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From a fit, feel and accuracy point of view the Kahr CW380 is a fantastic weapon. The slim profile and lightweight design makes it a great off-duty gun and from 10 yards in, the gun is spot on.
While I am impressed with the CW380, if you are considering buying one understand you will need a lot of patience.
I know that many will disagree with my opinion but, it is ridiculous to expect consumers to blow through 200 rounds of ammo to "break-in" the weapon. That places a $80+ cost on the consumer that shouldn't be necessary. A gun should leave the manufacturer in a reliable state. You should be able to take the gun out of the box, load it up and shoot it without any concerns about functioning.
The only break-in period that should exist with a weapon is the owner getting accustomed to the weapon such as point of aim, recoil and basic handling. The gun should not require the consumer to break it in from a functioning point of view.
I understand the position of spring tolerances and the engineering points of who disagree with my position. However, since buying the Kahr I have also purchased a Sig P238 and Ruger LCP. Both of these weapons functioned reliably right out of the box. I have owned a large number of firearms in my lifetime and the CW380 is the only weapon that did not function properly out of the box.
The other issue is Kahr's customer service. I had to have the gun sent to Kahr twice fix a trigger pivot pin that would not seat right. It ended up being a faulty frame. I have since received the gun back from Kahr and while it functions properly, the slide stop is now broken. At some point during the 50 rounds I shot this morning, the half-moon portion of this piece snapped off. I will simply order a replacement part and not worry with customer service.
Emails would go un-answered and when I called the Kahr representative acted as if I was bothering them. When it came down to having the frame replaced, Kahr seemed to care less that I might face a transfer fee from the dealer. I understand the transfer fee is a ATF regulation, but Kahr could have easily recommended I check with the dealer I purchased the gun from and maybe have the fee waived. Instead, Kahr took an "it's not my fault" attitude.
I will have to say one Kahr representative, Matt, came across as wanting to help. But other than Matt, I didn't think anyone could give a rip about customer retention.
Once I replace the slide stop, the CW380 will find a home in my gun safe until I find something to trade it for. I really like the design of the CW380 and see this pistol having tremendous potential. However, I think Kahr cuts corners and doesn't fully understand that we buy these weapons to be reliable right out of the box. Reliability that our lives could be depending on.
If you happened to have better luck than I have, congratulations on owning a nice handgun. Should anyone take a chance on the CW380, I wish you luck. I think for every nightmare you read about these guns, there is at least one positive. Breaking even on customer satisfaction should never be acceptable to any manufacturer.
I jumped on to these forums to tap into the insight of those who have "been there, done that" and found a host of knowledgeable members. I doubt I'll have a need to post here any longer but want to thank those who have helped me sort this mess out.
While I am impressed with the CW380, if you are considering buying one understand you will need a lot of patience.
I know that many will disagree with my opinion but, it is ridiculous to expect consumers to blow through 200 rounds of ammo to "break-in" the weapon. That places a $80+ cost on the consumer that shouldn't be necessary. A gun should leave the manufacturer in a reliable state. You should be able to take the gun out of the box, load it up and shoot it without any concerns about functioning.
The only break-in period that should exist with a weapon is the owner getting accustomed to the weapon such as point of aim, recoil and basic handling. The gun should not require the consumer to break it in from a functioning point of view.
I understand the position of spring tolerances and the engineering points of who disagree with my position. However, since buying the Kahr I have also purchased a Sig P238 and Ruger LCP. Both of these weapons functioned reliably right out of the box. I have owned a large number of firearms in my lifetime and the CW380 is the only weapon that did not function properly out of the box.
The other issue is Kahr's customer service. I had to have the gun sent to Kahr twice fix a trigger pivot pin that would not seat right. It ended up being a faulty frame. I have since received the gun back from Kahr and while it functions properly, the slide stop is now broken. At some point during the 50 rounds I shot this morning, the half-moon portion of this piece snapped off. I will simply order a replacement part and not worry with customer service.
Emails would go un-answered and when I called the Kahr representative acted as if I was bothering them. When it came down to having the frame replaced, Kahr seemed to care less that I might face a transfer fee from the dealer. I understand the transfer fee is a ATF regulation, but Kahr could have easily recommended I check with the dealer I purchased the gun from and maybe have the fee waived. Instead, Kahr took an "it's not my fault" attitude.
I will have to say one Kahr representative, Matt, came across as wanting to help. But other than Matt, I didn't think anyone could give a rip about customer retention.
Once I replace the slide stop, the CW380 will find a home in my gun safe until I find something to trade it for. I really like the design of the CW380 and see this pistol having tremendous potential. However, I think Kahr cuts corners and doesn't fully understand that we buy these weapons to be reliable right out of the box. Reliability that our lives could be depending on.
If you happened to have better luck than I have, congratulations on owning a nice handgun. Should anyone take a chance on the CW380, I wish you luck. I think for every nightmare you read about these guns, there is at least one positive. Breaking even on customer satisfaction should never be acceptable to any manufacturer.
I jumped on to these forums to tap into the insight of those who have "been there, done that" and found a host of knowledgeable members. I doubt I'll have a need to post here any longer but want to thank those who have helped me sort this mess out.
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