Metal Magazine Followers For 9mm Kahrs!!

[Streetkahr]

Look what I just found by following a thread on G10 grips for MK pistols. The company only does MK G10 grips. but they will soon offer metal followers for all Kahr 9mm mags! This will be great. I don't really care for the plastic followers on Kahr mags. I think this will be a huge improvement. I'm going to be all over this like a wild monkey! I can hardly wait. They will be kind of expensive at about 20 bucks each, but I think it will be worth it.

https://lakelinellc.com/product/metal-magazine-follower-for-9mm-kahr/

"Our upgraded magazine follower for all 9mm Kahr magazines is precision machined from aircraft grade 6061 Aluminum. Then, it is hard anodized to military specifications to provide even more resistance to corrosion and wear. It doesn’t get much tougher or more reliable than that. Our follower was carefully designed and tested to help provide fault-free feeding in Kahr pistols. Compatible with factory magazines and factory magazine springs as well as aftermarket springs from Wolff Gunsprings (http://www.gunsprings.com/index.cfm?page=items&cID=1&mID=29#191)."

Ferro Veritas, In Steel There Is Truth. Elegant Weapons From A More Elegant Age.

[yqtszhj]

I've got a follower that's dinged up pretty good, for $20 I think I would give it a try.

[muggsy]

The polymer followers work just fine in my Kahr Pistols and since Kahr will replace them for free if they fail, I think I'll pass.

[Alfonse]

The followers should be available in the next couple of weeks. Thanks

Now that I'm off my phone, I'll add a bit more.

I have been having a blast designing parts for Kahrs.

The follower that will be out is really nice. It is CNC machined and does cost more than the factory molded part, no doubt. It is a bit of a risk putting accessories out for Kahrs, since there aren't nearly as many of them as there are Rugers, Glocks, etc. There are ways to reduce part cost, but tooling costs go up. That doesn't really make the part less expensive if not enough of them sell.

For example, I have a beautiful, dare I say unbreakable, striker and spacer for the 380 Kahrs. It doesn't hit the round below in the mag either. The striker is kind of a complex part to make though. Forgetting about the striker for a minute, the factory spacer is MIM. I can make mine that way as well, but the tool is the better part of $10k. The point is it takes a bit of a commitment to do some of this stuff for yet to be determined sales volumes.

That said, I have a great background for working through the process to come up with parts at the best price I can make them for given the volumes that will sell. Not every part is going to be for everyone, but at least you will have more choices than are out there now.

[Streetkahr]

I've got a follower that's dinged up pretty good, for $20 I think I would give it a try.

I am still a new Kahr K9 owner. How do the followers get dinged up? It sounds like that is something that would be good to know.

[Streetkahr]

The polymer followers work just fine in my Kahr Pistols and since Kahr will replace them for free if they fail, I think I'll pass.

I'm still new to Kahrs, but I have read that Kahr mags are the weak link in the chain for the K9. If so, would that be due to the followers? I have also read on this forum of a fix some have had to do where they have needed to sand the underside of the follower. I can't remember the reason they had to do that, but it makes me wonder if this metal follower would be more reliable for a Kahr that is not just a range gun, but is serving as home defense and CCW? Another forum member reports he has a follower that is dinged up pretty good, so if the follower absolutely must never ever fail, could the metal follower be an advantage?

Ferro Veritas, In Steel There Is Truth

[Alfonse]

I'm not sure where his dings are. They could be on the front where the barrel can sometimes contact the follower after the last round, or they could be on top from loading.

Even when the followers break, the pistol still usually works. Many times people don't even realize the follower has broken until they clean the pistol. I have quite a few Kahrs and have never had a broken follower on any of them. But, others have had them break at times. I hope that helps.

I will also add that the profile of this follower is like the "sanded" follower, but even more so. It really helps guide the round even when the pistol is cycled more slowly than in live fire.

[Streetkahr]

The followers should be available in the next couple of weeks. Thanks

Now that I'm off my phone, I'll add a bit more.

I have been having a blast designing parts for Kahrs.

The follower that will be out is really nice. It is CNC machined and does cost more than the factory molded part, no doubt. It is a bit of a risk putting accessories out for Kahrs, since there aren't nearly as many of them as there are Rugers, Glocks, etc. There are ways to reduce part cost, but tooling costs go up. That doesn't really make the part less expensive if not enough of them sell.

For example, I have a beautiful, dare I say unbreakable, striker and spacer for the 380 Kahrs. It doesn't hit the round below in the mag either. The striker is kind of a complex part to make though. Forgetting about the striker for a minute, the factory spacer is MIM. I can make mine that way as well, but the tool is the better part of $10k. The point is it takes a bit of a commitment to do some of this stuff for yet to be determined sales volumes.

That said, I have a great background for working through the process to come up with parts at the best price I can make them for given the volumes that will sell. Not every part is going to be for everyone, but at least you will have more choices than are out there now.

Thank you for the info Alfonse! I am glad I discovered your company today. I don't think there is anyone else offering Kahr upgrade parts, and I am all for replacing any MIM parts. I will order the followers when you release them. Can I sign up to be notified of new products? Do you think you will ever make G10 grip panels for the K9? What is the difference between your stainless guide rod and the one offered on the Kahr parts website? I think they are being made by Wolff, but I'm not sure. Are there any MIM parts in the K9, and if so, would you eventually offer upgrades? Sorry for all the questions, but I really excited that you are improving Kahrs.

I do not know why they are not more popular. When the K9 came out, it was considered the new gold standard for concealment, replacing the former gold standards of the Colt Detective Special and later the Walther PPK. There are many of them carried covertly around the world by professionals, and they are popular at Gunsite, but it seems that they were lost in the polymer flood to the mass gun buying public. I have never encountered a pistol so small that runs like a full size pistol. It is unfortunate that this is lost on the masses. Those of us that know will buy your parts. I hope there are enough of us out here for you.

Ferro Veritas, In Steel There Is Truth.

[Streetkahr]

I'm not sure where his dings are. They could be on the front where the barrel can sometimes contact the follower after the last round, or they could be on top from loading.

Even when the followers break, the pistol still usually works. Many times people don't even realize the follower has broken until they clean the pistol. I have quite a few Kahrs and have never had a broken follower on any of them. But, others have had them break at times. I hope that helps.

I will also add that the profile of this follower is like the "sanded" follower, but even more so. It really helps guide the round even when the pistol is cycled more slowly than in live fire.

Good to know. I like the fact that the profile of yours is like the sanded follower. When you say that it helps guide the round when it is cycled more slowly than live fire, do you mean that it resolves the no slingshot chambering rule?

[kerby9mm]

I have 2 steel kahrs a mk9 & mk40. Both will feed even when riding the slide (done as a test only) so I'm wondering if the metal follower profiled like a sanded one would be a problem & not an improvement. I also wonder if with the g10 grips if the grip screws would stay tight. My mk40 especially when shooting the screws shoot loose. I have to tighten them every other mag.

[topgun1953]

I have 2 steel kahrs a mk9 & mk40. Both will feed even when riding the slide (done as a test only) so I'm wondering if the metal follower profiled like a sanded one would be a problem & not an improvement. I also wonder if with the g10 grips if the grip screws would stay tight. My mk40 especially when shooting the screws shoot loose. I have to tighten them every other mag.

tip from Sig P938 owners: red loctite on the screws or use a small rubber O ring on the screw. I use a #60 o ring from the local big box hardware store on my sig grip screws.

[kerby9mm]

Coincidentally I had 2 Sig p238's & the one with the metal grips always came loose so I loctited them. The other had wood grips & they never came loose. For my kahrs I will get some O rings thanks for the tip topgun.

[muggsy]

If the feed ramp is the proper length it can't contact the follower and the follower won't break. There are literally thousands of Kahr pistols that feed just fine with the original follower configuration. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a MIM part. It's simply a less expensive way of manufacturing a part of equal quality.

[Alfonse]

Thank you for the info Alfonse! I am glad I discovered your company today. I don't think there is anyone else offering Kahr upgrade parts, and I am all for replacing any MIM parts. I will order the followers when you release them. Can I sign up to be notified of new products? Do you think you will ever make G10 grip panels for the K9? What is the difference between your stainless guide rod and the one offered on the Kahr parts website? I think they are being made by Wolff, but I'm not sure. Are there any MIM parts in the K9, and if so, would you eventually offer upgrades? Sorry for all the questions, but I really excited that you are improving Kahrs.


Ferro Veritas, In Steel There Is Truth.

I also just started a Facebook page for Lakeline LLC. It would be a good place to stay up with our latest information and news. https://www.facebook.com/LakelineLLC

I don't think you will ever hear of a MIM spacer breaking on a Kahr. That is a fantastic application of MIM and the part is far stronger than it needs to be. In comparison, a machined part is prohibitively expensive. I only brought it up because there is a tooling cost that needs to be amortized to make a new version.

I am designing new grips for the K9 as well. I am looking at G10 and other materials. The amounted of wasted material to machine Kahr grips is very high because the grip wraps around and makes the back strap unlike a 1911 or other common pistols. One advantage of that is using a material with different colored layers might look very cool!

I think our guide rods are super! The flange is thicker than the factory pieces and it is a solid piece. That makes it a bit heavier and much stronger. We are also using 316 stainless which is extremely corrosion resistant and very strong.

MIM parts per se are not a problem if well designed. As i said, the striker spacer is a great application for MIM. I haven't looked at my K9, but I expect that all the striker spacers are MIM. The striker on the 380 is machined and they are still breaking every so often. MIM isn't the issue. In that case I have designed a much stronger striker that also solves the problem of the round below the one in the chamber being struck. But, so far I have not found a production option that makes the parts affordable enough to sell. I would also make the spacer in MIM if I thought I could sell enough of them although the striker itself would be a very strong tool steel.

I love that Ferro Veritas as well!

[Alfonse]

I have 2 steel kahrs a mk9 & mk40. Both will feed even when riding the slide (done as a test only) so I'm wondering if the metal follower profiled like a sanded one would be a problem & not an improvement. I also wonder if with the g10 grips if the grip screws would stay tight. My mk40 especially when shooting the screws shoot loose. I have to tighten them every other mag.

I have not found them to degrade feeding in any instance I can find yet.

On the grips for the MK, the lower screw hole on the factory grips has very little engagement with the threads in the frame. I increased it a bit to make it closer to the upper hole as far as thread engagement. I don't think the material will make much difference either way. The G10 is very dense and has less give than the standard nylon though. O-rings or loc-tite should keep the screws in for you with any type of grip. In any case, you don't want to over tighten them and strip the frame.

[Alfonse]

If the feed ramp is the proper length it can't contact the follower and the follower won't break. There are literally thousands of Kahr pistols that feed just fine with the original follower configuration. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a MIM part. It's simply a less expensive way of manufacturing a part of equal quality.

Muggsy is right. MIM is just fine when used properly. It is less expensive. It is not as strong as machined, or forged parts and cannot be made as hard as those processes will allow. It also has quite a bit of shrinkage and some "slump" that is part of the manufacturing process. All of that can be accounted for in the design. Since many parts are by the nature of their designs lightly stressed, MIM parts allow much less expensive parts and much more affordable pistols.

The quality is equal if it works fine pretty much forever. The MIM striker spacer is such an example. I can't imagine it ever breaking. I brought it up with regards to the tooling costs of making a different design.

I have plastic followers with many thousands of rounds shot with them. I don't think anybody "needs" a different follower.

That said, I don't think you will ever hear of one of the Lakeline followers breaking.

Thanks everybody for all the interest.

[Streetkahr]

I have 2 steel kahrs a mk9 & mk40. Both will feed even when riding the slide (done as a test only) so I'm wondering if the metal follower profiled like a sanded one would be a problem & not an improvement. I also wonder if with the g10 grips if the grip screws would stay tight. My mk40 especially when shooting the screws shoot loose. I have to tighten them every other mag.

Was reading about Kahr owners being able to ride the slide once the pistol was broken in very well. Without some digging, I can't remember what it is about the Kahr design that usually requires the use of the slide stop. With semi-autos, I like to keep the chamber empty when indoors, so the slide stop rule is a slight issue, but I can live with it. Don't really think the follower is the issue in the slide stop rule, but I will have to do some digging to read about it again. There are a number of posts where folks have sanded the underside of their followers to resolve an issue, but I can't remember what it was. I'd need to look that up again too. Can't see that the new metal follower being a problem due to having the sanded profile. If anything, it seems it would be an improvement and feed even better. I was always a little paranoid about the followers in my BHP mags and inspected them every time I cleaned. The Inglis HP mags had metal followers, but Inglis mags were hard to find and very expensive.
Don't know about the MK grip screw issue, but that is one that would bug me. Here is the URL for the MK G10 grips: https://lakelinellc.com/product/mk-series-g10-grips/
It would not surprise me if Lakeline has addressed that issue and upgraded the screws. You could always email and ask. He seems to be really on the ball when it comes to improving Kahr parts.

[berettabone]

I have been able to ride the slide and slingshot my MK since day one..........................did change to Wolff products, and my magazine always had a metal follower, which is nice. Now that it's broken in, the slide release is so touchy, that just breathing on it will let the slide return to battery.................................

[Streetkahr]

I also just started a Facebook page for Lakeline LLC. It would be a good place to stay up with our latest information and news. https://www.facebook.com/LakelineLLC

I don't think you will ever hear of a MIM spacer breaking on a Kahr. That is a fantastic application of MIM and the part is far stronger than it needs to be. In comparison, a machined part is prohibitively expensive. I only brought it up because there is a tooling cost that needs to be amortized to make a new version.

I am designing new grips for the K9 as well. I am looking at G10 and other materials. The amounted of wasted material to machine Kahr grips is very high because the grip wraps around and makes the back strap unlike a 1911 or other common pistols. One advantage of that is using a material with different colored layers might look very cool!

I think our guide rods are super! The flange is thicker than the factory pieces and it is a solid piece. That makes it a bit heavier and much stronger. We are also using 316 stainless which is extremely corrosion resistant and very strong.

MIM parts per se are not a problem is well designed. As i said, the striker spacer is a great application for MIM. I haven't looked at my K9, but I expect that all the striker spacers are MIM. The striker on the 380 is machined and they are still breaking every so often. MIM isn't the issue. In that case I have designed a much stronger striker that also solves the problem of the round below the one in the chamber being struck. But, so far I have not found a production option that makes the parts affordable enough to sell. I would also make the spacer in MIM if I thought I could sell enough of them although the striker itself would be a very strong tool steel.

I love that Ferro Veritas as well!

Thanks to you and Muggsy for resting my fears about MIM. I didn't realize they were that strong. I actually envisioned the parts breaking and metal dust crumbling. Thanks to you both. That really restores confidence. I was raised on blued steel hand fitted guns, so the polymer revolution threw me for a loop. I eventually embraced CNC machining knowing that hand fitted handguns could no longer be produced at a price that was affordable, and I became convinced of the advantages of CNC. Still wish I had kept my old BHP and the hand fitted Colt Detective Special, though. Both had stunning blueing. Very elegant and great shooters.

Good to hear you are doing K9 grips. Material other than G10 would also work great, and color options other than black might also be nice. Not fond of rubber because it sticks to clothing and prints. Love wood, but the checkering is sometimes too sharp and can catch on clothing and have the same printing issue. Don't know about the checkering on the Hogue, though. I understand that Esmerelda is willing to do one-off wood grips for the K9. She does a stunning grip with Celtic knotwork that is tempting. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

Your stainless guide rod sounds better than the Wolff/Kahr parts version. I will order one in addition to some of your metal mag followers. As I buy more mags, I will buy more followers. Speaking of mags, are there any issues with the standard 7-round K9 plastic floor plate? Would aluminum be an advantage?

Ferro Veritas, In Steel There Is Truth. An Elegant Weapon From A More Elegant Age.

[muggsy]

The reason that Kahr recommended the use of the slide stop to chamber a round was that some people rode the slide when racking and that practice can lead to feeding problems when the guns are new. After the break-in Kahr pistols can be racked by hand with no problem if you don't ride the slide. Most Kahr will feed properly even if you ride the slide after the break in period.

[kerby9mm]

On my mk's the only parts that even bother me a little are the plastic followers & plastic guide rod but they have worked for 4 years now with no problem. I still would be interested in replacing them with the new metal ones here. The guide rods offered by Kahr seemed to have troubles sometimes so I left the gun as is.

[Alfonse]

Good to hear you are doing K9 grips. Material other than G10 would also work great, and color options other than black might also be nice. Not fond of rubber because it sticks to clothing and prints. Love wood, but the checkering is sometimes too sharp and can catch on clothing and have the same printing issue. Don't know about the checkering on the Hogue, though. I understand that Esmerelda is willing to do one-off wood grips for the K9. She does a stunning grip with Celtic knotwork that is tempting. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

Your stainless guide rod sounds better than the Wolff/Kahr parts version. I will order one in addition to some of your metal mag followers. As I buy more mags, I will buy more followers. Speaking of mags, are there any issues with the standard 7-round K9 plastic floor plate? Would aluminum be an advantage?

Ferro Veritas, In Steel There Is Truth. An Elegant Weapon From A More Elegant Age.

I don't know of any issues with the plastic K9 base plate. For primarily cosmetic reasons, I have been playing around with a design for one. I thought I would price it in both aluminum and stainless to match the pistol. It might be kind of nice to have one that matches a bit better.

[Alfonse]

On my mk's the only parts that even bother me a little are the plastic followers & plastic guide rod but they have worked for 4 years now with no problem. I still would be interested in replacing them with the new metal ones here. The guide rods offered by Kahr seemed to have troubles sometimes so I left the gun as is.

Without having it in front of me, I think the recoil assembly is mostly stainless, except for the plastic doohickey on the end. Of course, that is what shows.

The plastic guide for the striker springs seem to work well on all the Kahrs. I've never heard of an issue with them.

You could look at the Wolff solution for the recoil assembly. I bought one. I haven't used it yet. It requires different springs available through Wolff. It isn't stainless, but it isn't plastic either if that helps.

[Streetkahr]

I have been able to ride the slide and slingshot my MK since day one..........................did change to Wolff products, and my magazine always had a metal follower, which is nice. Now that it's broken in, the slide release is so touchy, that just breathing on it will let the slide return to battery.................................

It looks like some people can slingshot ok once their Kahr is really well broken in. Kahr says slide release only, but I cannot remember why..something to do with the design. Riding the slide is not important to me, but I would like to be able to slingshot. After my K9 is well broken in, I will do a bunch of range testing.

Did your MK mags come from the factory with metal followers? Don't know much about the MK.

[Cokeman]

I've always slingshotted my MK9. It's always worked.

[Streetkahr]

On my mk's the only parts that even bother me a little are the plastic followers & plastic guide rod but they have worked for 4 years now with no problem. I still would be interested in replacing them with the new metal ones here. The guide rods offered by Kahr seemed to have troubles sometimes so I left the gun as is.

I may try the Lakeline stainless guide rod. From what he said, they are more robust than the steel rods sold by Kahr and reduce recoil even more.

Ferro Veritas, In Steel There Is Truth

[Streetkahr]

I don't know of any issues with the plastic K9 base plate. For primarily cosmetic reasons, I have been playing around with a design for one. I thought I would price it in both aluminum and stainless to match the pistol. It might be kind of nice to have one that matches a bit better.

Good to know. The K9 is the first steel pistol I have purchased that did not even need a little gunsmithing. Even though it's not Elite, they seem to have polished the ramp and chamber anyway. When chambering a round, ejecting, and inspecting it, I can only see a single short very shallow scratch. That is the best I have seen out of the box. It's still hard to resist tinkering with it a little, though, and replacing some of the plastic parts with metal. It would also help with the slightly weird feeling I have about buying a NIB steel pistol that needs absolutely nothing done to it. Kind of funny, but I'm just not used to that. I would be interested in stainless mag base plates just for the improved cosmetics and pride of ownership.

Ferro Veritas, In Steel There Is Truth

[Streetkahr]

The reason that Kahr recommended the use of the slide stop to chamber a round was that some people rode the slide when racking and that practice can lead to feeding problems when the guns are new. After the break-in Kahr pistols can be racked by hand with no problem if you don't ride the slide. Most Kahr will feed properly even if you ride the slide after the break in period.

Very good to know! Thanks Muggsy! Mine is not yet broken in, so I'll keep using the slide stop for now.

[yqtszhj]

.... They could be on the front where the barrel can sometimes contact the follower after the last round,...


Thats it right there.^^^ but i have more rounds than I know, probably 1000+ with no issues, just dinged on the front of the follower. So that being the case Ill keep shooting it and if it breaks try a metal one maybe.

[Greg]

There aren't too many options for magazine base plates. I took one of the goofy plates used to fit an 8 round magazine in a K9 and cut it with a small saw and filed it to fit so I had a base plate without the finger extension for my P9.

http://www.servimg.com/view/15720913/23http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/15/72/09/13/kahr_p10.jpg

[Alfonse]

I took one of the goofy plates used to fit an 8 round magazine in a K9 and cut it with a small saw and filed it to fit so I had a base plate without the finger extension for my P9.



I like the way that fits. I sort of wonder though if most people would prefer the finger extension, or just the plate like you made it. I prefer your approach.

[Alfonse]

I have some photos of the coming metal magazine (https://lakelinellc.com/product/metal-magazine-follower-for-9mm-kahr/)follower up now. Here is a sample:
https://lakelinellc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Kahr-9mm-Follower-in-Magazine-Top-600x600.jpg

[muggsy]

I am still a new Kahr K9 owner. How do the followers get dinged up? It sounds like that is something that would be good to know.

The Kahr followers get dinged up when the feed ramp comes into contact with the follower after the last round is fired. This happens because the feed ramp is a bit too long. The fix is to shorten the feed ramp a bit. Kahr will do the fix for you or you can do it yourself with a Dremel if you have the skill. Once the gun is broken in there is no need to modify the follower to get the gun to function correctly. Most Kahr pistols will feed properly without any modification to the follower, if you don't ride the slide. Neither of my Kahr pistols have been modified in any way and they work perfectly. See the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjLbFOw8sow

[Alfonse]

As of now, the metal followers are available. https://lakelinellc.com/product/metal-magazine-follower-for-9mm-kahr/

https://lakelinellc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Kahr-9mm-Follower-in-Magazine-Top-200-width.jpg

[Ikeo74]

I ordered 2 (1 each) for my CM9 and MK9, will post results after they arrive and I test them out.

[Alfonse]

They will ship tomorrow!

I've had fun testing them. I have over a dozen 9mm mags and tested them in every one of them. Some were brand new.

Sometimes I end up designing a part because I think people are interested in them even though I don't think I will be. After actually getting some finished product though, I come away getting why people want such a thing.

The MK grips were that way. I thought the factory grips worked fine, and maybe I would get some wood ones because they looked cooler. When I actually got to use the G10 grips, I was astonished at how much improved my grip on the pistol was. I don't see taking them off my MK except to clean it.

These followers are the same sort of thing. I have never had an issue with a Kahr follower. A few weeks ago, I got the first finish spec aluminum followers. Testing them, there was one change I wanted to make. I went through another iteration.

While I've never had a problem with Kahr magazines or followers, I have some other pistols that the magazines are works of art next to Kahr mags. The magazines on my wife's XDS are beautiful. They are all polished and pushing anywhere on the follower it slides nice and smoothly down the mag without hanging up at all. My Kahr magazines felt crude in comparison. I have some nice 1911 mags too.

So, while I've never had a problem with the Kahr mags, these followers are smooth. They slide in the mag tubes without hanging up at all.

I tested them dry. But I also took one and put some Eezox on it and let it sit overnight. It was slippery and dry after that. I also oiled one, let it sit, and wiped off all the oil with a rag. They all felt great. For my use, I will probably do the Eezox thing because that is just the way I am.

Anyway, I think you will like these parts. If you don't, you can return them.
Thanks,
Al

[nrccali]

I have Al's G10 grips and they are amazing... My suggestion just like i would say so for any grip screw is a little bit of blue loctite, it does wonders and you can still back the screws out. You NEED his G10 grips. The control of the firearm almost doubles just from the better grip.

[Flieger]

Do these work for the .40? I suppose since I'm on the subject, do the G-10 grips fit the MK40?

[Alfonse]

Do these work for the .40? I suppose since I'm on the subject, do the G-10 grips fit the MK40?

The followers are for 9mm only. The 40s are a larger size in followers.

The grips fit either. Thanks!

[CPTKILLER]

I wouldn't change without extensive testing.

In other words, if it isn't broke, don't fix it.

[Alfonse]

I wouldn't change without extensive testing.

In other words, if it isn't broke, don't fix it.

That's what is great about America. I am certainly not pressuring you to. Thanks for having the interest to at least read about it! And, if and when yours does break, here is an alternative for you.

[Ikeo74]

I wouldn't change without extensive testing.

In other words, if it isn't broke, don't fix it.

OK, I bought 2 of the metal followers, 1 for my CM9 and 1 for my MK9. Both of these magazines are interchangeable with both guns so in effect, I have 2 magazines that can be used in either gun, or 1 magazine in each gun. Note: None of my followers have ever broken, as CPTKILLER says, if it ain't broken don't fix it. But this is my theory, why wait for the follower to break if it can be "avoided" in my carry gun? So anyway I installed them last night and went to the range today to test them. Here is what I found, the quality of the magazines is outstanding, they were easy to load and after the last round the slide lock was very positive and tight. There were no failure to feeds or jambs of any kind. Hand racking of the slide was very smooth. (I have been able to hand rack my gun before the follower change but it did feel a little smoother). I think the metal follower is well worth the price. Now I don't have to worry about broken followers and that eases my mind about the reliability of my guns. Al is super easy to work with and he made sure my order arrived safely and on time.

[Alfonse]

Thanks Ikeo74, for your order and for sharing what you found. If you do have any problems with any of our products, I would sure appreciate the opportunity to make it right. Thanks again.

I have never experienced a broken follower either and I have quite a few Kahrs now. I am trying to get some high-quality accessories and options out there for Kahr owners.

[Alfonse]

Get Well Muggsy.

I am fascinated how little I've heard back from folks who have bought followers. I have sold quite a few and had no complaints. Ikeo74 said wonderful things and I have some great Ebay feedback. But, it has been pretty silent otherwise.

I have seen one trend that is promising, I have had quite a few customers order one follower and in a week or so order 2 or 3 more. I take that as a positive. I would love to hear some experiences from the range if anybody wants to share. Thanks!

[b4uqzme]

Mine came Monday. Really quick service...THANK YOU! I'm stuck out of town and returning tonight. I can't wait to try them out.

Get well muggsy!

[Alfonse]

Mine came Monday. Really quick service...THANK YOU! I'm stuck out of town and returning tonight. I can't wait to try them out.

Get well muggsy!

Super, I am looking forward to hearing what you think. Thanks!

[1911master]

Ok, I will put my 2 cents in. I have owned many Kahr 9mm and have had 2 broken followers. When I found LakeLine I wasn't sure I wanted to spend the 19.95 for a follower that Kahr will sent out for free, but if a follower breaks in my carry gun I am screwed. I consider this cheap insurance and ordered 3. As soon as they arrive I will install them, I don't need or want down time with my CM9 as it is my go to gun every day.

[Bobshouse]

I'd love to try one out. When are you going to make one for the P380?

[Alfonse]

I'd love to try one out. When are you going to make one for the P380?

The .40 is next. I have never heard of a broken follower in a 380 Kahr. Has anybody had one?

[RonW]

I emailed Kahr about 2 months ago regarding a broken follower, they replied the next day stating that they will send out a replacment to me, however to date I still havent recieved it... I guess I'll send them a reminder email...

[Alfonse]

I received an email from a customer today on our metal followers (https://lakelinellc.com/product/metal-magazine-follower-for-9mm-kahr/) that folks on the forum might be interested in hearing.
Here it is from Jim:

I will mention another benefit of your aluminum followers. If you carry a extra magazine in your pocket the top round does not pop out like it does with the factory follower.

Just thought the folks here might want to know!

[JohnR]

Oh I've had the rounds pop out.

Might be worth a look. I wish they'd do like Mag Guts and find room for an additional round in the mags.

[Alfonse]

Oh I've had the rounds pop out.

Might be worth a look. I wish they'd do like Mag Guts and find room for an additional round in the mags.

That takes more than just the follower. Mag Guts is reducing the compressed height of the spring by nesting one spring inside the other. To do that, the follower design is changed and the follower is no longer an "anti-tilt" design. So, the things I have been able to improve, like the last round retention, don't happen in that type of design.

It is a clever approach though and seems to work pretty well for most pistols. I do have some for my CW380, but have only shot with them one time. My results were mixed although I can't say whether the Mag Guts had anything to do with it. My range just re-opened after the wildfires we have had around here so I hope to get out and work with them more soon.

[Big Sexy]

I just ordered 2 of Al's 9mm metal followers, for no other reason than I prefer metal parts over plastic on guns wherever possible. This is why I bought a K9 instead of a P9 and a MK40 instead of a PM40, and why I replaced the plastic guide rods in favor of SS in both before I'd even fired the first round. Even if the metal parts don't provide any performance improvement whatsoever, I still prefer my guns to be as plastic-free as possible. I concede that "plastic" is a very broad term today, and that there are some very good engineered polymers that have very desirable properties for specific applications. I concede that there are times when some form of "plastic" is the best material to use for the mechanical requirements of certain parts. This still doesn't erase the fact I'm "old school" and prefer fine guns to be made entirely of metal.

[Alfonse]

The metal followers for the 9mm Kahrs are back in stock, and the .40 and .45 followers will be available next week! I apologize for the delays for people who have been wanting to order the parts. Thanks!

We have Free Shipping on orders over $50 through Monday too.

The .45 followers are at anodize. The .40 will be by the end of the week. With SHOT show, I probably won't have them available for sale until the 22nd.

[stack23]

Any updates from people who have bought these? Worth it?

[gb6491]

Any updates from people who have bought these? Worth it?
Happy with mine; here's a video I posted recently:
fGcxqd5WFWI
Regards,
Greg

[Alfonse]

I've had a couple customers, out of hundreds, whose metal followers were hanging up on the magazine catch or the hole for it. The solution was to soften the leading edge of the front of the follower. I wanted to let folks know there is a possibility of a little fitting or adjustment at this point. I will change the production to put a larger radius on the edge there on the next run. But, for a little while longer, there is a possibility that some fiddling with the front edge of the follower may be required. FYI.

[DMR]

Alfonse,

Received my followers yesterday and everything looks good. Waiting on the bases to print now.

Thanks

[roadrunner840]

Just wanted to chime in. I went to the range today with the K9 and the plastic followers in both of my extended mags broke (once I took them apart the pieces just fell out). Odd that it was just on the extended mags and not the regular shorter mags. I did take all of the mags apart and cleaned them prior to shooting. So I wasn't sure if it was something I did in reassembly or something specific with the extended mags. I saved the pieces and I plan to call Kahr next week. The mags were basically brand new.

I've been impressed with my two Kahr pistols but I've had a so-so experience with ordering on their website. On one occasion, I ordered grip screws and they sent the wrong ones. I called and they said they would send out the correct screws. Didn't receive anything. Called back a month later and I did get them shortly after. Then, I ordered some extra springs (2). I received the box and they had charged me for 2 springs but only 1 was in the box. I'm dreading another call regarding these followers ...

[Alfonse]

Alfonse,

Received my followers yesterday and everything looks good. Waiting on the bases to print now.

Thanks

Super! Thank you.