380 Kahr?

[76shuvlinoff]

The Ruger LCP recall and Keltec vs Ruger discussions lead me to inquire about them at a local Mom & Pop shop. The owner told me he has 7 people lined up in front me with no idea of a ship date for LCP.
It was his opinion that the new Kahr 380 though much more expensive would be a better built pocket pistol. I am in no way tied to nor do I own any of the above mentioned pistols so I have no opinion. I treid to search for the Kahr 380 last night but can't find much on it except the price is at least double the going rate for an LCP and supposedly it came out in Sept 08

Anyboy have any thoughts /experience with these?

thanks
Mark

 

[jocko]

nope

still not out yet, delay, delay, delay, delay. Oh did I mention it would be late coming out.

I have seen it, it is super quality looking, with alot of bells and whistles on it, price is not cheap, but neither is life. No matter what the price, it HAS TO WORK out of the box. none of this kt and Ruger stuff...

That being said I will be line for a P380 karh when it comes out. My two owned kahrs now have been flawless and two of my best ccw guns, no doubt, especially the PM9. It hit the 17,000 round mark yesterday and still no issues...It is my 24/7 carry peace..

 

[76shuvlinoff]

Thanks for the reply, from the specs I was looking at today, (Kahr vs Ruger) it looks to be 1/2oz heavier a bit shorter and thinner and a fraction of an inch taller. Close enough that I don't think you'd know the difference in your pocket. Salty, but not enough to scare me away yet.

Mark

 

[benderx4]

For the money they'll be asking for that new Kahr, have you considered the tried and true Seecamp LWS380?

 

[76shuvlinoff]

Thanks, I have not ruled anything out yet. I simply can't carry my 1911 or even my XD40sc in every single situation and I'm exploring the pocket rocket options. ......The problem is getting your hands on all the options.

- Mark

 

[gbelleh]

Don't forget about Rohrbaugh. 9mm in a true pocket size gun.

 

[Girodin]

Time will tell when it comes to the Khar .380. I would think that the best indication is the PM9. A gun I can tell you is a great pocket .380 is the Colt Mustang (haven't had experience with the pony so perhaps someone else will comment on it). They are no longer made but and although they command a decent price when you find them they are great little guns and a real step up from a Kel-tec or ruger IMO.

 

[jocko]

Girodin: and a big step up in mass weight and size to. Nice gun-But

 

[abuelo]

It is a step up in size and weight at least with my Colt Gov. 380. But it is still a very nice carry piece. Of course you have to find one that doesn't break the bank.

 

[bannockburn]

That's one of the problems with the Colt Government/Mustang/Pony variants; you could probably buy 2 Kahrs for the price of what one of those currently go for. Plus with a Kahr you would be using a current production gun, with all of the accompanying benefits; versus the limited availability of a highly collectible, out of production gun. For the record I have a Colt Mustang, which has been semi-retired in favor of a Kel-Tec P3AT; pretty much for the same reasons that I just listed.

 

[76shuvlinoff]

Thanks guys. I didn't want to be the first kid on the block with the Ruger and I might want to apply that same logic to the new Kahr.

 

[Girodin]

That's one of the problems with the Colt Government/Mustang/Pony variants; you could probably buy 2 Kahrs for the price of what one of those currently go for.

what are the Khars supposed to sell for? I must admit that I don't actually know. I assumed they would be close to the price of the PM9 which at most of the shops around here goes for mid to low 600s. I have seen mustangs at around $700 which makes me really happy I bought years ago but makes me kick myself for not buying two. I have seen two sell for $550 recently. I would personally rather pay a hundred more for something known to reliable than roll the dice on something brand new. I never like buying things from the first run.

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=4585618&cat=185&lpid=

Next one maybe I'd better snag it.

Your point is well taken though that the Mustang is a pricey little piece now days. I wont retire mine to the safe until I find some thing as good.

I do have a question for you. How do you compare the recoil of kel tec to the mustang? I often hear people complain about the snappy recoil and assert it is not something they can or would want to shoot many rounds through in one session. The mustang is something I could shoot all day and be no worse for wear.

 

[Girodin]

Girodin: and a big step up in mass weight and size to. Nice gun-But

9.9 ounces without the mag (so ten and some change with it in) for the khar vs 13 ounces with the mag for a pony pocketlite.

that is a substantial difference in weight? I suppose it depends on how one defines substantial.

The mustang is slightly larger than a kel tec, which only appears to be slightly larger than the khar when you line them as they have in their ads.

Is the Khar smaller and lighter? yes. My pocket light and the kel tecs I have handled are both small enough that they disappear into my pocket and I never notice them. I'm some what doubtful that going smaller still is a true benefit. At a certain point holding on to the gun becomes a real issue. I do not have giant hands and anything I have held much smaller than the mustang is awkward and uncomfortable. Thats just me someone else might disagree.

The Khar may be the greatest .380 ever made we will see. That said one cannot even purchase one yet and if the PM9 is any indication there maybe hi cups to be worked out. I love the Khar I own right now and I am hopeful for the new .380. If it turns out to be a good pistol I will likely buy one but I think that writing off a proven design for an unreleased one that is essentially a big question mark is a bit silly.

 

[jocko]

anybody know anyone who has around 5000 rounds through their colt pony's???

How about 2500 rounds??

Are they ammo brand sensitive?? Just asking.

Parts available???

 

[Girodin]

anybody know anyone who has around 5000 rounds through their colt pony's???

I'd guess that at this point there are more owners who have that many through their mustangs or Ponies than through their Khar .380s I'd be interested to hear form anyone with a really high round count through any of their pocket .380s. Most people simply don't shoot pocket .380s that much. I know that I don't, it is not my primary carry weapon. I would say I probably haven't yet hit 2000 rounds. I honestly don't keep it logged like some people like to. I have simply shot it enough to know that it runs and to be confident in its use and stay in good practice.

Are they ammo brand sensitive?

I can only speak for my personal pistol but I would say no. It has ran flawlessly with pretty much everything I've put through it. That said I have not actively tried to test every load out there. I tested a few for accuracy and reliability and stuck with the one I liked the most.

Are the Khar .380s? We don't know yet.

Parts available???

Well a quick google search turned up several sites with them. How that will compare to future as of now unreleased pistols after a number of years is a matter of speculation.

Don't get me wrong I'm not saying that the little colts are the only choice or even the best choice. I am saying that they are a sound choice and that at this point they are much more proven than the unreleased Khar .380. That last point may well change in time. I am amongst those eager for the little khar to be released and put through its paces. The LCP shows why I typically hold off on the newest flavor of the week guns until the kinks are worked out and the establish their reputations.