My Kahr factory experaince and what I learned

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oldcabin

New member
I have a P380 just under 2 yrs old. I have posted in the past here that I liked it and have had no real problems. I had a LCP to compare, maybe the things I posted helped someone make a good decision. Maybe telling you now about the phone call I just had will help someone make a decision going forward. Calling the factory proved interesting. I was not happy with how I was spoken to, or that 2 different people told me 2 different things. Fail to feed, over and over again, not clean, but not dirty. Full mag, one round, doesn't matter. FTF 7-8 times in a row. Different brands. I was told the spring needs replacing at 1200 rounds, someone else said 5000 10 min later.

Ruger happily paid shipping their way to have a pistol looked at, and fixed it and got it back to me quickly. And was nice to me on the phone. Kahr was not. After the 1st year, customer pays. The conversation was condescending and quick. At one point when I asked if I do need to send it overnight I was told "a pistol is a firearm so yes I do". when I asked for the address I was reminded it's on the manual. It's not that they didn't pay for shipping, it's that the people at the grocery deli counter are happier to talk to me.

Point is we all (most of us) get excited about pictures, reviews and the latest thing to hit the market. I am now very aware of my situation as an owner with a problem, and I am not as excited. I am not a huge buyer, but I buy several things a year, I talk to others about my experience, and I did buy in to their premium 380, and I have been handled poorly. I'll update as things go forward.

What is your advice?
 
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Good info - thanx!

Thank you very much for posting this - I had seen things in the past about poor customer service from Kahr, but there is still a huge amount of good stuff too. I have been thinking hard about a Kahr CM40, but have not been able to overcome my concern for the negative info about the company. Your post tells me I probably should stay away.
 
First off I feel your pain. I've had to return a number of firearms back to different motherships and it's never been a fun experience. That said, you're one data point. I've had notably different experiences with companies depending on the individual I talk to. In an ideal world that wouldn't be the case, but human employees are far from ideal. Even a good employee has a bad day where events in their personal lives can translate into their work and they treat the customer poorly.

By what you posted it doesn't sound like there is much you can do. If the manual stated that after 1 year the shipping is on you then the shipping is likely on you. If it doesn't explicitly state that anywhere you could call back and ask to speak to a supervisor, but you might not get far either. You can actually ship a handgun USPS priority mail if you have an FFL ship the firearm for you and that might save you some money, otherwise UPS and FedEx state overnight shipping (that's a corporate policy not a law and I've had dealers on Gunbroker violate that policy; I am NOT recommending you do so).
 
I'm sorry for your pain.BUT this is how we(yes me too)have to learn hard lessons.You are not alone and I commend you for sharing.What would I do?Ok,you asked.First I would get a new Gen.2 LCP!Next play Kahr's game on their dime,it gives you honest options.Then remember "This Too Shall Pass." Good Luck Skeets :D
 
I really liked the LCP, it just fit my hand differently than the P380. I tried grips and wraps, the LCP just forced me to use a awkward hand grip. At the time the cw380 and the ct380 were not out. I would have gone Ct380 now.

I understand the guys building and designing aren't the ones answering the phone. I wish companies understood better how customer service affects them. I 'm not just complaining either, I post about the good too.

Ruger treated me right. I've bought 6 from them and own 5 now. That how trust in the company ensures repeat business. ( Ruger, send me a shirt or something) :D
 
oldcabin said:
Ruger treated me right. I've bought 6 from them and own 5 now. That how trust in the company ensures repeat business. ( Ruger, send me a shirt or something) :D
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I can echo the sentiment on Ruger customer service, as the last P95 I owned developed an issue (slide jammed about a half inch out of full battery due to a broken piece of polymer on the inside, rear of the frame near the hammer group).

Long story short, Ruger paid for out and back shipping, and gave me a brand new replacement P95, no questions asked!
 
I suggest you run right out and buy a Kimber, after dealing with them you'll think the boys at Kahr are a bunch of Eagle scouts.
 
Did you go to the Kahr forums and read about the mag issues and how to easily correct them? Takes about 1-2 minutes
 
or that 2 different people told me 2 different things.
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I know this happens and I guess I even know how it happens but goodness-the company CONTROLS the phones and they CONTROL who answers them--I mean put the fear of unemployment into the folk answering the phones and impress upon them the need to be cheerful and stick to either the one and only company line or tell the customer that they'll get back to them once they find out what the one and only company line is.

I'm assuming they all log the calls and when you call back the person reviews what the previous person said.

Please note: the above policy would NOT ensure that the customer is always taken care of. It would just mean they had a cheerful person to talk to and the same answer to the same question every time. Which for the customer could be REALLY annoying but at least it would be consistent and wouldn't cost the company anything extra.
 
So after the day to think about it I am having them send springs they suggested. I will look for the kahr talk mag post FITASC mentioned. A link if someone knows it would be appreciated. As aggravated as it would make anyone, perhaps it is also an opportunity for me to learn more about the firearm. Tips and recommendations I wouldn't know if it was perfect, because I wouldn't have to go looking for answers.

I just spend some time looking for the 1-2 min mag fix. I found out I should take my mags apart and strech out the springs... great....
I also read a ton of people with similar problems and few solutions. Of the people who posted factory outcomes there seems to be alot of ramp polishing and pin lubricating. Lots of folks with multiple factory trips back and forth. Maybe most all of the bad ones were sold to folks on that other forum... :rolleyes:
 
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It has been more than five years, but when I called Kahr I think I got someone who was on the factory floor. Sure sounded like it anyways. The person spoke quickly and was direct, but also seemed quite interested in how I liked the gun. They overnighted the correct replacement part to me. It was a new purchase.
 
I have a Kahr, I knew their CS was bad. You know how I avoided that mess? I bought a well used Kahr that functioned well. Gentleman wanted to see what the more expensive model was like so needed the funds. He was supposedly the second owner and I can live with some scratches, blunted matte finish on corners, a Bubba polished barrel hood (stopped halfway! Probably frustrated)
Currently my most accurate CCW firearms. A mystery I am still putting to the test

I do not know from reading this thread what your specific issue was but if it's magazine or feeding related you may want to check to see if the bottom of the feed ramp is Impacting the mag or mag follower. I remember reading that some have their feed ramp shortened just enough to stop it if this is the case.
 
some kahr forums have some real fan boys that will slap their own mother before they admit that they have a crappy gun. excuse after excuse for those kahrs..... ive owned good and bad kahrs, and Ian (sp?) at kahr is the last person I will ever speak to about a gun problem. I found it easier to leave the kahr brand behind me. I find them a lot like kel-tec or charter arms... et cetera... if you get a good one you get a good one, however if you get a bad one you're in for a nightmare.
 
Unfortunately, some companies lose sight of what keeps them in business- their customer base. You can build the best product on the market; and if your customer service is sub par, you will lose customers in droves.

I had a recent customer service experience with Glock, my very first actually. I purchased a used 30SF that was in like new condition. It was made in 2008, and had factory night sights installed. The rear sight was about half as bright as new, which is normal for it's age, but the front sight was barely illuminated.

I contacted Glock via email and had a response from the manager in under an hour. He advised me that the warranty period on the sights is 15 years, and provided an RMA to return the slide for inspection.

Now as I was not the original owner, I was fully prepared to pay Glock the $55 to install a new set of night sights for me. I wouldn't even protest. The terms of their warranty are outlined in plain English in the owner's manual.

One week later, a package was waiting for me on the kitchen table. I opened it up, and my slide was in there with a letter from Glock thanking me for being a customer. A new set of night sights had been installed free of charge. They also replaced my guide rod assembly with the new updated version. I was blown away by their level of customer service!

So let me ask you this- Based on my experience, which brand do you think I would look at first if I'm on the market for a new pistol? That is why companies that have excellent customer service have loyal customers, and they usually retain them for life.
 
I know that all companies turn out lemons once in a while, but the ideal company would be one that doesn't need a CS section. Years ago, Melvin Johnson wrote something to the effect that if your weapon fails, write to the company and leave the letter among your personal effects where the burial detail will find it and mail it. He was talking about military weapons, but it seems to me the same thing applies to defense weapons as well. (Oh, and put a stamp on the envelope.)

Jim
 
I have a P380 that had fail to feed and fail to extract issues. I called Kahr, talked to a tech and was immediately sent a new recoil spring. Not sure it did any good.


What DID help was fo keep shooting the gun with hotter ammo. After 600 rounds, I suddenly felt the gun settle in and it has been perfect since.

Yes, you can say a 600 round breakin is absurd, and I won't disagree. But MY experience with Kahr tech support has been very good.

I have two other Kahrs that have been perfect from day one.
 
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