At wits' end with my P380 (light strikes)

[Bawanna]

Amen brother Berettabone.

[Ed M]

Well, technically, a 380 bullet is the same diameter as a 9mm bullet. Same size hole going in.

Given a choice, I'd take 9mm over 380 any day, but there are times and types of clothing that just make a pocket 380 so much easier to carry. I have three micro 9mm Kahrs - MK, PM, and CM. They all can be pocket carried easily with MOST of the pants and shorts I wear. Kahr micro 380s have an advantage over every other micro 380 available, IMHO. Size, weight, stainless/polymer construction, good factory sights, simplicity and ease of maintenance, shootability, and that wonderful Kahr trigger all combine to make the Kahr 380s the best pocket 380s available.

I own two CW380s. One is in my pocket most days, and the other I just bought as a spare - crazy low prices right now.

With my first CW380, I did the whole prep route. Racked the slide 500 times, left the slide locked back for several days, etc. It performed 100% from day one, as long as I didn't feed it Perfecta ammo.

CW380 #2, got the bare minimum prep. Cleaned it well (per the prep thread), lubed it, and shot 100 rounds through it first time out. It also performed 100%, and it also doesn't like Perfecta ammo.

All of the Kahrs I own are completely reliable. They all are holding up exceptionally well to putting a lot of rounds down range, and none show any sign of excessive wear. My 9 year old PM9 just passed the 5000 round mark, and it looks like new inside. All I've replaced was a mag follower (it broke when I dropped the mag on a concrete floor during a training class) and the recoil assembly at the 3000 round mark (just because). It's performed 100% from round one.

Bottom line, people should expect their guns to be 100% reliable. If one follows the prep thread, checks the slide stop spring for proper adjustment, and keeps their guns and mags clean, your odds are good. Potential problems and fixes have been discussed thoroughly on this forum, and if you still have issues, Kahr service will make things right. If one is not willing to buy a Kahr 380 because a very small minority of guns have teething problems, just buy something else. You'll be giving up at least one of the many advantages Kahr 380s have over anything else available though. Your choice.

[berettabone]

These days with the size and weight of the smaller firearms, IMHO, the difference between carrying a .380 or 9mm is negligible. I guess that's what makes me different from others. I am not always looking for the easiest or most comfortable way. I prefer to carry something that will make big holes. I realize that this isn't always possible, and without getting in to the dreaded caliber wars, I just don't feel that the .380 is enough firepower for me. Given all the troubles people keep having with the .380's, I will stick to what does work reliably for me, which is the larger calibers. Especially going through clothing and the like. Seems like some like a firearm that they can just drop in their pocket for convenience sake. These people are just looking for trouble..............................which has been mentioned many times here on this site.

[Bawanna]

Not sure I agree with the looking for trouble line but maybe so.

While I believe a 380 in the pocket is better than a 44 mag left in the sock drawer, I still firmly believe the Commander 1911 on the belt is best.

In the words of Clint Smith, it's supposed to be comforting, not comfortable.

[dsk]

The thing about my Kahr .380, and the reason why I've invested so much time and money into it is that it's a gun I can carry in my pocket all day long and not know its there, yet if I ever had to use it I could easily engage targets as far out as I'm ever likely to face. This is no "get off me gun"; if a street thug is engaging me from the other end of a 7-11 store I know I can still take him with it. Try doing that with most other compact .380s. I probably can't with my LCP so I wouldn't try it unless it was do or die time. The only .380 I have that shoots better is my Glock 42, which is much larger and thus difficult for me to carry while wearing shorts (those of you who are bigger than Woody Allen don't have my problem). So trust me, I WANT to like this pistol and be able to rely on it for everyday carry. I thought I was finally out of the woods when I solved the light strikes issue at long last, but now I'm back to shooting it yet another few hundred rounds to see if the stuck slide was just a fluke.

And yes, when I'm not restricted by clothing I do carry a slim 9mm instead.

[King Rat]

That certainly would not be my choice. Yes, the RM380 seems like a nice gun, but my Two Pico's are running fantastic and my Kahr is doing the same. Why would anyone go from a Full Stainless steel as the Pico or the steel of the Kahr to to a 7075 aluminum gun like the Rem? I understand that it would be frustrating to have picked up a lemon no matter what manufacture. I might get the Rm380, it has features I like. But not because it is a better built gun, and reliability is a mute point. However, One gun I will never ever own is the New LCP ll. I have owned 4 LCP's and can tell you right now the Kahr and the Pico are light years better build than the LCPs. The LCP ll has a very dangerous trigger IMO. (And the opinion of many others)

[Ed M]

dsk - just out of curiosity.....Do you have a Lakeline guide rod in your P380?

Back when I was breaking in my first CW380, I put the Lakeline guide rod in it. I thought maybe it was just the gun loosening up as it broke in, but I felt it got noticeably smoother with the stainless guide rod.

Now that I have another CW380 to compare it to, I found that the Lakeline guide rod really did make a difference. I swapped just the guide rod in both guns, and I can feel the difference. If I had to guess, I'd guess that the Lakeline guide rod is harder than the stock one. The recoil springs seem to drag a bit more on the stock guide rod. I polished up my old guide rod and compared it as well - didn't help.

Before CW380 #2 finishes it's break in, I'm gonna get another Lakeline striker and guide rod for it.

[berettabone]

Not sure I agree with the looking for trouble line but maybe so.

While I believe a 380 in the pocket is better than a 44 mag left in the sock drawer, I still firmly believe the Commander 1911 on the belt is best.

In the words of Clint Smith, it's supposed to be comforting, not comfortable.

Just to clarify............I didn't mean they were looking for trouble as in a gunfight. They are looking for trouble from a safety standpoint.

[Bobshouse]

Information received from Hodgdon reloading site using CFE powder:

380: 100 grain bullet, 955 fps.
9mm: 100 grain bullet, 1211 fps.
9mm: 147 grain bullet, 963 fps.

Both leave the same size hole as they are both .355 in diameter. I feel secure with either, but the .380 is more concealable. Oh, and I don't reload 9mm, so practice gets expensive.

[dsk]

Look at ballistic gelatin tests on YouTube from decent sources like TNoutdoors9. You'll see that a hollow-point .380 bullet does the same amount of damage as a 9mm when it first enters, but then it it quickly slows down and stops after only 8" or so of penetration. The 9mm round of course keeps going to about 12". That's the difference. I believe a good .380 round will perform nearly as well as an equivalent 9mm bullet if the range is short, your assailant is wearing a t-shirt, and he's of thin to medium build. But at distance, going up against somebody with a lot of body fat and/or a thick winter coat the .380 may not go in deep enough to get the job done. That's why I and many others only consider a .380 a warm-weather defense caliber, and try not to piss off fat people.

Ed, thanks for the tip on the Lakeline guide rod. I haven't observed any issues with the OEM steel rod yet, and so far mine still looks okay, but I may order one anyway the next time I jump on their website.