Extractor problems with new P380

wyntrout · #1 04-28-2012, 08:56 AM

Well, I finally got to the range to test my wife's new P380... that I bought a few weeks ago. I've been busy with the house being Rhino Shielded and a new roof being put on... and switching from DISH to AT&T U-Verse.

I carried my P380N and the new one to the range to see if it had any problems. Mine didn't, but the new one did. From the the first round not fully chambering from slide lock release to almost every shot. the slide would not go into full battery and numerous rounds would not be ejected even when I pushed the slide into battery. I had to use a rod several times to extract cases and a few rounds that the extractor could hang onto.

I had five 6-round mags and three 7-round extended grip mags for a total of 51 rounds loaded at one time with me. I started with S&B 92-gr FMJ and then Herter's 95-gr FMJ. I left the SD Buffalo Bore loaded ones at home or didn't use the carry ones with me at the range. Yeah, I have lots of magazines.

By the time I labored through the first load of mags, I called it quits on the new P380. Then I shot a set through my CCW P380 plus one mag of the Winchester Ranger T that I think my wife would prefer. I only had one minor problem with MY pistol... besides sprinkling the target a little more than I wanted.

I need to clean the pistols and take comparison photos when I get around to it, and see if there's anything amiss with the extractor train.

The extractor is out of spec... at least, so maybe a new one will fix things without a trip back to the factory. I'll check the parts out when I clean them.

Almost every shot required the slide to be pushed forward to battery and if I didn't, there would be some kind of crappy click that would repeat if I let the trigger reset, but the slide was out of battery and I could push it forward with my thumb easy enough that that's what I did for every shot... nearly.

I'm glad that I went alone and didn't have Wifey with me. She has no patience.

.

I pulled the slide off and oiled the friction areas several times to no avail, so it wasn't the pistol being dry. I did a quickie cleaning job with patches through the barrel and lightly oilled the ramp, too. I wasn't supposed to do stuff like that at the range, but it was a new pistol and I was trying to get it to work properly.

The extractor seems further toward the center of the breechface than my older one and I hope that a new extractor... or anything else that Kahr wants to send me, will put it back into action. But, if they want to work on it, they can take it and make sure it's properly running.

Wynn

JFootin · #2 04-28-2012, 11:16 AM

Hard to believe they test fired that gun before it left the factory.

wyntrout · #3 04-28-2012, 11:19 AM

It IS odd what gets out the door! I think the extractor's the only problem, but Ii haven't stripped down the slide, yet, to compare it with mine.

Wynn

wyntrout · #4 04-30-2012, 07:29 PM

Whew! I almost lost all of this. Had been too long away from the computer, but saved the text first and had to start over here.

Okay... I finally emailed Kahr CS and then left a voice message as well. I took a lot of pictures and measured a few dimensions to compare the old versus the new P380. I hear back from Jay very quickly.

From earlier:
I think the biggest problems is that the new extractor is out of spec' and protrudes closer to the striker pin hole and rests on the breechface. It doesn't allow the case rime to slip under the claw and doesn't hold the case as the slide goes or tries to go into battery, as evidenced by the need to use a rod to push cases or rounds from the chamber. First a few photos of that. In the first is the new pistol and the claw of the extractor is resting on the breechface and protrudes further toward the striker pin hole. The older pistol's extractor claw doesn't protrude as far and has a space for the case rim to slip under the claw. This seems to be the MAIN problem though there could be other factors. The parts of the extractor "claw" are a bit different.

Long break in completion of this post... went to FedEx and returned this pistol on their dime... cooked supper, ate supper... with many interruptions by AT&T... cell calls and was first trying to cook... with hypoglycemia... and then eat baby back ribs with lots of Sweet Baby Ray's sauce... on fingers... couldn't quite get the danged cell answered after cleaning fingers... frustrating... probably automated notification... time after time!

Anyhow, let me see about getting some pix here. In the first two pix, the new one is on the right.

There are lots of differences in the old and new extractors. And the extractor train parts are a bit different. I'm sure that Kahr will sort things out and get it working properly.

Wynn

wyntrout · #5 04-30-2012, 07:35 PM

I was taken aback by the color and finish of the barrel. It was a dark gray... unpolished "finish". My old one is a bright shiny finish.

The barrels are clean and the ramps polished a bit with Flitz in the last two photos... with the new one on the left.

Oh... something else I noticed... the new slide lock is one piece. The pin doesn't spin on it as it does on the older one.

Wynn

wyntrout · #6 05-01-2012, 09:53 AM

P380 #2 is back in Kahr's hands now... can't wait to get it back and go to the range with better results!

Wynn

jocko · #7 05-01-2012, 10:28 AM

I won't argue on the slide lock but I think they are still two parts. some will not spin for some reason. Those that spin are IMO very nice, as IMO the only thing the mag follower has to do now is move up the slide lock lever and nothing more. Not realy sure 8it makes a hill of beans difference either.

I am told that slide lock pin is of a different higher proprietory steel than the lever itself..Could be B. S to. ; Just sayin

I have seen that dull gray finish on the outside of alot of kahr barrels. Under that finish is the bright nickle finish. Have no idea why they come that way as it soon wears off were any metal tometal contact is and then it tend sto give an owner thoughts about if something cold be wrong with the gun.

jlottmc · #8 05-01-2012, 10:29 AM

You have the worst luck with new Kahrs. Anyone taking bets on how many trips to the mothership Wynn's going to have to make? How many things until it becomes a Franken pop gun? We wait with breathless anticipation.

jocko · #9 05-01-2012, 10:53 AM

indeed if he had a duck it would drown!!! Just sayin

wyntrout · #10 05-01-2012, 10:59 AM

Hey! All of mine work... after some tweaking, maybe! I AM surprised that this P380 made it out the door there. I don't see how they could have fired a whole magazine without pushing the slide into battery for most shots.

And, Jocko, the slide locks that don't have a rotating pin are still made from two parts... the pin being pressed into its receiving hole in the "lever" part. You can see that from the outside. The pins that rotate freely are made from three parts. There's a pin with the mating hole in the lever part, but there's a sleeve that is swaged onto the pin and this outer part spins on the inner part. It's kind of the luck of the draw and I've seen both kinds. If you look closely at the inner edge of the rotating pins, you can see where it's necked down to be retained on the inner pin and you can see that inner pin remain stationary as the outer part rotates... like a roller pin. My "old" P380 and the PM45 have that "feature", but I can't remember which of the other types do. We've had this conversation before, but I have two P380's and each has a different slide lock pin.

I didn't count the retainer pin for the slide lock pin, either. I just noticed that in a recent image that someone else posted.

Wynn