My review of the Kahr CW380

[TheLastDaze]

with a 12# recoil spring in an lcp makes it another gun... bigtime, I've shot my cw and elsie side by side and they feel the same (recoil wise) other than the cw feeling a whole lot better in the hand, sights and trigger.....when duty calls for a 380, I carry the lcp....

[SlowBurn]

I'm mystified by the problems reported on the forum. My p380 has been flawless, as I expected after researching this category of semi autos and finding a consensus that Kahr was the best of class. I know back around 2010 there was a batch of problem frames, but that has long since been corrected. Its a design that has proved out for a long time now and the cw380 is the same design.

Maybe they sent out a batch with the wrong recoil springs. Other than that I can't understand the anecdotal problems.

[DavidR]

I would disagree that the design has proved out. I would argue that either the design is flawed or Kahr does not have the manufacturing capability to consistently turn out a product that functions as it should. It's anecdotal but Kahr's 380 failure rate is pretty high and in a lot of cases where people are happy with their Kahr, the owner had to do significant gunsmithing to make it run right.

After sending mine back to the factory I still have battery failures. Hornady Critical Defense is the only ammo that has consistently run well in my 380 but I think there are better choices in ammo.

My CW380 is a better shooter than my LCP but the LCP carries better (it feels smaller) and so far has been much more reliable.


Dave

[SlowBurn]

It's anecdotal but Kahr's 380 failure rate is pretty high and in a lot of cases where people are happy with their Kahr, the owner had to do significant gunsmithing to make it run right.
Dave

I'd be curious to know the actual failure rate. While I like Hornady for carry ammo, I've shot many varieties of FMJ simply because its been so hard to get 380 target ammo you had to grab what you could. All types of manufactured ammo run fine, even steel cased ammo like Wolf and Tula, except Fiocchi, which doesn't fit properly in the chamber. (I don't shoot reloads, but they might be problematic if they bulge or the load is light.)

This guy, testing more factory 380 ammo than any web reviewer I know, generally uses his Kahr P380 as the test weapon.
Pocket Guns and Gear Ammo Tests

I've noticed one constant among people who fixed their own problem - alteration or replacement of the recoil springs. I suspect a mix-up at the factory. My own anecdote is I bought replacement springs from Kahr after 1500 rounds and the first set did not test well. I got another new set and everything is fine. This makes me suspect that a batch of recoil springs, both installed in new P/CW 380s and sent out by mail order, were mismatched.

Of course if true that doesn't reflect well on Kahr, but its not a design or manufacturing problem. It might be a personnel problem rooted in demand outstripping the company's capacity and hurrying to hire, train etc. But I'm speculating now. All I can say is if true, a simple, easily correctable mix-up has caused some owners to despair and give up on a superior weapon like the Kahr, and that's a shame.

BTW I like the LCP too. But it's been known to actually blow up with overpowered out of spec ammo. It happened at a range I sometimes use and made the papers here. That's never happened with a Kahr 380 as far as I know. And the LCP makes 'smileys' on the nose of the bullet when chambering a round during the recoil cycle, which actually is a design defect common to the LCP and the P3AT.

[DavidR]

You may be right about the recoil springs as Kahr replaced mine. Before replacing, I had battery failures with both FMJ and hollow points. After replacing the springs, FMJ runs okay but flat nosed bullets or wide mouth hollow points like Federal Hydra Shok still result in battery failures. My CW380 may actually be as reliable now as most, with the right ammo.

Regarding the LCP, I am very careful to use only high quality factory ammo that does not exceed SAAMI pressures.


Dave

[muggsy]

Unlike BubbasDually, my Kahr CW380 went bye-bye because it was plagued with battery failures whereas my LCP has fed, fired and ejected everything I've asked it to.

That's a shame DavidR. The return to battery problem is very easy to fix.

[DavidR]

That's a shame DavidR. The return to battery problem is very easy to fix.

I haven't traded it yet so I'm open to suggestions on how to fix. I suspect that I'm not as mechanically capable as most of you so the fix could be over my head.

Kahr replaced the recoil springs, reworked the extractor and polished the feed ramp.


Dave

[erichard]

David, I'd say Hornady CD is good enough if that's what it likes to eat. Plenty people carry that, perhaps the majority for this gun. I'd rather carry Hornady in the CW380 than go with a gun that doesn't shoot as well overall (albeit a gun that will eat anything). With each cleaning, I stretch the recoil springs a little and lube the H out of the gun. I've found that as I have cumulatively put more rounds through the gun, the battery issue has progressively gotten better. I think some of the issues come from the gun being built "tight". It could be that this is a philosophy in that they design the guns to function best for the long haul, after that tightness is broken in (after 200 rounds or more), whereas other gun makers aim for the gun to shoot well at the beginning. If every gun loosens up after 200-500 rounds, then those other gun makers may peak out in performance early on. Now that said, Glock seems to get it right short and long term, and there are several CW380 issues like the slide lock and feed ramp that I think are poorly designed. The gun would be so much better with a less steep feed ramp. That steepness also must contribute to the battery failure since it adds significant resistance to the slide's return path. I suppose the gun length and barrel length limit the possibilities for a pocket gun, but I think a better feed ramp could be done. If Glock makes a 3/4 inch wide pocket 380, I'll switch, but until then, this gun really shoots well.

Who knows, maybe Hornady will come out with a plus P version, like Critical Duty, of the 380, and that will solve all penetration doubts.

[timboy]

That's a shame DavidR. The return to battery problem is very easy to fix.

Do tell?

[Damnyankee]

That's a shame DavidR. The return to battery problem is very easy to fix.

Interested.

[DavidR]

That's a shame DavidR. The return to battery problem is very easy to fix.

You're right. Drive to LGS, plunk down $300, leave with a Ruger LCP. Battery failures fixed.

[timboy]

Wait for it..wait for it....lcps have issues too....blah blah blah......

You're right. Drive to LGS, plunk down $300, leave with a Ruger LCP. Battery failures fixed.