K40 trigger @&*# pin removal >:(..... UPDATE-Pin is out!

[Bug Splat]

After buying my used K40 I replace all the springs.... except for the trigger return spring. Heard it was a PITA to remove so I decided to leave it be. Last night I was doing a detail cleaning and noticed the trigger return was very week and not fully returning. Started poking around with tiny screw driver and the flipping spring snapped in half right in the middle of the coil. Now I have a useless K40.

Did some research and put the stripped frame in the ziplock bag and gave it a nice helping of penetrating oil and stuck it in the freezer for 24 hours. Tried smack it out tonight with a starter punch and hammer with no result except dinging the hell out of the pin and a little of the frame. Made a frame holding jig from a YHM AR wrench and a cut punch and tried using a bench vise to press it out but it would not move.

Is there a trick to getting this SOB out? I don't want to do it but the only thing I can think of next is to fire up the mill and make an O-type pusher. How does Kahr get these out, 4 ton press in a custom jig? why do they make it so freaking tight? This is just beyond overkill and I will be thinning the pin before it goes back in.

[kerby9mm]

On my mk9 Kahr replaced thetrigger bar and when I got it back the pivot pin was not in the frame flush. When I called Kahr said give it a tap. No go at all. They took the gun back this time the pin was broken off below the frame on the small side. Again the gun went back and it was fixed properly. You might want to call Kahr to have them fix it. I have never heard of the spring breaking maybe someone else has.

[jocko]

big mistake, thinning the pin . I think this is the second spring I have read breaking. I have no idea how kahr deoes it either. I would kthink it is pressed out. Maybe a call to kahr and talking to a tech person, they might try to help u without sending the frame back to them.

[Bug Splat]

Not worried about thinning the pin. I'd only slightly do enough on one end to assist in entry, 0.0001 maybe. I've done this many times before with other tight pins. I have never and will never send my guns for work even warranty work. I fix everything myself from firearms to my wife's blenders to our cars. As an engineer I expect myself to be able to fix anything even if I spend more time and more money then sending it off the get done. I'd honestly rather destroy my pistol and learn from my mistakes then never knowing what it took to fix it myself. Yes I was the kid who took apart everything I could just to see how it worked. Learned some hard lessons but I learned a lot in doing so and never made the same mistake twice. My grandfather was my hero. He could fix anything and knew everything. I have always wanted to be as good or better than him. Ask my kids and they will tell you "my dad can fix anything". Hearing the same thing from my grandkids someday is my goal in life.

Looks like the only option is to custom make a jig and a pusher. Started sketching ideas last night and will start milling tonight after work. I'll have that pin out come hell or high water. :D

[CJB]

Not worried about thinning the pin. I'd only slightly do enough on one end to assist in entry, 0.0001 maybe

one ten thousandth of an inch...

Nothing more to say on that

[Bug Splat]

Slow and steady. I remove very very little using an ultra fine ceramic file. Check fit. Trim down another 0.0001. Check fit. repeat. Could take me hours but she will fit perfect. I'm a patient person ;)

[Bawanna]

Your already my hero. I love the can do, get r dun attitude. Go for it.

[Bug Splat]

Happy to report the pin is out! :w00t:

Crafted a cool jig/pushed out of 6061 aluminum and hardened tool steel. Took about 4 hours to make. That was a waste of 4 hours because the tool did not work. I could not get enough tq put in the right spot. The jig either moved or the pin walked.

Headed to the hardware store for ideas. Came home with a 1 ton arbor press, diamond tip dremel bit and a small drill bit just smaller than the trigger pin.

First I used the diamond bit to bore a small divit in the center of the trigger pin to prevent the driving pin from walking. Next I drilled 6 holes into the bottom of the arbor press ram, each at a different decending depths. Anyone see where I'm going with this yet ;) ? After drilling the holes I cut the same drill bit shank off and was left with a very hard steel pin the same exact size as the arbor holes. Using a diamond wheel on a dremel, I to put a nice steep pointy tip on one end of the pin. The pin fits inside the 6 holes drilled into the arbor ram allowing me to have full pushing power without bending or bowing the pin. As I push the trigger pin out 3/16th of a inch the ram bottoms out on the frame so I switch to a new shallower hole giving me a little more reach. Even with a 1 ton press I could not get the pin to budge. I had to use a heavy hammer to hit the top on the ram while using all my weight to push down on the lever. That som-bich was in there GOOD! Only took a few whacks with the hammer to push that pin out each step. Worked like a charm. Lastly, I cleaned up dings I made on the frame around the trigger pin hole with a chamfer bit. These dings where from my first attempt to get the pin out with a starter punch and a hammer. It now looks clean and to the untrained eye it looks like it came that way from the factory. I have learned a great trick today and now have a dedicated firearms pin pusher that can get out any pin.

Here is a pic of the broken spring and the little hole I put in the trigger pin. The spring actually split in two places.
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/301434_4657151551342_1802339084_n.jpg

Here is the cleaned up frame hole.
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/487465_4657152671370_549906051_n.jpg

Now I just have to wait from my replacement spring to get here. I may make my own from saved used recoil springs I have in a box. Why make my own with a replacement on the way? I don't think I need to answer that question for you guys :)

[LorenzoB]

Wow, looks like fun to me! One of these days I plan to buy a "project" K9. I'm sure I'll be asking you for advice when I do.

More pics as you go please!

[Bug Splat]

Successfully made 3 different trigger springs out of 3 different recoil springs. Ended up using a 13lbs Wolff spring. Weight was high so I thinned it out a bit and got it down to about 8lbs. Pull is a little heavy but I actually like it. I use a Smartcarry holster so the more weight it takes pull the trigger, the happier my jewels are :D. Its still amazingly smooth.

I lightly removed a little material from one half of the trigger pin. To do this I chucked the pin into the mill and gave it a black ink coating with a Sharpie. As it spun I use the tip of a ceramic stone to very lightly touch the pin and slide down the shaft removing the black ink. This was done by hand much like woodworker would shape a dowel on a lathe. Checked the fit in the frame hole, applied more ink and hit it again with the stone. Took about 5 passes to get the fit i was looking for. I wanted one end of the pin thin enough to be pushed in by a good amount of finger pressure and not need a punch. The trailing 30% of the pin would remain unchanged and need the arbor press to push the remain amount in.

The last thing I did was remove 1/16th from the front of the pin to sit flush with the frame to compensate for the chamfering I did.

All done....
http://i573.photobucket.com/albums/ss171/bugsplat/photobucket-50446-1347785443714.jpg

http://i573.photobucket.com/albums/ss171/bugsplat/photobucket-16594-1347785443126.jpg

[CJB]

Sweet Jesus man!

Bug Splat, I owe you an apology.

I posted that ".0001" comment, because I know what that is, and how much of a cockeyed chicken humpin' festival it is to measure accurately. I take particular pains when folks throw out the ol' ".001's", merely to impress folks with the statement, not knowing even what .001 looks like. Then, every once in a while, you get some bloke who comes along, puts another zero or two between the decimel and the "1", mostly to make up for his lack of manly feelings on account of having a short pecker, and usually I can spot those folks a country mile away, but

You are not that bloke.

You got me thinkin' you were the real deal when you mentioned a ceramic file... made me say hmm.....

Now I've seen your work, and by God, you are man after my own technical heart.

Especially liked the part about the hole in the middle of the pin... whoooweeee... nice.

Dammit man, I'm gonna re-read this post three times just to savor it.

Not big on arbor presses m'self, I can do the same with just my shop drillpress, and if that don't do it, walk over to the hydraulic press. Of course, no real feel on hydraulic... but I digress.

Good job... dang good job!

So, if you please, Sir, accept my apology for letting my cranky machinist disposition get the better of me.

ps - four hours to make the punch that didn't work.... love it, been there, done that, got the scar on my finger where the punch went thru it!

[Bug Splat]

ONE MILLIONTH OF AN INCH!!! ;)
http://www.php-web-host.com/ckfinder/userfiles/images/dr-evil.jpg

Apology accepted but its really not necessary. I know just the guys you are talking about. Its easy to make claims on the internet with zero credit. I'm still new to this forum so I don't blame any of you for questioning my post, I would. You are right, most guys don't understand just how small 0.0001 is.

I'm very active on few forums and love to write up How-to's for everyone. If I can't find a How-to on something I'm working on I'll figure it out and write it myself for the next guy who comes looking. I'm just paying it forward for all the great guys and gals who took the time to write How-to's that really helped me.

You guys already know that I like to tinker and make things. I love to learn and try new things. I just recently started teaching myself to sew. Not a manly hobby but I figured if I learned how to weld metal, I should learn how to sew cloth. Its actually fun and peaceful to sit on the couch, watch TV and sew. Boy, does my wife give me hell for that but she doesn't know how to sew so I tell her to go mow the lawn or change the cars oil and then she leaves me alone. I want to learn all the trades I can and if I could legally performer heart surgery on a willing person I would :D

[jlottmc]

This thread makes me miss my old shops tremendously. I grew up in the ole man's machine shop. Yup, makes me miss the old work.

[CJB]

Sew....

I once used a sewin-machine to zig zag up the leg of some jeans that split on the front of the thigh.

Next thing, my ol lady thinks I can sew her up a dress for her housecleanin' service.

Thats about like sayin I can cut steak, so that makes me a brain surgeon!