When you break down your gun to clean spray off with non-clorine brake cleaner and lube it up. Hope this works for you. I know it did for mine.

[RolandD]

Although it would be unlikely, you may have selected four brands of ammo that won't run well for breaking in the CT380. I've heard of problems with S&B and Am Eagle. Not sure about the others. I've had good luck with Freedom Munitions 100gr FMJ Flat point, Federal Champion 95gr FMJ, and Perfecta 95gr FMJ in our CT380.

Don't waste self defense ammo until you are completely through the break in. Follow all the instructions in the New Kahr Prep thread. Rack the slide over and over, 200 or 300 times. It's cheaper than ammo and will help build muscles and muscle memory. Experiment with your grip. It's still easy to have issues, even though it's larger than the CW380. Keep working at it. When new, an slightly under-powered round or a little less pressure resisting recoil will cause the problems you are having. Good luck and keep us updated.

[Alfonse]

Thanks for the kind words. When I posted that I kind of assumed that if my grip were loose the shots would've been all over the place, but maybe not... As you pointed out, grip and aim are two different things. I did manage to get six shots off without a FTF that time, at least.

How did you change your grip, can you describe it? My hands aren't that big, so I don't think that's my issue, but who knows...

I'll check out that other thread. Thanks!




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To be honest, I can't quite remember how I used to grip it. However, now I have my right hand much more relaxed, which helps with the trigger, and my left hand is doing most of the work keeping the grip up against my right palm. The pistol, even when I was really squeezing with my right hand (very tiring and difficult to work the trigger), could kind of rattle around in my palm before. Without the pistol in my hand, I can't even tell you which part of my index finger is working the trigger. But, it is all well practiced and I don't have to think about it when I shoot the CW380.

I have long fingers too, so it is probably a bit odd to those with normal sized hands, the way I have to shoot the CW380 and really every Kahr to some extent.

Changing the way I gripped the pistol made all the difference in how it feeds and improved my accuracy to boot. Although, seeing your target I already made a mental note to never irritate you!

[Tobinator]

To be honest, I can't quite remember how I used to grip it. However, now I have my right hand much more relaxed, which helps with the trigger, and my left hand is doing most of the work keeping the grip up against my right palm. The pistol, even when I was really squeezing with my right hand (very tiring and difficult to work the trigger), could kind of rattle around in my palm before. Without the pistol in my hand, I can't even tell you which part of my index finger is working the trigger. But, it is all well practiced and I don't have to think about it when I shoot the CW380.

Interesting! I've been working on using my support hand better--I can see how that could be more effective than just trying to grip the pistol harder with my right hand. Hopefully eventually I'll reach that point where it's second nature. I'm still going into every range session with a mental list of things to try and remember to do.

Changing the way I gripped the pistol made all the difference in how it feeds and improved my accuracy to boot. Although, seeing your target I already made a mental note to never irritate you!

LOL! I feel sheepish to have posted that target; aim isn't even relevant to the whole limp wristing issue. Truth be told, it's way better than a lot of my other targets, I was super happy about it, and my friends and family don't know I shoot yet so I can't really post it on Facebook. So I had this goofy urge to post it.


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[Bills1873]

Refreshing to see a woman enthusiastic about the need to be proficient with a self defense weapon! These fellas on here can be a great help in solving problems related to these fine little pistols.