P380 slide release issues

[Cole125]

Here is the deal guys, I have a P380 that I am happy with and has worked well so far.

My dad recently bought a P380 too, and from the start had problems with the slide locking back before the magazine is empty. He shot 250 rounds his first trip, and in those it happened every other magazine or so. I ordered him a replacement slide lock lever, installed it. We went shooting again today and it kept happening! Tried three different kinds of ammo, happened with all.

Any suggestions?

[josp]

When you shoot his gun, does it happen too?

[cobrasjp]

Is the slide stop installed correctly? It should be inserted so that the end of the spring is on top of the tab on the back end of the slide stop and pushing down on it (to hold it down unless the follower of an empty mag is pushing it up).

What ammunition are you using? Certain ammo (Speer Gold Dots, IIRC) have a very broad bullet profile that can touch the tab on the slide stop lever and push it upward, just like the follower of an empty mag would. You can check this by taking the slide off the frame and then inserting the slide stop. If you then insert a loaded magazine, you can tell how much clearance there is between the bullet and the tab on the slide stop.

And of course it could be shooter error where the shooter's thumb is pressing upward on the slide stop during recoil.

[TucsonMTB]

Is the slide stop installed correctly? It should be inserted so that the end of the spring is on top of the tab on the back end of the slide stop and pushing down on it (to hold it down unless the follower of an empty mag is pushing it up).

What ammunition are you using? Certain ammo (Speer Gold Dots, IIRC) have a very broad bullet profile that can touch the tab on the slide stop lever and push it upward, just like the follower of an empty mag would. You can check this by taking the slide off the frame and then inserting the slide stop. If you then insert a loaded magazine, you can tell how much clearance there is between the bullet and the tab on the slide stop.

And of course it could be shooter error where the shooter's thumb is pressing upward on the slide stop during recoil.
+1 . . . Or should that be two, for the most frequently seen causes of intermittent lock backs. Trust me, you won't even feel the thumb hitting the lever . . . or at least I didn't. :o

[Cole125]

Thanks for the input fellows.

1. I shot the gun as well at least 50 rounds and it happened to me to, at least once every other mag, somtimes twice in mag. I am left handed so it would be impossible for me to hit the slide release while firing.

2. I was unware the slide release lever could go back in the gun more than one way. As the manual says I just drop it on the hole in the frame, then line the two notches up, and press it straight in. Anything I am missing here?

3. We tried 3 types of ammo, all of which have been flawless through my P380. S&B, Blazer, and Gold Dots. Same issue with all three.

He wants me to just grind the nub that hits the magazine and holds the slide open after the last shot and just be done with it. He does not care if the slide locks open on the last round or not, but I would rather get it working correctly.

[jocko]

there is on the kahr tech section a nice photo tutorial by GB 6421 and WYN showing the proper way the little springhy should look and also how to adjust it if necessary. The manual also states thye proper way to renstall the slide stop lever and it involvesmore than just lining u the witness markes and slamming in the slide stop lever> rEAD THE MANL IF U YHAVE IT, OR DOWN LOAD IT OFF THE KAHR WEBB SITE.

If ropunds are hitting on the inside of th eslide stop lever, I would callkahr and ask for a ndwslide stop lever, a d tenand only then would I attempt to do a slight mod to that nub on the slide stop lever that ishitting the bullets. Again on the proper preppng of ur kahr it discusses that and how to check for it and how to correct it. My P380 wouldnot do well with remington 102 grain golden sabres, so I just went to a good defenser ouond that cleared with ease and thawas corbon power ball

No doubt shooting left handed eliminated the one possability of the thumb thing, now thatu got that out of the way, u can proceed to get the little springhy corrected. It could be out of whack enough to be causing prematurre slide lock to. the photo tutorial is excellent... If that little springhy getsbentout of whack due to improper installation of the slide lock lever,, IT WILLNOT CORRECT ITSELF,so u must either tweek that springhy urself or get a new springhy and installit..

[JFootin]

2. I was unware the slide release lever could go back in the gun more than one way. As the manual says I just drop it on the hole in the frame, then line the two notches up, and press it straight in. Anything I am missing here?

What is missing is how you oriented the slide stop lever as you inserted it. That is the most important part of the instructions. 4:00 until 1/2 way in, then 3:00 the rest of the way. Remember?

[jocko]

JFootin, ur right and to add to that I am not sure even if at 4:00 U can even slide the slide stop all the way in but have to move to the 3:00 position but certainly not to the 2:00 our u will damage the springhy..

I think alot of owners read right past that in the manual and to me it is one of the most important "must do's" in the owners manual. Do it right from the start and then it is a no brainer or do it wrong and then complain about kahrs being faulty:israel: Just sayin.

[jeepster09]

Check to see if BOTH magazines do it; it may be a bad mag. My MK40 did it a couple of times and it was the mag itself was wore out. Replaced mag problem gone. Yours may not be worn out but may be tweaked at the top or something?

[Cole125]

JFootin, ur right and to add to that I am not sure even if at 4:00 U can even slide the slide stop all the way in but have to move to the 3:00 position but certainly not to the 2:00 our u will damage the springhy..

I think alot of owners read right past that in the manual and to me it is one of the most important "must do's" in the owners manual. Do it right from the start and then it is a no brainer or do it wrong and then complain about kahrs being faulty:israel: Just sayin.

jocko I checked the P380 before cleaning it and the spring/slide stop relation look correct. The spring is resting on top of the slide stop notch, not below it.

[Cole125]

Check to see if BOTH magazines do it; it may be a bad mag. My MK40 did it a couple of times and it was the mag itself was wore out. Replaced mag problem gone. Yours may not be worn out but may be tweaked at the top or something?

Its not a mag related issue, I have 8 magazines for my P380 I brought shooting and it happened with all of them at one time or another.

[Cole125]

there is on the kahr tech section a nice photo tutorial by GB 6421 and WYN showing the proper way the little springhy should look and also how to adjust it if necessary.

jocko, thank you very much for the information. I will look into giving the spring a tune up.

Do you have a link for the thread you mentioned? I looked and could not find it.

[TucsonMTB]

jocko, thank you very much for the information. I will look into giving the spring a tune up.

Do you have a link for the thread you mentioned? I looked and could not find it.

http://www.kahrtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=5890&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1337833370

Link to post: http://kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1612&highlight=slide+stop

[JFootin]

http://i54.tinypic.com/2m3n5er.jpg

Link to post: http://kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1612&highlight=slide+stop

He meant to say "two seperate springs (see red and blue highlighted areas)"

[Cole125]

Update: I contacted Kahr and they are sending a replacement slide release. I'll cross my fingers and hope it works.

[wyntrout]

ACTUALLY... being with too much time on my hands the other day... I finally re-did that image and made several separate corrections using MS Paint. Dang! I missed "tigthen"!

Wynn:rolleyes: