CW380 - After 150+ rounds, Failure to Return and Failure to Lock Back - help please?

[cdr7509]

Hi everyone,


I bought a new CW380 a few weeks ago. After following the kahrtalk.com breakin and lube guides, and 150 rounds at the range, I'm having failure to return to battery, and failure to lock back after last round issues. I will try my best to explain below, and I've put up a youtube vid for the FTRTB. Any help/advice will be very much appreciated.


Failure to return to battery:
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My youtube vid: http://youtu.be/pHE4HNRiXNQ
This only happens during the first four rounds in the mag. Each time I have had to "ram it home" so to speak. In the video I have to apply a good ammount of pressure with my thumb to push the slide fully forward. I have checked the follower, and there are no hang ups during it's travel. The plastic follower rides smooth all the way from top to bottom.

Edit to add: I'm sure the mag spring is inserted in the proper orientation.


Failure to lock back:
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This has happened since it was new, and is still happening after 150 rounds. The slide has never locked back after the last round on an empty mag. When I insert an empty mag the slide release lever does move up a little bit as the mag is locked into place. I've double checked that the spring is over the notch on the slide release when reassembling the slide to frame.


Ammo and range time:
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100 rounds CCI Blazer Brass
50 rounds Hornady Critical Defense


Any help/advice will be very much appreciated. Thank you guys.

[SlowBurn]

Get the factory to check it out. Somebody else in the forum had the wrong recoil springs. But whatever it is let Kahr make it right.

[TheLastDaze]

join the club..... good luck

[jimrod1969]

I made a post recently on my CW380 slide not locking backing on last shot and have not got to the range to try some hotter loads to see if it will remedy. The CW380 springs like most Kahr springs I've encountered are stiff. My thought on the CW as I have only put 75 rounds through it that the springs are not broken in/ lightened up yet and there is enough umph in the PMC loads I used to cycle the slide properly but not enough to push far enough back to allow the slide lock to engage due to stiff springs. May be the problem...may be not.

As far a failure to fully go into battery I had a similar issue, although not on the first round in the mag - just on follow-up rounds, on my CM40. The cause was the store bought reloads I was using. Switched to factory ammo and ran 100%. Some minor dimensional issue I assume. Those same reloads functioned flawlessly in my HKP2000SK and Glock 27 G4. BTW, I also had massive failures to extract on my CW380 when using TulAmmo then switched to PMC Bronze and ran 100% - another dimensional issue. Kahrs seem to be a bit finicky on ammo type - not trash-eaters like the Glocks!

If none of the responses from KahrTalk folks help...send it back to Kahr. Their customer service is pretty good, although you may have to wait a while to get your gun back.

[DavidR]

My CW380 was plagued with FTRB so after 500 plus rounds I sent it back to Kahr. Turnaround time was 2 weeks. They replaced the recoil springs, re-worked the extractor and polished the feed ramp. It's improved but it still experiences battery failures with "wide-mouthed" hollow points like Federal Hydra Shok and flat nosed ammo. It never had a battery failure with Critical Defense.

As much as I like how the Kahr shoots, I bought a Ruger LCP (gen2) to replace it and have put 300 plus rounds of 5 different types of ammo through it with no trouble. I plan to cut my losses and trade the CW380 towards something else at my LGS.

[topgun1953]

It looks to me that your extractor is not working properly. I don't think it's supposed to be poking out from the frame like yours is in the video. If the casing is not sliding up under the extractor, that would be problematic. Those of you that already commented take a look, do you see the extractor extended out from the frame or are my old eyes deceiving me?

[timboy]

Send it back to Kahr on their dime,search my posts,they fixed mine,I still think the last 3/16 or so of slide travel should cycle a little smother but the gun functions perfect now on a wide variety of ammo.

[TheLastDaze]

Timboy, id be interested to know if yours will cycle Perfecta ammo?? If it does then they increased the gap on the extractor as well....
Does anyones 380 cycle Perfecta ammo???

[timboy]

I have not tried perfecta,it did not like tula brassmax at all before they fixed it but I have not bought any new stuff to re test it with.
If I happen uppon perfecta I will buy some but .380 ammo availability is still spotty here in NY,you grab what you can when you can.

[TheLastDaze]

well I'd not encourage you to waste your money then... but if you ever have the chance to try a few rounds at the range I'd be interested to know if it runs after they've tweaked it....