JMOfartO:
I don't think the question is really "is the Kahr P380 really worth the extra money over the LCP"..
My opinion, fwiw, generally not much, is that I believe in a pistol used for personal protection most people have, generally, the same requirements.
1. Absolute reliability. (or as close to it as any firearm can be).
2. Self defense distance accurate.. (and that ranges varies from person to person.. MY personal self defense range for my LWS380 is three yards, max.)
3. BE CONCEALABLE.. If you cannot carry it concealed, it's worthless.
4. Price.. If you can't afford it, it's worthless.. But buying a self defense choice simply based on price is also not necessarily a smart move.
I've personally owned ( 32cal's in the past) a KT P32, Beretta Tomcat, 2 NAA Guardians and with the exception of the Tomcat all were excellent pistols. The KT never missed a beat and with one exception both NAA's were perfect also. (One early series Guardian went back to the factory for feeding problems, the problem was corrected and the repaired pistol w/a free mag were sent back, never to cause another seconds problem.) The Tomcat was also an early series and it was honestly a piece of crap. Beretta CS was as bad as the Tomcat, but I hear the current Tomcats are much better. (Don't know about the modern bozo's at Beretta CS.)
My current mousegun cc choice is the LWS380. I don't say it will do anything better than the LCP, or the P380, or the new Sig or any of the new 380's hitting the market, but it IS the one I prefer, and I love it. If I couldn't afford it I would have been equally served with any of the others I'm sure.
I think we all know the Ruger LCP is a refined KT P3AT.. I know there was an early recall, but perhaps those problems have been corrected by now. Ruger I believe has a lifetime warranty and a good reputation so they'll get it right sooner or later.
The Kahr on the other hand, as with any new model anything, is IMO gonna have bugs that as a new owner YOU will be finding for the Kahr folks. You buy a new anything, you are generally gonna be a "beta tester" for the company that made the sucker. All Kahrs look alike to me, so this new 380 is probably already "bug free", but only the buyers of the early ones will know for sure.
I expect the new Sig 380, the Micro Desert Eagle and all the other new models to all have a great potential for requiring a de-bugging early on.
But rather than let the price be the determining factor for you, I suggest you find the choices that ARE reliable and accurate AND concealable, AND that you can afford, and try and hold and test fire each if possible.
Then buy what makes you feel warm and fuzzy, price be damned. :hand10:
No offense to those who might be smarter than I in this discussion, or might chose to disagree on my logic. Sometimes I'm wrong. :redface:
Best Wishes,
Jesse