P380--Ammo Picky But Still Okay?

[boscobarbell]

NOTE: I incorrectly started this discussion in the wrong Sub-Forum. I'm reposting here, where it belongs.

Got a chance to put a few more rounds through my P380. If anything, I enjoy shooting this pistol more than I did when I first got it. The trigger, always very good, has gotten even smoother, and it is far more accurate than it has any right to be.

But I still have some trepidation. On this last outing, it choked a couple of times (failure to return to battery) on some loose Federal Hyda Shok ammo that I had in the bag, and for the first time I had the same issue on two occasions with the ARX ammo it previously liked.

On the positive side, it continues to eat up Critical Defense like candy, and even seems to like the Hornady XTP rounds (first time I tried it in the Kahr).

So, I'm torn. Should I be worried that the P380 is seemingly finicky and easy to throw off its game, or should I be thrilled that I have an otherwise great micro pistol that just happens to only like a couple of (excellent) SD ammos??

[Wlfman13]

I worried about the same thing when I first got mine. One hiccup every once in a while with range ammo, which gets worse when the recoil springs get 800 rounds on them.

However, and this is a big however. My P380 has never choked on any SD ammo with nickel plated cases. It runs Critical Defense, Gold Dot, Federal Hydra Shock, and Corbon Pow’r Ball (not nickel-plated) really smoothly.

It is also dead-on accurate with the above SD ammo.

Once I realized that, I have confidently carried it with any and all of the above SD ammo.

I’m on my fourth set of recoil springs, and have come to realize that the only ammo it hates is Perfecta and Fiocchi range ammo.

So, I think that if you can confidently say that it eats Critically Defense like candy, then carry it with confidence!

-Wlf

[boscobarbell]

So, I think that if you can confidently say that it eats Critically Defense like candy, then carry it with confidence!

-Wlf

Thanks. Believe me, that is definitely the way I WANT to look at things. Perhaps I just worry too much....

[geogecko]

Looked back at some of my range trips with this pistol, and tried 3 different kinds of range ammo (Magtech, PMC Bronze, Speer Lawman), and just Hornady Custom XTP for SD and had no failures of any kind.

The only issue I had was on a range trip when I went through 140 rounds, at 110 rounds in, I was having FTRB after every round. I’m pretty sure, but my memory could be failing me, but the Lawman was pretty dirty ammo, and there was a lot of carbon build up in the barrel. I ran a bore snake through 3-4 times, and then finished the remaining 30 rounds without issues.

I’ve been extremely happy with my P380.


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[oldtimer]

With the large number of ammo brands & varying qualities pick the one that works and stick with it, second a bore snake will not clean a chamber well, I polish the chamber with JB compound not each time I clean but perhaps couple time per year it makes extraction easier, if the chamber is rough or has build up it will cause problems.

[geogecko]

Exactly, I only really use the bore snake for what it’s designed for, a quick cleaning when you aren’t ready to field strip and clean the gun. I use it when I leave the range, or have problems at the range, then fully clean when I get home.


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[Ray C]

My P380 has only performed properly with Federal FMJ, Federal Personal Defense HST, and Federal Personal Defense Low Recoil. It fails to feed Hornady Critical Defense, Fioccchi FMJ, PMC FMJ, and Blazer Brass FMJ. It's worth a shot to try different brands at the range. I tried a box of remanufactured .380 once, and the ones that typically failed to feed were other than the Federal brass.

[boscobarbell]

I just got finished cleaning my Kahr P380 after a rather extended range day with my P380 and my re-acquired Glock 42 (long story, but after selling it in March it's back with me again).

My Kahr just seems to feel better and better, and now will easily cycle by slingshot. And that trigger!!

Even better news is that I had nothing but success with both the Hornady Critical Defense and XTP rounds. On top of that, I discovered that it also seem to like the Underwood version of the XTP round (it had a couple of failures with the +P version of that round, which is wicked hot...I'm not too concerned).

Barring future calamity, I've decided that this gun is a keeper. It is a bit picky, but I'm up to 3 decent SD rounds that it seems to like, so I'm happy. In fact, it's on my hip right now.

[Wlfman13]

Really glad to hear it's working out well!

-Wlf