Broken K9 Guide Rod

[dtc81]

I am new to Kahr firearms, and recently purchased a used K9 which I intend to carry. The shop I purchased it from let me put a box of ammo through it before purchasing the gun, and it performed well. When I got home, I went to strip the gun for cleaning and to familiarize myself with it, and found the guide rod to be heavily worn and the flange to be broken off. The piece was still in the slide and didn't seem to damage anything inside the gun itself. I checked for pitting, gouges, wear, etc. I called the shop (which I won't name in their defense) and they said they would contact the previous owner, as he is a friend to them, and look into the gun's history. They seemed to want to help me resolve the issue. I went ahead and ordered a guide rod and spring from Kahr anyway, and just sent them an email explaining the issue and attached pictures.

These are the pictures of the gun stripped. Here are my questions;
1. What could cause this kind of wear to the guide rod?
2. Is the wear on the end of slide (shown in picture) common?
3. There is a slight amount of play in the slide to frame junction, is this a concern?

Sorry for the long first post! I have been lurking for a few months now and reading as much as I can about these guns! I will update with any information I receive from the shop and/or Kahr.http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b618/dtc8130/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_8766_zps9fa0890d.jpg (http://s1294.photobucket.com/user/dtc8130/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_8766_zps9fa0890d.jpg.html)http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b618/dtc8130/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_8767_zps5c2d531c.jpg (http://s1294.photobucket.com/user/dtc8130/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_8767_zps5c2d531c.jpg.html)http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b618/dtc8130/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_8768_zpsbce49e29.jpg (http://s1294.photobucket.com/user/dtc8130/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_8768_zpsbce49e29.jpg.html)

[wyntrout]

Hi, a new rod and spring should get you going. I suspect that the flange at the rear was due to firing the pistol with the recoil assembly improperly installed/seated.

Here's my usual info and the videos for proper assembly. The open or free end of the spring goes to the front, not as shown in the picture. The closed end grips the rear of the rod near the flange.


Welcome to the Kahrtalk forum supported by K a h r Arms.
Here are a few essential links and things to do BEFORE you take your new pistol to the range, and ESPECIALLY BEFORE taking it apart and trying to re-assemble it! The Kahr is a different design… 6-7 unique patents cover the Kahrs. I’m not trying to imply that you don’t know anything about guns, but many don’t know anything about the Kahrs and some of the things you can do to damage or cause malfunctions of your new, or new-to-you Kahr pistol.

First, if you don’t have a manual, yet, or one didn’t come with your pistol, you can view it and/or download the pdf file here:
http://www.kahr.com/PDF/kahrmanual.pdf

Please watch one of these videos FIRST! These videos can point out possible problem areas and emphasize correct procedures!
Take down and re-assembly videos:
T, TP, CW, P, & PM/CM Series:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=G2cZgVg_SwA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=G2cZgVg_SwA)
MK series:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...mSCnIOaUk#t=0s (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zXmSCnIOaUk#t=0s)
K series:
http://www.kahr.com/Pistols/Kahr-K9-Elite.asp

There are many links on fixing problems listed in several places… under the New Member or Kahr Tech sub-forums. To start, a very good one:

Proper Prepping of a new Kahr:

http://www.kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?t=14748

A very handy one is the Kahr Lubrication Diagram:
http://kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?t=14750

Many of your questions can be answered in these areas and you can learn how your Kahr works and not damage it with improper handling.

Another great resource for information on Kahrs... Archives of Magazine and Internet Reviews for Kahr pistols by industry experts. They test these pistols and report on their views and the ammo they tested in it. This is a good way to find ammo that might fit your needs along with accuracy and feeding in the pistol... usually from a rest with velocity and energy, as well as penetration and expansion sometimes... very informational.

http://www.kahr.com/product-reviews.asp

Frequently asked questions: http://www.kahr.com/faq.asp?

One very important bit of advice: Hold the Kahr pistol firmly when firing OR CHAMBERING a round. These compact pistols need all of the force they can get from the slide to get a round into the chamber successfully. If you don't hold the pistol firmly, part of the needed momentum is transferred to MOVING THE PISTOL and the top round will DIVE and jam into the right side of the feed ramp. The weak hand, over hand rack method gives the best grip and a firm rack will give you the best chance at chambering a round.

Use the weak hand fingers over the slide(clear of the ejection port), thumb along the slide and pointing to the rear. Use the gun hand to simultaneously firmly push the gun as you give a vigorous rack with the weak hand and cleanly release the slide as it reaches the rear limit and is "snatched" from the weak hand. This approximates a real rack from firing and beats the slide release method WHEN executed properly. Much more strength can be exerted when this is done closer to the body.

Here's a video on that. The first part is what I'm talking about:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=hjLbFOw8sow (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=hjLbFOw8sow)

There are many helpful members here most of the time who might be able to help you, but as anywhere, there are many opinions and not all are correct. Be mindful of this before doing anything drastic to modify your pistol!


Wynn:)
Aka wyntrout

PS: I keep thinking of stuff to add and help new members... and am trying to cover most of the popular subjects. Yes, it's repetitious to many, but possibly not to all new members. This approach is easier than having to look up every tidbit for each new member or question that arises. :)

[dtc81]

Wynn, thanks for all the info! I just received my parts and will be reading all of the info you posted. I actually found the manual on this forum and followed the take down and reassembly instructions as per kahr.com. When I disassembled the pistol after purchasing it I made sure to take note of how the spring came out, thinking that may have been the culprit of the damage, but the previous owner had it in correctly. (This time at least). Thanks again for all of the information!

[jocko]

firstI have seen,put newstuff in and forget about it. . Nicegun by the way. Wyn couldalso be right about impropper installation.

[dtc81]

Here's a picture of the new spring and rod vs. the old. Couldn't believe how much stouter the new one is. I even double checked part numbers against my invoice. Thanks again for the help. I hope to hit the range later this week.
http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b618/dtc8130/Mobile%20Uploads/Springs_zps8c4c85ae.jpg (http://s1294.photobucket.com/user/dtc8130/media/Mobile%20Uploads/Springs_zps8c4c85ae.jpg.html)

[b4uqzme]

You know it's possible that the old worn-out spring was reaching full compression. Any leftover recoil forces would beat up that guide rod flange if that happened. Longshot but just thinking out loud. Then again, I'm not sure the slide can travel that far.

I think Jocko is right. Put the new stuff in and go shootin'. Just be extra sure the new spring goes in the right direction. Welcome