Ruger LCP vs. Kahr .380

[ExactlyMyPoint]

I was all set to buy the first Ruger LCP that I could find but now Kahr is introducing a .380 in June. Anyone heard any buzz? How about the quality of Kahr vs. Ruger?

Kahr Arms / .380 Models / P Series
RugerLCP.com: Your Source for the Ruger LCP

Thoughts.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[alfack]

$650 for the Kahr? It would be a no brainer for me.

[ExactlyMyPoint]

$650 for the Kahr? It would be a no brainer for me.

If that is the actual street price. But let's see what it actually goes for.

[SIXTO]

It might sell for 650 for a month or two, but I think it will settle to around 500 once all the hoopla is done and over with.

I think build quality and features of the Kahr will blow the Ruger away, but the Ruger will win in the value dept.

[semperfi.45]

A lot of times you get what you pay for. There are some exceptions. I would never carry a KT. Ruger seems to be an improvement over the KT as far as fit and finish, and possibly reliability. The Kahr seems to be better than both, the ability to upgrade sights is worth it alone. I think it will be available in the $450-500 range. Then maybe a little custom carry action from Cylinder and Slide?

[Wasabi]

I like it and as a PM9 owner, I know the Kahr is quality. Any comparison pics to a Seecamp LWS .380? I may cancel my Seecamp for this one.

[Hivoltage]

Myself having just bought the LCP....sure do like the looks of that little Kahr

[SleepingZ]

I have had my heart set on the LCP, but the Kahr is a fine looking gun. While I do not own any Kahrs, this may be my first. Does any-one know if the Kahr locks open the slide when the mag is empty??


Z

[Stetson]

The ruger will be shooting long after the kahr been sent to the junk pile,plus it's
less money ! The kahr maybe a bit thinner and more sylish but it's not worth
the extra cash.

[strider72]

Still haven't seen anything that makes me want to change from my P32, but hey that's me.

[itschuck]

If you can wait I would and see how both do at real world handling. Both are new and are bound to have a few quirks. If you dont want to wait I would go with the ruger. Rugers are not the most pretty of weapons but I have never seen one that doesnt work everytime.
The polymer kahrs seem to have issues, more so than the steel kahrs. Thier 380 looks like the cw series in a small package and I have seen a lot of complaints about the cw series.

['75scout]

I have owned a Kahr PM40 and a K40 Covert. Both have since been sold and I don't miss them. I think all Kahrs are handsome guns and have a very American style, if that makes any since at all. But I think Kahr, like kel Tec, lets its guns leave the factory lacking in TLC. The polymer used in the PM40's frame is IMHO not up to snuff for firearms manufacturing. The frame rails seemed ruff and the frame got all chewed up. Plus it was very unreliable even after an extended trip back to the factory. The K40 Covert is a diiferent story and was a fine gun, but like all other Kahrs I've handled the barrel finish was lacking.

This may be camparing apples to oranges in respects to the P380, but it's the extent of my experience with the kahr line.

I did handle a Ruger LCP at the gun store yesterday and it blows the KT P3AT away as far as fit and finish are concerned. Time will tell if it is more reliable. By the time I have a spare $300 laying around there should be a decent number of reviews out for my to base my decision on. Plus the prospect that the belt clip for the KT may fit the Ruger LCP make it even more appealing as that would be my ideal method of carry for the Rucer LCP.

[Gideon]

WOW I can't believe 75Scounts thougts on Kahr?

I guess that tells you how subjective gun evaluations are! I have the Kahr P9 with 4-5000 rounds and it looks new, is the most accurate gun in my collection with the possible exception of my MK9. I've shot other Kahr's and saw a guys' kahr in a pistol class which is where I first got my interest in them. I find their finish and fit to be more than above average. I also think they have just about the best DAO trigger out there.

I was headed down the road of the LCP until I heard they're shipping the P380 in June, now I'll wait and that's what I would recommend to anyone, wait until you can see/hold both.

As for the polymer holding up in the Kahr's, I don't know its composition but mine has taken more than fair number of rounds and looks great. The only minor complaint I have about the polymer versions is the molded checkering was a tad sharp on my hands. I bought the wrap around A grips and those are perfect for feel even if I don't like the looks.

Now as for my MK9; it's pure perfection. Beautiful finish, smooth trigger, nominal recoil, very very very accurate. I added the wood grips with makes the grips a bit thicker and it fits me perfectly yet it's so easy to conceal due to it's overall dimensions.

I do agree with the comment that the LCP has better fit and finish than our P3AT's. I've had my keltec for years and love it but the LCP seems to be a better made gun of the same design and I mean the same design.

The slide lock on the LCP is well, odd? Not sure why they bothered unless it's just a convenience so you can lock the slide back to look in? Other than that it's so tiny it's a finger tip type deal.

Anyway, I belive Kahrs are just about the perfect CCW weapon, small, accurate, thin, no safetys or mag disconnects, etc. and I think their quality is pretty good.

So, as they say, each to their own but I would not buy an LCP without checking out the P380 unless you just really have to have it now.

['75scout]

Yeah I've spoken with other people that rave about Kahrs and can't believe my experience was so bad. But that's just the way it happened. Believe me I tried to love the Kahrs. I love the size and look of the gun.

And the P380 may be a different story. Both guns will be out by the time I have the money for one so I'll handle both and decide then.

[ccw9mm]

But I think Kahr, like kel Tec, lets its guns leave the factory lacking in TLC. The polymer used in the PM40's frame is IMHO not up to snuff for firearms manufacturing. The frame rails seemed ruff and the frame got all chewed up. Plus it was very unreliable even after an extended trip back to the factory.

WOW I can't believe 75Scounts thougts on Kahr? I guess that tells you how subjective gun evaluations are!

Each evaluation has its subjective and objective elements.

Well, my PM9 had similar "chewed up" rails, though the factory indicated this was normal with the polymer guns. It was completely objective that the chewing occurred, as there were distinct chunks of material that no longer existed, after hundreds of rounds.

My PM9 also had an awful tendency to lock up the slide during field stripping. Once the slide was back on, the slide seemingly cycled fine. But getting it on and off was a real bugger, sometimes.

One other objective reality about my PM9 was the high percentage of failures to cycle, ranging from FTF, stovepipe on ejection, a few FTE. Final range session prior to sending off to the factory ended with a terrible percentage of rounds failing to cycle. This wasn't imagination, as it actually occurred. After being returned by the factory after a polishing/tuning, it was much improved, but by that time the "shine" had worn off my view of it. Sold it, soon after.

One thing I did not do is to post a couple of final range sessions (prior to sending back to Kahr) that dramatically illustrated the cycling failures. 50+ rounds failed in the sessions. Plenty enough to not trust it to save my life, by any measure one could think of.

The subjective part: Loved the size of the package. The look was just okay, though I would have preferred all-black. Didn't believe the lack of reliability in this one unit was worth my continued fussing, since it would never go into use as my carry gun. Not if Kahr paid me to do it. But that's just me. And, like as not, just this one PM9.