Kahr CT380 on the way

[FergusonTO35]

I ordered a Kahr CT380 and it arrived at the fun store. I ogled it and put it on layaway. This pistol appears to be a perfect match to the cartridge in terms of size, about 1/2" longer in barrel and grip than the CW380 which is P3AT/LCP size. It has a 3" barrel, a grip about the length of a PPKS, and seven round mag. Reviews suggest the CT380 is super easy to shoot, even with stout loads. I dry fired it a few times and was pleased to notice that, unlike other Kahrs, the trigger break did not noticeably pull the sights off target. This was an irritating problem with the CW9 I used to have.


I already have a bunch of brass and lead bullets for the .380. I'll probably try HP-38 powder first, as it seems to do well with small charges and short barrels. It's also recommended for this cartridge by the Lyman cast bullet manual. 900-950 fps should be no problem. I'll probably carry the CT380 IWB. It's a bit long in the grip for pocket, and for outside belt carry I prefer the Glock 26. The thin profile and longer grip and barrel of the CT380 is just perfect for IWB carry. Should be able to pick it up on payday.


http://www.kahr.com/Pistols/Kahr-CT380.asp


http://www.kahr.com/GetDynamicImage.aspx?dir=itemImages&path=SVimg-CT3833-L.jpg&w=326&h=278

[Fishman]

That's a nice one.

[Bzcraig]

I love my CW9, it's my EDC.

[FergusonTO35]

I had a CW9 for awhile. It was a very nice pistol, perfect size for a compact 9mm. Unfortunately I never could shoot it well. For some reason the muzzle would drop when the trigger broke, causing shots to go low. Never could figure it out, a trip to Kahr did not remedy it. I sold it and went to a Glock 26 which is just as easy to carry and I can shoot well.

When I saw the CT380 on the Kahr site, I thought "wow, that looks sweet." It did not disappoint, should be able to bail it out on payday. I already have some Lee 356-95-RF loaded up for it.

[bobthenailer]

I also like my Kahr's ! have a CW380 , PM9 , PM45 and TP45
, even the PM9 in 9mm thats the same size as the CT380 is a easy shooting handgun ,
A friend just bought a S&W 340 scadinum J frame revolver in 357 mag, weigh's 11oz now thats a real handfull with 357 mag ammo, kicks more and in fact it even hirts some ! id rather shoot my 3" S&W 629 or 6" FA 454 casull there alot easyer on your hand's !

[FergusonTO35]

I like Kahrs too, they are an awesome value and easy to carry. Got any favored loads for your CW380?

I got a chance to try the CT380 yesterday. I fired through it some factory FMJ I had laying around and also some Lee 356-95-RF over 2.6 grains of HP-38. The pistol shoots great, very accurate for the first time out. None of the reloads would cycle, not surprising given the modest charge and the pistol very tight and not broken in. It does feed and eject perfectly by hand though.

[FergusonTO35]

Fired the CT380 some more today. It really likes 3.1 grains HP-38 and a Lee 356-95-RF. Good accuracy and perfect function with this load. The barrel on this pistol really takes to boolits, still very shiny after shooting with just some powder fouling.

The only problems I've had are the sharp points on the texturing of the front of the grip digging into my fingers, and a sharp point on top of the trigger biting my finger. I'm going to smooth those down with sandpaper until they are not a problem anymore. Overall this is a great pistol and I would recommend it to anybody.

[FergusonTO35]

Have put around 150 rounds through the CT380 so far. As long as you use energetic ammo she runs like a champ, with starting loads it's stovepipe city. I have so far fed it the two Lee boolits. The pistol shows a definite preference for the 356-95-RF right now, however I've only tried HP-38 powder so far. Gonna try Bullseye this weekend, I remember 3.2 grains made a nice .380 level load in my Kel-Tec PF-9. Maybe the Kahr will like it too.

[FergusonTO35]

Have the CT-380 up to around 300 rounds and she is running great. Only problem I find is that the muzzle tends to dip downward a bit when the trigger breaks, causing most shots to be 1-3" low. From studying the design and comparing it to other guns I have it seems the problem is caused by some roughness in the trigger pull and overtravel after the shot breaks. I am going to attempt a basic trigger job on the pistol similar to what I did for my Glocks, I posted about it in the gunsmithing section. Any advice is welcome.

[FergusonTO35]

Well, I did the basic trigger job on the CT380 and the pull is definitely smoother. However th biggest thing I have discovered about this pistol is to pull the trigger like a Glock, not a revolver. Take up the slack, aim, firm press and hold it back. As soon as I did this the groups tightened up and started hitting point of aim perfectly. You can read about my adventure reassembling the receiver in the gun smithing forum. I wrote out the instructions so as to save other Kahr shooters alot of grief and guns flattened with hammers.

[FergusonTO35]

]Shot the CT380 more this weekend. My abilities with it are getting pretty good, at least at 15 feet or so. One thing Ive found is that this pistol is pretty easy to shoot one handed. At up close and personal range, 10 feet or so, it is pretty easy to put seven rounds in a neat group. Thats a very good attribute for a CCW gun.

Had my first problem with it today, or rather I just noticed it. There is a little half moon shaped piece of metal on top of the slide stop with a matching cutouton the bottom of the slide it fits through. While cleaning it I noticed this piece had broken off. The slide stop still functions perfectly and stays in place as the slide stop spring fits in a groove in the pin to hold it in place similar to Kel-Tec. I guess there was just a weak spot in the metal. Hopefully Kahr will just send me another one.

[shoot-n-lead]

My son has the CT380 and it shoots great. It has dual recoil springs...hence, the reason for requiring full power ammo.

[FergusonTO35]

I sent an e-mail to Kahr, hopefully they will send me a new slide stop and not want me to send the gun back to them or anything like that. The CT380 is a perfect match of gun and cartridge, just like the S&W K-frame and .38 Special or Marlin 336 and .30 WCF. Big enough to shoot comfortably and actually hit the target, small and thin enough to carry easily.

[FergusonTO35]

I sent Kahr an e-mail this morning, they replied back 30 minutes later and said they would be happy to send me the part. Good service!

[str8wal]

Only problem I find is that the muzzle tends to dip downward a bit when the trigger breaks, causing most shots to be 1-3" low.

This has been my experience with Kahrs.

[FergusonTO35]

I think that is mostly caused by the upright grip angle and the trigger travelling back beyond 180 degrees, causing me to pull shots low.

[xacex]

I just ordered the little brother to this one the CW380 from my dealer today. I hope it likes the ranchdog/lee mold and blue dot,red dot,or clays.

[FergusonTO35]

I think it will be very happy with Red Dot or Clays. Save your Blue Dot for a cartridge that can really take advantage of it like .357 Magnum. That stuff burns waayyy too slow for a short barrel .380.

[jonp]

I have not noticed muzzle dip with either of my CW45's, MK9 or K9. Kahr's don't seem to get a lot of press with their plastic pistols but imho they are some of the best out there and the trigger is one of the best out of the box I've experienced in DA. The customer service has been great the couple of times I've called with immediate help and free parts. Glad I'm from the NE though, the Mass accent on one of the gunsmiths was a little hard to understand!

[FergusonTO35]

One thing I don't like about the CT380 is how the bottom of the trigger guard drags against my finger. I heated it up with a soldering iron and bent it downward by 1/8" or so. Fired it afterward, problem solved!

[jonp]

One thing I don't like about the CT380 is how the bottom of the trigger guard drags against my finger. I heated it up with a soldering iron and bent it downward by 1/8" or so. Fired it afterward, problem solved!

The trigger guard is fairly large. How was it dragging on your finger? If you were holding the trigger that low then that may explain the dip of the muzzle and uneven breaking.

Also, I'm not sure I would take heat to a plastic frame. Your a braver man than I Gunga Din! Thanks for letting us know it works. Did you use a heat gun, small torch??

[FergusonTO35]

I think that the trigger guard on most Kahrs is too small, even my Kel-Tec 32 has a larger trigger guard. The trigger itself has a revolver-like curve which is uncomfortable if you try to locate your finger too high or low. The bottom of my finger would skid on the trigger guard toward the end of the stroke. I wear XL gloves so maybe my big mits are the problem. Anyhow I just heated up the bottom of the trigger guard with a wide, flat tipped soldering iron. Nothing else on the gun even got warm. When the plastic got soft I just gently bowed it downward a little with a small prybar.

[jonp]

Did you find that bending it enough to fit your finger caused a problem with holster fit?

[gunoil]

I had one, soon another, l miss it. Smooth trigger, great customer service. Mine ran like butter. Shoots plus P, it puts p3at or lcp away. I ran 115gr in it & now l have pbgc's so it will be better.

Always wonder about 9mm going thru and hitting something else. Maybe 380 is good in city, was for james bond and british government/007.

http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/k511/putt2012/3328ABD1-E8B3-45EE-B231-D81C0EB0099D_zpsnlzxx0nb.jpg (http://s1113.photobucket.com/user/putt2012/media/3328ABD1-E8B3-45EE-B231-D81C0EB0099D_zpsnlzxx0nb.jpg.html)

[FergusonTO35]

Enlarging the trigger guard made no difference in holster fit, you're only talking about 1/8" or so difference.

One thing I like about the CT-380 is it actually shoots .356 boolits better than .357 like it is supposed to. Accuracy is better, velocity is higher with a smaller extreme spread, and less fouling compared to .357. Kahr definitely pays attention to their barrels.

Next thing I need to do is figure out how to increase the backstrap a little. I have big hands and a bit of a Glock hump would make the pistol easier to shoot for me. I ordered a Hogue Handall Jr for it. If that doesn't work, or the Handall is too rubbery for me, I'll probably figure out how to build it up with epoxy.

[45coltnut]

Hi guys,

I too like Kahrs for EDC. I recently picked a like new P380 for less than I could buy a new CW380. I really like this gun!!!! I've had a few issues with range ammo. But, not a single issue with good defense carry ammo. Like everyone says, it like a stout load for proper functioning.

One thing I did was buy a set of Talon grip tape. WOW, this is the cat's meow for a small carry gun!!! I'd recommend them to anyone.

What's a good mold to start out with for the 380? Is the 6 banger Lee 95 grain a good one?

[FergusonTO35]

I would actually recommend the Lee 356-102 round nose, at least to start off with. Reason being, the flat nose 356-95 will hang up on the short, steep feed ramp of this pistol if the slide doesn't go 100% all the way back when it recoils. This problem would likely be even more exaggerated in the short slide P380.

[xacex]

I would actually recommend the Lee 356-102 round nose, at least to start off with. Reason being, the flat nose 356-95 will hang up on the short, steep feed ramp of this pistol if the slide doesn't go 100% all the way back when it recoils. This problem would likely be even more exaggerated in the short slide P380.
Thank you for that tidbit. I am loading some of the lee/ranchdog 100 grainers to try with this little cw380. Loaded with ranchdog load data for min OAL it loads, and hand cycles fine for me with powder coated boolits sized to .357. We will see how it shoots. Not much wiggle room for min vs max charge with such a small case. I am using CSB-1p powder, and starting with 3.5 grains and going up to 3.9 grains. Hopefully running over 900 fps will get it to run fine without to much issue.

[FergusonTO35]

Be sure to run at least 200 rounds through it before making any judgments about reliability. Kahr isn't kidding about the break in period.

Been reading about how to build up the grip on a poly pistol. It looks like the best way is a product called Devcon DA290 plastic weld epoxy. This stuff comes in a flat black color that matches pretty well, bonds strong, and can be sanded and shaped as desired. I ordered some, will do some experimentation before I try it for real.

[xacex]

So far in 150 rounds I have only had 1 factory round not fully go into battery. Other than that the cw380 has been flawless. Tried the lee/ranchdog 380's today with 3.5 grains of csb-1p. Average velocity was 960fps , compared to 890fps for the fmj factory that shoots decent groups. Looks like I will back off a little instead of going up on charge. Function was perfect with the 25 test rounds of the 100 grain flat point. But, anything would probably function that well at that speed. I would leave it alone if I was loading this for a larger frame gun. No signs of over pressure, or anything apparent with the gun. Just to snappy for a pocket 380 to be useful. Hopefully I can get it around 910 fps with a slight drop in charge. I would be comfortable with that. I have never had a starting charge be to much outside of subsonic load work.

[FergusonTO35]

Try 2.9 grains Bullseye. My CT-380 loves it, 920 fps average velocity with 100 grain boolit. Great accuracy and easy to shoot, in fact that is what I carry in it.

[xacex]

No bullseye here. Gave my last bottle away. Have to be this powder, clays, or red dot. BE, clays, and red dot are all pretty close so one of them should work. 960 out of a 2.5 inch barrel is just to fast. 920 is not to bad. You have a longer barrel so I should be about 910 with the same load.

[kbstenberg]

I was looking at the Kahr site. I couldn't find a safety. I could see the slide stop and the mag release. But where is the safety? I haven't much knowledge about autos so please forgive my question.

[xacex]

I was looking at the Kahr site. I couldn't find a safety. I could see the slide stop and the mag release. But where is the safety? I haven't much knowledge about autos so please forgive my question.
lol, the safety is between your ears. Keep it in a holster that covers the trigger, and don't touch the trigger until you are ready to shoot. They are like a Glock, no external safety. For carry guns I prefer it this way. I like 1911's but for a concealed carry it is just something else you need to think about in a stressful situation.

[FergusonTO35]

Kahr makes a version with the manual safety, they aren't very common.

[str8wal]

I like 1911's but for a concealed carry it is just something else you need to think about in a stressful situation.

If you practice like you play, it isn't something you need to "think" about. It becomes part of the presentation.

[xacex]

If you practice like you play, it isn't something you need to "think" about. It becomes part of the presentation.
True, and when I carried a 1911 (still do sometimes) it becomes intuitive. However, it is an additional movement. Occam's razor, of something will go wrong it is best to find the best solution to prevent that. Some say external safeties save lives because it is an extra step, and for may years I agreed with that notion. I changed my mind several years ago, and most police agencies or federal agencies have changed their firearms to reflect their thought on the issue. For someone who does not shoot their firearms consistently at least once a month I would recommend an external safety. For me it gets in the way, but when carrying a 1911 it still is on because mine has such a light trigger in it. You breath on it and it fires.

[FergusonTO35]

For a cocked and locked single action or even a modern striker gun with a really light trigger I think a manual safety is a good idea. For double action only, completely superfluous.