Used P380 or New CT380?

[frrg2021]

LGS has two older P380s in stock with the pink grip. Best I can tell from the numbers one is RB/2010 and one is RC/2011. The 2010 looks just about new while the 2011 has some minor signs of wear but was probably carried more than shot. Both are in the upper $200s. Any reliability probs with the pink ones?

New CT380s are just under $400.

This would be to replace an LCP. I’ve tried and tried to love it but after several hundred rounds my initial impression (tinker toy) has not dissipated.

I like the pocket size of the LCP and only reservation about the CT380 is size but a lot of folks say you can pocket it and it’s much smaller in person vs pics. I have grip extension and hogue on the LCP so it might be a wash on size.

I’d have to get the frame on the pink one cerakoted as I’m not into pink, so end of day price between them would likely be about even end of day. Maybe a little less on the p380 and I’d have a cool color on the frame.

[DavidR]

Normally I’d be very reluctant to buy a used Kahr 380. Good chance you’re buying someone else’s problem. Given they’re pink it could be that they were bought for a female and either she couldn’t rack it or it had too much recoil. All that said, if you’re going to spend money change the grip color, I would buy the new CT380.

[getsome]

Hello frrg2021 welcome to Kahrtalk.....DavidR gives good advise, I would stay away from a used .380 Kahr pistol because so many of the early ones had problems that made them unreliable.....The newer ones seem to be better but are still ammo sensitive and need hot carry ammo to function which gets expensive with this caliber if you can even find any......I have owned two Ruger LCP pistols because I like Ruger firearms and did my very best to like both of them but just couldn’t get along with either for various reasons......I finally ended up trading for a Beretta Pico .380 which is a great little pistol which shoots any ammo without malfunction and is much easier to shoot with it’s decent sights......The Pico is very thin and light to carry, it doesn’t have the Kahr trigger but it’s not bad but the little thing shoots any ammo 100% which is what I need in a small pocket pistol and the Pico is in the same price range as a LCP.....Don’t get me wrong, I love Kahr pistols, my PM9 to me is perfect and has never had any malfunction of any kind and I trust it but I wouldn’t feel the same about a used Kahr .380

[KahrP380owner]

I don't know about the reliability of used CW380's but assuming they are selling you a gun that runs free of jams, I'd say buy it over a new one. The break-in for a new Kahr is long and very expensive with ammo. I, unfortunately am paying $40 for range ammo and $50 for defensive ammo. So you are looking at $250-$300 just to break it in and then you hope that it starts to run without FTF, stove pipes, failure to go into battery, etc. If I had to do it again, I'd buy a good used Kahr 380

[DavidR]

Friends don’t let friends buy used CW380s.

[Armybrat]

I am biased because my CT380 is a sweet little 7+1 that fits my hand much better than my LCP or a P380.
Even though it is a bit larger than the P380, it is still kinda tough to rack.

[frrg2021]

I think the CT380 is calling me. I actually wanted a CT380 when I bought the LCP but LGS was sold out. I’ve waxed and waned on the LCP but I just think this thing will be disposable. Lot of folks say ~1000 rounds and it’s in the trash can w cracked frame.

Army brat is it so much larger than the p380 as to be a dealbreaker, or is it still very compact/pocketable?

[MahrLalk]

If I were you, I would grab some 380 snap caps and test feeding and extracting of the P380s at the LGS. It depends on the store policy though. Size-wise a CT380 is very close to a Sig P365: much bigger than the LCP. You can find a visual comparison of LCP vs CT380 here: https://www.handgunhero.com/compare/...-vs-kahr-ct380

[King Rat]

Hello frrg2021 welcome to Kahrtalk.....DavidR gives good advise, I would stay away from a used .380 Kahr pistol because so many of the early ones had problems that made them unreliable.....The newer ones seem to be better but are still ammo sensitive and need hot carry ammo to function which gets expensive with this caliber if you can even find any......I have owned two Ruger LCP pistols because I like Ruger firearms and did my very best to like both of them but just couldn’t get along with either for various reasons......I finally ended up trading for a Beretta Pico .380 which is a great little pistol which shoots any ammo without malfunction and is much easier to shoot with it’s decent sights......The Pico is very thin and light to carry, it doesn’t have the Kahr trigger but it’s not bad but the little thing shoots any ammo 100% which is what I need in a small pocket pistol and the Pico is in the same price range as a LCP.....Don’t get me wrong, I love Kahr pistols, my PM9 to me is perfect and has never had any malfunction of any kind and I trust it but I wouldn’t feel the same about a used Kahr .380

Well said, Forget the LCP is you shoot the 380's often. (and it is my hobby). They will not last anywhere near the amount of ammo down range as a Kahr. I have a size large hand and wear a xtra large size glove and I have no problem with Kahr CM9. A perfect fit and the smallest 9mm on the market. As Much as I love the Kahr 380 I love the magnificent Beretta Pico even more. What a top quality firearm and can handle thousands of rounds down range. I own three of them and use one consistently as a range gun. If I told you how many rounds that gun has had ammo through it, you would not believe me. And this gun is as reliable as any larger gun I have shot. Great sights, all stainless steel through out the gun other than the Modular grip that can be swapped. Easy as hell to break down and clean, easy to change spare parts if needed, beautiful Stainless steel magazines that look like custom 1911 quality and even ships with a stainless steel guide rod. A smooth DAO trigger and designed for sleekness in every design of the gun.
That said, the Pico has a learning curve to operate, but once you get it down it is fast and has double strike capability. 380 ammo is way too expensive now. Not a good time to buy any of them. And then here comes the sweet Kahr CM 9 which is actually IMO built as close to a small 380 as anything on the market. The CT is a little bigger grip but preferred by some. I bought a used CM 9 and was able to shoot 50 rds at the place of purchase and it ran flawlessly. I did have replace the magazine spring which was easy to do.

[SlowBurn]

I'd get the used P380. Somebody else broke it in for you, and you'll carry it everywhere because of the size and weight advantage. BTW in my experience Kahr will repair or replace anything wrong with it if necessary and won't even ask if you bought it new. Might make you pay shipping, at most.