CW9 strong slide

[ole hombre]

I have been to the range for 3 short sessions with my CW9. No malfunctions nor problems with it except...
The slide spring is so strong I can barely get it back into the stop/lock position,which is the proper way to load it as I understand it.
Lock the slide back, insert the magazine, unlock the slide--ready to fire.
All works fine except I am straining (I am 70 ) to get that thing back and locked. Does this improve "weaken a bit" with time?
Thanks

[addictedhealer]

It will loosen up but honestly not compared to some larger guns. You can buy a 18lb spring from Wolff springs could help. I love my car but they just aren't for people with less hand strength. Hope it gets better for you. My best advice would be to slingshot it if you have a hard time manipulating the slide lock(slide release).

[kwh]

Slide should stay open after last shot. If you wish to reload, do so and drop slide with stop. If you do not wish to reload, store with slide locked back. Slide stop is designed to drop easier with a loaded magazine. Hope this helps. I am 67 yrs old and sympathize. My CM9 is every day carry.

[Jollyrogers]

I just spent Easter weekend with my hero, my Pop (my wife's dad). Age is catching up to him hard (79)... He couldn't work the slide easily on most of my semi-auto pistols, but the PM9 was the worst one for him. He loved the way it shot though. We had a lot of fun and shot a mag+ each of everything I brought down. Spent today cleaning, and still have a black rifle to do yet. The little Kahrs are no doubt wound tight. I had Pop lock the PM9 back while no mag was in it, so he could do whatever he needed to get it there, then load the mag and use the slide stop to load it. Worked for him from that point on, unless it failed to lock back on an empty mag, which it did once with some lighter hand loads. If you can't work the slide, I would way the risks of using it as a CC... just saying.

[PattayaPistol]

When my PM9 was new I found it tough to lock back the slide every time. Then I saw somewhere on YouTube a solution. With my strong hand I push up on the slide stop lever and keep it pushed up, then grip the slide in my weak hand while I thrust the gun forward. That works every time for me and I still use this method if my arthritis is playing up. I hope that helps a bit.

Cheers
PP

[muggsy]

I just take my wife to the range with me and let her rack the slide. You should see what that exercise has done to enhance her breasts. :D

[ole hombre]

Thanks for the helpful tips guys.
Pattaya, I will try that for sure.
Muggsy--where's the pix to prove your point! :)

[hardluk1]

They do soften up a bit after a few hundred rounds but there still a handle full for many. Guess you try different ways to rack it. Across your chest push/ push style? Hard for me to pink and pull like a old 1911.

[DavidR]

At some point I'm going to try the weaker recoil spring. I did that with my Glock 19 and the slide became much easier to rack. If I do, I'll avoid using +P ammo.


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[berettabone]

They do soften up a bit after a few hundred rounds but there still a handle full for many. Guess you try different ways to rack it. Across your chest push/ push style? Hard for me to pink and pull like a old 1911.
Breasts or firearms?http://kahrtalk.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[ole hombre]

When you say "the weaker spring" do you mean that Kahr makes one? Or you will clip a little off the old one?
Thanks

[DavidR]

Wolff makes a reduced power spring. 18 pounds versus the stock 20.


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[miketafc]

I have been to the range for 3 short sessions with my CW9. No malfunctions nor problems with it except...
The slide spring is so strong I can barely get it back into the stop/lock position,which is the proper way to load it as I understand it.
Lock the slide back, insert the magazine, unlock the slide--ready to fire.
All works fine except I am straining (I am 70 ) to get that thing back and locked. Does this improve "weaken a bit" with time?
Thanks

I'm also in my late sixties with a little arthritis in my right thumb and have similar problem racking and locking.

Let me assure you after about 500 rounds it does get a lot easier. I also employ two methods that work well.
1. Rack slide to be positive it's empty and place the butt against your midsection to get leverage and that should make locking much easier.
2. Rack slide to be positive it's empty and grasp slide on top front and push slide while using thumb to lock.

Otherwise insert an empty mag and it will automatically lock for you. Than load mag and insert it. After that it will lock open when after last shot.

[ole hombre]

miketac--thanks a bunch. Will do. I appreciate your good info!
I love the weight and simplicity of the CW and want to hang on to it!

[ole hombre]

Thans DavidR. I'll check that out!

[muggsy]

Thanks for the helpful tips guys.
Pattaya, I will try that for sure.
Muggsy--where's the pix to prove your point! :)

I can't post pics, but I could send you one of her bras and you could use your imagination. :)

[nuke]

My CW9 was difficult for my wife to rack at first; still is but not nearly as tight (the gun, not my wife) after about 1500 rounds or more. I hadn't touched the CW9 for a few months as I was breaking in a G17 and when I subsequently went to the range with the CW9 I realized how much tighter compacts tend to be compared to a full size.

[gun papa]

I showed my Mother who is 68 my new Kahr CW380. She said that would be a great gun for her, until she tried to rack the slide. Kahrs are great guns to manipulate in prep for a Glock 19. Makes the G19 easy. It is all relative.

[Megawatt]

Why not just insert an empty mag into the gun and rack the slide back. It will auto lock for you. This will prevent you from trying to manipulate the slide stop upwards with a free thumb, while holding the frame in the strong hand, and pulling back on the slide with your weak hand. This will keep the gun in front of you an not have to do things like hold it across your chest or on your leg like other suggests I have heard before. Let the design of the gun/magazine do the hard work for you.

Just keep a spare empty mag with you for when you want to lock the slide back. Shoot the complete mag until empty so you get to slide lock with no effort on your part.
If your not going to shoot the entire magazine empty then replace the partial full magazine with the empty mag and shoot one more shot to get slide lock done for you.

I will say my CW9 was ridiculously tight for the first 100 rounds and then it just got instantly easier to rack the slide, so it will get better.

[marshal kane]

Both my wife and I can do it this way:


Start with the pistol unloaded and empty magazine in it.


Stand with your weak side facing the target so that the barrel is downrange.


Grasp the slide from the top with the weak hand and push to the rear.


Simultaneously, grasp the grip with the strong hand and push forward.


Slide lock engages. Take your normal shooting position.


Drop the empty magazine and replace with a loaded one.


Release slide lock and you're good to go.

[hardluk1]

I gave my cw9 to my older daughter. After showing her how to break it down for cleaning she did it. No problem. Then I said well if its a cc pistol let me see you rack it.


She rolls the pistol about 45* sideways some gives it a 2 finger pinch and pull from the rear of the slide and snaps it back and gives it a clean release. No Problem !! Round in the chamber. Dam ! I can't do that any more. She went to a girls only meet with mom and sis and shot it some there and had a great time with it. Recoil and control was no problem. So much for me being the only kahr owner in the family.

[jocko]

good for ur daugthter. she will ev en get more comfortable with it as she shoots it more.. Muggsy can't even hand rack a kahr, ..

[muggsy]

good for ur daugthter. she will ev en get more comfortable with it as she shoots it more.. Muggsy can't even hand rack a kahr, ..

Well, I don't have as much experience using my hand as you do, Jocko, so that probably accounts for it. (We are still talking guns, aren't we?)

[hardluk1]

You know those soft tacky polymer thingy's we all use to open those jars that have the lids welded on. You know ball jars and jelly jars and such?? The way my hands have felt lately I may start carry'n one with me all the time to help me rack these dang kahrs. I tink arthor -itise is visiting my fingers lately.

[kwh]

You know those soft tacky polymer thingy's we all use to open those jars that have the lids welded on. You know ball jars and jelly jars and such?? The way my hands have felt lately I may start carry'n one with me all the time to help me rack these dang kahrs. I tink arthor -itise is visiting my fingers lately.
Good idea! Wish I had thought of that.