The Kahr P380 Compact Pistol

I have been a fan of Kahr handguns for the past few years. My first one was a Kahr 9mm PM9. Recently Kahr came out with the new series called CW9 and CW380. Basically, they are the same handgun with fewer features. But if you want a TOP of THE LINE handgun with all the goodies including a match barrel, in my opinion, the P series is still the way to go. My PM9 has never jammed yet. I must have close to 500 rounds through the litter bugger. I also have the Crimson Trace installed on the trigger guard. I do believe this is the BEST laser setup in the marketplace. All you have to do is squeeze your middle finger and depress the rubber button in the handgrip for the laser to come on. One major drawback is you don’t have many choices of holsters because of the laser mounted on the trigger guard. Trust me I know.

Now for the P380 compact. It is the little brother for the PM9 and is an absolute sweetheart to shoot. The .380 caliber is perfect for these small little semi-autos that can actually fit inside your pocket. It has a black polymer frame, a matte stainless slide with a loaded chamber indicator. This little gem comes with two clips, one that holds five shots and an extended one that holds six shots, plus one up the spout. It will digest just about any .380 ammo that I ran through it. My personal favorite is Doubletap ammo, 95-grain JHP at 975 fps from the P380.

The handgun itself is a very good-looking handgun with the Duo frame look so popular right now. Another bonus of the Kahrs is the great sights. It has sights that you can actually use. It has a bright white dot for the front sight and a bright white square in the middle of the back sight. Just dot the I and fire. Unlike the Ruger LCP who’s sights are so small that they are virtually useless. That is why you definitely can use the Crimson trace laser on the LCP. Speaking of that, the Kahr P380 is just about identical in size as the Ruger LCP. I took a reading with my micro digital caliper on the width of each slide for comparison. The Ruger was .071 and the Kahr was .075 not enough to try and make a difference.

The Kahr is a trigger cocking DAO, lock breech with a Browning type recoil lug. It has a passive striker block built into the firing mechanism. It has a 2.53 length Premium Lothar Walther Match Grade Barrel. This in part is what you are paying the extra gun bucks for. Overall length is just 4.9 inches. Height is 3.9 inches and weight unloaded is just 9.97 ounces. The grips are textured polymer and the sights are drift adjustable. Crimson Trace and Laserlite both make laser sights that will attach to the front of the trigger guard. But again be warned, it will a little more difficult to find a holster that fits correctly.

The Kahrs have a stellar reputation in that they always go bang when you pull the trigger. Part of this is the super-strong recoil springs underneath that slide. The first thing you notice when you pull it back is the strength of those springs. What this means is if your are contemplating this diminutive little handgun for a woman, you better see if she has the hand strength to pull the slide back and lock it. It is wise to be aware of this BEFORE you purchase this handgun. All and all it is a beauty. It’s good-looking, accurate, and always dependable. Unfortunately, if you demand one of the best it’s going to cost you a few bucks more. Check it out in our Online Store. Regards…

The Head Hunter… J.C.P.