Cm9 failing to fire

[CompressorMan]

Hello all, new to both the forum and owning a Kahr. Picked up a cm9 at the mesquite gun show here in Texas last weekend after have research debating between the shield, nano and a few others even considering .380. With the recall on my XDs, I figured it was time for a new carry pistol.

First range trip today after following the manufactures cleaning, lube chart diagram cleaning properly as suggested.

First off, the pistol went pretty much where I aimed it to go. Had a few shooter errors I noticed flinching, or other wise not used to the long trigger pull. But all in all I was impressed.

Fired mostly Remington umc fmj's through it to the tune of about 140 rounds today.

First magazine, 5th round, click. No fire. Struck the primer but didn't go bang. Same thing about the same next to last shot out of the second magazine.

Proceeded to try a few rounds of my 124 grain hydrashocks just to see if it would duplicate the problem. It did. Had 4 failure to feeds out of 140. Not ready to deem it unreliable just yet, but curious any feedback on this.

Thanks, and glad to be a part of the community here.

[gb6491]

There might be some dirt/debris/oil in the striker channel.
Many here favor flushing the striker channel out with a non-Chlorinated Brake Cleaner:
http://www.kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?t=17546
I'm more in line with a detailed cleaning:
http://www.kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?t=197
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi3VFRll2L4
Regards,
Greg

[warbird1]

If it's new you have not fired enough rounds to have it broke in per the owner's manual. A +1 on the info from Greg. Welcome to the forum.

[CompressorMan]

Thanks, and that's some great info on taking the slide apart. Yeah I didn't quite make the 200 mark yet, probably 140 today through with the 4 no fires. I've read about nose dives, stove pipes or fte's, just didn't see much about the ftf. It could be very possible I have some debris in the striker area. Will be tearing the slide down tomorrow and checking it out. Thanks for the great info guys!

[scosgt]

Do it inside a plastic baggie. The parts will fly. ESPECIALLY on assembly.

[CompressorMan]

Good to know. Never went that far on a striker fired gun. Love how the YouTube video posted the guy doesn't show re assembly, seems things would be interesting.

[berettabone]

Had 4 fte's in my first 200 rds. they were all with Blazer brass 115 fmj................shot 150 rds. of Fiocchi 115 fmj without a hitch..............clean it, shoot it some more.

[Alfonse]

Do it inside a plastic baggie. The parts will fly. ESPECIALLY on assembly.

If you do it inside a bag, make sure you have some air holes to breath through! :)

[gb6491]

Good to know. Never went that far on a striker fired gun. Love how the YouTube video posted the guy doesn't show re assembly, seems things would be interesting.
Oops, I forgot to post that. Here the link to his reassembly video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XBysFcsLJIo
Regards,
Greg

[CompressorMan]

No luck getting the striker cover off the slide on mine for disassembly. Too scared I'm going to mess it up getting it off, as it's very tight. Cleaned per the lube and cleaning schematic again using gun scrubber and compressed air. 7 more light primer strikes out of 100 rounds... A little disappointing to say the least. Bought my cm9 to replace my xds that's going back to the manufacturer for a safety recall. Hopefully I don't have to ship off 2 pistols.

[jocko]

I really think u need to do the slide strip to eliminate all possabilities of crude in the striker channel. If it is packed in there , externalcleaning sometimes will not get it out. That strikerhas to have complete freeplay to do its thing right . This forum has some good pictures/videos on slide take down. It is not rocket science and some of our guru's have some time saving tips for that slide take dwon to. Just do it in anopen area in case little springs fly, u can at least find them. Some use a nice big plaswtic bag to catch any free flying sh!t. I think u need to at least eliminate that area as the problem, before calling kahr. Also make sure the slide is going into full battery and not holding back a slight bit or u will get light strikes to. this is an indication of maybe a need to get a new recoil spring and maybe more rounds down range to. U gotta start somewhere to eliminate the possables, and then if all else fails, callkahr, ask for Jay and state ur case and hav ethem pickit up on thier dime. We are here tohelp all we can but sometimes it just has to go back, but for u, not yet...

7 light strikes in 100 roundsis indeed 7 to many but again it might just need to have all of the above done to it...

[CJB]

Two items - striker channel but also.... the chamber

If your chamber is a little dirty while the gun is new and tighter... its not goting to fully chamber, and you're gonna get a light hit. Here's the little know factoid - a STRONGER striker spring can make hits lighter!

To illustrate this - put the pistol together with no recoil spring. Manipulate the action. Note how the striker spring wants to keep the slide from going into battery, and would work against the recoil spring if the recoil spring is present.

So, clean channel, clean chamber (really clean please), good ammo... and let the gun settle down a little by shooting the snot out of it.

[CompressorMan]

Thanks guys for the encouraging words. I've never torn a slide apart, and I guess I got scared I was going to scratch, maul, or destroy something in the process. I work on large roary air compressors, so I'm used to hammers and large pipe wrenches, this tiny stuff is frightening haha. I'm going to try again soon to take it apart and see how it goes. What's the best tool or method to pry the stubborn stoker cover off? All I have been using has been some automotive picks and a tiny screwdriver but haven't had any luck.

[wyntrout]

A tiny jeweler's screwdriver works best for me. You have to understand the constuction of the back cover and the pin holding it in place. You need to make the "C" spring holder to hold the striker spring in place. Then you have to push the pin down... further than you think and to the outside with the screwdriver. I'll post some pix of the back plate and the holes. The back plate needs to start evenly out on both sides or it binds. When the back plate moves away from the pin, the pin and spring can go flying... as can the striker spring if the "c" clamp holder lets the spring go.

Wear goggles or glasses because those things can hit you in the eye!

The extractor can fall out when the pressure from the spring and pins is gone. You can put a piece of tape on it, if you want to keep it in place. There's a cutout on the outside of the safety block that forms part of the "tunnel" that the extractor pins and spring go through. Th safety block has to be in place before putting the extractor "train" back in place... extractor, front pin, spring, and rear pin. Assembly is easier as you just have to get the back plate started back on evenly as soon as you cover the rear pin a bit it is restrained and the plate goes in easily... evenly.

Clean out the striker tunnel with spray and Q-tips and leave that dry. Any lube attracts debris and gunk and can gum up the striker action. After a good cleaning, the non-chlorinated brake cleaner should suffice to blow the striker tunnel clean... from the hole on the underside of the slide AND the striker pin hole... while holding the striker to the rear, slide assembled.

There are lots of pictures and info in the stickies about stripping the slide.

http://kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?t=3295&highlight=strip+slide

and

http://www.kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?t=14746


Wynn:)

[RevRay]

I bought my CM9 used with very few rounds having been fired out of it. I think people give up in these little guns too quickly ... so don't do that. If you do you'll just be breaking in a gun that will then become somebody else's EDC.

[CJB]

yup

[addictedhealer]

The first time is a *****!! After that though it gets looser and looser......... Wait what are we talking about?!

Here is what I do, works well. Gotta use a small screw driver or a knife blade to get it moving.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/20/pa9u5eby.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/20/ehe7u8eg.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/20/ubegy4e6.jpg

[hardluk1]

And depending on were you work on your handguns if carpeted lay a old sheet down and maybe over your head so you do not fire the little spring and plunger across the room if you let it get away from you. I have experience with bouncing them off the cieling.