CW380 will not break in.

[Mike_usn_ret]

I have e mailed Kahr tech div and asked them for any assistance they can provide. Would like to hear from others in here. My CW380 I bought in July of 2017 will not "break in" for nothing. I have close to 1000 rds thru it and it is so tight I can barley retract the slide to lock it back into open position to release the slide lock for ammo insertion in the chamber. My CM9 was no problem at all. The 200 ...recommended break in did nothing...at 500 zip and now like I said almost 1000 rds...(failure free and very accurate rds I might add) it is still like brand new. Any suggestions???

[skiflydive]

Failure free and accurate sounds broken in to me. The little buggers are tight though.

[HeartachesNhangovers]

As skiflydive says, your gun IS successfully broken in if it shoots, ejects and feeds properly. The CW380 is always going to be hard to rack, but that's the price this design demands for such a small pistol. I think you need to shoot the CW380 regularly enough that you are confident that you can do a reload without struggling (IF you carry a spare mag). Basically, your technique needs to break in, because the gun isn't going to get any easier to rack.

[Bobshouse]

Showed my P380 to a few ol'timers at the club when I first got it. They wanted one until they found that they couldn't rack it or lock the slide back.

[SlowBurn]

As skiflydive says, your gun IS successfully broken in if it shoots, ejects and feeds properly. The CW380 is always going to be hard to rack, but that's the price this design demands for such a small pistol. I think you need to shoot the CW380 regularly enough that you are confident that you can do a reload without struggling (IF you carry a spare mag). Basically, your technique needs to break in, because the gun isn't going to get any easier to rack.

True. You’ll get there. Im pretty old but through practice and adjusting grip it’s not difficult now. Still hard right after replacing the recoil springs.

As a work-around, try inserting an empty mag. If you can get the slide back, it will lock open by itself.

[yqtszhj]

Mine is tight also but here’s a possible suggestion. Order another recoil spring and shoot a couple of boxes of ammo with it so it loosens up. Then start clipping 1/4 coil at a time from the spring and trying it out. I’d be careful though because it may induce some fail to return to battery issues.

Just a thought...

[markman]

I know some people who use the Handi-Racker. I know it's not optimal because you won't carry it around with you at all times, but they charge their pistols before they carry.

http://www.handi-racker.com/

[Wlfman13]

I own the green Handi-Racker, and bought it so my wife could easily rack the CT380 I bought for her. The Handi-Racker works very well.

However, I no longer need the Handi-Racker, as someone wanted that CT380 more than my wife did, and bought it from me.

So, Mike_usn_ret, if you want it, it’s yours. Feel free to PM me with a shipping address.

-Wlf

[Bawanna]

I'm kind of tearing up here a bit, some mighty nice gestures going on around here lately. Part of what makes Kahrtalk a winner.

Mike, if you need a wingman to help fight off evil and threats to our American way of life, I'm your guy. Just avoid stairs, uphill grades, and other unfavorable obstacles and I'll be right there with ya.

Dang, hope you don't live in the frozen wasteland of the NE right now, can't handle the cold too good. We're suppose to get our first white stuff late Saturday and Sunday, might be a long weekend for bawanna unless I got to drive to Mike's place to fight neer do wells.

[Mike_usn_ret]

I own the green Handi-Racker, and bought it so my wife could easily rack the CT380 I bought for her. The Handi-Racker works very well.

However, I no longer need the Handi-Racker, as someone wanted that CT380 more than my wife did, and bought it from me.

So, Mike_usn_ret, if you want it, it’s yours. Feel free to PM me with a shipping address.

-Wlf

TY for you very kind offer, but I tried one and my wife still did not like using it. I do not carry or fire the gun often and like I said it functions fine except for the manual racking is so difficult. Another thing to all the suggestions is ty, but you do not have any idea how difficult this gun is. I have shot and taken down other CW380s, .... part of the reason I bought one and never had this problem with anyone of them.....trust me, this gun is unique in difficulty.

[Bawanna]

Sounds like a trip back to Kahr might be in order. I didn't know you'd played with others and had something to compare to.

It almost has to be springs but might be worth having them take a look at it.

[Mike_usn_ret]

Well I have e mailed Kahr and ironically after posting in another thread how satisfied I was with Kahr dealing with my CM9 trigger reset issue, have yet to receive any response from Kahr CS.

Wed Jan 30, 2019

Hello,
I have a CW380 I bought in July of 2017 and it will not “break in” for nothing. I bought it for my wife originally but when new she could not rack it so I said I would break it in and I bought her a . 32 revolver. Well to make a long story short…I have shot nearly 1000 rds thru the gun and I can still barely manually rack the thing. It performs great…accurate perfect size, but I can just barley pull the slide back and lock it to install a mag and release the slide lock to load a rd in the chamber. I am not a small or weak man…no problems with any other semi I own…and that includes my favorite…a CM9. Sure would like some suggestions on how to get this little gem broken it

[dustnchips]

See if the owner of the CW380 that you shot and tore down will let you switch out the springs as a test. It could be that the spring it was delivered with was wrong.

[Mike_usn_ret]

See if the owner of the CW380 that you shot and tore down will let you switch out the springs as a test. It could be that the spring it was delivered with was wrong.

Now that is a great idea!!...ty Not sure what other spring in any Kahr firearm would fit, but will try the switch

[DavidR]

Now that is a great idea!!...ty Not sure what other spring in any Kahr firearm would fit, but will try the switch

Possibly the spring for a CT380?