Kahr CW380 WORSE after factory "repair" than when I sent it to them (furious)

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The main reason I didn't go with the S&W Bodyguard with the laser is that I don't like relying on things that could fail at the worst times.
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When I carried the Bodyguard I trained without the laser. It was just too iffy to try and turn on the laser in a stressful situation with that button out front. The laser grips are a different animal but I still practice with the sights because batteries do die.
I think Kahr made a mistake by trying to jump into the budget 380 market. Then again they didn't ask my advise.
 
I'd try at least one other type of ammo than the monarch. If it still fails, sell it with full disclosure.

I've got a CW45 and a CM9, and I'd like to get a K or an MK. You could call me a Kahr fanboy with regard to the overall design and the trigger, but I don't deny that they let too many lemons out the door. If they don't change their ways it might do them in.

And yes... Kahrtalk has some good stuff on it that's definately worth checking out if you own a kahr, but there are people on the forum who are so enamored with Kahr that it is sometimes difficult to engage in a useful conversation.

All in all, I think you've given Kahr plenty of opportunities to make it right.
 
The K series is a wonderful piece of engineering and totally reliable, the smaller non-'MK" models always seem to have problems. If I were to get a pocket 380 it would be the Glock 42, they seem to be pretty reliable and extremely shootable.

Sorry about the issues with your gun, trying it with some different ammo is a good idea, it may break in and start to work right.
 
Tiny, super-lightweight guns are pushing the envelope; ammo selection becomes more critical, grip becomes VITALLY important, and they'll never be the robust, 'never fail' systems that a G17, for instance, can be.

For what it's worth, I've had 5-6 Kahrs, and currently own two; the CW45 needed a trip back to the factory for some tweaking, but has been fine since. The CW380 has been fine from day 1. That said, if I hand either to my dad (an accomplished target shooter with 50+ years of shooting everything under the sun, and shooting it WELL) neither will run reliably; his grip is somehow 'wrong', even though he can shoot anything else we've ever encountered.

Kahrs are, at best, not for everyone.


Larry
 
"it may break in and start to work right..." Hope and change, eh?
 
Not a trouble shooter, I take it.

Kahr barrels do "break in". Drag your fingernail down the outside of the barrel. You feel that? Do that to a crappy new 1911 like a Kimber. Feel that? Now do that to a hammer forged barrel on a Glock. Different, ain't it?

And that little .380 won't cycle weak ammo. Henceforth the recommendation to try Corbon Powerball. Each of our troubled P380's tested 100% on that.

That being said, I'd gladly trade my P380 Kahr for a Glock 42. Or a gen4 23/22/35 in similar shape.
 
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kahr woes

My K9 is excellent.
My CW 9 was perfect. Sold
My PM 9 has never failed.
I would dump that 380 and go with a known better 380 as it may cost you 1-2 hundred bucks in ammo to find its a lemon and 3 more trips to kahr.
No need to have the aggravation.
I have a 380 but it ain't a kahr and it's never failed. So many kahr 380 fails.
if they can't make it correctly then can't fix it The first time then what's next?
not a kahr fan boy I have H&K. S&W. Ruger. Ect.....
I wish you luck
 
Original Poster, Here

1. So I owe it to myself to try some other brands of ammo. Too much time and ammo money invested in this thing not to try a few more brands. But if the malfunctions continue…that's the end of the hunt.

2. To the people bashing Monarch ammo (Academy Sports brand) I'm not really buying it. This is my first experience with their .380 ACP because I've never owned a 380…BUUUUUUT, I have fired over 5,000 rounds of Monarch 9mm and over 500 rounds of Monarch 45 ACP and never had a problem…never. Look at my signature. THOUSANDS of rounds between 3 guns, a vast majority of them either Monarch or UMC Yellow Box. NO. Problems. Also…that 20+ year old AMT backup didn't have a problem with the Monarch ammo. 50 rounds fed, fired, ejected without issue.

3. Limp wristing? Well, I've been shooting for about a decade. Am I a perfect shot? Nope. But I also know how to handle a handgun. Wrist locked with a high, tight grip. Never been a problem with two Glocks, one Springfield, and an old Browning Hi-power. Also, my buddy is a cop and has been one since 2004. He is also a gun guy and is an amazing pistol shot. If both of us couldn't manage NOT to "limp wrist" a gun in a calm, shooting range environment, then this is a horsecrap design that is never going to function under stress.
 
My intent wasn't to bash Monarch Ammo. I have no experience with it. I only meant that your CW380 might be finicky and not like it. Didn't mean to add to your frustration.

Best of luck, Strikeforce.
 
^No offense taken, bro. Any maybe Monarch isn't "hot" enough for this gun. But I tried 2 other brands of ammo BEFORE the trip to the factory and it was messing up with them too. Going to give it one more shot with many brands when I get the chance. Work may delay that..we shall see what happens when I finally get around to it.
 
Truthfully, invariably every small pocket sized .380 I have ever seen can be finicky with some ammo in some hands. For me that's just a fact - I'm not a fan of finicky guns *but* extremely small guns are bound to have some odd eating habits at least in the hands of different shooters.

It's not impossible to me that there are only some brands of ammunition that won't function and that there is likely something it may gobble up like candy. I'd certainly try feeding it some generic round nose/hard ball, hot loads, mild loads, etc and see if you can find what it likes. Somebody is buying these guns and having decent luck with them. I think the issues are spotty and not ubiquitous.

VooDoo
 
These guns need ammo with short OAL to work reliably. The *only* ammo I found that ran 100% was the high dollar SD ammo like Gold Dot, Corbon, etc...these are not really hotter than standard ball ammo, but they have a very short OAL, relatively speaking. Fiocchi Extrema worked 100% while Fiocchi ball was a total fail...anything in GFL head-stamped brass also failed.
 
I've got a CW380 and it's been great, quite accurate too for its size. With that said, you have to pay special attention to both your grip and your ammo. Mine doesn't like Fiocchi, but that's because there's belling in the Fiocchi brass and Kahr chambers are somewhat tight with short throats.

I carry the 95gr PDX1 Bonded from Winchester and have had good luck with their 95gr FMJ (white box or train & defend, same load). Watch out with a high and tight grip that your thumb isn't either pushing down on the take down/slide stop lever or pushing up on it. I had an issue at first where I was inadvertently, with a thumbs forward hold, pushing down on that lever and it wasn't locking back on the last round, so I had to adjust my grip a little.

Use a very tight grip and make sure your thumbs aren't on the lever too, it's so easy to do with such a small gun as the CW380. Make sure it's oiled up good too.
 
My CW380 has not had any problem with anything I've run thru it: Corbon HP, Blazers,
WWB and factory reman. Have shot mostly WWB with excellent results. It would be my choice for practicing.
Admittedly, I've not shot many Corbon's..only a couple of mags...but none presented a problem.
 
My brother went through the same problems as yours with his .380. They eventually fessed up to it being a defective item and replaced it.....after trying to tell him it wasn't broken in yet and to fire it more . He had a tough time geting them to understand he couldn't fire it more...the thing wouldn't work!
 
Hometeached1 said:
Bummer. I don't see why Kahr doesn't just drop the CW380, their having so much trouble with them.

Seems weird since their non budget guns work great from what I've read.
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I've owned several Kahrs, most recently at CW380 from PSA at a sale price of $250. I cleaned and lubed it new and locked the slide back and loaded a full mag for a day before shooting. 400 rounds later, not a single FTF. Accurate and reliable gun. My everyday carry with Buffalo Bore +P hardcast. It eats everything I have including Tula and Monarch. I do not buy Fiocchi ammo. These little machines are precision instruments made my man and machine, both of which can get out of spec from time to time. I have sent back guns to most of the major manufacturers. Kahr is one of the better ones regarding servicing their guns.
 
Kahr makes a number of great guns. Their PM9, in particular, is very well proven and a real nice little gun, enough that I dropped $600 on one as a gift for my brother who works in law enforcement to use as his backup.

Their .380s (CW380 and P380), though, are dumpster fires. Cut and run.
 
That is a shame. My buddy had the SAME problems and it went back multiple times. I personally bought the CM9 and love it. I was hesitant because of his issues but decided to take the chance and glad I did.

The reason I did (and not to blame you) is because I watched him have the issues over and over and it worked fine for me. Maybe I have the magic touch but I never had the same problem.

I have read that the Kahr 380 has alot of problems but they have the Kahr 9mm figured out! Which is funny because I have read the Diamondback 380 is solid and I had the 9mm and it was a jamming POS.

Didn't DB get sued by Kahr for stealing their design?
 
HRnightmare said:
That is a shame. My buddy had the SAME problems and it went back multiple times. I personally bought the CM9 and love it. I was hesitant because of his issues but decided to take the chance and glad I did.

The reason I did (and not to blame you) is because I watched him have the issues over and over and it worked fine for me. Maybe I have the magic touch but I never had the same problem.

I have read that the Kahr 380 has alot of problems but they have the Kahr 9mm figured out! Which is funny because I have read the Diamondback 380 is solid and I had the 9mm and it was a jamming POS.

Didn't DB get sued by Kahr for stealing their design?
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I had a DB 380 and it went back to the factory three times before I dumped it and by the way the DB380 is nothing like the Kahr 380
 
So, from what I'm getting from some of the CW380's owners is, don't plan on ever being injured in a self defense situation or shoot with your off hand.
 
StrikeFire I gotta ask.

Have you tried shooting one handed with a low thumb grip?

The reason I ask is because when I shoot little guns my fat little fingers tend to hit the controls, drag on the slide and generally screw things up.
If I am not careful when I shoot my little Sig 238 two handed I get all sorts of weird things happening. It acts a lot like what you describe is going on with your Kahr.

There is not much room for your hands on such a tiny little gun.

Just asking.
 
Yes diamondback was sued and lost,I'm not sure what they had to pay out though.
I had a db380 and it was hit or miss whether it would work right or not,I never trusted it and after taurus started handling diamondbacks warranty work,I traded it in on my cw380.
 
rskent, both me and my LEO friend were very careful that our thumbs were not hitting the slide stop. We were not.
 
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