Kahr Arms has been manufacturing finely crafted semi-automatic defensive handguns since 1995 — without enough fanfare, as far as I’m concerned, considering the quality and ahead-of-the-curve design of their guns.
I say “ahead of the curve” because Kahr was the first to the market with an extensive array of single-stack compact and micro handguns at a time when consumers were demanding high magazine round counts. This was especially true after the 1994 Clinton Assault Weapons Ban, which limited newly manufactured magazines to a maximum of 10 rounds for both handguns and rifles. When that ill-conceived and useless piece of legislation automatically sunsetted in 2004, the demand for high-cap pistols and their magazines went through the roof!
The rush to the maximum bullet load in compact pistols may have cost Kahr some sales. It took a long time — a good ten years — for people to realize that while having ten or more rounds aboard their compact carry gun was comforting, it definitely wasn’t comfortable. At the same time, everyone just HAD to have a .40 or even a .45, which added to the weight and, in the case of the .45, to the size of their chosen carry piece.
When things went toward slim-line single-stack pistols, they went the other way big time — forcing even Glock to eventually bring out a compact single-stack 9mm and .380 pistol to meet the incredible demand. But Kahr was already there, providing an extensive lineup of single-stack pistols to meet the demands of discriminating customers.
I have tested a number of Kahr single stacks over the years, in .380, 9mm. and .40 S&W, and have found them all to be accurate, totally reliable and easy to carry concealed. Their double-action triggers are very smooth and easy to manage and, unlike competing designs, they don’t include “manual” safeties as part of their trigger mechanisms. Like a double-action revolver, the safety of the Kahr design is ensured by trigger pull weight, which is the mechanism I personally prefer. There is also no manual safety incorporated in the basic design. Besides the trigger, the only operating control on the Kahr is the combination slide release/lock/takedown lever and the magazine release button.
The CW380 in (obviously) .380 ACP is Kahr’s smallest design. The .380 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) cartridge was designed to operate in blowback-action pistols, where the timing of the action occurs due to the weight of the slide and the recoil spring. However, the CW380 uses a Browning-based locked-breech action, which allows the .380 cartridge to operate within a much smaller envelope than the blowback Walther PPK, for example.
Thus, the CW380 is a 6+1 capacity pistol that can quite literally be hidden anywhere. It is a perfect pistol to carry undetected in an inside-the-pocket holster for hours on end and is also perfect for all-day ankle carry.
The CW380 weighs in at 10.2 ounces unloaded. Overall length is only 4.96 inches. Width is .75 inches and height is 3.5 inches. Barrel length is 2.58 inches.
The slide and barrel are both of stainless-steel construction and feature a matte finish. The frame is textured polymer. There is no magazine disconnect safety. The basic sights are polymer, three-dot configuration and the rear sight is drift adjustable. Now to the carbon fiber part.
As you may have guessed, the carbon fiber is a print applied over the polymer frame. Carbon-fiber styling is all the rage these days; it imparts a modern, hi-tech look and is quite distinctive.
Firing the CW380 again proved to be an exercise without surprises. (Okay, the only surprise I had was whacking the top of my left index finger just above the knuckle while cutting through a plastic strap with my Swiss Army Knife. I was opening a case of ammo to get some to take to the range. The cut bled rather profusely, but I managed to bind my finger is a straight position to stop the bleeding and went on to the range rather than to the ER. This limited my shooting grip somewhat, as I could not get a really solid two-handed grip.)
I fired a mix of SIG 100-grain Elite Ball (rated at 910 feet per second and 184 FPE), SIG 90-grain Elite V-Crown JHP (rated at 980 feet per and 192 FPE) and a few rounds of Federal Hydra-Shok 90-grain JHP (rated at 1000 feet per second and 200 FPE). Don’t expect to obtain the factory velocity from a barrel this short. Reliability was flawless with all the rounds. The CW380 was fired right out of the box with no additional lubrication prior to testing. The slide locks back on the last shot and can easily be dropped back into battery for reloading by popping the prominent slide release lever with the shooting-hand thumb.
The recoil of the Federal ammunition was somewhat more pronounced than that of the SIG Elite V-Crown loads. In a pistol this diminutive, my choice is to err on the side of controllability rather than a few more foot-pounds of energy. Rounds put directly where intended are more important than rounds intended for a different target that miss their mark. From 21 feet, six-shot groups in the 3- to 4-inch range were easy enough to manage — even with my left index finger hanging out in space. The SIG Elite V-Crown is my choice of defensive ammo for the CW380.
There are three points that need to be made about the CW380. First, two magazines should be included with any defensive handgun from any manufacturer so that the purchaser can get up and running with his or her new pistol right away. Gun shops can’t stock spare magazines for the myriad of self-defense pistols available in today’s marketplace, which means online ordering of spare mags.
Second, a little work needs to be done at the base of the frame front strap. The magazine lip is actually covered by the base of the frame, which made extraction of the magazine a bit difficult. It didn’t want to drop free, and space needs to be made so the thumb can catch the front lip of the magazine for extraction. However, a skilled gunsmith should be able to cut away a small amount of the frame to accomplish this.
Third: The small size of the CW380 gives one limited space on the slide to grasp for retraction (for locking back, inspecting or for charging or clearing the chamber). It required a good amount of effort, even when my left finger was fully functional. Those with limited hand strength will want to try retracting the slide several times while examining — before purchase — to make sure they can safely do it themselves. With my injury, I was glad the slide locked back on the last shot so I could recharge the chamber by dropping the slide via the release lever.
If you are looking for a reliable and ultra-compact micro pistol to carry in a position of undetectable deep cover, consider the CW380 in either the plain- or Carbon-Fiber-framed version. It should provide excellent service. MSRP is $439.
More info at:
www.kahr.com
www.sigsauer.com
