If you’re in the market for a small pistol to carry for self defense, you may have come across the Kahr CW380. In this Kahr CW380 review, we’re taking a close look at the petite .380 pistol, how it performs at the range, and what it is best used for. 

If you’re eyeing the Kahr CW380 as your next carry gun, be sure to keep reading!

Kahr CW380 Review Takeaways

Just looking for the bullet points on the CW380? Here are some quick details and takeaways from our Khar CW380 review:

• The Kahr CW380 is a small, lightweight pistol ideal for pocket carry because it is not big enough for AIWB carry
• It has a 200-round break-in period according to Kahr
• Kahr recommends chambering the first round by using the slide release instead of racking the slide
• It is the budget version of Kahr’s P380 pistol
• It can be uncomfortable to shoot for more than a couple magazines, but not the snappiest pocket pistol in .380 ACP and is surprisingly shootable
• Functioned reliably with many different JHP and FMJ rounds, only having issues with Blazer Aluminum which had multiple light primer strikes

Kahr CW380 Review: Gun Specifications

The Kahr Arms CW380 is a small, lightweight pistol chambered in .380 ACP and is manufactured right here in the USA. Kahr introduced the pistol in 2013 as a follow up, budget version of their P380 pistol that hit the market three years earlier. It has a 6+1 round capacity and has a polymer frame, matte stainless steel slide, and textured grip.

Kahr advertises the pistol’s action as “trigger cocking DAO; lock breech; “Browning – type” recoil lug; passive striker block; no magazine disconnect.” To keep it simple, it is a striker fired pistol that functions similarly to a Glock’s “safe action” in that the striker is partially, but not completely, cocked by the movement of the slide. 

The CW380 has an MSRP of $457 which is a bit higher than some comparable .380 pistols, like the Ruger LCP at $259 and the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard at $396. Though, you’ll typically find it available for about $100 under MSRP, getting it closer to the LCP and Bodyguard prices. 

As for sights, the basic CW380 model comes with a bar-dot combat rear sight and pinned polymer front sight.

CW380 vs. P380

As I said earlier, the CW380 is Kahr’s budget version of their P380 pistol. So, what exactly are those differences? 

The CW380 and P380 are functionally the same gun. The main differences are that the CW380 has smaller sights and comes with only one magazine.

CW380 Size

The CW380 is on the smaller side of .380 pistols. While it shares the same magazine capacity (6+1) as the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard and Ruger LCP II, it has a shorter overall length than both guns. It is just slightly more narrow than the LCP II, but shares the same height.

It is much smaller than the popular Glock 42, which serves as more of a carry gun than a pocket gun.

CW380 at the Range

Now, let’s take a look at how the CW380 performed at the range.

Range Performance

I dread shooting pocket pistols. Frankly, they’re snappy and uncomfortable to shoot for more than a couple magazines. That’s why, despite its small size, I was surprised to find that the CW380 is actually pretty shootable. 

Compared to other small .380s, like the Ruger LCP or Smith & Wesson Bodyguard, the CW380’s recoil does not feel as snappy. It is not a gun that I would want to shoot hundreds of rounds through in a single session, but I had no qualms shooting a couple boxes of .380 ACP ammo during my range trip. Its short grip may give some shooters trouble. However, if you’re choosing to carry a pistol this small, you should understand that certain features, like a full grip, may be sacrificed for a compact size.

The CW380’s trigger pull is around 5.5lbs, making it lighter than many of the other small .380s in the same class. Despite being a striker-fired gun, the trigger feels similar to that of a light double action.

I have somewhat long fingers which made quick shots difficult as my finger would hit the trigger guard as it headed for the trigger. This may not be an issue for most shooters, but if you do have long fingers, keep in mind that the CW380 is relatively short with a slide length just under 5-inches.

CW380 Downsides

My biggest hangup with the CW380 is its stiff recoil spring which makes the slide difficult to rack. While good technique can make racking the gun easier, I found that the small slide made it difficult to get a solid grip in order to rack it. 

While we’re talking about the slide, it should be noted that Kahr recommends chambering the first round by using the slide release. That means when you should start with the slide locked back before inserting a loaded magazine. Once the magazine is inserted, use your thumb to press down on the slide stop, releasing the slide. Some of these small pocket pistols have small slide stops that would make doing this difficult, but the CW380’s slide release is large and easy to manipulate.

I also find the pistol’s sights to be a bit small. Luckily, you can replace them with aftermarket options.

CW380 for Concealed Carry

Due to its small size, the CW380 is best suited for pocket carry in a proper holster. Its short grip would make it difficult to perform a quick, clean draw from the appendix position. 

The drawback to carrying the CW380 is that it does not have a thumb safety or hammer that can be used to disable the gun when performing administrative tasks such as holstering.

CW380 Reliability

I was a bit worried about how well the CW380 would run with multiple different types of ammo. I’ve found that budget guns often are picky with ammo, leading to malfunctions. 

So, I was surprised when the CW380 had hiccups with only one type of ammo. It ran flawlessly when fed PMC Bronze 90gr. FMJ and Speer Lawman 95gr TMJ. It also functioned perfectly with multiple JHP rounds:

• Speer Gold Dot 90gr. GDHP
• Federal LE 99gr. HST
• Hornady Critical Defense 90gr. FTX
• Federal Personal Defense 90gr. Hydra-Shok JHP

The only issue was with the aluminum-cased round Blazer Aluminum 95gr. FMJ which had multiple light primer strikes. To be fair, I also experienced a light primer strike with this ammo out of the Glock 42. 

Kahr CW380 Review: Final Thoughts

Winchester Bonded PDX1 Defender 380 ACP Ammunition - 20 Rounds of 95 Grain JHP

$28.00

Federal Premium Personal Defense 380 ACP Ammunition - 20 Rounds of 90 Grain Hydra-Shok JHP

$28.99

If you’re in the market for a .380 pocket pistol that is both comfortable to shoot and reliable, the Kahr CW380 is certainly worth a look. Its reliability when 

Whichever .380 pocket pistol you pick up, be sure to load it up with the best .380 ammo and get plenty of trigger time at the range!