Small takedown issue

[mikemc53]

So yesterday I went to the range (best shootin day yet...love this gun) and afterwards I'm cleaning the gun (CM9) as I always do after shooting. I'd only taken the gun down about 3 or 4 times prior to yesterday and never had any issues. I read the manual and watched a few videos with the expectation of having a little trouble but it went smoothly each time. Yesterday was a somewhat different story.

I removed the slide stop lever without much trouble and then ran into a little problem. When I pulled the trigger to release the slide, initially, it wouldn't click or release. It had pressure on the takeup but no break. I fiddled with the slide a good bit and it (the trigger) finally clicked, releasing the slide. I continued on and cleaned the gun. Putting it back together I ran into another very minor issue when the slide didn't seem to want to move cleanly back and I struggled a bit getting the pin/slide stop back in. Also, the recoil spring seemed to want to creep out of the port at the front of the slide. I took it out and rotated it a bit and it seemed fine but it worries me that it could sneak out of the port/hole. My son had just dropped by with the granddaughter so I left things sit to spend time with them.

A few hours later I decided to take the gun down again to see what I might be doing wrong. Same thing with the trigger...it wouldn't break, initially, and I had to play with the slide before it clicked and released. I did this 3 more times and each time the trigger/slide issue was there. The reassembly went smoothly, so the first time problem with that was probably just an anomaly.

I've never owned or worked on a striker fired gun so the trigger/slide release is new to me. My guess is I'm doing something wrong but I don't know what it might be. By the way, I dry fired it a number of times after this to see if the trigger was functioning well and everything was fine in that regard.

Any hints or tips are appreciated and I do hope that it is me and not the gun.

Thanks gang.

[RevRay]

This is pretty normal for me ... sometimes it comes off smoothly ... sometimes it takes a little jiggling. But it always fires when it's supposed to, so I figure it must be ok.

[xsailer]

Same with me RevRay, I keep trying a different way each time. The lastest I''m going to try after reading a post yesterday is pulling the trigger half way while offing the slide. We'll see.
Hope we get a telling post here.

bob

[BEARDOG]

It will get easier with practice.

Here is how I do it.

1.Clear gun- remove slide stop lever.
2.After you remove the lever, hold the slide in its normal firing position-I look at the rear of the slide and frame to get proper alignment.
3. Now pull and hold the trigger back, and at the same time it breaks move the slide forward off the frame.

And for the recoil spring during reassembly-
Position the cut end of the spring so it goes in the "port" aligned with the barrel.
(if you would be looking at the the front of the gun, being held in the normal firing position it should be at the 12 o'clock spot)

That is what works well for me. YMMV

[jocko]

nice post Beardog. very correct to.

[scosgt]

Once the recoil spring is properly mounted, It (should not) be ABLE to get out forward. The port is filled with the tube on firing.
However, there are reports here of that happening, I suspect they mounted it with the spring hanging out.
It has also been suggested to mount the spring with the closed end forward. Never did it, but apparently that works.

[scosgt]

nice post Beardog. very correct to.

That's because it is clean and has plenty to eat.

[muggsy]

I had the same problem with the recoil spring that you related. I've run my recoil spring with the closed end forward with no problems. Why Kahr doesn't close both ends of the spring I don't know. It would end the problem and one wouldn't have to worry about which way the outer spring was oriented.

[mikemc53]

Thanks for all the help gang.

I did exactly what BEARDOG said and...IT WORKED!

Awesome!

I might try the spring with the closed end out but for now I did the rotation so that the end is at 12:00.

This is a great place, by the way.

Take care...Goin to the range again tomorrow. I'll keep ya posted.

[wyntrout]

It's economics... cheaper for the one-end-closed spring. The spring is designed for the closed end to GRIP the rear of the guide rod and the front OPEN end is loose to allow free movement of rod within the spring during recoil. Putting the spring in backwards risks the spring going over the flange and jamming the action. But... do what you want.

Try putting your magazine springs in backwards, too, MAYBE that will work for you, too.

Wynn:)

[mikemc53]

Thanks, Wynn.

I guess I won't be turning that spring around.:o

[wyntrout]

Sorry... I get vexed by the "advice" sometimes. Because someone gets away with doing something the incorrect way, doesn't mean you will.

It does take a little care sometimes to make sure the spring doesn't precede the rod through that front hole. Guys have missed that happening and then the pistol can get jammed up pretty good with the rod and the pin caught there.

Usually my pistols go back together with no problem. The P380 is more prone to have the free end of the spring get through there first. Some guys have tried tweaking the free end out a little more with pliers, but I just twirl the spring a bit until I succeed in getting the rod past the end of the spring and through the slide opening first.

Wynn:)

[RevRay]

The one thing I've noticed is that if I orient the end of the spring down it seems to stay put better. Keeping in mind that down is towards the top of the slide since I'm holding it upside down.

[berettabone]

I replace mine with Wollf recoil springs....................don't have those problems................

[S281]

It will get easier with practice.

Here is how I do it.

1.Clear gun- remove slide stop lever.
2.After you remove the lever, hold the slide in its normal firing position-I look at the rear of the slide and frame to get proper alignment.
3. Now pull and hold the trigger back, and at the same time it breaks move the slide forward off the frame.

And for the recoil spring during reassembly-
Position the cut end of the spring so it goes in the "port" aligned with the barrel.
(if you would be looking at the the front of the gun, being held in the normal firing position it should be at the 12 o'clock spot)

That is what works well for me. YMMV

Exactly what I do and it works every time. The only additional thing I can say is that the more rounds you put through it, the easier and smoother take down becomes.

[addictedhealer]

The one thing I've noticed is that if I orient the end of the spring down it seems to stay put better. Keeping in mind that down is towards the top of the slide since I'm holding it upside down.

This!!! x10. I was gonna post this.

[skiflydive]

The one thing I've noticed is that if I orient the end of the spring down it seems to stay put better. Keeping in mind that down is towards the top of the slide since I'm holding it upside down.

Someone suggested this right after I got my CM9 a couple years ago. I've been doing it that way since with nary a problem.

[mikemc53]

Went to the range again yesterday. This gun performed flawlessly - only wish I had been as good as the gun. Actually getting much better.

Take down and reassembly after cleaning was perfect and smooth.

I can't say enough about this gun. It is great to shoot and fits perfectly in my hand.

Later gang.

[wyntrout]

Great to hear, Mike. I love the Kahr triggers, but it's not like I'm a great shot with them. I shoot quickly and my eyes really limit my range these days. After 10 yards, I'm doing well to keep most on a sheet of paper, especially at 15 yards.

Wynn:)

[muggsy]

It's economics... cheaper for the one-end-closed spring. The spring is designed for the closed end to GRIP the rear of the guide rod and the front OPEN end is loose to allow free movement of rod within the spring during recoil. Putting the spring in backwards risks the spring going over the flange and jamming the action. But... do what you want.

Try putting your magazine springs in backwards, too, MAYBE that will work for you, too.

Wynn:)

I've put about 400 rounds through the gun with the spring reversed with no problems. The only time I've had a problem was with the open end forward. It can't possibly be that expensive to close both ends of the spring. Many inexpensive .22s have recoil springs closed on both ends. Every freaking push button ball point pen has the spring closed on both ends.

[sas PM9]

The one thing I've noticed is that if I orient the end of the spring down it seems to stay put better. Keeping in mind that down is towards the top of the slide since I'm holding it upside down.

RR:

Just to clarify, you are orienting the "open" end of the spring with the cut edge of the coil located nearest the barrel?

As opposed to locating the cut coil edge away from the barrel?

Curious minds want to know.

-steve

[Allen]

I've disassembled my new CM9 probably 3-4 times now without any problems anywhere but this last time all at once I noticed the recoil spring was sticking out the end of the slide while I was trying to get it in place. I nearly panicked thinking I was either doing something wrong, heaven knows what though, or had damaged something.

I did as suggested above and rotated the spring a little and everything went smoothly back together. Really glad to read the information on this thread cause now I'll know what to look for and how to do it. Thanks for all the excellent information.

[DJK11]

I wonder how many times this has been discussed. Just lay the slide on a bench, table, counter top or whatever on the sights and insert the recoil assembly so the cut tip of the spring is against the under side of the front sight. Not that difficult.

The Wolff replacement recoil springs can be installed with the closed end forward because it doesn't have the "gripper" coil like the OEM springs. I have been using them like that for a couple of years. To each their own.

[Trooper Joe]

I've put about 400 rounds through the gun with the spring reversed with no problems. The only time I've had a problem was with the open end forward. It can't possibly be that expensive to close both ends of the spring. Many inexpensive .22s have recoil springs closed on both ends. Every freaking push button ball point pen has the spring closed on both ends.


Muggsy, thanks for your post.


Pretty rare to see a post asking Kahr why they just didn't go the extra mile. I have never had a hand gun that had this problem except my most recent purchase, my Kahr CM9. (My last count was a total of 45 hand guns).


By the same note, would it take just a few extra minutes to prep the gun before it leaves Kahr so that we don't need to use up 100's or in one case a poster said 2,000 rounds before they truly trust it.


I now have 3 magazines (2 6 rounder's and 1 7 rounder). Each one needed the follower smoothed (filed and sanded) on the right side so it would clear the magazine catch internally. (By the way, thanks for the tip Jocko)


Come to think of it, my first attempt with a Kahr several years ago had probably the same problem (hanging up 1/2 way through a magazine). Went back to Kahr for repair and it did the same thing when I got it back. I think that trade back to the dealer resulted in my first Sig 239.


Reminds me of when Harley's were very hard to get and the boasting around the club was "I waited 15 months" or "I waited 3 years". What's up with that.


Come to think of it, some of my other guns have sort of a "cult" following on their forums (hmm where have I heard the word "cult" before) but they don't put up with as near as much as you fine folks do.


Just some thoughts,


Trooper Joe