Cary Gunn
11-03-2015, 06:23 PM
I'd like to stress the absolutely critical importance of proper positioning of the slide-stop spring in relation to the slide-stop on the Kahr CW 380 pistol. If the position of the "free-end" of the spring is off by even a 1/16th of an inch when the slide stop is inserted into the pistol upon reassembly, you'll have no end of problems with this little gun. And the source of the problems is you, not the gun.
In the paperwork accompanying my CW 380, there are at least two separate warnings about proper positioning of the slide-stop spring in relation to the slide stop, and the functioning faults and possible damage that can occur if the spring is out of place.
Kahr apparently considers this spring positioning so critical, that one of the warnings accompanying my gun was printed on a separate instruction sheet, complete with photography showing the proper relationship of spring and stop. The separate sheet contained no other information; it was exclusively devoted to proper positioning of the spring and slide stop during reassembly.
In addition to the separate warning statement, the criticality of the slide stop/slide-stop spring relationship was also pointedly addressed in the general owner's "operation and maintenance" manual.
I raise this issue, since I suspect that most, if not virtually all, functioning problems related by Kahr owners on this forum are related to the miss-assembly of the slide stop and its pesky spring.
A case in point is a forum thread below titled something like "CW 380 problems after 700 rounds," or some such. The original post detailed the numerous jams and hang's-ups a Kahr owner was having with a pistol that had previously fired some 500 rounds without a single "bobble." He had properly traced the troubles to the slide-stop spring, but chose to blame the pistol rather the person who evidently re-assembled the piece incorrectly. The lengthy thread eventually grew so "heated" that a forum administrator closed it, undoubtedly to allow tempers to cool off.
That "problems after 700 rounds" forum thread is still available for reading below, and I suggest readers take a look at it. You can no longer post a comment, though, since the thread has been closed. I thought the subject important enough that I decided to start this new thread on the same topic.
So, to Kahr owners, I suggest you pay very close attention to slide-stop spring positioning when reassembling your pistol. Should you suddenly start having problems -- failure of the slide to lock open on an empty magazine, failure to feed, extract or eject, or various other malfunctions -- look first at that damned little spring and make sure it is properly positioned with the slide stop. It seems to be very, very easy to insert the slide stop into the pistol with the spring out of position and thus not exerting proper tension on the stop. Study the instructions and photographs that come with the pistol. If you don't have the instruction manual, contact Kahr, or try to get a copy over the internet.
To Kahr company management, I suggest a slight re-design of the pistol to make improper assembly less likely. Doing so, I think, would end the vast majority of problems some folks are having with this GREAT little pistol.
But, that's just my opinion.
Happy trails,
-- Cary Gunn --
In the paperwork accompanying my CW 380, there are at least two separate warnings about proper positioning of the slide-stop spring in relation to the slide stop, and the functioning faults and possible damage that can occur if the spring is out of place.
Kahr apparently considers this spring positioning so critical, that one of the warnings accompanying my gun was printed on a separate instruction sheet, complete with photography showing the proper relationship of spring and stop. The separate sheet contained no other information; it was exclusively devoted to proper positioning of the spring and slide stop during reassembly.
In addition to the separate warning statement, the criticality of the slide stop/slide-stop spring relationship was also pointedly addressed in the general owner's "operation and maintenance" manual.
I raise this issue, since I suspect that most, if not virtually all, functioning problems related by Kahr owners on this forum are related to the miss-assembly of the slide stop and its pesky spring.
A case in point is a forum thread below titled something like "CW 380 problems after 700 rounds," or some such. The original post detailed the numerous jams and hang's-ups a Kahr owner was having with a pistol that had previously fired some 500 rounds without a single "bobble." He had properly traced the troubles to the slide-stop spring, but chose to blame the pistol rather the person who evidently re-assembled the piece incorrectly. The lengthy thread eventually grew so "heated" that a forum administrator closed it, undoubtedly to allow tempers to cool off.
That "problems after 700 rounds" forum thread is still available for reading below, and I suggest readers take a look at it. You can no longer post a comment, though, since the thread has been closed. I thought the subject important enough that I decided to start this new thread on the same topic.
So, to Kahr owners, I suggest you pay very close attention to slide-stop spring positioning when reassembling your pistol. Should you suddenly start having problems -- failure of the slide to lock open on an empty magazine, failure to feed, extract or eject, or various other malfunctions -- look first at that damned little spring and make sure it is properly positioned with the slide stop. It seems to be very, very easy to insert the slide stop into the pistol with the spring out of position and thus not exerting proper tension on the stop. Study the instructions and photographs that come with the pistol. If you don't have the instruction manual, contact Kahr, or try to get a copy over the internet.
To Kahr company management, I suggest a slight re-design of the pistol to make improper assembly less likely. Doing so, I think, would end the vast majority of problems some folks are having with this GREAT little pistol.
But, that's just my opinion.
Happy trails,
-- Cary Gunn --