Finally made it to the range

[warbird1]

Bought my new CW40 last week. Finally made it to the range today to start breaking it in. One Box Blazer Brass and one box of Federal Range and Target. Both 180 gr. ammo. Well satisfied overall. The only problem it had was that it didn't want one in the chamber and six in the magazine so no 6+1. Failed to feed the first round out of the magazine 4 out 5 times that I tried that. I can live with that. As I said well satisfied overall.:)

[wyntrout]

Did you check your lower breech face edge for a bevel? Some .45s didn't get the bevel and the stripper winds up sitting on the rim of the magazine, rather than behind it. A bevel in that area allows the case rim to be pushed forward along with the magazine a bit so that the breech face can get behind the case to push it forward for chambering. A FULL slingshot rack can get around that, where a slide lock release won't, because you can pull the slide further back than the slide lock engagement point... and cleanly release it without "riding" the slide or keeping your hand on the slide and slowing down the momentum.

Greg has that in his fixes and cure collection:

http://www.kahrtalk.com/showpost.php?p=184763&postcount=4

I don't remember if this was brought up during your initial post about this problem. You should be able to load magazine capacity+1 by chambering a round, removing the magazine and topping it off with another round... fully to the rear of the magazine, then re-inserting the full magazine. Elsewise, maybe you have the wrong spring... one that's too long.

I carry my P40 with 6+1 and have 7-round extended-grip mags for spare carry and range use.

http://i42.tinypic.com/307ltw2.jpg

http://i46.tinypic.com/6nvam9.jpg

http://i49.tinypic.com/55rmkh.jpg

I just checked my P40 and there's maybe 1/16" clearance and the bevel is small, but sufficient. There's less room in the .45's, though. The 9's have plenty of room back there.

Wynn:)

[warbird1]

I do insert a magazine with six rounds, chamber a round by releasing the slide lock, remove the magazine and top off with another round and reinsert the magazine. I then fire the first round resulting in a misfeed of the top round in the magazine. I can then pull the slide back slightly until the slide lock catches. Release the slide lock and then it will chamber that round with no further problems.

[warbird1]

At any rate I have no problem with carrying it with 5+1 and a second magazine of 6 for a total of 12 rounds. That should be sufficient. I will clean it over the weekend though and look for any problems. Thanks for the info. I am only half way to breaking it in. I do like the weapon and intend for it to join the ones I currently carry upon full break in.

[wyntrout]

I would check the magazine spring orientation and ensure that a free end is to the front under the follower. You might also try another spring. The spring for the 7-round .40 mags is twice the length of the tube when new and might be what's in there.

You can try polishing the lower part of the slide... the "stripper bar" that rides on the top round in the magazine, and put a little oil on that part to make it slide over the top round easier.

Dang! I just took apart a 6 and a 7-round .40 mag to compare the springs. BOTH mags had springs with 18 coils... counting from the free end to the last coil on the same side. That was surprising.

I checked Wolff Gunsprings for Kahrs (+5% in power) and they show the 6-7 round .40's using the same spring, too.

http://www.gunsprings.com/index.cfm?page=items&cID=1&mID=29

I don't know if you want to try more springs or try cutting off a coil... leaving a "free end" to go under the front of the follower. Most problems seem to be with weaker springs, not too strong, but there are definitely cases where lightening the spring helped. I wouldn't want to ruin your ONLY spring if that's the case. Wolff's springs are cheaper and they just charge for USPS Priority shipping.

You seem okay with one less round, but I like more not less.:D

Wynn:)

[JFootin]

Often, people have to work with their 1911 mags to get them right. So this is not just a kahr thing. There are some proven mods in the stickies that will greatly improve the reliability of loading and, of course, get you that extra round that should be there. With those mods, even slow activation and riding of the slide will load the rounds. That, and a few hundred rounds through it to thoroughly breakin that tight new gun. These Kahrs get incredibly smooth like a Singer sewing machine after a few hundred rounds. And they never wear out, as Jocko can attest with over 32,000 rounds through his PM9.

[warbird1]

Fired another 100 rds yesterday with zero malfunctions. Even fired 6 rds right handed unsupported and 6 rds left handed unsupported. Left handed stung a bit. Now consider it broke in. Will fire a few rounds of the carry ammo and put it in my rotation. Happy, happy, happy!

[wyntrout]

Great! My Mag-na-ported P40 is my main carry with 6+1 and a 7-round extended grip magazine as a spare, which is carried in an OWB Kydex holster on the opposite side of my Cross Breed Mini Tuck in horsehide. I had been carrying 165-gr Speer Gold Dots, but switched to the 180-gr GD Short Barrel with shallower but wider cavities at the bottom.

Wynn:)