CW380 light Primer strikes

[rwarren66]

My new CW380 after break-in was flawless except it was plagued with light primer strikes and was returned once for repair.

The barrel, striker and recoil springs were replaced by Kahr causing failure to feed and slide not locking back after last round problems with the light primer strikes seeming to be much worse. If I pulled the trigger very slowly, the CW380 would always fail to fire, if I pulled the trigger briskly (almost a jerking movement) it would fire every time. This was 100% repeatable.

Being disappointed in the Kahr repair effort, I stripped the frame and started polishing the striker, striker channel and striker block with much better results but not completely reliable. I read some where on this forum of a Kahr P380 owner who had similar problems and solved his issue with a striker spring from a Kahr CM9,

I swapped my CM9 (BTW a flawless performing pistol) striker spring and the CW380 is now cured .... fires 100% of the time. Trigger pull went from less than 5lb to 6lb which is OK but the slide starts to move at the end of the trigger pull, spring is too strong.

Problem is where to get a stronger CW380 striker spring. Any ideas?

RAW

[MarkB1]

Someone should confirm or deny this suggestion.

Wolff Springs has a reduced power striker spring that fits all Kahr models. It may help the slide movement.

http://www.gunsprings.com/index.cfm?page=items&cID=1&mID=29

The other possible cause may be that the CM9 striker spring is just too long and stacks up with all the spring coils tight against each other making the last part of the pull as if there is a solid rod in the striker channel. If so, a few coils of the CM9 spring may have to be removed.

[muggsy]

I installed the Wolff 5# striker spring in both my p380 and CM9 and both guns work just fine.

[topgun1953]

My new CW380 after break-in was flawless except it was plagued with light primer strikes and was returned once for repair.

The barrel, striker and recoil springs were replaced by Kahr causing failure to feed and slide not locking back after last round problems with the light primer strikes seeming to be much worse. If I pulled the trigger very slowly, the CW380 would always fail to fire, if I pulled the trigger briskly (almost a jerking movement) it would fire every time. This was 100% repeatable.

Being disappointed in the Kahr repair effort, I stripped the frame and started polishing the striker, striker channel and striker block with much better results but not completely reliable. I read some where on this forum of a Kahr P380 owner who had similar problems and solved his issue with a striker spring from a Kahr CM9,

I swapped my CM9 (BTW a flawless performing pistol) striker spring and the CW380 is now cured .... fires 100% of the time. Trigger pull went from less than 5lb to 6lb which is OK but the slide starts to move at the end of the trigger pull, spring is too strong.

Problem is where to get a stronger CW380 striker spring. Any ideas?

RAW

Since last November I've purchased a CW380 and then a P380. I have broken the striker in the CW380 once and the P380 twice, setting a world record, I think. This last incident with the P380 had Kahr replace the slide along with striker, spring, extractor. My CW was the first to break and not knowing what was going on, I fully stripped the slide. At the bottom of the striker channel was a chunk of metal. I never checked to see if they ground it out when they replaced the striker (afraid to look) but I'm figuring it contributed to the failure AND the string of fail to fires I got as a prelude to the broken striker. You may want to take a look at your's.

[rwarren66]

Thanks, I have a factory CW380 spring on the way, if this does not work I will try the Wolff springs and remove length to insure no stack up. I may leave the CW 380 spring in the cm9, it gives me a little less than 5 lb. trigger pull and still pops rifle primers which are much harder (my personal test criteria for primer strikes)

RAW

[rwarren66]

Thanks, trimming the CM9 striker spring 2 turns was the ticket! CW380 trigger a little above 5lbs. and pops even rifle primers, all is good!

RAW

[jocko]

thats good to know. what is the actual difference in length, or coil count between the factory 380 striker spring and the wolffs 5# spring. Even the swapping of the cm9 sprig into the 380 kahr is sumpin I never knew either. I would think this would be a great cure for lite primer strikers. So what if it increase it a pound at the trigger. Its not a target gun and unless that pound is hanging off the end of ur testicles, u will never know the difference either. Just sayin.

[wyntrout]

Before the newer CW380's and P380's, Wolff said the 5-lb striker springs fit all models, so I would think that all striker springs were the same... but possibly not. I bought spares for all of my Kahrs, so I can see if there's a difference. On second thought... I bought extractor kits for all. Some of the extractors/pins/springs are shared by others... namely all 9mm seem to have the same parts.

Wynn:)

[jocko]

all striker springs are the same for kahrs ExCEPT the 380, which wolffs told me once tha tthey are not interchangeable. evidently that might not be tre according to some here who have switched them over.

[rwarren66]

The factory springs are the same diameter but a different gauge. If you swap to a heaver striker spring in the 380, do not cut it for length but for effect.

The stronger spring may fully compress and push the slide back slightly (spring stacking as in my case), if so, trim just enough for almost full compress but not stack the spring and measure trigger pull. Any thing over 5 lbs seemed to work in my 380.

Of course this is if nothing else is wrong, I made sure all else was correct before messing with the striker spring. I will put the new CW380 striker spring in just to test and will report results. Could be just an original spring sacked out?

RAW

[rwarren66]

I received the replacement striker spring for my CW380, compared to the old spring, it was at least two - three turns longer. Replaced the CM9 striker spring in my CW380 and it runs like a champ! But I will say that this is with a striker bar, striker and striker channel having the crap polishes out of them.

Does anyone think Kahr is making running changes/improvements without broadcasting it?

Just for a test, I put the new/improved? striker spring in my CM9 and it will bust rifle primers and has a smooth 5lb trigger pull!


RAW

[rwarren66]

Well, the light strikes have returned! Dissambled slide, again, and re-assembled without slide back not installed to watch striker interaction with cocking cam.

Found the striker block was not being lifted high enough to completely clear striker when striker was released.

Returned to Kahr, again, this time with detailed pictures taken with electronic microscope describing problem.

Kahr returned the CW380 in four days with a completely new slide, minuse barrel, and springs and with new cocking cam. Problem seems to be have

been solved.

As advised from other posts on this forum, stay with Kahr service, they will solve problem sooner or later.


RAW

[muggsy]

Does anyone think Kahr is making running changes/improvements without broadcasting it?

Any manufacturer can make product changes without notifying the public except when product safety issues are involved. Kahr has been refining and improving their products since day one.

[Justinotto]

With kahr service eventually fixing so many experiencing the same issues on kahr 380's, why on earth can they not just fix these problems across the board before they leave the factory? I don't think one can use the old adage that there are always a few lemons...according to the members of this forum most of these issues occur quite often. Frustrating for a guy like me who doesn't want to spend hours pressing out pins and examining internal workings of the gun...I'd just like my cw 380 to be reliable. 350 rounds through it and still experiencing these light primer strikes.

[SlowBurn]

I just ordered a new CW 380. My P380 works great, but I couldn't resist the price. And I have zero mechanical skill.

If there's anything wrong with it out of the box, I'm sending it to Kahr. If there's anything wrong with it when it comes back… I'm sending it to Kahr. That's it. Whether the gun's perfect when I first get it or when it comes back from Kahr the 10th time it's going to be right and I'm not going to *#%^*! with it. Just sayin.

[Justinotto]

Fair enough. Good point.