Just a magazine thought ...

[bigmacque]

I've noticed several postings over the years about magazines splitting along the weld, and although I've had no issues yet I can see why it can happen and what a pain it will be when or if it does happen to me.

So why doesn't Kahr just fix that weld? The split starts with a built-in gap at the top of the magazine. What will happen is the weld will hold, but the metal will split away from the weld on one side or the other, away from that gap.

Why not just close the gap? Finish the seam?

[Ikeo74]

Have you ever welded something yourself? It is nearly impossible if not totally impossible to weld out to the edge of any metal seam without leaving a melted dimple. Thats why they just stop before getting there. Secondly, most of the spilt magazines have split on the 90 deg corners, not the seam.

[wyntrout]

The splits have been at the upper rear corners. The welds are fine. That stainless is tough stuff, but they're doing something wrong that the corners can split like that.

I had 5 out of 6 fail and the 6th would have, too, had I continued shooting. This was determined to be my PM45's fault and duplicated by Kahr. The only thing that stopped the splitting was a new frame. The first two mags are from that incident. The latter picture was someone else's mag, but all have had the top rear(s) split in the folded corner. The weld is strong.

Wynn:)

[jocko]

I've noticed several postings over the years about magazines splitting along the weld, and although I've had no issues yet I can see why it can happen and what a pain it will be when or if it does happen to me.

So why doesn't Kahr just fix that weld? The split starts with a built-in gap at the top of the magazine. What will happen is the weld will hold, but the metal will split away from the weld on one side or the other, away from that gap.

Why not just close the gap? Finish the seam?

don't split there they split where wyn's photos show. It is IMO not a mag azine but agun/frame issue No way wyn could get 5 out of 6 to split if they were only mag issues, as they are stainless and they are quality magazines. .

[wyntrout]

It was a bad frame Kahr CS determined... with a LOT of testing... firing. Those all happened in less than an hour at the range. I got a new frame and 6 new mags. I haven't had any problems since then... with Kahr mags... that I didn't cause.:rolleyes:

Wynn:)

[jerstolp]

my pm40's 6 rnd mag just split in the top right corner like in wyn's pics. off to kahr it goes. sucks to only have 1 5rnd mag for my carry gun though. im temped to buy another so i dont have to wait as long while mine is in, but 30+ for a 6rnd mag kinda hurts a lil. there is only about 250 rnds through the gun also. but i still love it. i had to decide between my g27 with ctc grip and the pm40 and chose the pm40... traded the 27 for a mak90:):)

[bigmacque]

Well that's good info, thanks for helping me understand the problem a little better.

I have welded, not a lot but enough and while it is correct it's hard to get out the edge it's not impossible. But that's a moot point anyway .... that's not where the problem is.

[Bawanna]

I've often thought that maybe on some of the mags the metal was too brittle or something. On some a new mag fixes the issue and no further troubles. But like in Wyn's case it was definitely the gun as the root cause. No one but me is unlucky enough to get 5 or 6 bad magazines in one batch.
So it could be a combination of both, magazine material and a out of spec frame?

[JFootin]

It seems to me like the mags are riding a little too high and the stripper is slamming them on the top back edge. As Wynn said, Kahr CS replaced his frame. Maybe an out of spec mag catch window? JMHO, but doesn't it seem like this is the problem?

You know, if Kahr redesigned the mags with plastic base plates that fit exactly with the bottom of the frame or even into it like the Glock G26, that would make for more exact placement of the mag in the gun. And it would absolutely eliminate the chance for an in spec mag to be inserted too deep and get slammed by the stripper. That and reshaping the followers would solve Kahr's mag problems and make a significant improvement in overall dependability.