CM9 Blown

[higgsjunk]

Let me start off by saying I'm a long time reader of the fourm and want to thank everyone who posts all the great information.

Now my story...

I have owned my CM9 since the end of 2011 and have fired over 700 rounds through it without any problems what so ever until last Friday..





This is the gun I carry to protect my family.. Here is one last picture.. Take a close look at how much of the case is out of the barrel... Is this something that Kahr needs to recall?



I have contacted Kahr and they have instructed me to send it in (overnight on my dime) for inspection/repair. Just wanted everyone's thoughts..

Thanks,
Brandon

[Bawanna]

First welcome higgsjunk. I'm sorry that we meet under these not so good circumstances.

It won't help much but we have to remember that this most likely was not the guns fault, it's not uncommon in several brands to not be fully supported.
I suspect this was a hot round, picture looks factory but could be a reload too. Maybe a double charge.

On the good side it looks like a new side cover, an extractor and perhaps a spring in the extractor chain and you should be back on the track. Provided there wasn't a squib situation and the barrel isn't bulged. Even the trigger bar spring looks intact.

Apparently Kahr feels it is an ammo issue as well or they would send a pick up tag and cover the shipping. If it turns out to be a gun issue the may rethink that also but I don't see that happening as it sure looks ammo related.

I'm sure this doesn't help much but know that we all feel your pain and suffer the waiting with you while your gun is off getting a makeover.

I put a double charge once through my PM45 but it held up, I sure knew it wasn't right though.
I can't imagine what that must have felt like to have the side cover blow off in your hand, had to be major scary.

[jocko]

lets not bnlame thegun for a bad round. It is what it is. many guns show a partial unsupported area. I know alot of the glocks show that. Had it blown with a casing fully inside the chamber, u might have vblown the damn gun apart also. The fact tha tu have shot 700 round sthorug thge gun should tell u sumpin, like all is well whent he rounds are not bad rounds.....

If u feel better about paying 60$ to sendit in and have kahr look at it, then indeed do it, they are gonna replace that back side cover for u no charge and skend the gun back for they will find nutting wrong OR u can just order or ask kahr to send u that back cover and save the bucks and reinstall it yourself. The gun did its part, the ammo sure didn't.

[Bawanna]

My only concern would be the condition of the tiny little screw that holds that side cover on. It looks like the screw is still there so it may be fine, take it out put the new on and move on, but if it popped out they may have to rethread or even replace the frame. I doubt that would happen.

Might be good insurance to have it completely checked over.

[jocko]

looks to me like the screw heldto. Thatwouldbe aneasy fix if itdidn't hold, good ol fingernail polish in tha thold and send the screwin and ur good togo. Thereis no pressure thereexcept when a casing blows.

Iguess my point is and I cerainly never wantto disagree with the colonel,is fix thefokker urself and if the gun acts up, THEN send it back to kahr and let them do theiur thing with it..

[scosgt]

No one asked if this was a reload!
If it was, the answer is obvious.
But the next question, was this a JHP round that had been used as the top round for loading a few times? It could have been a case of bullet setback. It does not take that much setback in a Glock .40 to yield a KABOOM, so it is quite possible in a 9mm as well, as the pressures are similar.
Beyond that, if it was a virgin factory round, it could just have been a defective case. It can happen.
In which event, there should be a case against the ammo maker for liability.

But I would look at the above issues first. Blowouts are not all that common in 9mm. My department shoots over 13000 rounds a week of 9mm since 1995 and I have never heard of a case blowout.

I have seen a few personally in .38 spl, usually the brass has been worked too many times, but I never had a catastrophic failure. But then I am always conservative on my powder charges.

[scosgt]

Looking at the picture I do not see signs of excess pressure on the primer. In fact, not at all. Not blown out, no flattening, not pierced.
Looking at the close up of the case head, it looks like it may have been fired more than once, although you can not really tell. I am guessing a reload. Brass may have been over worked.

[jocko]

good positive questions. nice post scosgt. now why did not the colonelk think of that and save everyone alot of grief. Stay coool under the rock greatone BUT stay under therock.

[wyntrout]

Dang! When my P9 did that... with "factory reloads"... I just pressed the side plate back in place... after putting the trigger bar and spring back under the slide, put my spare PM9 extractor in and pressed on shooting. It wasn't the pistol's fault! Some weak-assed cases were rupturing. I finally stop testing or getting rid of the suspect cases by shooting them after my K9 extractor blew out! Those things are about $16 each + shipping... so I do have some spares. I also carry the tools for stripping down the slide... just in case.

Wynn

[Bawanna]

I mentioned the reload in my first post you old goat!

I'm getting poor internet connectivity under my rock, might be out of touch.

Jocko, that means I can't get hooked up too good on the crystal ball, like a Raid Dead Zone for ants.