Recently I have been in the market for a pocket gun. I couldn't believe I found this in the store. The black Kahr P380's are very rare, so I decided to pick it up. It already had the night sights installed, so I am good to go. I now have no excuses not to be armed. It is very comfortable to carry.
Re: My Latest Addition Very pretty gun. I love my CW9, even though she doesn't get much exercise (it should also be noted that she is always available to a loving home, since I feel I neglect her so much). Makes me wonder though, why choose .380 when Kahr's 9mm and .40 offerings are essentially the same size?
Re: My Latest Addition I tried the Kahrs subcompact guns in .40 and 9mm, and preferred the lower recoil of the 9. Easier to shoot fast and still hold a good group center of mass on the target. Mabye the .380 reflects the same line of thinking, one step further?
Re: My Latest Addition From what I have seen, the Kahr P380 is significantly smaller and lighter than either the PM9 or the PM40. This really becomes obvious once you pick it up in one hand, and compare it side by side to the PM9 or PM40 held in the other. I found it to be even more so than a similar comparison between the Keltec P3AT and the KT PF9. While it is not the first defensive weapon I reach for, I agree that the tiny .380 pistols fill an important role. If it is ultra DEEP concealment you are after, or just can't carry anything else due to circumstances beyond your control, it is hard to compete with the true "mouseguns" like the LCP, P3AT or the P380. I find I can conceal my LCP almost anywhere, and it serves well as a #3 firearm. Otherwise I'd rather carry something a bit larger in 9mm, like the CW9. Unless of course you have the cash for a 9mm mousegun like the Rohrbaugh
Re: My Latest Addition Nice addition! I looked at that exact model....even started to buy some .380 ammo when I found some. I found a used MK9 that has been well cared for and went that route, though. It was a factory reverse-two-tone model....and I really like reverse-two-tone finish. And SDS is right. MK9 (or like) isn't my first choice as a carry gun. But sometimes it is my only carry option....and other times, it is back-up to a BUG.
Re: My Latest Addition The PM9 is close, but I was looking for the smallest and lightest pistol I could find from Kahr. I would like to carry this in my pocket, and I did notice a difference when I compared the two at the store. When you look at the numbers it is a subtle difference, but when I held both of them I could tell that the P380 is what I wanted to go with. Kahr P380 Weight 10.97 oz. Length 4.9? Width .75??? Height 3.9?? Kahr PM9 Weight 15.9 oz. Length 5.3†Width .90†Height 4â€
Re: My Latest Addition Fair enough. I was just wondering, since 9mm is "the minimum self-defense round". Trust me, I'm not going to stand in front of that thing and play catcher, but I didn't have enough confidence that .380 is going to rapidly incapacitate an attacker.
Re: My Latest Addition Wow! I thought the PM9 was small, but the comparison pics really tell the tale! Just remember that the 200 round break-in period that Kahr suggests, is not really a suggestion...it is mandatory. But if your P380 is anything like my PM9, you'll be fine and won't experience any failures.
Re: My Latest Addition I agree with you, 9mm Luger or .38 special +P is the lowest I would normally go as a primary. However, there are times when the only gun you can pack in a certain way is about the size of a Beretta .25ACP, for example. For those times, I would MUCH rather have a .380ACP in the same size package as a little .25ACP. Remember, I am talking very close range, < 7 yards max. Carry Corbon 90gr, Gold Dot, Federal PSP or even FMJ, and a failure drill delivered at such close range from a reliable little .380 ACP is not going to disappoint you.
Re: My Latest Addition ^^ I agree. As for me, there are certain circumstances which deep cover is absolutely necessary. I see it from the perspective of .380 vs. nothing at all.
Re: My Latest Addition I tried one and the new S&W at the gunshow but my island sized paws were so big I could only get two fingers around the grip so I went with a Bersa.
Re: My Latest Addition Nice find. It is has been my limited experience with Kahr that their guns either run perfectly or are lemons from the first trigger pull. Hopefully, yours will be the former.
Range Report #1 I have never shot a small pistol like this before, so this is a learning experience for me. For such a small gun I found it to be quite accurate. It is probably more accurate than I am. The trigger is smooth, and easy to actuate. The gun has a lot of snap due to its small size, but the way the grip is designed helps keep the recoil manageable. I have heard some people say night sights aren’t necessary on such a small pistol, but they certainly helped me. I read that Kahr recommends a 200 round break in period before the pistol is to be considered to be “reliable.†I took this into consideration as when I experienced some failures to feed. All it took was a little tug on the slide, and the slide would chamber the cartridge. I only had one stovepipe, and it barely caught the tail end of the casing. I had one light primer strike, but the same cartridge fired when I reloaded it. I was only able to fire 100 rounds of FMJ range ammo, and 12 rounds of Hornady JHP which had no issues. I am hoping that it will get better as I break the gun in. I will let you all know how the next one goes. 10 feet away
Sweet! The Kahr pistols absolutely must be broken in for at least 200 rounds when new before they function properly. After that, they should loosen up. One thing to keep in mind, they shoot better when clean and wet. So make sure you clean and lube it well after each session. I am going through the break-in with a CW9. If it does well, I will probably have Kahr install some Trijicon night sights. It is amazing how well the little .380s can do if you practice with them. I took a lot of flak from some of the guys at the last qualification when I was shooting my little "pipsqueek" Ruger LCP. Until I scored higher than two of them firing Glocks at 15 and 25 yards with it! I can only imagine that the Kahr P380 is an even better little shooter.
Here is a diagram of where to lube a Kahr. I believe I got it off of the Kahr area on ar15.com. I use a little bit of Ezoxx, but mainly use Tetra gun grease so it will stay where I put it. I never liked getting oil all over my clothes.
Thanks for the diagram. One would think something like that would be in the manual...it's not. I am going to be a bit more liberal with the oil next time to see if it will improve performance.
Congrats on purchasing a fine pistol! Beautiful looking! I love my Kahr P380! All I intend mine for is a BUG/pocket pistol. It fills this role perfectly! I've used Slide Glide ( Lite ) on mine from the get-go and it's ran flawlessly. I was very impressed with the highly polished feed ramp, right out of the box. Very accurate too. I'm looking to install night sights on mine eventually. How are those Trijicons working out for you? I've also heard that XS makes a set for the P380, as well.
I think the Trijicons are great! I have Meprolights on my Glock 26, and it reminded me a lot of shooting my Glock. For me it helps to have a consistent sight picture with all of my guns. Even on a small gun I think they are quite useful. I like to have the option for long distance target acquisition if I choose. Thanks for the lubrication recommendation, I am curious about what Kahr owners are using for their pistols. The P380 does seem pretty tight.
I agree about the Trijicons and Meps. I mostly have Trijicons, though I do have a pistol or two with Meps, and some that have XS sights. Now, I just gotta figure out which ones I wanna use on my P380. I was a bit concerned about using any form of grease right off the bat with this pistol, especially for the break in period, but my fears were unfounded. The 'lite' grade of Slide Glide, applied lightly, has worked perfectly in the P380, as well as nearly every other semi-auto firearm I use it in: pistols, rifles and shotguns. I'm really happy with it!