P380 slide lock back..

[topgun1953]

I sent my P380 to Kahr to replace and inspect it after its 4th broken striker. I could have replaced it myself, but Jay insisted it shouldn't be happening and urged me to send it in...what the heck...on their dime...so I did. It was running perfect before, just the occasional striker break. It came back with a new barrel, slide, and recoil springs. I replaced the new springs immediately as they were junk?! So, I've been breaking in the new barrel and slide and have put in Lakeline's striker. After several hundred rounds (which I anticipated I'd have to do), feed issues have just about disappeared but I'm getting premature lock back. I never had this issued before the slide/barrel replacement. I had put probably 2000 rounds through this gun so I really doubt its my thumb. It also occurs when I shoot one handed. (haven't shot off hand yet). I've examined the lock pin thinking maybe they replaced that too, filed some of it down just in case and still the issue. PMC brass fmj, Hornady Critical Defense....I'm going to order a new slide lock spring. Is there something I may have missed?
Thanks for your help.

[captainkirk05]

They must have replaced your slide stop spring too. They started using a weaker spring recently as they did with my warranty repair. Premature lock back every mag. Had to get the original stiff one sent via another call to Kahr, had the customer service rep tell me it was my fault for incorrect assembly, which it wasn't as I hadn't even field stripped the gun before shooting. I think they started doing this to combat complaints of the slide never locking back but created a much worse problem by doing so.

[topgun1953]

Interesting...so if I ordered one from the website, I wonder what I'll get.

[gb6491]

I sent my P380 to Kahr to replace and inspect it after its 4th broken striker. I could have replaced it myself, but Jay insisted it shouldn't be happening and urged me to send it in...what the heck...on their dime...so I did. It was running perfect before, just the occasional striker break. It came back with a new barrel, slide, and recoil springs. I replaced the new springs immediately as they were junk?! So, I've been breaking in the new barrel and slide and have put in Lakeline's striker. After several hundred rounds (which I anticipated I'd have to do), feed issues have just about disappeared but I'm getting premature lock back. I never had this issued before the slide/barrel replacement. I had put probably 2000 rounds through this gun so I really doubt its my thumb. It also occurs when I shoot one handed. (haven't shot off hand yet). I've examined the lock pin thinking maybe they replaced that too, filed some of it down just in case and still the issue. PMC brass fmj, Hornady Critical Defense....I'm going to order a new slide lock spring. Is there something I may have missed?
Thanks for your help.
Any chance that you could post a photo of your current slide stop spring as installed now?
Regards,
Greg

[Bawanna]

I sent my P380 to Kahr to replace and inspect it after its 4th broken striker. I could have replaced it myself, but Jay insisted it shouldn't be happening and urged me to send it in...what the heck...on their dime...so I did. It was running perfect before, just the occasional striker break. It came back with a new barrel, slide, and recoil springs. I replaced the new springs immediately as they were junk?! So, I've been breaking in the new barrel and slide and have put in Lakeline's striker. After several hundred rounds (which I anticipated I'd have to do), feed issues have just about disappeared but I'm getting premature lock back. I never had this issued before the slide/barrel replacement. I had put probably 2000 rounds through this gun so I really doubt its my thumb. It also occurs when I shoot one handed. (haven't shot off hand yet). I've examined the lock pin thinking maybe they replaced that too, filed some of it down just in case and still the issue. PMC brass fmj, Hornady Critical Defense....I'm going to order a new slide lock spring. Is there something I may have missed?
Thanks for your help.

Curious how you determined visually that the new springs were junk and needed immediate replacement?
Kahr uses Wolff springs exclusively and they are known for being good stuff not junk. Just curious.
Also by replacing the striker out of the chute with a Lakeline (a good idea) prior to shooting, we now will not know if anything Kahr did improved anything. Don't know if the stock striker would break again or not. No closure as it were.

I hope it's all good now or will be once you sort out the lock back situation.

[topgun1953]

This is what it looks like.
http://www.kahrtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=13608&stc=1

[topgun1953]

Curious how you determined visually that the new springs were junk and needed immediate replacement?
Kahr uses Wolff springs exclusively and they are known for being good stuff not junk. Just curious.
Also by replacing the striker out of the chute with a Lakeline (a good idea) prior to shooting, we now will not know if anything Kahr did improved anything. Don't know if the stock striker would break again or not. No closure as it were.

I hope it's all good now or will be once you sort out the lock back situation.

I hear you bawanna! I did shoot it with the stock striker before I got Lakeline's and really doubt that Kahr's would hold up but in my case we'll never know. They replaced the slide after the second failure. You're right though, no closure. As far as the recoil springs go, they would barely put the gun into battery. I just didn't believe they were actually new, so I bought new ones and all is good. Didn't mean to imply Wolff makes junk because they don't. I have their reduced power striker spring and stronger recoil spring in my K9. :) I forgot who here recommended that (perhaps you) but I like it.

[gb6491]

This is what it looks like.
http://www.kahrtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=13608&stc=1
The position of the end that contacts the slide stop lever looks a little high to me.
Here's how it looks on my P380 (and my other Kahr pistols):
http://i63.tinypic.com/2i92hjr.jpg
Is that leg parallel to the frame on your pistol? If not, I'd suggest making it so and perhaps putting a little more bend down (or loosen the screw and re-position the spring).

Regards,
Greg

[captainkirk05]

[Yh

[topgun1953]

I've ordered a new spring. I have always been able to rotate my spring a few mm up/down. I thought this was normal and the picture is taken with it in the upward most position. In other words I can rotate it down some if I want to...then of course it might end up below the lever. When I get the new spring I'll check it out vs the old. I.'ve always been leery of messing with the screw out of fear of stripping it.. edit..I went ahead and bent it down to be parallel AND tightened the darn screw...maybe that was the issue all along. Thanks for your suggestions.

[dsk]

I know the pictures are not to scale Greg, but the spring on his looks to be slightly thinner than yours.

[gb6491]

I know the pictures are not to scale Greg, but the spring on his looks to be slightly thinner than yours.
Yeah, some sections of it do look thinner, but others don't; pretty hard to say for sure without a direct comparison.
Regards,
Greg