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DKD
03-11-2012, 10:38 AM
I've just recently been getting aquainted with my P380 over the past two weeks. I have discovered that all is fine with the cycling & function on both shooting and hand racking with the FMJ rounds (both store bought & reloads) but not with Speer Gold Dots & WW Siver Tips. I also for the hell of it tried some of my own reloaded JHP's and they functioned just like the FMJ round nose ammo. Now the funny part is that the FTF (hangs up on the feed ramp) locks the pistol up and can only be cleared by hitting the mag release which retracting the slide & gigling the mag free. What is even stranger is that it will consistantly do that with only the first two or three rounds in a fully loaded magazine, the issues stop after less tension in placed on the remaining three rounds.
This lead me to examine the orientation of the loaded top rounds in the magazine (Does it with all of my mags). I did notice that as the rounds are started forward they dip down slightly and are jambed against the feed ramp right at the leadind edge of the hollow point causing the failure to chamber the rounds. If I lock back the slide and pull up slightly on the top round then release the slide stop the round will chamber, however not real smoothly though but gets better with suceeding rounds.
This struct me as funny, so I went back to my JHP's and noticed they have a more slighly tapered nose and are also a bit longer. After performing this series of tests over again with the exact same result, I examined the Gold Dot Round nose, only to find that the nose was catching right at the leading edge of the hollow point and slightly deforming the nose of the bullet. Now I use this ammo exclusively in both of my other Kahr pistols a PM9 & PM45 with excellent results....this situation is puzzling as all three use the same mags and function in exacty the same way but work in the other two....puzzled & bewildered.....:confused:

Tinman507
03-11-2012, 11:20 AM
Just a "shot in the dark" but are the mag springs in correctly?

DKD
03-11-2012, 11:35 AM
I'll check but I doubt that all three were put in backwards. Thanks for the tip forgot about that sprong reversal thing.
What aren't there any other takers or comments out there. I thought for sure either WYNTROUT, JOCKO, or BAWANNA would have some input....maybe they are at there respective place or whorship or just sleeping in this morning.

wyntrout
03-11-2012, 11:48 AM
Hey! We lost an hour of sleep last night with the Spring forward in time thingy! :D

I would take the mags apart and make sure the free end of the spring is to the front to push up correctly, AND I would clean the insides of the tubes. Then take some fine-grit sandpaper and smooth the forward inside of the tubes to make sure it IS smooth... polishing might help. Before inserting the mag, rap the back against your hand once, to push the cartridges back in place. They tend to migrate forward in the top spot.

When loading for carry, I drop the mag after chambering a round and top the mag off, rapping it against my hand. I figure that will "guarantee" at least two rounds firing.

I also used fine-grit sandpaper to make sure the retention notch is burr free, along with the feed lips and the circumference of the follower.

Almost all of us have had problems with the 9mm rounds moving forward and nose-diving on rounds two and/or three. But I don't have problems with the God Dots... 124-gr +P, regular or Short Barrel.

I just realized that I switched to 9mm when the .380 was being discussed. I've never carried the Gold Dots and only shot about 10 90-grain towards the end of last year. I just compared the 95-grain Ranger-T to the 90-grain Gold Dot... very close... within 2/1000" of the same OAL. The GD is somewhat "sharper" but there shouldn't be lead contacting anything... one of the design features. The Ranger-T is thicker and more rounded at the nose... speaking of the jacket edges.

Wynn:)

jocko
03-11-2012, 11:54 AM
other than changing to a brand that works great, u probalby need to chat with kahr. My P380 wouldnot shoot 102 golden sabre ammo with any reliab iliotyk soIjust changedf to what works perfect asnd I found the corbon ower ball was just super. So that is what I carry.

Kahrs are not ammo0 finicky but these little P380 cvertaiy can be. call kahr and chat with Jay and see what he sayts, then proceed.

wyntrout
03-11-2012, 12:05 PM
I added a bit more to my last post after realizing that I had finished and talked about the 9mm instead of the .380.

When talking about the .380 magazine... make sure the retention notch is burr-free inside and outside. The follower could be snagging the notch.

Wynn

DKD
03-11-2012, 01:47 PM
Well guys, I did take aprt all three mags and all appeared to corect and the springs in the same orientation. Cleaned them up and oiled lightly then reassembled them.
Checked there function and replicated the same exact FTF on the feed ramps with the Gold Dot 90 grain ammo. That is the case only with the first two-three rounds from a fully loaded six round magazine.When I performed the same prpceedure with the my reloaded JHP ammo, all loaded both from the slide stop or by hand racking.....????
My only conclusion at this point is this darn pistol just won't hangle either factory loaded WW Silver Tips or Speer Gold Dot ammo. Armed with my hypothisis of the nose configuration I will try another manufactures ammo say either Corbond DPX or Hornady Critical Defense. At the cost these days of factory defensive ammo at $22.00-$24.00 for a box of twenty rounds this could get a bit pricey. Don't get me wrong, I love Kahr pistols but I beleive their magazines or whom ever is making them have some design issues, which to date Kahr has yet to get straightened out.

jocko
03-11-2012, 02:40 PM
try corbon powerball

wlc
03-11-2012, 02:49 PM
My wifes p380 feeds Hydra Skoks well. It's the only SD stuff we tried after a friend tried several and ended up using them. It also feeds Federal, WWB, and Remington fmj with no problems.