Kahr P380 failure to go into battery, etc.

[beatsarock]

Hi everyone. I'm new to the forums and I searched and couldn't find an answer for this question. I purchased a used P380 today at a gun show. After careful inspection the firearm seemed to be in good condition. I went to the range here and fired about 100 rounds through it. I got a ton of failure to go into battery, and a bunch of problems when the slide didn't reset fully. Sometimes the slide locked open when I still had rounds in the mag and sometimes it stopped about 1/16th of an inch short of fully resetting. The gun, which I bought as a used gun, had very little wear on it, so I assumed it hadn't been through it's 200rd break-in period. After firing 100rds through it today it was shooting slightly better, but only reliable to about 75%.

Can anyone shed some light on this? Is the break-in typically this terrible?

On a positive note, the gun seems incredibly accurate for it's size.

[jocko]

Hi everyone. I'm new to the forums and I searched and couldn't find an answer for this question. I purchased a used P380 today at a gun show. After careful inspection the firearm seemed to be in good condition. I went to the range here and fired about 100 rounds through it. I got a ton of failure to go into battery, and a bunch of problems when the slide didn't reset fully. Sometimes the slide locked open when I still had rounds in the mag and sometimes it stopped about 1/16th of an inch short of fully resetting. The gun, which I bought as a used gun, had very little wear on it, so I assumed it hadn't been through it's 200rd break-in period. After firing 100rds through it today it was shooting slightly better, but only reliable to about 75%.

Can anyone shed some light on this? Is the break-in typically this terrible?

On a positive note, the gun seems incredibly accurate for it's size.

take the slide off and reinstall the slide lock lever . Now put a loaded magazine in the gun and as you insert that magazine look on the left side and see if that top round is hitting the inside of the slide lock lever. Premature slide lock can only be caused by accidcently hitting the slide lock lever while shooting or rounds pushing up the slide lock lever from the inside. they should not touch that slide lock lever at all. If they are hitting, call kahr and ask for IAN and explain what is going on, they will send you a new slide lock lever.

then start again to retest. break in with fmj ammo, don't mess with defense stuff until it is running right. Make sure that outter recoil spring is on correctly with the open end towards the front of the slide.

Kahr had some out of spec slide lock lever in the P380. If those round hit that lever even though maybe not locking the slide open, it will throw them off course on their way into the chamber.

I will PM you.

[bayoutrigger]

You never know what you are getting with a used gun. I would suggest you replace recoil rod with a stainless steel one and replace the recoil springs.

[jocko]

You never know what you are getting with a used gun. I would suggest you replace recoil rod with a stainless steel one and replace the recoil springs.

don't make a stainless recoil rod for the P380 as of yet, to my knowledge. really not necessary with the kahr P380 either. they have a good steel version in there.

[bayoutrigger]

Here ya go for SS rod for 380. I have the CW40 and just ordered one today for wife's new P380.
Bedair Machine Works (http://guiderod.com/)

Kahr
In Stock
Checkering available
P45
K40
P40
CW40
K9
P9
P380
CW9

[wyntrout]

When there's an FTFeed and the slide is locked back, and there are still rounds in the magazine, are they below the bottom of the feed ramp and possibly the magazine follower is snagging on the retention slot? I just had repeating problems with the 7-round mag for my PM9 like I just described. If the follower is snagging, you might try smoothing the little ledge or bump on the leading edge of the follower (mid-height on the follower). I had this repeat after 4th shot with three rounds stuck in the magazine like the follower had snagged on that slot on the right front of the magazine. This is just something to check before calling Kahr.
Wynn

PS:I think the SS recoil rod is like putting a chrome air-cleaner on your car engine -- doesn't make it run any better, but it looks good. JMHO

[jocko]

If the slide is locked back and there are still rounds in the magazine? Are they below the bottom of the feed ramp and possibly the magazine follower is snagging on the retention slot? I just had repeating problems with the 7-round mag for my PM9 like I just described. If the follower is snagging, you might try smoothing the little ledge or bump on the leading edge of the follower (mid-height on the follower). I had this repeat after 4th shot with three rounds stuck in the magazine like the follower had snagged on that slot on the right front of the magazine. This is just something to check before calling Kahr.
Wynn

PS:I think the SS recoil rod is like putting a chrome air-cleaner on your car engine -- doesn't make it run any better, but it looks good. JMHO

good idea. I always take my magazines apart and run the follower side ways over some 600+ grit pape rto smootht hings out on it, just incase. Process of elimination. agree ont eh guide rod to, expecially on the P380. They are good and I did not realize an after market recoil rod was available..

[wyntrout]

I personally think that if you are buying a stainless steel gun, there shouldn't be any regular steel parts in the darn thing -- certainly not the recoil spring rod. I buy SS to not have problems with rust. Everything but maybe some springs and the grips should be stainless... oh, excepting plastic/polymer and night nights.
Wynn:p

I remember the first time I saw a stainless Kahr pistol for sale in the catalog or online, followed by optional SS parts like the recoil rod -- WT%! It's like cheating or misleading you. How much are they saving? At least they make stainless magazines, if not perfect ones.

[Loveorchards]

Hi everyone. I'm new to the forums and I searched and couldn't find an answer for this question. I purchased a used P380 today at a gun show. After careful inspection the firearm seemed to be in good condition. I went to the range here and fired about 100 rounds through it. I got a ton of failure to go into battery, and a bunch of problems when the slide didn't reset fully. Sometimes the slide locked open when I still had rounds in the mag and sometimes it stopped about 1/16th of an inch short of fully resetting. The gun, which I bought as a used gun, had very little wear on it, so I assumed it hadn't been through it's 200rd break-in period. After firing 100rds through it today it was shooting slightly better, but only reliable to about 75%.

Can anyone shed some light on this? Is the break-in typically this terrible?

On a positive note, the gun seems incredibly accurate for it's size.

Hello - I know it has been some time since you posted regarding the p-380 not going into battery correctly. I have one and have the same problem with it. Were you able to solve the problem and how did you do it?

[Ron AZ]

I bought a used one. Had same or similar issues. Suggestion you hear are all good. But I sent mine to Kahr. Not sure of the age of yours, even if it is low round count. Kahr told me that some of the parts in the older P380's were finding not durable enough. They replaced them all (extractor and others) with new style parts plus recoil springs and swapped out 1 magazine. It was returned and works well (perfect with 6 rd. mags, still finicky some ammo with 7 rd. mags).

[erichard]

One other point to consider when seeing if the top round hits the slide lock lever is that that top round is typically NOT fully towards the back of the magazine. Usually, the bullet is either shocked forward or drawn forward by friction with the bullet before it (as the previous bullet is chambered) about an eighth and inch, plus minus. So when you go to figure out if the top round is hitting the slide release lever, you need to test it with the bullet forward a little if you want to simulate real world conditions. Sometimes, that top round will go farther than 1/8th inch, and if the round is more blunt tipped, it aggravates it even more. Not too well engineered in that respect, and the tolerances for getting it right are too exacting because if you shave off too much from that slide lock release (by sanding/dremel), then the slide lock release will fail to engage altogether. So it is bullet dependent depending on the nose of the bullet (FMJ round nose causing the least problems).

Keep the gun wet (lube the slide) and clean, and get a new recoil spring to combat the failure to go into battery. Hopefully as it breaks in, it will not have this problem in the future so quickly (as the parts burn in basically).

Those two problems and the nosediving problems are the recurrent issues for this gun from what I've heard and seen. They should supply two sets of recoil springs and need to improve the design of the upper mag and feed ramp, which in my opinion is too steep. I think the nosedive issue comes from a poor design where the top bullet is not parallel to the lower bullets, so the tip is not supported if the bullet moves forward from the previous shot (promoting a nose dive position even before it is in the chambering process). L
Love the gun, but these three problems do haunt it for many people and need to be corrected. If corrected, this gun should out sell most others because it has everything I want in a very small package.

[Loveorchards]

Thanks. Mine is a couple of years old and I have fired probably 400 or so rounds through it. It seems to work better on the self defense rounds than on the reloads I make for it. I use 100 grain fmj bullets loaded on the light side.

[Loveorchards]

One other point to consider when seeing if the top round hits the slide lock lever is that that top round is typically NOT fully towards the back of the magazine. Usually, the bullet is either shocked forward or drawn forward by friction with the bullet before it (as the previous bullet is chambered) about an eighth and inch, plus minus. So when you go to figure out if the top round is hitting the slide release lever, you need to test it with the bullet forward a little if you want to simulate real world conditions. Sometimes, that top round will go farther than 1/8th inch, and if the round is more blunt tipped, it aggravates it even more. Not too well engineered in that respect, and the tolerances for getting it right are too exacting because if you shave off too much from that slide lock release (by sanding/dremel), then the slide lock release will fail to engage altogether. So it is bullet dependent depending on the nose of the bullet (FMJ round nose causing the least problems).

Keep the gun wet (lube the slide) and clean, and get a new recoil spring to combat the failure to go into battery. Hopefully as it breaks in, it will not have this problem in the future so quickly (as the parts burn in basically).

Those two problems and the nosediving problems are the recurrent issues for this gun from what I've heard and seen. They should supply two sets of recoil springs and need to improve the design of the upper mag and feed ramp, which in my opinion is too steep. I think the nosedive issue comes from a poor design where the top bullet is not parallel to the lower bullets, so the tip is not supported if the bullet moves forward from the previous shot (promoting a nose dive position even before it is in the chambering process). L
Love the gun, but these three problems do haunt it for many people and need to be corrected. If corrected, this gun should out sell most others because it has everything I want in a very small package.

That slide lock lever you refer to, would that also be called the "slide stop"? I can't find a slide lock lever on Kahr's P-380 diagram (https://www.kahr.com/PDF/P380_PartsList.pdf).

[Baklash]

Yes, slide stop.