I have both.

I really like my MDE, but that was largely in comparison to a Keltec P3AT, which I did not like. The MDE is a beautifully made gun, all metal, solid, and nice looking too. From the moment I started using it I never had a single jam, failure to feed or eject or anything — it’s been flawless. However, it’s relatively heavy for pocket carry, firing it hurts my hand, I’m not in love with the trigger action, and I am not particularly accurate with it.

The P380 shoots more smoothly and accurately… the trigger action is simply fantastic. I’m still in the break-in period though and in the first 50 rounds have had lots of feed issues, failures to eject etc. Kahr specifically says the gun needs a 200 round break-in and if it gets reliable after 200 rounds it will become my new carry piece. It doesn’t look as nice as the MDE but it is just so much more enjoyable to use that it will be more reliable once the break-in issues are solved.

Bottom line: I’d go with the Kahr over the MDE.

On a brand new gun I had never shot before, I scored a 99 out of 100 with a 6 inch group! The sights are superb! The gun is comfortable, and shoots straight and true!

You get what you pay for and my security is worth WAY MORE than a discount gun!

I have owned a Kahr K9 since 1995 when the first came out on the market. It has been a very reliable gun. You do have to change the recoil spring every 2500 rounds. I am sad to say that my Kahr was stolen from my shop 2 weeks ago from some crackhead homeboy. I always safegard my guns and am very upset over it. Anyway, I miss my Kahr and in the market for a new one. I think I may go with the PM9. The Kahr guns are expensive but you do get a lot of gun for your money. You are only going to spend the money one time. I almost bought a Keltec Pf9. But I dont see why I should go with a cheaper gun because some piece of crap punk stole my Kahr. Kahr guns are definately worth the money. I know. I carried one for 13 years. Good Luck all.

Joe

But I couldn’t get along with it throwing the empties back in my face. This happened about 33% of the time: Unacceptable! So it got sent back to Kahr for some fine tuning.

Hope its better the second time around!

Jerrry

Slipped it into my front pocket in a pocket holster and it virtually disappeared. Now there is no reason not to be armed, no more excuses.

~L8~

At much less money, there is Glock and a host of other options in 9mm as well as the Sig option in .380 so I guess you have to really want one of these to fork over the super premium price over say a Ruger LCP or other such options.

I am looking hard for the LCP right now, and the NAA 380. I can add Kahr to the list for pistols to look for. 600 dollars is a lot of money, yes, enough to make me feel a bit sick, but I promise I’ll feel a LOT worse if my pocket pistol “clicks” instead of “boom”s when I need it.

If you have to do that to any new gun you got hosed, period. Funny, I have never had to do that to any Smith, Colt, Glock, Ruger, or Springfield I ever owned….

Personally, I “splurge” on the extra $80-$100. It’s only my life…what the heck, on the edge….what a rebel….

Kel-Tec is some CNC junk out of Florida…enough lawsuits and they will go the way of Phoenix et al…..be a rebel, buy well….besides, why buy misery?

I like the LCP but the recall still has me spooked….I’m looking at the new Taurus .380 slims….light (but this arguing about 1-2 oz is ridiculous)…no sense in arguing over 9 oz vs. 10oz….I think my finger, bones, and body can handle it…might just be me but if you debate it, I think you are splitting hairs…everyone has done an admirable job of getting near, or about, 10 oz……I can endure the rest….

I like the Taurus for two reasons….you can get 8 rounds instead of 6 or 7 with their extended mag and perhaps more importantly, you have a 3.3 inch barrel in a gun a little over 5 inches OAL….the KAHR is 2.5 inches, the LCP is 2.75 or 3.0….I think….

That 3/4 of an inch makes a little bit of difference on an already meek cartridge and the .380 can use all the help it can muster…

But then again, the KAHR 3.0 inch 9mm is about .15 wider, .1 taller and ever so slightly longer so compared to all of the .380’s, I’ll just migrate to the KAHR PM9….

Just the way I see it…..damn thing is about as small, can get a 7 round magazine, load it wtih the Hornady HP designed for low velocity barrels (read: short, short barrels such as those found in all compact pistols under 3.5 inches) or use frangibles….probably the only two cartridges that might work while maintaining a reasonably manageable recoil and flash…

It appears the PM9 might make some of those newer .380’s obsolete? Yeah, it’s SLIGHTLY larger but, unless you are a midget, it’s a rounding error….go with the 9mm and live long and prosper…

Adieu….

I do have a Kel-Tec P32 and unlike one of the previous posters, mine has been 100% reliable from the start…no jams, good accuracy. I did perform a ‘fluff & buff’ as some of the websites prescribe…took about 45 minutes. Just a once over with some fine grit sandpaper and a small file…for $250 and a few minutes of attention, I feel like it is a great gun. Kel-Tec says they could make it more ‘refined’ from the factory, but that would add another $100 to the price and make it much less attractive, cost wise.

While I own several full-size pistols, the are all ’safe guns’, i.e. they live in the safe 99% of the time. For carry, you really have to have something that is small, light-weight and reliable. A .32 ACP will get you by and with some of the mre modern hollow-points, I feel confident in its ablility to resolve all, but the worst situations. Though, a .380, 9mm or .38 spl is preferable (they won’t let carry LAW rockets here yet); its all a compromise.

New Kel-Tec .32 jammed so often that became frustrated and sold it back to the store (at a loss of course).
It seemed pointless to have a six round magazine when only the first round would fire, then jam. It might as well be a single shot.

Now I wonder about the dependability of Kahr P380. If it doesn’t jam then it’s worth six times the price of a Kel-Tec.

To start (through the first 300 rounds), lots of stovepiping and FTE’s – maybe one out of every 2 magazines. Took it home, cleaned it up, and did the buff ‘n stuff per the websites. Did a cautious job of it – polishing significant metal off of critical gun parts gives me heartburn. After the buffing and sanding and polishing and adjusting, it got better, but not enough better to use it as a carry-gun; stovepiping and FTE’ing maybe one shot out of every three or four magazines. Did more polishing, better cleaning – again, no appreciable improvement. Seeing smiley-faces on each cartridge that makes it into battery (i.e., take a shot, eject the next to inspect, take a shot, eject the next to inspect . . .) Smiley faces indicate the nose of the cartridges are impacting the foot of the ramp at some point in the process.

So, did what the forum suggested – sent it back to KelTec and asked them if they could do anything for me. Got it back only about three weeks later (fast!), with a work order describing buffing and polishing and cleaning. (For free, of course.)

Took it to the range with 100 MagTech 95gr FMC cartridges. Two magazines go through clean, and then a stovepipe, and two more mags and the a FTE, and during this I’m randomly ejecting to look for smiley’s and finding them every time, and then I went to pull the trigger for shot three out of a magazine, and it didn’t click. Looked at the slide, and I can see the new cartridge partially into the chamber – maybe a weak 1/4″ back.

Dropped the magazine and tried to pull the cartridge out. Stuck solid. finally pried it out, and it had the biggest smiley I’d yet seen. Tried to slide it into the chamber with the gun field-stripped – won’t go in. Other cartridges would. Smiley was so big, it deformed the nose of the cartridge enough so it wouldn’t fit.

When it works, I love the gun. Slips into any pocket, doesn’t drag the clothing down, long but smooth and predictable trigger pull, and decent accuracy given its length and weight.

But I’d always be afraid that if I needed a second shot, I’d have to throw the gun at my attacker. So, I’ll keep fluffing and buffing (if you think about it, optimism and insanity are almost identical in their effects) in the hopes that it will work. I know many KelTec owners who have no such trouble, and love the little machines dearly. There’s just something skewed in the geometry of mine.

when i do my part my p3at is just about as accurate as my other handguns – i can keep my shots on a paper plate @ 50 feet during slow fire. its short line of sight makes it harder to aim though, and the long trigger pull combined with flip & recoil makes it my most difficult handgun to control during rapid fire. i would not trust myself to be accurate with it past 15 feet in a life-or-death scenario.

i never tried any of the other ones but my p3at has been 100% reliable since get-go, as are almost all of the new production ones. that combined with the lowest price makes it a good candidate imo. i do love the kahr look though

Real German/Manurhin made ppk or ppks are the 380 choice for me. The american made ppks are not quality using cast parts even the smith and wesson parts come from the same foundry as the interarms ones did years ago. some work others don’t. Wonder if the Khar 380 will be made in all Stainless like the MK9.

Love the Kahr PM9, but it’s too big for daily pocket carry. The .380 version should have the quality, reliability and size to make it my #1 gun…

haha, thanks.

Thanks for this info! I may move the PM9 to IWB & put one of these (full of Cor-Bons) in my pocket.

Kahr’s tend to be more expensive – and I think they are going to have a tough time competing with the success of Kel Tec (as well as Kel Tec’s industry leading customer service) unless they price their guns similarly.

Ruger too – though Ruger probably has a name/brand recognition advantage over both.