A New .380 ACP from Kahr

[allaboutshooting]

Kahr CT380 Tungsten

June 29, 2016 • Product Tests

CT3833TU (3.0" Barrel)
Black polymer frame, Tungsten Cerakote finish stainless slide
Ships with extra 7rd magazine and in a hard polymer case
Caliber: .380 ACP
Capacity: 7+1
Operation: Trigger cocking DAO; lock breech; "Browning - type" recoil lug; passive striker block; no magazine disconnect
Barrel: 3.0", Conventional Rifling, 1 - 16 right-hand twist
Length O/A: 5.52"
Height: 4.4"
Slide Width: .75"
Weight: Pistol 11.44 ounces (w/o magazine)
Grips: Textured polymer
Sights: Drift adjustable white bar-dot combat rear sight, pinned in polymer front sight
Finish: Black polymer frame, Tungsten Cerakote finish stainless steel slide
Magazines: 2 - 7 rd, Stainless


My first impression of the Kahr CT380 Tungsten was very positive. It has all the legendary features of the Kahr pistols, the great looks and durability of the Tungsten Cerakote finish and a .380 that fits my hand! All of this in a very compact and concealable pistol that holds 8 rounds of .380 ammo.

Maybe "fits my hand" needs an explanation. I'm an average size guy, about 5' 10" tall, arms about normal length and while I've never compared my hand size with other men, I figure my hands are about average too. Sometimes compact pistols are just a bit small for my hands and my little finger is looking for a place to go. That's not the case with the CT380.

The top 1/2 of the little finger on my shooting hand wraps nicely around the grip, giving just enough purchase to make it feel very secure for one-hand shooting and a great base when both of my hands are put into play. Since this pistol is very slim, the added length of the grip does not make it any less concealable. It's an easy gun to drop into a pocket holster, ankle holster, IWB or OWB holster.

The Tungsten Cerakoted stainless slide and the polymer frame are not only very attractive but make the gun very resistant to sweat and other forms of moisture. It also has a very stealthy appearance and there's nothing shiny to give it away.

The CT380 Tungsten looks good and feels good but how does it perform at the range? There's only one way to find out.

So, after inspecting and clearing any excess oil for the bore and action, it was off to the range to put some holes in paper and see just how well the CT380 performed.

I had a real variety of .380 shells to put through the CT380: Winchester 95 grain Full Metal Jacket; DRT 85 grain TMJ; Remington 88 grain HTP JHP; Federal 99 grain HST; and Polycase 56 grain ARX.

I like to make sure that any gun will function with its magazine fully loaded. I put 7 rounds in the magazine, installed it, racked the slide to chamber a round, removed the magazine, installed another round, installed the magazine and was ready to go. I repeated this process each time with each brand of .380 shell.

At this point, I'll cut straight to the chase. I did not have one malfunction or failure to feed with any of these shells. I did not clean the gun between rounds or when I changed brands of ammo. I just kept loading and shooting, putting 8 rounds of each brand through the gun, for a total of 40 rounds in one session. Frankly, that's a pretty good number of rounds of .380 ammo through a small gun and with many guns I would probably have quit before that.

I did however want to fire some 3 shot sequences with each shell. So, for this I loaded 3 rounds in the magazine, racked the slide and fired 3 shots in rapid succession. Again, no malfunctions of any kind and I was able to keep all 3 shots within the "5 ring" shooting with one hand, unsupported.

The CT380 is a very comfortable gun to shoot. It has enough size to allow for a very positive hold in either one or two-hand shooting. It does not squirm around in the hand when 3 rounds are fired quickly as might be encountered in a defensive situation. The sights are also quite good and the CT380 like all Kahr pistols I've shot, demonstrated excellent accuracy right out of the box.

There are many choices for a concealable .380 pistol today. For me, the most important features are safety, reliability and accuracy. Karh pistols are famous for all of these features and the CT380 is no exception. It's also very concealable.

This is one pistol that I can recommend without any reservation whatsoever.

To learn more about the Kahr CT380 Tungsten and other Kahr products, please visit http://www.kahr.com/

 

[bullgator]

I really think the need for a .380 has taken a hit with all the micro 9mm's available now. I have a Kahr cm9 and, while its a slightly bigger than most .380s, I don't think the difference is enough to drop down in power.

 

[allaboutshooting]

I really think the need for a .380 has taken a hit with all the micro 9mm's available now. I have a Kahr cm9 and, while its a slightly bigger than most .380s, I don't think the difference is enough to drop down in power.

Thanks. The Karh CM9 is my everyday carry gun as well. I have been shooting Polycase shells in it. They feature a 74 gr ARX bullet at 1475 fps with 375 ft lbs of energy. It's an amazing load with very low recoil, excellent accuracy and the ARX bullet does the job as stated.

I recently wrote a "Product Test" article on the Kahr PM45, which is only slightly larger than the CM9. You might want to take a look at that one as well.

What I see is that ammo makers are really trying to optimize the performance of all these compact and micro pistols. Polycase has done an amazing job and I just received some Federal .380 and 9mm shells designed specifically for micro pistols. It's great to see companies making ammo for these smaller guns.

I've always liked the old saying, "The best gun in the world is the one that you have in your hand when you need it."

Thanks,
Clark

 

[Big7]

That Inceptor ARX looks pretty mean on their website.

Might have to try some of them bad boys.

My carry 9's have been Gold Dot JHP +P+ for a long time..

I'm trying to find a .380 for my Dad.. He has health issues
and is very weak.
Been looking at some .22lr Wheel-Guns and compact Semi-Autos too..

I tried to get him to shoot my PT 111 Millennium Pro. 9mm.
He was afraid of it even though when he was in the Military
his issue was a 45 ACP M1911, then the M92' issue after the change.

Might want to look into a range that rents. Try out the lil' Kahr.
The range here has ALMOST anything for rent, even full auto..
The only thing is, if you use their gun to try out, you have to buy their ammo..

 

[allaboutshooting]

I'm trying to find a .380 for my Dad.. He has health issues
and is very weak.

I understand.

The CT380 might work well for him since it has a longer grip and would allow him to get a good hold on it. The Polycase shells are what I'd recommend with that gun. Some of the ball ammo is pretty hot with heavy bullets and generates a good bit of recoil.

The Karh CM9 is also an excellent gun and I'd recommend the Polycase shells with that gun as well.

All the Kahrs have a very good triggers.

Please let me know if I may be of help in any way.

Thanks,
Clark

 

[Boar Hog]

Those are nice but if I carry a .380 it's going to be my Colt!