Archive for November, 2008
Kahr P380 Pistol: Kahr’s New .380 ACP Pistol
Posted by: | CommentsKahr Arms has announced they are shipping a new pistol chambered in .380 ACP: the Kahr P380.
Maintaining the distinctive styling of the larger Kahr pistols, the P380 is a DAO (double action only) pistol that features a black polymer frame with a matte stainless steel slide. The firearm holds six .380 ACP cartridges in the magazine and ships with two magazines. The Kahr P380 has a 2.5″ barrel and a choice of standard or night sights.
Kahr has clearly targeted the tiny .380 ACP pistol market by making direct comparisons to the diminutive Kel Tec P3AT (see the Kahr publicity 
photo at left). The Kel Tec pistol developed a large following after it was introduced, and many say is directly responsible for Ruger’s introduction of the LCP at the 2008 SHOT Show. With that in mind, let us compare the three guns.
The P380 is slightly shorter than both the P3AT and the LCP with a 4.9″ OAL compared to 5.2″ and 5.16″ of the other two pistols respectively. Kahr lists the slide width as a mere .75″ compared to the .77″ width of the Kel Tec and .82″ width of the Ruger. However, the Kahr is slightly heavier (9.97 oz unloaded) than the P3AT (8.3 oz unloaded) and the LCP (9.4 oz unloaded) and taller (3.9″ vs 3.5″ and 3.6″).
Since this pistol was just announced, I have not test fired the Kahr, but it appears the P380 has significantly better sights than both the P3AT and LCP, which is a welcome improvement in this category of firearm.
The P380 really suffers at the cash register when compared to the Kel Tec and Ruger. With standard sights, theP380 retails at $649, and with night sights, MSRP is $758. This is significantly more than the P3AT ($324-382) and LCP ($330).
Kahr Arms generally enjoys a favorable reputation for quality and the samples I have shot in the past have shot well and have had nice triggers. Assuming the P380 maintains the Kahr quality, I expect that the higher price tag will be tolerated by many buyers looking for a pocket or ankle gun.
The Kahr P380 is shipping and should be on your dealer’s shelf this month.
Ruger Mini-14 Magazine Sale: The “Inaugural Special”
Posted by: | CommentsRuger has announced a new promotion called the “Inaugural Special.” The promotion allows customers to purchase 20-round Mini-14 magazines at only $29.95 instead of the $39.95. The special pricing, in honor of the new president, runs through inauguration day, January 20, 2009.
Magazine prices are sure to go nowhere but up in an Obama presidency, so get these .223 magazines while they last.
From Ruger:
Ruger® Announces “Inaugural Special” Mini-14® Magazine Promotion
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE-RGR) announces an “Inaugural Special” for Mini-14® 20-round magazines that runs from Election Day to Inauguration Day.
From November 4, 2008 to January 20, 2009, fans of the Ruger® Mini-14 Target Rifles and Mini-14 Ranch Rifles, both chambered for .223 Remington, can purchase Ruger manufactured 20-round magazines (regularly priced at $39.95) for only $29.95. This special offer is only available through the Ruger On-line Store.
Please note that these magazines are not available where state or local regulations limit magazine capacity to less than 20 rounds.
38 Special Ruger SP100 with Aluminum Frame in 2009? Massad Ayoob Thinks So
Posted by: | CommentsMassad Ayoob hinted at a new Ruger SP101 revolver that will make a debut in 2009. An aluminum framed SP101 chambered in .38 Special was strongly hinted at by Ayoob in the most recent round table discussion on the Pro Arms podcast.
Ayoob stated:
“I wouldn’t bet my life on it, but if somebody was taking bets, I would bet that in the year 2009, Ruger might come out with one of those [the SP101] in .38 Special, +P rated in an aluminum frame…”
Many people realy like the handling characteristics of the SP101, but dislike the weight, especially when compared to an aluminum frame Smith and Wesson. With an aluminum frame, the five-shot SP101 becomes a more attractive pocket gun or back up gun in .38 Special.
Time will tell if Ayoob is accurate, but with the 2009 SHOT show in January, I don’t think we will wait long to find out.
Ruger LCP Holsters:Offerings from RKBA Holsters, Galco, Others
Posted by: | CommentsThe Ruger LCP has been a very popular .380 ACP handgun for concealed carry and back-up. Finding holsters for any new firearm can be tricky, but many options are now available for the Ruger LCP pistol. Here are a few:
RKBA Holsters makes an excellent pocket holster for the Ruger LCP. I have puchased several of the RKBA holsters in the past and have found all of them to be of very high quality, yet very reasonably priced. These full leather, handcrafted holsters are only $30.00. Read More→
