K40 Extractor Issue

[Dozer]

I have a K40 Elite 2003 with about 300 rounds through it without a single malfunction. As I was dry firing with snap caps (trying to improve my trigger squeeze) everything was functioning normally until about the hundredth time I racked the slide (to reset the trigger), when I got a failure to feed. As I examined the weapon, I noticed that the extractor and front extractor pin fell out!?:eek: I attached two photos, one showing the slide with the place where the extractor and extractor pin fell out and the other showing the extractor and extractor pin. Has anybody else had this problem?? I haven't researched it but, I assume that this design is shared with other models and therefore possibly happening to others guns as well. I really like this gun, but now I am doubting its ability to function flawlessly. I was able to put both parts back together with the slide. It all appears to be working fine now. but my doubts linger... Not happy :mad:. A little help???

[1911]

Just out of curiousity, are you manually inserting the snap cap into the chamber then pulling the slide back and releasing it on the snap cap? I found out that Kahr pistols do not like that. The extractor will pop out like you described. There are other guns besides Kahrs that share similar traits.

Just a thought!

[Dozer]

Just out of curiousity, are you manually inserting the snap cap into the chamber then pulling the slide back and releasing it on the snap cap? I found out that Kahr pistols do not like that. The extractor will pop out like you described. There are other guns besides Kahrs that share similar traits.

Just a thought!

I purchased a pack of 5 snap caps. When I practice, I put all 5 in the mag then chamber one. After the last one is chambered, I carefully pull the slide back just until the trigger resets. After a few times doing that, I load them up again and start over. When this problem happened, I remember that the round (snap cap) only half way chambered... but it was straight. The extractor was holding the slide back so that it did not go into full battery. I then locked the slide open to inspect the problem and saw that the extractor was mostly out of its slot and extending too far towards the face of the bolt where the base of the cartridge should have been. I wiggled the extractor a little and it just fell out along with the front extractor pin.

[500KV]

Dozer,
There is a certain way the extractor pin, the one that contacts the extractor itself, must be installed.
The "rounded" side of the pin goes to the outside and can be seen in the extractor cutout in the slide.

If this pin is installed with the rounded side "in" it will cause the problem you describe.

Don't know if this is your problem.
Just wanted to mention it in case.

[Dozer]

Dozer,
There is a certain way the extractor pin, the one that contacts the extractor itself, must be installed.
The "rounded" side of the pin goes to the outside and can be seen in the extractor cutout in the slide.

If this pin is installed with the rounded side "in" it will cause the problem you describe.

Don't know if this is your problem.
Just wanted to mention it in case.

500KV,
when you say that the "rounded" side goes to the outside, are you referring to the rounded cutout in the pin or the outside radius of the pin? In the photo, the cutout I refer to is to the top and right. In other words, should you or should you not be able to see the cutout of the front extractor pin when installed properly? The way I reinstalled it was so that you cannot see the cutout. I can't remember how it was before it fell out.

[500KV]

My ability to describe a view of something is obviously lacking but the pin that sits on the extractor has a rounded side and a flat or concaved side where the pin has been "cut" so to speak.
The flat/concave side goes against the extractor and the rounded side of the pin is visible through the cut-out in the slide.
IOW in your pic. the top of the pin as shown goes against the extractor.

Really wish I had some pic's, correct/incorrect but I don't.
I'm sure someone can describe the "view" of the thing better than I can.

[Dozer]

I believe I understand. The pin is positioned in such a way as to apply pressure to the extractor toward the inside of the slide assembly or toward the case rim. That makes sense. I did reassemble the parts in that orientation and it appears to be working normally. I still have the question as to how and why it fell out in the first place. I am going to try to make it fail again by doing the same thing I was doing when it first happened. Since, while I was practicing my trigger pull, I was not making the slide go through the entire cycle (I only pulled it back enough to reset the trigger), I may have done something that it was not designed to do. Perhaps I pulled the slide back further than necessary for a reset and it somehow caused a partial ejection before I attemped to put it back into battery.

[jocko]

You put it back right, so your ok,but it might not have been right fromt he git go and you just didn't notice it or would have evne know it was in wrong.

Unless that extractor spring is so so so weak that it is actually not holding the extractor in place, IT JUST CAN'T FALL OUT.

Put a drop of oil when you clean behind that extractor every time you cleanit so it can run down into the extractor channel. that spring must be kept "wet".

Karh's extractors are even designedto be very self cleaning also, and I can tell you in my 24,850 rounds of shooting my PM9, I have never had to take that extractor channel area apart. I just spray clean behind it with my highpressure cleaning solvent and then a drop of oil andit is good to go.

We will never know , but my bet that pin was not put in correctly. You can trust it, things just happen, better now than in a bad situation..

[Dozer]

... better now than in a bad situation..

Amen there brother. I just hope you are right. I think I will continue to carry my PPK/S until I can get another couple of hundred rounds through the K40. I need to build up my confidance level in the reliability area first.

[jocko]

Amen there brother. I just hope you are right. I think I will continue to carry my PPK/S until I can get another couple of hundred rounds through the K40. I need to build up my confidance level in the reliability area first.

probably the besrt steel gun that kahr makes IMO. One never hears of any issues with the steel versions. My K9 is flawless and I love it, to heavy for carry and to big for pocket but a real shooter and top quality through out. Your K40 is identical except your's has the elite trigger,where as mine has the NYPD trigger..

Just a damn nice made gun..

[tv_racin_fan]

I do not find the K9 to be too heavy for carry nor too big for my pocket. In fact while I do have an IWB holster I have yet to use it as such. I either clip the belt clip on my pocket or just put the whole thing right in the pocket. It does tug on my shorts but nothing I can not deal with.

[LaVere]

I've had a Kahr K-40 for 5 years and thousands of rounds through it. Very rarely fail to feed. It's working record is better than any other machine in my house or garage. Well not as good a record as my Hasselblad 500cm. No PM until today. New grips, new mag release system. Every thing was working fine just thought I'd PM it.

I know if I ever run out of ammo in a fight. I will sure make a nice defensive tool.

I IWB about 98 % of the time. I have outside carry holster also, I just don't use it much.

I will throw it in to my pocket WITH a pocket holster.

When it needs to go bang it just does it.

Mixed metaphor "It ain't heavy it my Kahr"
"He ain't heavy he's my brother"

[Dozer]

Had the exact same problem with the extractor and spring and pins just falling out when I cycled the slide by hand a couple of weeks ago. The round count is under 1000. I wasn't sure what was going on so I got a hold of Kahr and talked to their gunsmith. He said he hadn't heard of this issue before, but I could send it in to have it checked out. I guess there was a possibility that the extractor was out of tolerance or perhaps all of the tolerances stacked up to one side of the assembly. Anyway, I sent it back for them to look at. They couldn't find any problems with it, but they replaced the extractor (after hand fitting it to the best fit), polished up the working surfaces, lubed it, test fired it and sent it back. Just got it back today. Sent it on a Monday (Kahr paid for shipping) and got it back 7 days later! Extreamly speedy service! I am very impressed with the level of customer support! Top notch! I haven't shot it yet, but plan to soon.

[michpatriot]

I'll have to stop dropping the slide on a chambered round that I manually feed and start mag feeding the first round. Wonder if I've already done any damage?:(