Broken from too much dry-firing?

[fsilber]

I have a Kahr PT-2 (9mm) that I bought a year or two ago as a back-up to the CT-9 I carry.
I've kept it unloaded and dry-fired the hell out of it (usually using and in-chamber laser device).

Sometimes I use snap caps. But usually not, because racking the slide tends to pop them out.

I think dry-firing broke something, because suddenly the gun will not chamber snap caps -- nor live rounds.
It seems that as the slide is being retracted, the striker is protruding through the breech face,
preventing the rear of the snap cap (or live round case) from sliding up the breech face as the round rises up the feed ramp.

Have any of you seen this kind of breakage before?

I believe the P-guns have a lifetime warrantee; would it suffice to ship only the slide back, or would I need to send the entire pistol?

When it is fixed, can the problem be avoided simply by always using a snap cap? (I'm not sure the laser device provides enough resistance to the striker.)

[Ken L]

Before thinking anything is broken, you might want to detail strip the slide and see if it's just gunked up inside the striker channel. That'll also confirm if something is broken. Or use aerosol brake clean in the little hole in the slide bottom.

[Bawanna]

I agree with Ken, I don't think dry firing or the laser devise has anything to do with the striker protruding. I'd check the striker channel and the drop safety plunger. If the striker is actually not returning.

[BirdsThaWord]

I will add, in case you are not that experienced… there are threads on this site, as well as on youtube, on how to disassemble/strip the slide. There are also other threads here about the striker, striker channel, striker spring, striker guide, etc. Just use the search function, or ask for guidance. Plenty here who love to help! As both previous posters mentioned, there could be an impedance (hardened grease or copper chips) not allowing the striker to slide in it’s channel or not allowing the safety to depress and move out of it’s way. I’ve bought brand new one’s (Kahr) with gunk and tiny bits of machining chips in that channel and used one’s with literally 100’s of tiny chips of copper in the channel, brought back in there by the striker when comes back from the breach (this is why I clean that channel, but do not lube it.)

To answer your last question, I personally would always have a laser or snap cap in there. That is just me, but I feel that way about any gun, hammer (firing pin) or striker fired.

[topgun1953]

You investigate the problem by manipulating the striker from the underside of the slide and seeing if it continues to protrude or retracts. Certainly, if you can pull the striker back but the tip still protruding, then the striker is broken. In any case though, you're going to have to strip the slide to see what's going on. BTW, you said that when you use snap caps, they have a tendency to pop out. You only need to retract the slide about 1/4" to reset the striker. That shouldn't cause an issue with the snap cap.