Kahr CW380 Review & Shoot CW 380 .380acp Micro Pocket Pistol

[@shootitbw9115]

I had a rough break in period with my P380. Locking the slide back like you mentioned helped out so much, along with stretching out the mag springs a little, and switching the lube for this gun to Ballistol. Now it runs like clockwork. Feeds absolutely every type of ammo and I haven't had a recent malfuntion at all. Love this little gun for summer clothes concealment.

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

Thanks for sharing what works, useful informatiom for the community.

[@mi777ke777]

I love this little guy and carry it a lot. I shoot it well because its very accurate and the trigger is crisp. It fun at the range too. I'd say its a little hand cannon

[@barrydraper]

I have the pricier brother to this, the Kahr P380. 200+ round break-in period, then flawless. Kahr recommends using the slide release to feed your first round. You may be riding the slide release with your grip, not allowing it to lock back on the last round. These are wickedly reliable pistols after the break in period, but you need to keep them clean & lubed. They even handle +P with no issues.

[@jacksoncking]

my self defense motto has always been... something is always better than nothing so a small 380ACP in your pocket is better than a 45ACP in the car. keep up the good work

[@GreyGhost-r4z]

I take mine pretty much everywhere... sometimes I forget I have it.

[@professorpewpuew]

I have been needing to buy one of these. I like the appeal of a double action like trigger pull without too much heft to it.

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

Hey brother, thanks for stopping by.

[@mi777ke777]

Trigger is like butter an conceals invisibly. Just needs to break in

[@stringbladestudios]

You can work the slide dry a few hundred times just to loosen things up (and some exercise). Also the manual actually tells you to chamber the round using the slide release. I believe because it ensures that it isn’t short stroked. Not a lot of tolerance in these micros. Another common issue on these are the magazines. Sometimes it helps to polish the feed lips. It is a great little pocket gun.

[@GreyGhost-r4z]

I did that with mine.

[@brandonmelvin5649]

I just bought one I love mine I've put 83 rounds through it 3 hollow point rent target rounds no problem same mag as well

[@jaycamacho8179]

I just ordered one for “no guns at work”carry. And basketball shorts carry lol. I transport cars and end up in shady areas but also get stuck in office doing paperwork and cant run the risk of someone seeing me print. Gonna purchase Underwood 68 grain ammo for it. Hopefully runs well. Im gonna clean and lube it and rack the slide a bunch to see if it helps with break in :)

[@gcoz4sure]

Leave the slide locked back for a week, clean and oil it and it should run fine. Don’t use the slingshot method to load it either, use the slide release.

[@Joe-ff6tk]

I hope you get fired

[@FauxAmis78]

The Kahr manual says to feed the first round by setting the slide stop, inserting the magazine, then releasing the slide stop because it doesn't have a long backward slide track, and racking it for feeding can be quite tricky. That's why you got that first FTF. One of the onlyl pistol manuals that I nkow of that actually suggest doing that for optimal performance.

[@georgewashington7444]

Kahr makes great pistols (CM/PM) 1. Clean lube thoroughly 2. Rack 200x 3. Reclean/lube 4. Leave slide locked back 2-3 days 5. Clean in/out magazine and make sure spring is in correctly (high side to front mag) 6. Use higher power ammo for first 100 rds loading first round WITH slide stop. 7. Grip firmly and enjoy! *** put in Wolff +10% springs and Lakeline followers for magazines (also clean them with solvent inside and out) they come with a sticky preservative on them. The 380 should then run like a Swiss watch.

[@moshkid16]

Great job. I'm glad to see some new interest in this awesome cc piece on the tube. A couple friendly bits of advice as ive been carrying this gun everyday for two years now. These Guns love spear point ammo. I use underwood ultimate defender with the #2 Phillips screwdriver looking loading. I use mag guts in my six and seven round magazines to increase capacity by one for each. With a round chambered and a converted mag you have 8 rounds ready to go in an extremely small defensive package. If you're experiencing feed problems most likely it is the ammo. I have an armalaser tr19 on mine and it is awesome, apparently vastly superior to the crimson trace. I havent had to replace the battery once. Its a beautiful option. you will enjoy it! Edit; ive since switched to the hornandy ftx ammo. I started experiencing feeding issues and hard primers with the underwoods. I also have the lakeline llc striker upgrade as my factory one snapped.

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

Appreciate you sharing your experience and knowledge. I have heard of and researched Mag Guts before, good to hear they have products for Kahr. I do have some of those Underwood Extreme Defenders you mentioned in both standard pressure and +p. I will be doing gel tests with them on the channel soon...

[@moshkid16]

@@BuckeyeBallistics it's amazing when you get the mag guts and realize that its twice the length of your factory wolf springs yet somehow stack one extra round. Also there is ejection issues with these guns as well. Could be related to a stiff recoil spring as well. The ejectors are known to be very sharp at the bottom and if thats an issue for anyone then round off the tip at the bottom of the extractor. Use dummy rounds to troubleshoot. I believe lakeline llc and galloway precision also have afternarket support for the kahr lines. Not many sight options out there but there are fiber optic sights available through a company called dayton precision i think too. I pocket carry so instead of talon grips i used a rubber traction pads designed for people with reduced hand strength to put over the smooth parts of the frame so my grip is even better. Plus it doesn't wear the pocket down. I also added a clipdraw to the slide which is nice because its a 3m adhesive so you can control the ride height. The guns so light its held up and easily concealed in baaketbakl shorts

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

Again, appreciate the intel- useful information for the community.

[@roadking681]

Great little gun!! Little tack driver and very accurate and smooth shooter. Can't believe how small it is. I carry this gun every day as a pocket gun or a back up gun. I load all my 380's with Underwood extreme defenders. I have 3 Kahr's and all perform flawlessly after they break in. The manual tells u upfront there is a break in period, so I always tell people who just bought one to break it in and after 200-300 rounds it will run like a sewing machine. Kahr's have very tight springs which is why they are so accurate and which is why they need that break in period listed in the Kahr manual that comes in the box. Good purchase my friend and once it breaks in u r going to love it. Your LCP Max should hold open on the last round mine does u need to contact Ruger. Thanks for the video.

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

Yeah Ruger said defective mag, sent me a new mag.

[@roadking681]

Ruger has great customer service. @@BuckeyeBallistics

[@Mbartel500]

That looks like an excellent deep concealment option. I like to put at least 200 trouble free rounds through any handgun that I carry for self defense. Preferably with the ammo I intend to use in it. Great video, always look forward to your posts👍👍👍

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

Thanks man, I'm glad you like the content.

[@lenzielenski3276]

Their design philosophy is to wear in, not out. I've heard recommendations of up to 500 rounds before everything settles in. i ve been a fan since they were released and finally purchased a cw9 fairly recently. its been a great gun. my opinion is a great many are traded in nearly unfired because people expect a glock like pretentioned striker trigger. when you realize they are actually fully double action and compare to a double action snubby, their quality and trigger stands out. what this means in practice is if\, by some chance, it misfires, you can just pull the trigger again and it will fire. As a defensive gun this is a huge advantage.

[@josephtucciarone6878]

Thanks for testing the 380 Kahr.

[@ronaldroberts8515]

Thanx for the video as I want to get one of these. I like the lil .380s and enjoy my Lcp. I saw one of ur videos with 2 bersas and I added one to the collection. Take it easy.

[@Stevonoles1]

My wife an I both bought P380s to carry. Love the style and the size is unbeatable. However, after not shooting for several months, went to the range and they failed miserably. I have never in my life seen two guns fail so badly at the same time. Tried cleaning, different ammo. Got rid of them the next day and went with the Sig 365. I have a PM9 and never had an issue.

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

Yeah you definately want to shoot your carry guns often to make sure they work when it counts

[@GoonWav]

You’re up there with Paul and hikok45 for my favorite gun KZbinrs. You seem like a chiller

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

Thanks man that means a ton to me. I just wish more people shared you sentiments about my channel lol.

[@GoonWav]

@@BuckeyeBallistics just stay consistent and keep covering topics people are curious about.

[@CeltKnight]

I bought one of these back around 2015 or so. They do have about a 200 round break-in period, but this is nothing new to us older heads. ;) And, folks here in the comments have already mentioned how to mitigate that. One BIG thing to mention after many years of shooting a lot of little pocket guns (and being a police firearms instructor "back in the day") is that these little things work best when shot one-handed. If one must shoot it two-handed then the way it was shot in this video (cup-and-saucer hold) is best. In any case, I've found the CW380 and the more expensive P380 to be way more accurate than anyone has a right to expect. I love mine.

[@christopherwg4236]

I too this date cannot get those Winchester white box square tip to work in any 380 pistol I've ever shot except a bersa thunder 👍 FYI you can purchase a magazine spring through magguts for the CW 380 adding an extra round to the OEM mags 7 + 1 using the original base plate no extension. I believe they are $23

[@mikedelco5059]

U have a walther pk380 that will run them to but yeah not alot will run them

[@BBQRando]

Awesome video...family was looking for buying one or two of these, perfect timing my friend!

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

Heck yeah, what a coincidence.

[@electrochubb]

you did great bruh.! I have the CT version, it runs like a mofo. It's smaller than my G42. Thanks.

[@glockerbob]

On the paperwork that comes with these, it says to charge the first round to use the slide stop. Well on my 45 and 9MM anyway.

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

Someone else said that as well. That's odd though because usually it's the other way around lol- "That's not a slide release, it's a slide stop!" blah blah blah (not talking about you brother). I always do both in my videos just to cover all the bases.

[@dwarden3]

Khar recommends using the release to load the gun.

[@etorrech]

The breaking period is very important. That is a very good pistol.

[@battlecreekknives]

mine has been a constant problem, havent shot in 8yrs or so mine was a jamomatic never carried it because of it... Kahr started making the 380 in 2010

[@papmasterOST]

CM9 EDC this summer......I'll buy that 380 off you today.💯

[@robertbraun4708]

The reason it did not feed the 1st round is that you DID NOT correctly operate the gun. The oeners manual states NOT to sling load the 1st round because the feed rsmp is off center. To load the 1st round you press the mag release only. This applys to all Kahr autos.

[@stonescapelamps]

Did you mean slide release.

[@bassdaze]

my cw380 has always been a pos... ive got 800 rounds through and it still had issues,kahr sent me several different springs to no avail... that said i havent shot it in about 4yrs

[@Mike-Olds-1]

The manufacturer recommends using the slide release instead of manually racking the slide and always use round nose ammunition

[@GreyGhost-r4z]

The BAR-Dot sight is Fantastic. I'm more accurate with this than my other pistols.

[@notsure1276]

Good to know about the slide not locking back.

[@gncc600]

The Kahr p380 came out in 2009

[@mendozaconsultation]

The Kahr, can shoot +p ammo,can the lcp.? Also, i heard the kahr with some MOD's,can take single stack 1911 mag's. Take any new or used new gun, clear and make safe, oil the heck out of it and while waching tv, rack the slide over and over and over and every once in a while, pull the trigger. PLEASE, MAKE SURE THAT GUN IS SAFE 1ST.

[@Rka1970]

Great guns, sometimes a little finicky when new, but great overall.

[@GreyGhost-r4z]

3 years ago I purchased the CW380 and shot 300 rounds through it. NOT ONE Missfire or Missfeed. My G19 an G43 had 5 or 6 during break in. For ANY KAHR Pistol, go purchase a "Handi-Racker". It allows you to rack the slide about a 1000 times before you go to the range. I highly recommend it. If you pocket this gun make sure you clean it at least once a month. You would be suprised how many dust bunnies/pocket lint get inside your pocket holster. I run the Vedder Pocket Locker Holster- Get the Curve & Thumb Tab. The double action trigger is great. There is no reset really, which honestly it's great. It's not a competition gun, it's a deep conceal gun.

[@renechevrette3698]

Totally disagree.. never had a problem with Glock.. 43 is flawless

[@johnnysmith4576]

One of the original pocket pistols says the young man.

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

In my lifetime- I didn't know you were going to go all 1899 on me lol.

[@GreyGhost-r4z]

The CW380, you don't really Rack the Slide like you do at the 6 minute mark. Have an unloaded CW380 locked Back with the slide lock, Insert Mag and use thumb to release the slide. That's it... and maybe once one is in the chamber, pop out the mag and add a round. Insert it back in.. and you are ready to go. Pulling the slide back like a Glock, creates problems.

[@kennethseibert5711]

I know my max doesn't hold open unless I fire rounds in the mag and it doesn't like flat nose ammo.

[@stonescapelamps]

Nice honest video, thanks!!! Which is more pleasant to shoot a bunch at the range...the Kahr CW380 or the LCP Max. Which did you find had the better sights for longer shot accuracy and which do you prefer overall?

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

Definately the LCP Max. It is slightly bigger, better grips from the factory and easier to hold on to due to the size and grips, and with the extended 12rd mag it's a LOT easie to hold onto because you can get all your fingers on it unlike the CW380. The sights are definately better on the Max, but the sights on the CW380 are smaller and more precise. I.E if not for the double action trigger on the CW380, I could probably make more accurate longer range shots with it due to the more precise sights- but the double action trigger is harder to shoot accurately. I 100% hands down prefer the Max. The best shooting Micro .380 I ever had was the Sig P238, and having a rubber grip on it with finger groves probably helped a lot (see review). But I sold it to buy the Max because you can't beat the magazine capacity on the Max, not to mention it is a lot lighter. The recoil was also really tame on the P238 compared to the Max and CW380, again most likely due to the rubber grip I had on it and the extra weight helped too.

[@stonescapelamps]

@@BuckeyeBallistics Thanks for the info!!!

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

No problem, please consider subscribing and check out my .380 gel tests, or the Max & P238 review videos...

[@stonescapelamps]

​@GunsCars Just Subscibed...thought I had...thanks for the heads up. I'm leaning towards the Kahr CW380...I understand about cleaning and working the tight mainspring...I'm just trying to get my head around the really thin grip...it doesn't seem to move in their grip a lot in videos I've seen...probably from the type of lockup it has so maybe not an issue like I'm thinking it might be. All those small 380's have thin grips but the Kahr is the thinnest of the ones I'm interested in. I might just have to eventually buy both :)

[@Nutty.357]

Looks pretty fun just need a pocket full of mags! lol :D Happy Friday

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

Yeah exactly

[@bunk95]

If youre going compact, and arent going .40 or .45, should you go .380? For what?

[@papmasterOST]

It's not a true double action,no hammer as well,it's what striker fire

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

Yeah it's striker but they call it a DAO because it's long and slightly heavy

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

@Patric - Then you tell THEM that...

[@poppatello]

I had to watch the video no sound. I’m guessing you liked the LCP Max better? I am on the fence between the two here. I really like Kahr fire arms. I have a CW .40 now but still print with it. Im looking to trade my .32 Seecamp in for a LCP Max, CW380, or P380. I have read a lot of issues for the LCP but have always wanted one. Which one would you say is more snapper?

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

Because I'm irritating? Or because there was no sound for some reason? I had that happen to me on (someone elses) video a few days ago; I went back and re-loaded the video a few minutes later and then it had sound. Yes I like the LCP Max better, and it is less snappy as well. I've not had any issues with mine, not a single malfunction. I think the issues you're hearing of are mostly from the original LCP from like 15+ years ago. The MAX is the 3rd generation now...

[@poppatello]

@@BuckeyeBallistics no lol. I was watching in bed and didn’t want to wake the wife. 👍

[@poppatello]

@@BuckeyeBallistics the issues I’ve read and seen on KZbin are the new LCPmax with failure to load, eject, and lock the slide back.

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

Huh, that's interesting because mine has been flawless and every video I've watched on them was the same- but every video I watched on them was over a year ago when it was first released, haven't watched any lately. I know limp wristing/grip can sometimes cause these issues you mention with micro .380's with some shooters, but I also realize it could be 100% the gun. I'm sad to hear some of them are having issues- I love mine and it has been great for me since day one and I even pocket carry it every day.

[@poppatello]

@@BuckeyeBallistics how does it feel in your pocket vs the Kahr?

[@gregneal5322]

Have to lock it open for about three days and leave it that way then take it to break it in

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

I had to do that with my Spectrum, left it locked for like 2 weeks.

[@Spot_the_dog]

A year on, is the slide holding open on last shot now? And feeding problems? Was looking at getting this for carry but the reviews of people having issues is conserning.

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

Sorry but I buy/sell/trade constantly to keep new guns comming for the channel, so I can't honestly answer that.

[@georgewashington7444]

put in Wolff +10% springs and Lakeline followers for magazines (also clean them with solvent inside and out) they come with a sticky preservative on them. The 380 should then run like a Swiss watch.

[@scoop-pm7lk]

I wish Kahr would make one in 22lr for soup can plinkin'

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

Get the LCP II in .22lr...

[@scoop-pm7lk]

@@BuckeyeBallistics I would like to see glock make a tiny 22 smaller than the glock 42 380 I think every glock owner would want one just for fun .

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

Would be neat...

[@KevinEspinoza-pr5wm]

Wer do u buy talon grips from.

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

Uh, from Talon...

[@mendozaconsultation]

Also, you can feed +p ammo through all Kahr GUNS. Fact: The creator of the car is or was the son of the Hare Krishna commune. He was considered a genius do to his high IQ.

[@bassdaze]

you keep riding the slide lock... thats why its not stayinf open,has nothing to do with recoil spring

[@cw2a]

Did ya say CW??

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

Yeah lol

[@guynoir4733]

What happened to Kahr Arms ?

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

What do you mean?

[@guynoir4733]

@@BuckeyeBallistics They're not available for sale new anywhere now .

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

I literally just googled "Kahr CW380" and immediately in the results there was 3 well known distributors with them in stock. You won't see them in a lot of the local stores because they're not that popular...

[@guynoir4733]

@@BuckeyeBallistics You are correct . They snuck up on me , they were missing for a long time though . I wonder if they might come out with any higher capacity CW9 size pistol .

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

I don't know, they've been selling pretty much the same few guns since the 90's, which is why they are no longer popular lol. They have the nicest double action trigger I've ever felt though...

[@Chris-l7n-c6v]

I did 6 mods before ever firing the new cw380. Haven't had a failure yet. First, the engineer who designed this pistol doesn't know jack about pistols. Good ideas, horrible execution. As a CAD designer, cnc machinist, I see obvious flaws in design and fixed them before firing. I have 1 more important mod to do and I'm surprised I haven't had a ftf yet without that mod. Some basic hints: take the recoil spring out and cycle the pistol. It's rough, not smooth. Should be smooth, the smoother it cycles, the less spring weight you need. But their ignorant engineers answer to everything is to increase spring pressure everywhere. Which is ridiculous and ignorant.

[@stephenshanahan7247]

Probably a good idea to read the owner's manual before reviewing a firearm. As the manual indicates, you're supposed to use the magazine release to place a round in the chamber, not rack the slide.

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

That's funny considering a lot of other guns are the opposite...

[@HappyGunny141_mac]

is this smaller than LCP 380?

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

No

[@Adin100]

I like the way this gun looks, but it was a piece of crap… brand new out of the box it was jamming… light primer strikes, stove pipes, etc… i got rid of it for a glock42 and never had a failure with it in 4 yrs… but i still want to buy this gun again, but scared of the issues it has..

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

As stated in the video, these things tend to have a break in period (they haven't changed the design since the 90's when a break in period was commonplace), but hotter ammo can help with/potentially eliminate this. Light primer strikes however, that is certainly an issue (which I didn't have with my example). Thanks for watching.

[@selfresponder6043]

Slingshot it when loading a round as opposed to pulling back.

[@Agent77X]

Looks like the CW380 is as reliable as a Glock!

[@ahbanawahawashinawa5499]

I like my .380 cobra FS

[@manuelmach86]

Full mag will balance the slide weight lol.

[@supergreatairgunreviews]

69th like, let's go. Kahrs are kinda ghetto cause they require a break in period, but hi-point is the best we all know that.

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

😬

[@papmasterOST]

Sell me your kahr Sir.

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

It's actually up for sale locally right now lol. But I can't discuss this sort of thing on youtube. For future reference, you can always contact me on insta @gunsandcarsyt

[@firestarter8202]

Don’t buy it. Don’t do it. Got big-time feed ramp problems even after two or 300 rounds might be a problem. Get the Ruger LCPII , instead.

[@CaptainCrip]

I have found the KAHR CW 380 to be only reliable as a paperweight. I would never trust my life with this gun.

[@papmasterOST]

I'm asking

[@DavidWillink-p6c]

Have a CW 380. Worst firearm I ever owned. Jam, fail to go into battery, jam jam. Junk!

[@Dan-oi4kt]

Horrible guns. No one should have to go through all the crap that they do when owning a Kahr