The 380 is a lot smaller. It also weighs a couple ounces more than the LCP, since the LCP has light recoil the Kahr 380 should be even less so. Women tend to wear tighter clothes than men so the smaller gun should be easier to carry all o0ver.

 

I'm not a fan of kahr guns at all however in my personal experience from 'reading's I've ascertained that the 380 is actually less reliable than their 9mm guns so I'd recommend the cm9 from what you've listed

 

I don't know a single woman who wants any firearm the size of a PM9 in her pocket in most clothing that they wear. LCP or P380, etc is the largest I've known one to want to try. YMMV

 

Thanks, guys. Well, even though I'm only 5'3, sometimes I clothing that would easily conceal a CM9. I've held and looked at them, so I'm aware of the size. We also have nearly 1,000 rounds of 9mm ammo, so shooting would be a breeze as opposed to having to buy hundreds of rounds of expensive 380 ammo...

 

depends on her pockets.

what does she normally wear? and does she have other carry options like IWB appendix carry for the same gun....et cetera?

 

I have no experience with the .380 but I do own the cm9 and I really like it. The trigger is long but very smooth, the recoil is not that bad. It fits well in my cargo shorts but there is no way I can fit in a pair of jeans. Overall it is a great carry gun

 

Smaller = more recoil. Something to think about.

 

There is really nothing to compare when dealing with apples and oranges -

The 9mm is far and away more potent for terminal ballistics

The Win. BONDED PDX1 9mm + P 124 gr. JHP remains supersonic out to 25 yds !! So expansion at close range is still a positive result.


JF.

 

CM9 for sure. The .380 isn't nearly as potent, and there are lots of reports regarding less than stellar reliability with the P380.

 

My wife carries a Kahr P9 Covert (Long slide PM9). She's a thin 50yo gal and complains about no upper body strength, but she can shoot the Kahr extremely well. She also has no trouble shooting my PM9 and is very accurate with it as well. The 9mm Kahr is a fine gun for a shooter with some experience, no need to go with the less potent .380 unless you need the smaller package.

 

Do some research, polymer Kahrs are Junk.

 

had a kahr p380 for a couple of years sent back twice for broken items.
sold for 1/2 price as it was failing to go into battery.
the kahr became unreliable as a carry gun even after ~450 down range.
light strikes, failure to go into battery, broken recoil spring.
it had the best trigger of all my mouse guns:
kahr p380, p3at, lcp, bodyguard, diamondback 380, diamondback 9mm.

 

If you haven't already check out the S&W Bodyguard 380. I got one about a month ago and just ran about 700 rounds through it with zero issues. It's small and has a built in laser which may or may not really matter to others. I got it being a complete pocket gun noob. After checking out the LCP, P3AT DB380 and SIG p238 locally, the S&W just seemed like the best option for the money. Metal frame insert, real sights, laser, slide lock and ext safety and I got mine NIB for $329. It loves Gold Dots and can handle +P ammo.

Just something to consider.

 

I would recommend the 9mm over the 380. The modern 9mm cartridge is definitely a stopper which is what you want. The 38sp+P in a J frame S/W revolver is another good option. It can be comfortably carried in a sweatshirt pocket or loose jeans. I hope this helps.

 

Bu the CM9. Your stated purpose is pocket carry (to stop a bad guy) and with the limited number of rounds these carry the 9mm will be much as effective. I just don't see what's gained by "stepping down" to .380 today?

 

:brickwall:

Do some research, polymer Kahrs are Junk.

Entirely not true yet stated as fact. My P9 as over 1,000 rounds with zero failures of any kind. I can also make one single whole the size of a quarter at 7 yards with it so its easily "minute of body" accurate.

 

If there is any way to shoot them both, do it. Travel to a shop that can rent guns if it is possible. The .380 will recoil less but is less powerful. Reliable expanding .380 ammo is out there. If you haven't handled either one, go to a shop and feel up a bunch of guns. Feeling is free.....gun wise. In my opinion, the .380 is adequate for self defense. But, some people think that you should carry as big a caliber as you feel comfortable with. Think about how you would carry it in most circumstances-clothes-car-places you go. Go with the gun you would be most comfortable with. If it is not comfortable, most likely, you may not carry it. What good is it then? Whatever you decide, practice with it. Your life and the lives of those around you may depend on it.

 

from everthing i've heard,the p380 has never been very reliable..the cm9 has a good track record so far..

 

Just one data point: My experience with the P380 has been a nightmare so far. It's on its fourth vacation to Kahr since April, and today marks the seventh week for this stay. I've been told that Kahr has discovered some sort of defect with the frame design that is causing a lot of the problems, and that P380s returned for repairs are experiencing longer delays as Kahr waits for the new frame design to be production-ready. I assume that I'll get to pay yet another FFL transfer fee once Kahr replaces my frame again (which they already did on the third return). A visit to Kahrtalk shows that many, many P380 owners have had problems that require one or more return trips for service.

Pocket carry would be much easier with the P380 than the PM9/CM9, especially for a female, but I cannot recommend the gun. I think the polymer Kahrs in general have far too many quality control issues, but the PM9/CM9 guns appear to be the least problematic of the Kahr polymer lineup by far.

 

I stick to 9mm or better where possible, so I'd take the CM9

 

I realize that you have stated a bias against the LCP but @ 12 ounces loaded with seven 95 grain FMJs it is extremely portable and reliable. The trigger was very easy to get used to for me.

 

I have both a p380 and a PM40. Both are totally reliable.

 

Do some research, polymer Kahrs are Junk.

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Another INTERNET expert with no personal experience!

My P9 has been 100% reliable with 1000's of reloads to +P+ for many years!

Add that to your research.

 

Do some research, polymer Kahrs are Junk.

I'm sure this particular expert is a Marine, LEO, and Seal Team 6 member and probably an astronaut also. Want to bet he's owned at least two polymer Kahrs (in .45-70 and 10mm of course) that were "jam-o-matics"?

OF course, he can shoot his subcompact 1911 so fast it sounds like a machine gun, while producing 1" groups at 200 yards. He owns 16 of these (all Kimbers) and they never jam, not even once.

:tongueout:

 

My 18 year old daughter actually loved shooting my PM9, especially compared to my LCP. She's about 5'6", 115lbs and had no issues with recoil or accuracy. I'll probably buy her one to compliment her LCP in the future.

VMP