At the 2013 Media Day I had the chance to put my hands on the new Kahr CW380, (Model #CW3833).  The CW380 is a nice compact handgun developed to fill the void in the CW series of pistols for the .380 caliber cartridge.  Previously Kahr had made the CW9 and CW40 in corresponding calibers.  Like its bigger brothers in the CW line, the CW380 has a polymer frame with a 416 stainless steel slide, and uses a single stack magazine to keep the pistol extremely slim.  Here are a list of the other CW380 specifications:

• Striker fired, Double-action only
• Trigger cocking
• 1:16 right-handed twist, with conventional rifling
• Weight – 10.2 oz. unloaded
• Magazine weight – 1.3 oz.
• Overall length – 4.96”
• Barrel length – 2.58”
• Width – 0.75”
• 6+1 capacity, stainless steel magazine
• Textured grip on front and back
• 2-dot white dot fixed sights
• Metal Injection Molded (MIM) slide stop lever instead of machined
• Slide will lock back after last shot
• MSRP $419

Although small, the CW380 still allows a solid grip.

The CW380 has a bit of a long trigger pull, but many DAO actions are like that.  Firing this pistol on the range was an enjoyable experience.  I found the accuracy to be acceptable (hitting steel easily at 15-20 yards).  The recoil was a bit snappy, probably due to such a small frame, but it was still more than manageable.

The Kahr representative said that the CW380 will be ready to ship next week, but in the American market where guns are being bought up in record paces, availability may quickly decrease.  Unfortunately the CW380 will only ship with one magazine.

The CW380 is incredibly thin.

The CW380 in my medium sized hand.

The Kahr CW380 next to its magazine.