New Recoil Springs: PITA!

[tony k]

My CW45 was having trouble returning to battery with Hornady XTP bullets and my cw380 was having trouble going in to battery with GECO ammo. Both pistols' recoil springs had somewhere around 1500 to 2000 rounds through them so I decided to see what new recoil springs would do.

I've never struggled to put in a kahr recoil spring, but man did I struggle with these.

The cw380 was particularly tough because the new inner spring was about 3/4" longer than the outer spring. In fact, the new and old outer springs were the exact same length.

I've seen a number of different philosophies about how often to change recoil springs in a kahr pistol. At least one member here puts in new recoil springs in his 380 every 500 rounds. Other people never change them.

What's your approach? Does the fact that my old and new outer recoil springs were the same length suggest that it didn't need to be changed?

[Ed M]

Out of curiosity, I just checked my CW380 with 1800 rounds through it vs a new set of recoil springs.

The outer recoil spring is exactly the same length as the new one, and the inner spring is 3/4" shorter than the new one.

I put 100 rounds of Perfecta (gasp) through it last weekend with zero problems. I sling shotted the first round of every fresh mag with no problem as well.

I don't anticipate having to put new recoil springs in it until at least 2000 rounds, and then "just because". I don't want to push it too far and risk screwing anything up either...

[tony k]

I put about 180 rounds through the 380 it today. Interestingly, the bargain GECO ran better, but still had a three frb. I Miked the unfired culprits and they were about .373" at the case mouth. Reliable ones are typically .371" IME.

Anyway, When I took the 380 apart to clean it, the new inner recoil spring had shrunk down to size. Reassembly was easy.

I also ran 100 full power hornady XTP reloads through the 45. It still choked on them a few times, but not as much as before. I'm beginning to think it's an extractor issue kinda like some 380 have with fiocchi brass.

But reassembly after cleaning was much easier than with a new recoil spring.

[Ed M]

I Miked the unfired culprits and they were about .373" at the case mouth. Reliable ones are typically .371" IME.

Interesting observation. FWIW, Perfecta is made by Fiocchi. Before I did BOTH extractor mods, Perfecta wouldn't allow the slide to go into battery without a slap on the back of the slide.

Now, it feeds those "fat" rounds with no problem. I must have really nailed the clearance between the extractor and the breech face.

I mic'd a Perfecta round at the case mouth - it measured .373". Looks like the magic "no go" number....

When I was at the range last weekend, we did an impromptu mouse gun shootout. The 380s involved were a Sig P238, Colt Mustang, M&P Bodyguard, Beretta Pico, Ruger LCP, Ruger LCP2, and my CW380.

All had at least one malfunction with Perfecta ammo - except my CW380. It was flawless...

[tony k]

Interesting observation. FWIW, Perfecta is made by Fiocchi. Before I did BOTH extractor mods, Perfecta wouldn't allow the slide to go into battery without a slap on the back of the slide.

Now, it feeds those "fat" rounds with no problem. I must have really nailed the clearance between the extractor and the breech face.

I mic'd a Perfecta round at the case mouth - it measured .373". Looks like the magic "no go" number....

When I was at the range last weekend, we did an impromptu mouse gun shootout. The 380s involved were a Sig P238, Colt Mustang, M&P Bodyguard, Beretta Pico, Ruger LCP, Ruger LCP2, and my CW380.

All had at least one malfunction with Perfecta ammo - except my CW380. It was flawless...

By "both" do you mean relieving the internal spot that contacts the pin as well as the part that actually grabs the brass?

The failures to return to battery are not exactly the same between my CW380 and CW45. The 380s are your typical just barely out of battery, may cause a light strike, kind of out of battery. With my CW45, the failures with the XTP bullet is more like the ogive of the bullet is in full contact with the top of the chamber, and the case head is low.

With the 380, a bump to the back of the slide fixes it. With the 45, a tap at the mag base fixes it. But in both, I believe it's an issue of clearance between the extractor hook and the breech face.

Kinda moot for the CW45 though. I shot my last XTPs yesterday and I don't plan to buy more.

[Ed M]

By "both" do you mean relieving the internal spot that contacts the pin as well as the part that actually grabs the brass?

Both of my CW380s had the extractor claw ground at an angle at the bottom from the factory. Looked like someone just held it up against the side of a grinder wheel. Not particularly smooth, either.

I rounded that corner a bit and polished it smooth. I also took a few thousandths off the inside of the extractor "peg" where it contacts the slide, as in the picture from the sticky post above.

On a Kahr facebook group I belong to, a Kahr employee states that Kahr now does a "new" fix for 380s that have feeding issues. They do the extractor mod as well as checking the chamber diameter. Some chambers need to be bored out another thousandth or so. He says they "polish" the extractor, but I suspect they're doing exactly what the picture shows to the extractor.

I think it's great that Kahr employees are getting involved with internet groups/forums looking for ways to improve their products and reaching out to people experiencing problems with Kahr products. They DO care!