[FIREARM REVIEW] Kahr CW380

The Kahr CW380 is part of Kahr’s “value series” which cuts out a few of their manufacturing processes & features (polygonal rifling, addition of some MIM parts, less refined machining, etc…) found on their “P series” pistols in order to deliver a pistol that performs similarly at a lower cost to the customer. I’ve had this gun since just after it’s release to the market and here’s what I’ve found.

Reliability

Reliability is always priority number one for me and this gun had some serious issues out of the box. In the first 100 rounds with various manufactures I don’t think it ever made it through a full magazine without a malfunction. So, it was time to test Kahr’s customer service and it turns out that it was excellent. I emailed them describing the problem and had a shipping label within 48 hours. Nine days later the pistol was returned to me and hasn’t had a single malfunction since.

Ergonomics

Compared to a “standard” size gun a gun designed for pocket carry will never have what most would describe as good ergonomics. But, compared to other pistols in its’ class it’s pretty good. There’s stippling on the front and back strap which help control the pistol under recoil and the grip angle helps it point naturally.

Trigger

The trigger is on par with every other Kahr pistol I’ve used. It has a long, smooth double action only pull and breaks right at 6 pounds. The reset is a little long for my personal preference but I know some folks prefer a long pull and a long reset for a back up, pocket-type gun. So, I suppose it depends whom you ask as to whether it’s a good trigger or not. One thing I’ll say in its’ defense is that it doesn’t impede you from hitting targets at defensive distances as the triggers on some guns in the class do.

Miscellaneous

The gun is extremely thin and lightweight (10.25 oz on my scale) and is easy to carry as you’d expect. The downside of a thin, lightweight gun is that it’s not exactly pleasant to shoot. But, as they say the 6+1 rounds of 380 ACP in your pocket is much better than the 45 ACP in your glove compartment. In the end that’s where the CW380 excels—-you can take it with you regardless of what you’re wearing or what you may be doing