HELP! Slide release will not come out?

[tcb]

I'm at the end of my rope. I just put in a new Wolf 20.5 lb spring (just the outer) and put my PM40 back together, everything was fine. I then took it back apart to clean the new replacement barrel I got (still everything is fine). Then I screwed up by putting the slide back on with out the spring assembly. After fighting with it for a bit I got the slide off and tried to put it back together again. Here is where I ran into some problems...I had to pull the trigger to get the slide back far enough to t the slide stop in. OK...then it would lock back every time i racked it. The slide stop seemed to be sticking out a bit to far so I pushed it all the way back in and everything semed to be working fine (so I thought). Once I got it all back together and racked it a bunch of times it was working OK but if I put downward pressure on the slide it would lock back? So I decided to break it down again to see if I could see what was going on but now the slide lock will not come out at all no matter how hard I press on it? I was able to just push it out once I had it in the right position with some firm finger pressure, now it will not budge. Any ideas? Does it need to go back? HELP!!!

[jlottmc]

Sounds like you may have tweaked the slide stop spring. Look at it and see if that is the case, if it is try GENTLY returning it to it's original shape with a pair of needle nose pliers. If this is not the case, a call to the mother ship may be in order.

[at_liberty]

Sure sounds like the slide stop spring is jammed under the stop head. I would try prying under the stop head, while at the half moon opening position, and while pushing on the far side button end. My tool would be a #0 slotted screwdriver, but I am not a gunsmith.

I bet Kahr gets this a lot. The spring arrangement is a design problem, not because it doesn't work, but because it isn't idiot proof (including me). Like the 1911 slide lock retention, you could hang more mechanisms on the outside of the slide, but then it wouldn't be as compact and concealable.

I don't have a better idea, but it seems so temperamental for something that gets disassembled so frequently and by the nonprofessional. Then again, there is never any substitute for reading the directions and especially for being shown how to do it right by someone who already learned the tough lessons.

One service a gunshop should provide is instruction on field stripping a new gun, never mind the manual that comes with each one. Of the five shops at which I purchased guns, only one was especially helpful. Now I know to ask.

I had to take a $95 course in handgun maintenance just to get comfortable with a routine field strip clean and lube. The kickers were always the various ways of removing and replacing barrel lugs, recoil springs and slide locks. The Kahr videos are certainly helpful.

[getsome]

Hello tcb, Don't panic....The slide stop thing is a problem that many (myself included) have had happen...What you have is a bent slide stop spring and that is holding the lever in place so you cant just push it out...Now here is a trick I found that works to make take down of the gun much easier for cleaning...Find a wooden dowel or some other tool to place in between the breach and barrel to hold the slide in position so the witness marks line up on the frame and slide...(I found that a chopstick from a chinese restaurant take out meal was the perfect size to do this job but anything will do so long as its plastic or wood...Now with that inserted and the witness marks lined up and half moon in position you no longer need three hands to work on it with...The slide lock lever will need to be forced out by tapping with a plastic mallet or screwdriver handle, you may have to whack it pretty hard a few times to overcome the bent spring but it will come out....When you get it out, take the slide back off and look at the spring and see how bad it is bent...Kahr sent me a new spring for free after I did the same thing you did but you may be able to bend it back into the correct shape (level with the top of the frame when looking from the side and parallel with the frame rails when looking from the top)...Now put it back together and with the witness marks and half moon in position you can push the lever back in (a little dab of grease on the back side and shaft will make it easier) With the lever level with the slide (3 o clock) push it straight in all the way and you should feel a click and wa la its fixed....After doing it a few times I no longer have a problem and wondered why it was so hard the first time...IMO the manual could be much clearer about this with better pictures but as others have said, watch the take down video, it really helped me figure it out...Hope this works for you but if not, send it back to the mother ship and they will take care it, won't be the first one either...Good luck and let us know what happens...

[hsart]

Hello tcb, Don't panic....The slide stop thing is a problem that many (myself included) have had happen...What you have is a bent slide stop spring and that is holding the lever in place so you cant just push it out...Now here is a trick I found that works to make take down of the gun much easier for cleaning...Find a wooden dowel or some other tool to place in between the breach and barrel to hold the slide in position so the witness marks line up on the frame and slide...(I found that a chopstick from a chinese restaurant take out meal was the perfect size to do this job but anything will do so long as its plastic or wood...Now with that inserted and the witness marks lined up and half moon in position you no longer need three hands to work on it with...The slide lock lever will need to be forced out by tapping with a plastic mallet or screwdriver handle, you may have to whack it pretty hard a few times to overcome the bent spring but it will come out....When you get it out, take the slide back off and look at the spring and see how bad it is bent...Kahr sent me a new spring for free after I did the same thing you did but you may be able to bend it back into the correct shape (level with the top of the frame when looking from the side and parallel with the frame rails when looking from the top)...Now put it back together and with the witness marks and half moon in position you can push the lever back in (a little dab of grease on the back side and shaft will make it easier) With the lever level with the slide (3 o clock) push it straight in all the way and you should feel a click and wa la its fixed....After doing it a few times I no longer have a problem and wondered why it was so hard the first time...IMO the manual could be much clearer about this with better pictures but as others have said, watch the take down video, it really helped me figure it out...Hope this works for you but if not, send it back to the mother ship and they will take care it, won't be the first one either...Good luck and let us know what happens...
Well said... should be a sticky!

[tcb]

Getsome, Thanks that worked. The chopstick trick is great. Ian is sending me a new spring. When I took off the old spring I knowticed a small gouge in the frame where the spring rests. Is that going to be a problem? Check the pics...

[getsome]

I think you will be ok just be sure to put the washer back on with the countersunk side so that the screw will be flat against the spring...also use some locktite on the #6 torx screw and DO NOT over torque it or it will strip the polymer threads out, just a good snug will be fine with the locktite...let the locktite set up a while before you put it back together and hopefully all will be good to go....You may or may not have to tweak the spring to get it in the proper position with downward pressure on the lever and the spring should ride above the little protrusion in the small cut out slot (not under it) on the lever....Glad you got it figured out and good luck, let us know...:cool:

[jmstallard]

Believe it or not, but this very subject came up in my CC class last night. One of the instructors said that you HAVE to send it back to Kahr if you get the slide stop in wrong. :)

[tcb]

Does the divit in the polymer look OK? It dosen't look like it's suposed to be there. I cant see how it wore out like that so fast but I never looked under there before all this went down.

[getsome]

Lets ask jocko, He will be able to tell I'm sure...

[deadhead1971]

One of the instructors said that you HAVE to send it back to Kahr if you get the slide stop in wrong.

He is quoting the owner's manual. It says something like if you miss the kidney hole, you will need to send it in for service. I think what Kahr means is, if you miss the hole with the pin and fire the gun, it may break something which will then require service. I am not sure you can fire the gun like this.

How many of you guys have read the owner's manual? There are a few dos and don'ts in there. It also says to remove the bullets from your magazines "from time to time" to rest the springs--unquote.

[tcb]

Ian just mailed me back and said the divit should not be a problem. I got it back together again after getting the spring bent back to normal. Everything seems to be working fine now...Whew...I was kind of getting some pucker on that one.

[getsome]

I hear ya tcb, I had my pistol all of two days and wanted to take it apart to see what everything looked like inside...I have had many semi auto pistols of different makes in the past and never had a problem taking any of them apart....I thought this should be about the same deal so I read and re-read the book and still got it wrong, slide locked back every time and I had also read the part about having to send it back to Kahr if assembled incorrectly...I have never been so pi$$ed off in my life....I'm thinking thats just great, a brand new $500 gun and I broke it before I even got to shoot it....I'm pretty sure I was cussing in tongues so I put the gun back in the box and thought I would ship it back the next day.....I didn't know anything about Kahr pistols so I googled Kahr info and lo and behold thats how I found this wonderful site....Right away I found several posts about the very same problem and good old jocko (AKA The Oracle) told me how to fix it and I knew I had come to the right place....This is a great forum and there are many super nice folks here and we love to help each other out if possible....Very glad you got it working again and good luck in the future....

[jocko]

divit should not be an issue. I even wonder if it couldhave been there from the git go. I can't see how u caused it. Nothing really moves there so just don't over tighten that screw either, snug is good. that screw and washer merely hold that bent par tof the spring thing in the polymer. That spring realy has to have some freedome to moreless move. i do think u will be OK.

It could be a design flaw if one wants to call it that but if one follows the booklet closely and pays attention, he should never have to visit that area. I hve had my PM9 apart I would bet 500 times, still the same spring, never messed with the screw, works every time. I think kahr is working on smething in that area to, certainly IMO will not be an upgrade thing for us owners IMO. that screw really needs to screw into some type of inbedded metal threaded insert, so that in can't screw the threads up. I have only read of about 2 or 3 who have had thread probme.s and my thoughts were on two of them that it was even done at the factory, for kahr replaced them no questions asked. I have never read of this on other kahr forums, course probably missed it maybe..

Actually the system works great but if one screws up that area.he is screwed. Not sur eI wold put lock tight in those threads either. If you didn't strip the threads you sholud be OK. I would save the locktite/epoxy/crazy glue fix until when you really need to do it, like screwed up threads. Locktite reall needs metal to metal and no oxygen to cure out and I don't think metal to polymer would work ..

It takes a #6 torx tool tog et that screw in or our. I bought mine at sears..

[tcb]

Thanks for all the help guys, Lesson learned and no worse for the wear. I think I'll put the new spring in whn it shows up and then NEVER TOUCH IT AGAIN! I've field stripped different types of handguns 100's of times and never scewed one up like that before. At least now I know.

[jlottmc]

Eh, no worries. You'll be fine, glad you found an appropriate answer. I think the blue lok-tite will do metal to plastic. Be warned though, lok-tite generates heat, and a good deal of it. I would shy away from it in that spot. Don't worry about screwin' one up, just learn from it and pass it on, we all do that from time to time, and next time remember that whatever you have taken apart will tell you how to put it back together. Don't force it and if it feels wrong it probably is. Just a lesson I too learned the hard way. Again, not trying to jump on anyone, just giving my thoughts.