CM40...breaking followers....will it just go 'away'?

[KelevGadohl]

New CM40 and I've broken the followers in my 5rd and 6 rd mags now. Called Kahr and they asked how many rounds I've shot so far. Answer 300+. Customer service sent me a replacement and said if the problem persists past the break in period that they would have me ship the pistol back to them for repair.

Has any one seen this problem just go away after just shooting it more?

[JERRY]

How the heck is the follower breaking???

[KelevGadohl]

It's getting smacked by the feed ramp after the last round fires and the action locks back. You can see a little dent form in the front apron of the plastic follower after shooting 100+ rounds. Eventually, it breaks off!

[KelevGadohl]

Here is a photo:

[JFootin]

Yes, we do see this problem, especially with the 40s. If Kahr offers to send you a prepaid shipping label, send it to them. They will take a little bit off the bottom of the feed ramp to remedy it. They probably won't tell you what they did. But you'll be good to go.

Make sure they send you enough new followers to replace all of yours, whether they are broken yet or just dented.

[dseder]

Wait a minute ... newby here but they said "if the problem persists past the break-in period" ... If you have 300+ rounds through it isn't that pass the "break-in period" (200 rounds)? I have a CM9 ... is it different with the CM40?

[bonjorno2]

yea, your cm9 won't break followers... my pm40 would break them every so often, there is thread on here talking about this and fixing the ramp.. I'd send it to kahr and call it a day. Even if you break a follower in a SD situation it will still feed all the rounds without a hitch.

[Nimrod]

The magazine follower on my new MK40 broke after about 275 rounds. It looked like the picture above. I took a picture of it and emailed it to Kahr. They sent me a replacement follower. I have only shot about 100 more rounds since I replaced the follower so it is a little soon to say whether the problem is solved.

[Seven High]

The follower broke recently on my CM9. I am awaiting a replacement from Kahr.

[JERRY]

kahr magazines.......what else needs t be said?

[Mechatricity]

The follower broke recently on my CM9. I am awaiting a replacement from Kahr.

After how many rounds?

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[JERRY]

i have to ask this as im sure somebody here already found out....why doesnt Kahr just make steel followers and stop all this and other magazine related problems?

[Toprudder]

Had a broken follower on mine today, I've shot about 180 rounds total. (Did a search for the problem and that is how I found this forum - just joined).

I read about the feed ramp being the problem, so I just finished taking a little off with a jewelers file and then polishing it back smooth. I hope that fixes it. I've already contacted Kahr for a replacement follower.

Other than this, I'm really stoked about this gun. It is my EDC now (replacing my Bersa 380).

[TucsonMTB]

Had a broken follower on mine today, I've shot about 180 rounds total. (Did a search for the problem and that is how I found this forum - just joined).

I read about the feed ramp being the problem, so I just finished taking a little off with a jewelers file and then polishing it back smooth. I hope that fixes it. I've already contacted Kahr for a replacement follower.

Other than this, I'm really stoked about this gun. It is my EDC now (replacing my Bersa 380).
Good for you. I did something similar many months ago and have not had broken follower since. :)

[KyWinFan]

CW40 broke both front and rear tabs off follower simultaneously and sheared the metal slide stop off the follower last week.

250+ rounds.

Looks like I better search for a picture of how much to file off the ramp. I really don't want to ship it away!

(BTW, sorry I posted this on a couple older threads, not knowing this newer one was currently active)

[TucsonMTB]

You probably won't find any pictures illustrating that process. Done right, you really can't even tell anything was done.

A rubber abrasive wheel in my Dremel worked well for me, followed by careful polishing with a buffing wheel and the rouge packed with my Dremel as a kit when I bought it. I like to orient the buffing wheel so that it strokes parallel to the normal path of the bullet on the ramp. Ditto when using the rubber abrasive wheel.

With the rubber wheel it was pretty easy to remove material at the very end of the ramp without changing its appearance. Admittedly, you might be better with a file than I am. I did not want to leave any visible marks on the ramp.

I used a piece of paper as a feeler gauge to test if I had clearance with the gun assembled. There might be a more clever way to do it, but that's what worked for me. The paper I used measured about 0.003" in thickness, so you know there isn't much clearance. Before removing material, the end of the ramp would trap the paper strip by holding it against the front skirt of the follower. It took me several tries to get enough clearance to let the paper slip out. I usually work slowly when I don't have any spare parts. :rolleyes:

Best of luck!

[wario]

I had two mag followers break on my CM40. Kahr Customer Service was both quick and polite. When the 1st on broke, they sent me a new mag follower. No questions asked and they did it fast. My second one broke within 200 rounds, and upon contacting them - they took the issue very serious. I had a return shipper to Kahr within 24 hours, they turned my gun around and sent it back to me in under three weeks. They replaced a series of springs and polished the feed ramp. Im looking forward to this gun now being as reliable as my PM9. Im giving Kahr kudos for doing the right thing. They sold me again on why to own one.

[Seven High]

I have approximately 600 rounds of range ammunition thru my CM9. I started shooting SD ammunition when the follower broke. I shot about 50 rounds of the Sd ammo. I called Kahr four weeks ago. I am still waiting for a new follower.

[TucsonMTB]

I called Kahr four weeks ago. I am still waiting for a new follower.
Send them an email too. Include a picture, if you can conveniently.

Email: service@kahr.com Phone: (508)795-3919

Ask for a spare as well.

[Djharpin]

Sent my PM40 in last week after breaking 3 followers on 1 trip to the range. Hoping for a quick turnaround...

[cmichael22]

So if you get the feed ramp polished it should fix the breaking of the followers?

[JFootin]

Actually, what fixes it is taking a little bit off the bottom of the ramp.

[cmichael22]

Anybody have the followers break after a few hundred or does that problem usually show up early on? Because I have shot around 300 or 400 and haven't had that problem yet. Is it something I need to watch for?

[JimC]

So if you get the feed ramp polished it should fix the breaking of the followers?

Not exactly...my PM9 broke two followers after Kahr polished the feed ramp.

This was after two magazines split along the back folds. They had me send my PM9 in for inspection. They polished the barrel, replaced the mags, lubed the pistol, test fired and returned it to me with two new mags.

The followers breaking occured after they inspected the pistol and after the polish.

Kahr CS sent me replacement followers...none have broken since.

This is a 9mm, not a .40 S&W.

[cmichael22]

So I know this might be a dumb question but when the follower breaks the mag just doesn't work or what happens? Just getting a new mag fix problems?

[jocko]

Anybody have the followers break after a few hundred or does that problem usually show up early on? Because I have shot around 300 or 400 and haven't had that problem yet. Is it something I need to watch for?

always watch for broken followers. I had one break in my PM9 and I never even knewit was broke until I took the magazine apart to clean and inspect it one day. Now I don't know when it broke either. Some will break and put the gun down.

It to me anyhow seems to be more of an issue in the 40 cal kahrs than the 9's, but it happens. My P380 upon just buying it, busted the back right out of the magazine like we see on this forum often. Theyreplaced it and it never happened again. So go figure

Anything that moves in ur gun, just keep an eye on that area. error on the swide of caution..

I don't remembertheround countwhenmy follower broke but it wasover 10K

[cmichael22]

Ya so one of my mags could be broken but I wouldnt know because I have never taken a mag apart. So does the gun still function with a broken follower or do you just have to change the mag?

[TucsonMTB]

Ya so one of my mags could be broken but I wouldnt know because I have never taken a mag apart. So does the gun still function with a broken follower or do you just have to change the mag?
Oh, you will probably notice if it breaks. The skirt on the front of the follower is noticeably absent when it breaks off. In addition, it becomes a little more difficult to insert new rounds into the magazine the way the broken follower tilts without the front skirt.

[jocko]

no, what tucson statedfis more true to the point than what I wastrying to say. Minewas broke, but Idid not know when it broke either.It couldhavebroke on the last magthat I shot in it before I cleanedit. I am sure in time my mag would have fokked up in due time.

[cmichael22]

So if a follower broke and I was in a self defense situation would I be in trouble?

[jocko]

now ur throwing out scenario's. no more in trouble than if u had a dud round, or the striker broke or ur trigger finger broke off.

IMO ur worrying about sumpin that is not gonna happen. Just shoot it like u stole it.

There is absolutey NO GUARANTEE than with any gun, THAT IF U PULL THE TRIGGER THE GUN WILL GO BANG. Odds are well in ur favor though but no guarantees..

[JimC]

So I know this might be a dumb question but when the follower breaks the mag just doesn't work or what happens? Just getting a new mag fix problems?

My PM9 continued to fire until the mag was empty but when it was, the the slide did not lock back. Further inspection showed the follower was broken.

[Big bird]

Why can't they just make the gun right in the first place? I've broken a number of followers and even sent the gun back -still problems. I love my CM40, but carry it rarely as I'm not convinced of it's reliability. My 'suit' gun is a S&W Bodyguard and then a Kel Tec P11 with the clip on the side. I really would like to carry the CM40, but I'm just tired of Kahr's bandaid approach to this problem, really disgusting.

[jocko]

then peddle the gun, why keep it...

[Ae35]

As I posted in an earlier thread, my follower broke Sat. on the 364th round, since that was my only mag ,I wanted to see if the gun would still run. The answer is yes, I fired another 136 rounds, 50 of them various HP's, GD's, PDX1's, GS's, and Hydrashocks, no failures. In fact, I've never had a FTF or FTE in 500 rounds, 400 FMJ's and 100 HP's. The only problem the broken mag follower has caused is, the slide fails to lock open on the last round. There's lots of gun models that don't lock the slide on the last round. So... in answer to one's question, " Would I be in trouble if I need the gun and the mag follower broke? "... at least in the case of my gun NO. I have the utmost confidence in Kahr to take care of me, they're sending me a new follower, and if I still have a problem , they will come thru. I've been up there, there's great people working there, and I know they'll stand behind they're guns.

[jocko]

do they give tours through the plant etc???

My follower brokein my PMJ9 and when it did I cannot tell you either as it even locked open the slide. I have no clue when it broke either but the gun never beleched once.

[Ae35]

No, I didn't tour the plant, in fact I was working for Tel-Dyne Pine, Pine Eng. as a FSE. I don't think that Kahr existed in 1979. I installed and repaired ENC and MNC pipe bending machines. We had developed a semi-ridged coaxial cable bender, there was a company up there that had a govt. contract to make RF stuff. Met a lot of people in that little town, ( I was there often, too often ! ), good hard working folks.

[stickbow9]

The follower broke on my CM9 within the first 50 rounds as well. Good since the replacement though.

[JimC]

IMO, it will not just go away.

If Kahr or any other firearm mfg. wanted you/us to have and use magazine followers that were broken or they knew that would break, they would send them out that way.

When the follower breaks in any mag, there is a problem with the mag or the pistol and it needs to be corrected, plain and simple.

Seems to me that Kahr .40 S&W mag followers break all too often and Kahr needs to address the proble.