Michael W.
05-11-2010, 03:46 PM
...and not all is well in paradise....
I went to the range this morning with the intention of running
at least 100 more rounds each through my PM9 and PM45.
I'm still struggling a bit with the trigger and my first shots out
of the gun tend to be pulled. It took me a couple mags worth
of the 9 to finally settle down into the groove again.
This bothers me somewhat but I guess its just a training issue.
Also, there is MOST DEF a difference between the PM45 trigger
and the PM9 trigger. The 9 has a longer stroke and is a tad heavier.
Now of course this is all relative as the 9 has a VERY nice DA trigger
but it's still heavier and longer than the 45. Once I got a feel for the
particular gun I was able to use the "Stack then pull through" approach
which tightened things up on the target a bit.
The 9 shot as well as the last two times I've taken it out
and I worked on my one hand groups at 7 yards with both strong
hand and weak hand. At about round 97 I had an FTF.
Kind of surprised me as its really the first time with this gun.
Usually I instinctively clear and continue but I stopped and examined
the failure for a bit. I can't see what might have precipitated it
but the round was hung at the bottom of the feed ramp.
It hadn't actually engaged the ramp yet. So it may have been sitting
a little wonky in the magazine, not sure. I don't want to make any excuses
for the gun but I also don't want to blow things out of proportion either.
One FTF in now coming up on 400 rounds through the gun.
I was planning to run another 50 through it but never got to it.
Then I loaded up the PM45 and shot through a box of Blazers.
Very surprised to have a couple of slide lockbacks with rounds still
in the mag. Ok, so before I got pissed I decided to watch my hands closely
to see if I was nudging the slide stop. I use a "two thumbs forward"
hold and even as I was watching everything happens so fast that it's
impossible for me to see if that was what was happening. So usually I wait
until the second box of shells before I start my one handed drills but I started
them just to see if it made a diff. Sure enough I shot through the next 4-5
mags one handed with both strong and weak hand and NO slide lockback.
So somehow I MUST be nudging the slide lock during shooting.
Next thing I noticed was that I limp wristed a shot and the slide slowed
down noticeably. Then I intentionally limp wristed a couple shots and
could reproduce this "slide slowdown". I also managed to get a stovepipe
while limpwristing...another first in this gun.
Ok, not what I was expecting after the stellar performance of the last range
trip but I can chalk both of the above to user error. This gun is rather
unforgiving in this regard. But then....some people complain that Glocks
are equally unforgiving...! Again, I think its probably a training issue for me.
THEN.....heh....I started my second box of Fiocchi 230 gr ball ammo
and about 2 or 3 mags into it I got an FTRTB....WTF????
Not only did it fail to return it was stuck tighter than a tick
about 1/8" out of battery. Completely locked up (or so I thought).
I could see a casing chambered but I could NOT tell or remember if it was a
live round or an empty casing. So I'm checking over the gun and notice that
the little screw on retention cap for the recoil rod assembly was
missing!...just lovely.
Got down on my hands and knees crawling through a bunch of brass looking
for it. No joy. It was gone....probably halfway down the range.
Now ironically, the last time I shot the gun during cleaning I noticed the
thing was loose. So I degreased it and put a little blue loctite on it.
Guess I should have used red!
Anyway, its the first time I was so stuck I had to call for range help.
I didn't want to tinker with it at home in case it WAS a live round chambered
in there. The guy comes out....heh....and just gives it a good push on the
slide and it came loose. Sure enough it was a chambered round with a very setback bullet.
I left the round with the range attendant to get rid of,
packed up my stuff and came home. Near as I can tell what happened was
that after the retaining washer flew off the guide rod was no longer centered
and got knocked cattywampus which caused the FTRB and subsequently
locked the slide up.
Stripping and cleaning the gun I could tell there wasn't any other damage
from the incident. I called Kahr and they're sending me out a whole new
recoil spring assembly. The guy I talked to said those aren't ever supposed
to come off.
So hopefully in a few days I'll have my new assembly and I can resume
my "Kahr Trigger Indoctrination":)
So here's my PM45 with it's front teeth knocked out.....
http://www.fototime.com/FC54EE146270CFA/orig.jpg
Michael-
I went to the range this morning with the intention of running
at least 100 more rounds each through my PM9 and PM45.
I'm still struggling a bit with the trigger and my first shots out
of the gun tend to be pulled. It took me a couple mags worth
of the 9 to finally settle down into the groove again.
This bothers me somewhat but I guess its just a training issue.
Also, there is MOST DEF a difference between the PM45 trigger
and the PM9 trigger. The 9 has a longer stroke and is a tad heavier.
Now of course this is all relative as the 9 has a VERY nice DA trigger
but it's still heavier and longer than the 45. Once I got a feel for the
particular gun I was able to use the "Stack then pull through" approach
which tightened things up on the target a bit.
The 9 shot as well as the last two times I've taken it out
and I worked on my one hand groups at 7 yards with both strong
hand and weak hand. At about round 97 I had an FTF.
Kind of surprised me as its really the first time with this gun.
Usually I instinctively clear and continue but I stopped and examined
the failure for a bit. I can't see what might have precipitated it
but the round was hung at the bottom of the feed ramp.
It hadn't actually engaged the ramp yet. So it may have been sitting
a little wonky in the magazine, not sure. I don't want to make any excuses
for the gun but I also don't want to blow things out of proportion either.
One FTF in now coming up on 400 rounds through the gun.
I was planning to run another 50 through it but never got to it.
Then I loaded up the PM45 and shot through a box of Blazers.
Very surprised to have a couple of slide lockbacks with rounds still
in the mag. Ok, so before I got pissed I decided to watch my hands closely
to see if I was nudging the slide stop. I use a "two thumbs forward"
hold and even as I was watching everything happens so fast that it's
impossible for me to see if that was what was happening. So usually I wait
until the second box of shells before I start my one handed drills but I started
them just to see if it made a diff. Sure enough I shot through the next 4-5
mags one handed with both strong and weak hand and NO slide lockback.
So somehow I MUST be nudging the slide lock during shooting.
Next thing I noticed was that I limp wristed a shot and the slide slowed
down noticeably. Then I intentionally limp wristed a couple shots and
could reproduce this "slide slowdown". I also managed to get a stovepipe
while limpwristing...another first in this gun.
Ok, not what I was expecting after the stellar performance of the last range
trip but I can chalk both of the above to user error. This gun is rather
unforgiving in this regard. But then....some people complain that Glocks
are equally unforgiving...! Again, I think its probably a training issue for me.
THEN.....heh....I started my second box of Fiocchi 230 gr ball ammo
and about 2 or 3 mags into it I got an FTRTB....WTF????
Not only did it fail to return it was stuck tighter than a tick
about 1/8" out of battery. Completely locked up (or so I thought).
I could see a casing chambered but I could NOT tell or remember if it was a
live round or an empty casing. So I'm checking over the gun and notice that
the little screw on retention cap for the recoil rod assembly was
missing!...just lovely.
Got down on my hands and knees crawling through a bunch of brass looking
for it. No joy. It was gone....probably halfway down the range.
Now ironically, the last time I shot the gun during cleaning I noticed the
thing was loose. So I degreased it and put a little blue loctite on it.
Guess I should have used red!
Anyway, its the first time I was so stuck I had to call for range help.
I didn't want to tinker with it at home in case it WAS a live round chambered
in there. The guy comes out....heh....and just gives it a good push on the
slide and it came loose. Sure enough it was a chambered round with a very setback bullet.
I left the round with the range attendant to get rid of,
packed up my stuff and came home. Near as I can tell what happened was
that after the retaining washer flew off the guide rod was no longer centered
and got knocked cattywampus which caused the FTRB and subsequently
locked the slide up.
Stripping and cleaning the gun I could tell there wasn't any other damage
from the incident. I called Kahr and they're sending me out a whole new
recoil spring assembly. The guy I talked to said those aren't ever supposed
to come off.
So hopefully in a few days I'll have my new assembly and I can resume
my "Kahr Trigger Indoctrination":)
So here's my PM45 with it's front teeth knocked out.....
http://www.fototime.com/FC54EE146270CFA/orig.jpg
Michael-