Question on replacing striker spring

[Romadoc]

For the first time in more than 50 years of shooting, I am now trying to do some work (aside from changing grips) on my own. Actually, I was born during FDR's first term as President. Therefore, I hope you will be patient with my questions.

I am following the instructions on the detailed stripping of the Kahr slide which I took from the Kahr forum on Glocktalk.com.

If I am correct, one stops after step #5 and merely replaces the old 6# spring with the newly ordered 5#.

My question is actually about removing the back plate. Just how difficult will it be? The picture shows both removing by thumb pressure or having to use a screwdriver to push it forward. Is this going to be one of those requiring a third hand? I really don't want to mar the gun's finish should the screwdriver slip while trying to push out the back plate.

Thanks in advance.

[OldGuyinTN]

You don't need a third hand, but you need to make sure your thumb is covering the whole back plate area as you work it down and out. That will keep you from losing the small stuff that will want to fly out. Be sure to put something between the rear of the striker and the back plate so that it doesn't get hung up in the recess when you're working the plate off. I "wiggle" the tool that I push the extractor spring pin down with, while using my thumbnail to get the back plate moving. When it's down far enough to grab, keep that thumb over the hole. You may have some edges try to hang up - just back up a little and work it down. Good luck.

[500KV]

One of these coat-hanger "tools" makes stripping the slide
sooo.. much easier.
Before I fabricated one of these I had parts and springs all over the room.
http://kahrtalk.com/kahr-tech/197-how-detail-strip-kahrs-upper.html

[jocko]

that is an excellent detail of slide stripping. Just be sure you take it apart so when things fly, u can find them. If you are doing it just to be doingit, then IMO DON'T. If you are replacing that striker spring for some reason or another, then indeed follow that manual of how to take the slide down. It is not a hard thing todo, although a 3rd hand sure would come in nice.

If you just doing it to clean it, then use that little hole in the bottom of the slide to clean that striker channel area out good. It will do it and no disaasembly is required. PUt your spray nozzle in that hole and just spray away.
Study the situation first and get the toos neede dto do it correctly and it is not that hard to do. I just don't recommend doinig it unless NECESSARY..

[PETE14]

I made a tool to hold the spring back out of an allen wrench that was long and I bent one end (be careful because I broke the first one) to make a long U shaped tool. The first time I took it apart it took me 20 minutes and after I made the tool it took me about 30 seconds. BIG help!

[ripley16]

If I am correct, one stops after step #5 and merely replaces the old 6# spring with the newly ordered 5#.

As long as you are "there", I'd go ahead and finish removing the parts, clean them up and reassemble. Removing the back plate is 75% of the whole effort.

The coathanger tool works well. Still, you should wear eye protection.

Once you capture the guide rod with the coathanger, you are freer to work on the back plate, which probably will need a lever (screwdriver) to move it out of the rear of the slide. It's tight but not hard to accomplish at all.

Watch out for the tiny spring on the striker block...don't lose it.

[Bawanna]

I did my K40 last night for the first time ever. The coathanger thingamagig is the ticket. My back plate came off without prying even though it has never been off before. Just have to make sure you got the extractor pin pushed down far enough to clear. I used a large ziplock bag to contain flying parts but turned out I didn't need it. The thingamagig really does the trick. I agree once again with Jocko that if it ain't broke don't fix it but at the same time it was really enlightening to see how everything correlates inside and Kahrs are a thing of beauty machine wise inside as well as out.
Have no fear it's not tough. I like the feeling of accomplishment when you get it all back together and it works. Confidence goes up a couple notches. PLUS- if things go sideways you know we're all here to help get you back on track. NO fear....................:o

[Shatner]

I was attempting to remove the slide plate on my CW9 to install a reduced power spring from Galloway Precision. I watched a few Youtube vids to make sure I knew how to do it. I must be doing something wrong because no matter how hard I push that damn plate to remove it it doesn't budge. Is there a trick to this? I've completely disassembled 1911s, CZ75s, Springfield XDs, Sig P226s and more. I've NEVER had any gun give me this much grief. Please tell me I'm doing something wrong or there's a trick.

When looking at the plate while on the slide, there's a half circle. On all the Youtube vids I watched the person in the vid uses a punch to press in there, I assume, so a part doesn't go flying or that's just something you must depress to remove the plate. I'm doing everything the vids instruct me to do but no dice. I've even used a flat head to get purchase on the plate serrations and marred it up a bit. A bit annoying on a new pistol.

What am I doing wrong? I'm used to Glocks where the plate practically comes off by willing it to.

[OldFatGuy]

YouTube is your friend. Backplate starts around the 4:30 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi3VFRll2L4

[Shatner]

YouTube is your friend. Backplate starts around the 4:30 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi3VFRll2L4

Hey OldFatGuy, thanks for your prompt reply. It's much appreciated.

As you can read in my post I looked at youtube vids. In fact, this was one of the vids I watched. It was by far the best vid, as a matter of fact. But no matter how hard I try, how much strength/muscle I put in to it the damn thing just won't budge, which is why I ask if there's a trickto itor something I'm missing; I do everything the guy in the vid says to do but no dice.

Have you removed the back plate on a CW9? If so how difficult did you find it to be?

[OldFatGuy]

Hey OldFatGuy, thanks for your prompt reply. It's much appreciated.

As you can read in my post I looked at youtube vids. In fact, this was one of the vids I watched. It was by far the best vid, as a matter of fact. But no matter how hard I try, how much strength/muscle I put in to it the damn thing just won't budge, which is why I ask if there's a trickto itor something I'm missing; I do everything the guy in the vid says to do but no dice.

Have you removed the back plate on a CW9? If so how difficult did you find it to be?

I don't have a C9, I have a CM40, but it's the same thing. I had to give the slide a little boost, pried at it with an aluminum tweezer thingy. You have to make sure that ejecter spring is depressed sufficiently, or it will stop that slide from sliding out. In that little hole, there is part of the slide that I thought was the spring, and I pushed on it like crazy and it wouldn't come loose. I got a light and looked down in that hole and saw the spring. Once I got something on that spring and pushed, the slide came off.