Kahr P380

[A-R]

I really like my CW9 but of course it's back at Kahr right now. Seems 500 rounds was the limit. It never was 100% right from the beginning.

sounds about right

[mr.72]

I really like my CW9 but of course it's back at Kahr right now. Seems 500 rounds was the limit. It never was 100% right from the beginning.

sounds about right

You figure your experience predicts the whole production quality of the company?

One friend has a PM9, never a single failure of any kind, 1K+ rounds.

Another friend has a similar story with a CW9 of his own.

Until the last outing, mine was about 99.9%. Something broke. I think it's the striker spring. Either way it is dead-nuts accurate, super easy to carry, lightweight, compact, handles great, terrific trigger, etc. etc. Just one week with a LCP and the dang thing is already starting to rust and I am sure I am going to have to learn many new skills to shoot this little toy accurately. The trigger is abysmal compared with Kahr. The sights are useless. I am going to have to dura-coat the thing in order to make carrying an option, and I haven't even fired it yet so no report yet on reliability.

If you have a CW9 I'll trade you my LCP straight up in a heartbeat. I'll even throw in some ammo to seal the deal.

[biggyin]

Just one week with a LCP and the dang thing is already starting to rust and I am sure I am going to have to learn many new skills to shoot this little toy accurately. The trigger is abysmal compared with Kahr. The sights are useless. I am going to have to dura-coat the thing in order to make carrying an option, and I haven't even fired it yet so no report yet on reliability.

I used to run a silicon cloth over it every couple of days or so, especially the barrel if I was carrying it regularly and that kept the rust at bay.

PS mag bottoms in the post

[mr.72]

Just one week with a LCP and the dang thing is already starting to rust and I am sure I am going to have to learn many new skills to shoot this little toy accurately. The trigger is abysmal compared with Kahr. The sights are useless. I am going to have to dura-coat the thing in order to make carrying an option, and I haven't even fired it yet so no report yet on reliability.

I used to run a silicon cloth over it every couple of days or so, especially the barrel if I was carrying it regularly and that kept the rust at bay.

PS mag bottoms in the post

By the way biggyin, I am in no way aiming this negative review of the LCP at you!! The transaction with you was as smooth as could be and I am completely pleased with the result. I knew exactly what I was getting into when I bought this pistol. I just figured I could probably sell it later on if it turned out that I could not learn to get along with it like I did with my last subcompact gun.

I didn't expect usable sights on this gun, or a barrel that wouldn't ever rust, or a grip that I could hang onto, etc. I have shot one before. I'm just pointing out that the Ruger vs. Kahr debate is at the very least balanced evenly from my experience, and at least one person prefers Kahr pistols on the whole. I think there's a reason that the Kahr P380 is ~2x the price of the LCP, and it's probably worth it.

However silicone may make Duracoating it impossible. Hmm...

[Rex B]

Get some fish-eye remover from a paint store.

[mr.72]

Get some fish-eye remover from a paint store.

Good idea, Rex. I probably will call the Dura-Coat people and see if they have a suggestion as well. I figure I'll do this once the Kahr is back in action. Wanna give the Dura-Coat plenty of time to cure.

[mikeintexas]

I like my LCP for pocket carry. No problems. And it seems pretty accurate to me. My $0.02 worth.

[A-R]

I really like my CW9 but of course it's back at Kahr right now. Seems 500 rounds was the limit. It never was 100% right from the beginning.

sounds about right

You figure your experience predicts the whole production quality of the company?

One friend has a PM9, never a single failure of any kind, 1K+ rounds.

Another friend has a similar story with a CW9 of his own.

Until the last outing, mine was about 99.9%. Something broke. I think it's the striker spring. Either way it is dead-nuts accurate, super easy to carry, lightweight, compact, handles great, terrific trigger, etc. etc. Just one week with a LCP and the dang thing is already starting to rust and I am sure I am going to have to learn many new skills to shoot this little toy accurately. The trigger is abysmal compared with Kahr. The sights are useless. I am going to have to dura-coat the thing in order to make carrying an option, and I haven't even fired it yet so no report yet on reliability.

If you have a CW9 I'll trade you my LCP straight up in a heartbeat. I'll even throw in some ammo to seal the deal.

Mr. 72, you're absolutely right. That was an unnecessary flippant remark on my part. I guess I'm still just bitter with Kahr because of my personal experiences with their product. I have met or read about plenty of very happy Kahr owners. Just goes to show how one QC problem can ruin one customer for life, I guess.

I agree the sum of the parts of my Kahr were better than my LCP. And I've only had my LCP one quarter of the time I had my Kahr. But the bottom line for me with any gun is - does it go bang EVERY TIME I pull the trigger. So far, the LCP has had zero operational problems for me. The recall was troubling, but I never had a problem with my LCP before recall and have not had one since. The Kahr was a steady progression of worsening problems for me. Again, conceding the point that I may very well have had a lemon.

Anyway, on to more positive thoughts. As far as sights on your LCP - I strongly recommend the Crimson Trace laser. I agree the LCP trigger is nothing to write home about, but for me it is no worse than a Kahr - once you get the grip figured out, of course. I have had some minor rust on the slide serrations, but only after extended pocket carry (weeks at a time) with zero oiling/maintenance. Now that I've got a regular re-oiling schedule going, no problems. I don't know any gun, save a Tenifer finish (Glock) or chrome or nickel plating, that is 100% rust free if carried daily in a pocket in Texas.

[mr.72]

Well, my Kahr, stainless and poly, has been absolutely rust-free carried daily. But alas the LCP is not stainless.

I think my Kahr was also a lemon, FWIW. Maybe they have a high incidence of lemons, but their customer service has been first-rate as far as I have had to deal with them. It remains to be seen how it is when the gun gets back. Maybe I have some words to eat here in a week or three.

But anyway, the LCP serves the intended purpose, which is a back-up carry gun to the Kahr, and eventually a gun my wife will be able to conceal and carry. I have problems concealing with my wardrobe but nothing like my wife, who is 6' tall and 140 lb, built like a model and dresses like a teenager. So the LCP is an experiment in something she might carry.

[ELB]

I have a Kahr P-9 that had to go back for warranty service as it kept smoke-stacking with most ammo. Runs fine now with the right ammo, but it is finicky -- does not like the higher velocity 9mm (usually, but not always, this is +P ammo). Very easy to conceal, but somewhat disappointing as to the range of acceptable ammo.

Primarily carry a FN Hi Power, which runs great with anything. :) P-3AT for a smaller/backup gun -- it is hard to beat for concealment -- LCP gives it run in that department, I guess. Luckily I laid in some .380 ammo long ago.

What I really would like to try is the Rohrbaugh R-9. http://www.rohrbaughfirearms.com/product/prod_set.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
But bring a couple or three piggybanks for this one -- last time I looked they were well over $1000.

[magicglock]

Just to balance the conversation I will repeat my LCP mantra: Never again, never again, never again. In fact, I think I would extend that to any Ruger product based on the level of customer service received. I have not been as excited to get a new gun as I was the LCP and so quickly disappointed. Great gun until just before the recall. Started to notice problems with the finish then the recall. So I figured that I would ask them to address the finish issue at the same time as the recall repair. The shipping information and packaging was delayed. Once I sent it off to Ruger, the request for additional service really delayed the repairs. I would have been fine with the delay if the repairs were completed upon return but it looked like they took a Sharpy marker and covered up the finish issues. Needless to say, they quickly returned worse than before. And then the rust issue. I took really good care of this gun, wiped it down with a silicon cloth every couple of days but I left it in the holster one night and BAM...full of rust! Never an issue at the range before the recall, after the upgrades which included a new barrel I had several FTF and FTE with several different types of ammo. No longer a trusted daily carry. The thing that bothered me the most was the lack of information or misinformation given by the staff at Ruger. Everyone was very pleasant to speak with but I just couldn't get a straight answer. They didn't know who had my gun (recall or service) for over a week! I lost a lot of respect for Ruger as a company and certainly wouldn't buy another LCP. So...I'm thinking about trying my luck with a Kahr PM9.

[03Lightningrocks]

I have been looking for the Kahr P380 for a year now. After umpteen delays in shipping times, they claimed to have started shipping in November. Nobody seemed to have them anyway...LOL. I am beginning to think it doesn't exist. Kind of like big foot, it is just a story we all tell our friends at the camp fire.

I have seen a couple of them on Gun Broker going for 700 plus and I have no intention of getting in on that action.

[joe817]

I ran across a great comparative website for the many conceal guns out there, at mouseguns.com. This is their page comparing sizes, weights, mag capacities, etc. :

http://www.mouseguns.com/PocketAutoComparison.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

the website is full in informative stuff. Give it a look!

[JackRR]

I ran across a great comparative website for the many conceal guns out there, at mouseguns.com. This is their page comparing sizes, weights, mag capacities, etc. :

http://www.mouseguns.com/PocketAutoComparison.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

the website is full in informative stuff. Give it a look!

Excellant site...this is where I found about the Kahr P380 in the first place.

[pneuby]

I have been looking for the Kahr P380 ..Nobody seemed to have them anyway...LOL. I am beginning to think it doesn't exist.

EXACTLY the sentiment I voiced to Frank Harris of Kahr when I met him at the NRA Show. They are HEN's TEETH here in Az. Strange, as I've seen spare MAGS for the gun in several stores for over a month now.

Still, I think that I may end up with one, despite how hard I want to convince myself that the LCP is a winning package.

Sorry to read of one poster's ordeal with Kahr. I've had over a dozen over more than a dozen years. ALL were tight and right, save for three.

ONE of the two PM9 models I had would not consistently return to battery. This is a model that they recalled, and I sent mine in for the upgrades. Done, and would run without issue from that point forward.

I have a TP9 that came with the factory adjustable sights. Those MMC's would print ridiculously high at 25yds, like 18" high. I had them put on Tru-Dot nights, and it was spot-on upon its return.

The far worse example is a TP45 that I bought, one of the few NEW guns I've ever bought. Had to go back THREE times, finally to discover it had excessive headspace. No wonder it would mis-fire with Winchester brand ammo! I didn't sell it because of that. I just found that I was no longer as fond of .45ACP recoil and muzzle flip in the light-package guns like that.

I would buy any Kahr in a heartbeat despite what I've experienced.