Kahr P380: Slide keeps locking back

[LT1MCSS]

I picked up a Kahr P380 a few weeks ago and I have been to the range twice so far. I have run about 350 rounds or so through the gun so far. I know that Kahr recommends a 250+ round break in.

I haven't had any problems to feed really, I have had the last empty casing fail to eject sometimes after the slide locks back on the last round. I have also had a few instances where the slide didn't come all the way forward. It stayed about an 1/8" back. Now i think these 2 problems would be solved by gettng used to shooting the gun and getting it broken in.

The main problem I have is the slide keeps locking back prematurely on me. When I am firing a magazine sometimes it will lock back 4 times on a 6rd mag. Sometimes it will do it only once, and on a rare occasion I have been able to run a full mag through it but that's only happened once or twice. I'm not really sure what it is. I thought it might have been me but I let someone else try shooting a mag or two and they had the same problem. This isn't my first pocket .380. I have had a few different ones and never had a problem with any of them.

I have tried running WWB and Federal AE rounds through it (same results)
I have pearce pinky extensions so I have tried shooting the gun with and without them(same results)
Really like my best to make sure my wrists were locked to try and prevent limp wristing (same results)
Tried having a friend run a mag through it too and he had similar problems

Right now I'm to the point where I think I might have to send the gun back. I like the gun a lot so i really want to get it functioning correctly. I was wondering if there was something else I could try.

I'm wondering if it could be a magazine issue but both my magazines with factory base plates and the pearce grips do the same thing.

Anyone have any info they would like to share?

 

[fbirdquik6]

Watch where you are putting your thumbs, given the guns small size, id guess you a accidentally pushing up the slide stop during recoil

 

[LT1MCSS]

Watch where you are putting your thumbs, given the guns small size, id guess you a accidentally pushing up the slide stop during recoil

My thumbs are below the slide stop. Its actually pretty tough to hit the slide stop up with the kahr's i think anyway. Just the way it is more in the middle of the gun and in order to get it to lock back (at least on your on you have to pull the slide ALL the way back and give it a good push up.

I googled for it last night. It appears I'm not the only one who has had this issue with the P380. It was late so i didn't have time to dig into it further. I will probably look more this afternoon. In the 2 cases I saw one person didn't post up a fix but it looked like they were going to have to send it back and the other person had that problem and a few others. They sent their gun back and they said Kahr sent them a new one which i was surprised at.

 

[45collector]

Have you tried different ammo? Could be the nose of the bullets are contacting the ledge on the slide stop as they make their way up the magazine and into the chamber.

ETA: oops yeah ok I see you've tried WWB and AE. Are the WWB rounds the round-nose style, or flat head? I shoot Remington 95gr FMJ's in my .380's. They are a little pricier but are the only rounds I'll use if I'm carrying a .380.

 

[LT1MCSS]

Have you tried different ammo? Could be the nose of the bullets are contacting the ledge on the slide stop as they make their way up the magazine and into the chamber.

ETA: oops yeah ok I see you've tried WWB and AE. Are the WWB rounds the round-nose style, or flat head? I shoot Remington 95gr FMJ's in my .380's. They are a little pricier but are the only rounds I'll use if I'm carrying a .380.

The WWB is the flat tip and AE is round tip. I ran 150-200rd of each through it just to rule out ammo but it doesn't appear to be a feeding issue at this point. The slide is locking back with the slide stop. If i press the slide stop it will feed the round without a problem.

 

[drgrant]

I shoot Remington 95gr FMJ's in my .380's. They are a little pricier but are the only rounds I'll use if I'm carrying a .380.

Out of curiousity whats the part number on those? Do they have sealed primers and such, or are they just the standard rem UMC fodder?

-Mike

 

[Sniper977]

I'm not a kahr guy but i try to keep up on info concerning field stripping and cleaning of most major pistol platforms. I saw a field strip video from Kahr Arms one day that emphasized that when you install the slide stop/pin, the protrusion on the slide stop must be underneath the slide stop spring that is attached to the frame. If the spring gets underneath the slide stop protrusion or is broken then youll get the slide lock back issues. I've talked to some Kahr owners who've said even the factory puts the slide stop pin in wrong every now and again. Check that first after watching the video link below from Kahr Arms. Start it at 4 min 25 sec to see what I'm talking about. Hope this helps. If not, then send your gun back to the factory for further diagnosis.

Watch the vid from 4min 25 secs to see what I mean.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2cZgVg_SwA&feature=related

 

[45collector]

Out of curiousity whats the part number on those? Do they have sealed primers and such, or are they just the standard rem UMC fodder?

-Mike

P/N MCL380AP

Standard UMC.


Main reason they're the only I'll use is that they work perfectly in the two .380's I own, and I rarely come across any other brand besides WWB and AE, both of which I've had random FTF's with. Fiocchi makes a decent round but I don't remember the last time I've seen a box of them in .380.

 

[Youradolt]

My thumbs are below the slide stop. Its actually pretty tough to hit the slide stop up with the kahr's i think anyway. Just the way it is more in the middle of the gun and in order to get it to lock back (at least on your on you have to pull the slide ALL the way back and give it a good push up.

I googled for it last night. It appears I'm not the only one who has had this issue with the P380. It was late so i didn't have time to dig into it further. I will probably look more this afternoon. In the 2 cases I saw one person didn't post up a fix but it looked like they were going to have to send it back and the other person had that problem and a few others. They sent their gun back and they said Kahr sent them a new one which i was surprised at.

I had one that had the same problem I took out the slide stop and ground down the piece that the mag hits I took about 1mm off of it. then problem was gone

 

[LT1MCSS]

I'm not a kahr guy but i try to keep up on info concerning field stripping and cleaning of most major pistol platforms. I saw a field strip video from Kahr Arms one day that emphasized that when you install the slide stop/pin, the protrusion on the slide stop must be underneath the slide stop spring that is attached to the frame. If the spring gets underneath the slide stop protrusion or is broken then youll get the slide lock back issues. I've talked to some Kahr owners who've said even the factory puts the slide stop pin in wrong every now and again. Check that first after watching the video link below from Kahr Arms. Start it at 4 min 25 sec to see what I'm talking about. Hope this helps. If not, then send your gun back to the factory for further diagnosis.

Watch the vid from 4min 25 secs to see what I mean.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2cZgVg_SwA&feature=related

Thanks for the tip. I checked this after you told me about it and I am putting the slide stop in correctly with the spring sitting where it should. I did not know about this. That's good to know. I even pulled the slide off and did it a few times just to get a better look at exactly where the spring was sitting.

 

[LT1MCSS]

I had one that had the same problem I took out the slide stop and ground down the piece that the mag hits I took about 1mm off of it. then problem was gone

This might be something i may look into. Where exactly did you remove the material. On the P380 its pretty small. I could always trying hitting it with some emery cloth to clean it up as bit i suppose.

 

[Sniper977]

Youradolt, I'd be interested in your mod too. Can you post some pics?