New P380 1st Range Experience

[ORSalesRep]

Okay, I have to say that I love my new P380 and it is a wonderful compliment to my Mag-Na-Ported P9. I found the P380 to be really accurate, low recoil and easy to get back on target. All this with factory sights. I am thinking I may eventually add XS Big Dots.

I did follow the New Kahr Prep Sticky before hitting the range. Used a dremel and metal polish to polish out all the friction points, used an UltraSonic cleaner to clean it and then Lube it. I must have racked the slide about a 1000 times.

Today I took it to the range and ran about 100 rounds through it. It was fun and accurate, I had no FTF or FTE, but I did have a handful of premature slide locks. The slide would lock open when there was still ammunition in the magazine. Pressing the slide release immediately got me back and able to fire. Will this go away as the gun get more rounds through it or is there something else I should try or look into?

[Bawanna]

In most cases that premature slide lock is caused by the operators thumb hitting it just a bit. Usually you dont even know your touching it. Try it left handed or have someone else shoot it or watch you closely and you'll know for sure. My PM45 did that to me, my son never had it happen. I did a little self inflicted melt down job on the lever and last time out I had not issues with it at all. Doesn't take much to alleviate the problem. Otherwise it could be the slide lock spring getting touched by a round in the mag on the way up but I'd research the thumb first.
Sounds like a keeper. Glad she runs good for ya.

[jocko]

Okay, I have to say that I love my new P380 and it is a wonderful compliment to my Mag-Na-Ported P9. I found the P380 to be really accurate, low recoil and easy to get back on target. All this with factory sights. I am thinking I may eventually add XS Big Dots.

I did follow the New Kahr Prep Sticky before hitting the range. Used a dremel and metal polish to polish out all the friction points, used an UltraSonic cleaner to clean it and then Lube it. I must have racked the slide about a 1000 times.

Today I took it to the range and ran about 100 rounds through it. It was fun and accurate, I had no FTF or FTE, but I did have a handful of premature slide locks. The slide would lock open when there was still ammunition in the magazine. Pressing the slide release immediately got me back and able to fire. Will this go away as the gun get more rounds through it or is there something else I should try or look into?

I would bet Bawanna is right in his assumption, but try this to. Take the slide off the gun, reinsert the slide lock lever and now put in a loaded magazine and watch the left side and see if those rounds are hitting the inside of the slide lock lever. They should not be hitting the lever and if the lever starts to move upward, then call kahr and have them send you a new slide lock lever. U did not state with what ammo you were using either. I am assiming this is break in stuff, meaning fmj ammo and not defense ammo yet. Some defense rounds seem more cirtical to be hitting the inside of the slide lock lever. This should be easy to see by doing the above.

another way is to let someone else shoot the gun or shoot it left handed for then you arenot even close to the slide lock lever. Notmuch gun to hold on to and for "righties" this can happen and you just don't know it.

[ORSalesRep]

Thank Jocko and Bawanna.t I now have 300 rounds through my P380. The last 150 rounds I paid special attention to keeping my thumb far away from the slide lock lever. I still had the occasional premature lock open. Someimes I would make it through the whole magazine or a couple in a row without the issue. Other times it would happen once or twice per magazine. I also put the slide lock lever in the frame with a loaded magazine and without the slide to see if the rounds were making contact with the slide lock and they were not. I called Kahr and they said they would send me a new slide stop spring. I hope that fixes the problem. Otherwise, do you guys have any other thoughts?

[DKD]

Hey bro, JOCKO & BAWANNA are pretty much on their game and if their drills don't cure the problem the new slide lock lever and spring from Kahr definately should. As a precausion I would also try the spare magazine to see if they cause the premature slide lock with ammo remaining in the magazine.

[nd1979]

I had the same premature slide lock and I was very careful in my grip. I called Kahr and they sent me out a new slide lock spring and it solved the problem. After replacing it, I had zero problems with WWW, PMC, S&B, and about a dozen Win PDX. About 200 rounds in total.