P380 - CA Compliant - Magazine Disconnect Removal (Successful)
First and Only Post probably-
Firearm: California Compliant P380 w/ LCI & Mag Disconnect
Goal: Remove LCI & Mag Disconnect
Exhaustive research regarding the Mag Disc. was futile. Very little information available. The LCI was obvious.
So! I jumped in.
Sorry for no pics….
The Mechanism:
The Mag Disc is a cam/lever that when pushed up by an inserted magazine will pull the trigger bar into position to operate the sear/group etc. When a magazine is absent, the lever is under spring pressure and lowers the trigger bar into an inoperable position. With the side cover off you’ll be able to understand how it works.
The LCI is under spring pressure and when a round is chambered, the rim of said round forces the LCI up.
The Procedure:
GENTLE! Don’t force anything. Understand it conceptually before digging in, and have some basic smithing tools available.
1) Field Strip as usual.
2) Pull side panel. Careful with tiny Torx screws at risk of stripping…
3) Remove Trigger Bar spring.
4) Punch Trigger Pivot Pin, remove Trigger Bar, Trigger, Spring, Spacer.
5) Punch Mag Disc Spring Pin in handgrip. Small pin. Spring going up handgrip to Mag Disc. will either fall out, or just leave it for now. Reinsert pin into handgrip, sans spring.
6) Carefully remove Sear Pin from Access Panel side - It is a one-way pin. I discovered it comes out after a Dremel/surgery attempt on the Mag Disc mechanism. It will come out naturally if you are clever, at which point it becomes a much easier process. Strong magnet maybe, or small tools… whatever you can do to get it out. If you cannot get it out, the following process may be moot.
7) With Sear Pin out - Remove Sear Assembly. You can pull the entire Mag Disc away, including the tiny spring that was running down handgrip. Keep track of it! And how the sear is reassembled…
8) Dremel/grind/polish the Mag Disc into a WASHER. It needs to be round, lest an oblong portion catch on the Trigger Bar after reassembly. That washer NEEDS to go back into the same spot when you reassemble the sear group, or a gap will be left that could alter operation of the pistol.
9) Now is a great time to finish your polishing/cleaning/lube process. Very light grease as needed on the hidden parts, light oil as per the Sticky Thread on everything else that likes to be slippery.
10) Reassemble everything in reverse order. There is a thread for Trigger Bar & Trigger Reassembly.
11) Side Panel back on, careful with those screws….
12) If it bugs you, the LCI pops out easily with the right punch. It is a roll pin, so be careful. There is a pressure spring under LCI. Grind/file/polish down the portion of the LCI that sits flush with the rim of a round. It can be flat & square with the next ‘step’ on the LCI. Will make sense when you are looking at it. Reinsert as applicable.
13) Slide back on, give her some dry runs, make sure trigger bar operating as intended, etc.
The Result:
(SWIM’s P380) Operates perfectly, much akin to non-CA Kahr’s.
Now you don’t need a friggin’ magazine to shoot, dry fire, disassemble, or otherwise!! And the LCI will stay nice and flush forevermore.
Good luck, and don’t do any modifications that would be considered illegal or against manufacturers advice.
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