New CT380 jam-o-matic, newbie, help??

[Papersniper]

Update. About 85 rounds thru it today with several FTRB but not other malfunctions. Trying to figure out what's causing that and whether to send it in. Total rounds now are over 200 (i.e., thru the recommended break-in period).

Dumb question, but is the chamber getting dirty? Have you tried the "plunk test"? If ammo shows reluctance to drop into the chamber I'd try something else. Sorry to hear you've had problems with your CT380.....I am considering getting a Kahr 380 and trying to decide which one. Prices on them are terrific right now!

[Tobinator]

Dumb question, but is the chamber getting dirty? Have you tried the "plunk test"? If ammo shows reluctance to drop into the chamber I'd try something else. Sorry to hear you've had problems with your CT380.....I am considering getting a Kahr 380 and trying to decide which one. Prices on them are terrific right now!

I think I had this happen at least once early in the session before the chamber was dirty, although the problems definitely seem to crop up after 50+ rounds. Have not tried the plunk test, but I'm using only factory ammo, mostly the brand that's had the fewest problems in my gun so far (S&B).


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[mlw_hou]

Don't know if this helps, but I went to break in my CT380 today and using PMC Bronze (90gr), I couldn't get through 5 rounds without some type of failure. I switched to Sig Sauer "Elite Performance" (100gr) and HERTERS (95gr) (Cabela's house brand) and had zero issues with the next 200 rounds.

I've seen several ammo recommendations on the forum - have you tried something known to work in other's gun?

When I stripped and cleaned the sucker it was really really dirty ... could be I left it too "wet" for the range session, but I was surprised.

[dannyeller]

CT380 is a great little gun but the hearecoil spring requires a really good break-in.

Tobinator, The CT380 has a very strong double recoil spring that needs quite a bit of breaking in. I too had some malfunctions the first several boxes of ammo I fired and with 25 years in the Army, 5 years as a Reserve Deputy and with over 20 years competing my shooting grip was not the problem. But after a couple of hundred rounds it now feeds everything and my wife and daughter can now rack the slide. I occasionally teach people to shoot and I give them a choice of a CT380, J Frame .38 Revolver, a SW686 revolver and a Glock 17 to qualify with after having them fired about ten rounds through each. Surprising to me they all pick the little CT380. To qualify I would have gone with the SW686 but they just like this little thing and it is a great shooter. Because I the CT380 as one of my demos it has about 800-1000 rounds through it so it is well broken in and running smooth with no jams that I can remember since my second shooting session with it. I have numerous firearms to carry to include a beautiful Kahr MK40 magnaported and customized by Robar with the checkered wood grips. I bought this for my wife but she just could not rack the slide when it was new so she kept carrying her SW642 revolver. I was so happy with the CT380 that I started carrying it daily. But now that my wife can rack the slide on it I'm going to have a CT Laser put on it and have it dipped in a Muddy Girl Camo and give it to her for Christmas. Its 3.5 ounces lighter that her SW642 but with 3 more rounds at the ready than her revolver. With Underwood Extreme Defense +Ps it hits very hard but is still a soft shooter with a very effective round. BTW +Ps really make this little gun sing. I like this little gun so much that I went and bought 3 more of them. Two are for my twin kids who turn 21 6 weeks after Christmas and one is for me. Now if I can just get about a 1000 rounds of good .380 ACP for the break ins by Christmas I'll have this thing worked out.

[Bluehawk]

My wife and I both have the same problems with our CT-380 even though it has 500 rounds through it now. Haven't tried any defensive rounds in it as yet - would like to see more reliability with FMJ ammo first. Will try adding a grip sleeve for enhanced grip. No troubles like this with my CM-9.

[spazzwarr]

dannyelle is right-on about the double recoil spring. There is a lot "going on" there when the cartridge fires and the spring(s) go into action. Maybe, I have been extremely lucky with my five kahrs (CW380, PM9, PM40, P45 & TP45), as I have only had one instance with a few repeated FTEs and FTGBs. These were all with the PM40. Those who have shot the PM40 know that this is a snappy little pistol. In my opinion, the PM40 is very reactive to even a hint of limp wristing. I was fairly sure I did not limp wrist my PM40 when it had the hiccups.

I searched this forum and the other Kahr forum. I believe it was this forum I found the solution. It was the double coil recoil spring. Someone had the same problem with a model that has the double recoil spring setup. He found that the double springs in his Kahr were binding and hanging-up occasionally on the guide rods. This normally smoothes out as rounds fired increases. But you can hurry it along. He took some type of multi-purpose EP grease and thinly coated both guide rods. It worked for him. I used Lucas Red "N" Tacky #2 and thinly coated both guide rods. Hand racked the slide about a hundred times and went to the range. Over a period of two days I shot 150 rounds and experienced zero problems or issues. This may not work for you. All I can say is this little PM40 is now one of my favorite Kahrs and is in every day carry rotation with my PM9. Good luck with your Kahr(s). I hope they will smoothe out for you.

[TominCA]

Hi - I have several p380's (have 3 had 4 at one time) - The big variable is ammo! Your ammo list is like a list of everything that doesn't usually work well. (all these little p380's are sensitive to ammo, but there is no one good choice) Generally they prefer "botique ammo" at about $1 a shot but some fmj works okay. Light weight, high veloivty projectiles work good in many guns. Here is my list of choices:

Ruger ARX
Critical Defennse
Glaser Powerball
Grizzly Extreme
Blazer Brass 95 fmj
PMC 90 g FMJ (really!)


Lots of oil, keep the springs changed. When the slide stops locking back, its the magazine spring. Take it out and stretch it a little.

Hope htis helps.

[SmittyJonz]

I just picked up a CT380 Thursday 11-3-2016, for my Daughter's first gun. I put 300 rounds of Brass FMJ thru it today - 3 boxes of Browning Court and 3 Boxes of Monarch and 25 rounds of Federal HST hollow points. ZERO Issues. Accurate. Slide locked back after last round every time. The Browning Court shot good but is DIRTY. So far very pleased. She couldn't rack the slide out of the box- seems easier now.I will clean and lube it and will put another 200 rounds thru it and another clean n lube before she gets it. I think she will be able to rack it by then. It was the CT380 or a Glock 42 for her and I got the Kahr for $94 less - total take home price.
P.S. that is my wife's Pink Highlighted TCP - Mines all Black........

First 50 rounds at 5 yards.

[SmittyJonz]

We will most likely put Talon Rubber Grips on it. I have them on most of my pistols.

[dannyeller]

CT380 repeated malfunctions solved.

Tobinator,

I have three of CT380s. The last two were the TU package versions. One of them had exactly the same type of malfunctions as you described. After giving up with all the failures to feed after about a 100 rounds and a field disassembly then generous lube with no improvement I turned on my flashlight and gave it a close look as it was repeatedly 2 or 3 times per magazine failing to fully load a round while firing (see pictures). The striker (firing pin) would stay out protruding out of the breachface and block the following round from fully loading.

The reason was NOT the ammo. I used the same ammo during the same range session in a second identical model CT380 (one was for my son and the other my daughter's). My son's CT380TU went through 200 rounds with only two malfunctions, failure to go completely into battery (didn't quite close on chambering). That occurred during the last 50 rounds of a 200 round break-in session. The gun was brand new and got hot and dirty which explains such a malfunction. I have a 3rd standard model CT380 which I have used when training my clients for their CCWs. It has well over 2000 rounds through it and although it had a few hick-ups during the first 200 rounds it fires everything BUT PERFECTA ammo. There is only one .380 I've tried that will shoot that stuff without malfunctioning several times every magazine and that was my fathers very old LLAMA .380.

So check to see if the striker is forward and hangs up on the rim of the cartridge being loaded as seen in the attached pictures. If it is and you were not using PERFECTA ammo, it needs to go back to Kahr. One of mine is there now for the reason discussed above and I just got off the phone with them to go over the issue.

v/r
Danny




Note that the following photo is from an identical CT380TU that fired over 200 rounds with on two failures to go into battery. The ammo used was the same as that used for the previous CT380TU with ammo even coming out of the same boxes. Yet after being fully racked and the striker reset the striker is still forward when almost fully back into battery. This seems to be a design flaw. The cocking cam needs to engage the striker much earlier which would pull the striker back well before the round being loaded will be sliding up the breach-face. I have no idea why this CT380 fired so well when the other CT380TU the rim of the round would hang up on the protruding striker several times with each magazine of ammo fired.

[dannyeller]

BTW, Sellier & Bellot is very similar to the JAM INDUCING PERFECTA ammo. That ammo is an issue with several .380s and especially those like the CT380 that are made to be pretty tight fitting. They may work after a considerable amount of break-in, but warning, one of my CT380s has way over 2000 rounds through it and both PERFECTA and Sellier & Bellot still cause malfunctions. So I would say my wife's CT380 which I also use to train clients on shooting semi-autos is pretty much broke in.

[TominCA]

I use Critical Defense and Ruger ARX as my "Test Standard" ammo for the P380 (no CW380 here in CA) I'm not much of a gunsmith but that protruding firing pin on feeding looks like either a broken striker or weak load not allowing the slide to move fully to the rear, or very stiff recoil spring - try a peppier load. Here is my cleaning routine after each use:

1) field strip
2) Blow out striker channel through hole in slide and work striker with thumb a few times- I use a gun cleaner for this
3) Scrub entire frame and slide with CLP on brush
4) Carefully wipe slide rails with patch on toothpick
5) Wipe gun clean (remove CLP)
6)Wire brush and patch bore (CLP)
7) Oil rails, barrel, plastic rails etc (see forum oil diagram in sticky section) I use slip 2000 but anything will work
8) Place tiny tiny (needle oilier) drop on striker and work back & forth a few times
9) reassemble gun and rack slide a few times.
Good to go

I have changed all my magazine springs to the Keltec springs from Wolff - They are for the little keltec 380 (different gun) but are more powerful and work fine for me!


I have 3 other Kahrs (not 380) and they require almost no care and are not ammo sensitive

Hope this helps!

[SgtStone]

There are so many good replies on cleaning & ammunition, I have just one suggestion for the original poster to help track shots fired.

I buy several ruled composition books during going-back-to-school sales. I dedicate one notebook to shooting. The first few pages hold info about my current firearms including serial numbers. I keep contact info such as this forum in the back. The bulk of the pages are used to record each range trip -- date, temperature, wind, etc. -- & subsequent cleaning. Each firearm has a paragraph where I count shots usually by counting magazines fired. It's real easy to update the journal each time I reload or take a break. Plus I jot down any problems or changes.

At the end of the day I add the shots fired and update the total round count for each active firearm. While not exact, I have a close estimate of shots fired.

Started this method to track break in but find it valuable to keep track of usage & maintenance issues. I keep the notebook in my ammo bag. I also keep an updated inventory of ammunition by caliber & bullet weight/type. But even if you just make a little mark for each mag you fire, you'll have a record of rounds fired. "Course you can avoid paper & use a text file or spread-sheet on your phone. I just like the tough composition notebooks for the range.

Typical entry"
"Kahr CM9 10:30 2x7-round mags fired, @5yards, no problems // reloaded w/ Geco 124 grn FMJ // 11:15 Left hand: 2x7round mags fired, 1 FTF last round...

I use my own short-hand taking notes. Hope this helps new shooters.

[RolandD]

There are so many good replies on cleaning & ammunition, I have just one suggestion for the original poster to help track shots fired.

I buy several ruled composition books during going-back-to-school sales. I dedicate one notebook to shooting. The first few pages hold info about my current firearms including serial numbers. I keep contact info such as this forum in the back. The bulk of the pages are used to record each range trip -- date, temperature, wind, etc. -- & subsequent cleaning. Each firearm has a paragraph where I count shots usually by counting magazines fired. It's real easy to update the journal each time I reload or take a break. Plus I jot down any problems or changes.

At the end of the day I add the shots fired and update the total round count for each active firearm. While not exact, I have a close estimate of shots fired.

Started this method to track break in but find it valuable to keep track of usage & maintenance issues. I keep the notebook in my ammo bag. I also keep an updated inventory of ammunition by caliber & bullet weight/type. But even if you just make a little mark for each mag you fire, you'll have a record of rounds fired. "Course you can avoid paper & use a text file or spread-sheet on your phone. I just like the tough composition notebooks for the range.

Typical entry"
"Kahr CM9 10:30 2x7-round mags fired, @5yards, no problems // reloaded w/ Geco 124 grn FMJ // 11:15 Left hand: 2x7round mags fired, 1 FTF last round...

I use my own short-hand taking notes. Hope this helps new shooters.

I have a extra-small Moleskine Volant notebook as a log for each of my handguns. I make entries for every time I fire, clean, or modify them.