Broke my first pm9 striker

[allthumbsplusone]

I cleaned the P380 (fixed mistake thanks for pointing that out) today and when I out it back together it would not chamber a round. After a bit of research I realized my striker broke. Searching the net it seems to be a fairly problem. Called Kahr and they are sending me a replacement in the mail tomorrow.

In my research I found this company that machines steel striker. As I understand the striker is a MIM product so I am not surprised. The new one is from https://lakelinellc.com/ultimate-striker-for-380-kahr-pistols/

Hopefully this will work as good as advertised,

Any other pm9 broken strikers out there?http://www.pbase.com/twistedlim/image/163707218.jpg

[Bobshouse]

The designer/developer/distributor, head chief and bottle washer of Lakelilne LLC is a member here! Only problem is the striker is for the 380 model.

[CJB]

I cleaned the PM9 today and when I out it back together it would not chamber a round. After a bit of research I realized my striker broke. Searching the net it seems to be a fairly problem. Called Kahr and they are sending me a replacement in the mail tomorrow.

In my research I found this company that machines steel striker. As I understand the striker is a MIM product so I am not surprised. The new one is from https://lakelinellc.com/ultimate-striker-for-380-kahr-pistols/

Hopefully this will work as good as advertised,

Any other pm9 broken strikers out there?

1. The 9mm, 40cal and 45ACP models of all types, take the same striker, and you really don't hear of those breaking. The .380ACP has had its share of broken strikers.
2. Why does the part being a Metal Injected Molding process part not surprise you as far as breakage is concerned? Soap box mode on - MIM gets the same bad rap that IC parts got back when Ruger brought them into the marketplace. MIM parts can be made far more intricately detailed than any IC part, this requiring almost no after process machining. MIM parts are more stress relieved than cut from stock parts, and can actually be less prone to breakage due to the stress relief. Kahr uses MIM parts throughout. The slide stops on ALL models are MIM (only the pin part is ground on the better, non "C" series of pistols. The strikers, the slide rear cover, the cam, the trigger, the extractor, possibly the ejector (I've never had one out), the magazine release.... all MIM. Colt has used MIM parts on 1911's for decades. Slide stops, safeties, grip safeties, mainspring housings, recoil spring plugs, ejectors, extractors, firing pin stops... all MIM on a Colt. MIM is good where part size is rather small, and the dimension needs to be held to a tight spec, and/or detail is needed, as in the slide stops, magazine releases, etc.
3. I doubt you'll have another striker problem... it just doesn't happen that often on the non-380 pistols.
4. The LakeLineLLC striker.... to the best of my knowledge.... is not machined from solid, but a MIM part that has been redesigned by our own Alphonse, to offer greater strength in areas that the OEM part offers some weakness.
https://lakelinellc.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Lakeline-Ultimate-Striker-Kahr-380-resize-600x228.jpg
That part, from Alphonse's website, looks very MIM to me.

[Alfonse]

CJB is right about MIM parts, they aren't necessarily a bad thing. On the Lakeline 380 striker and spacer, they are machined from solid S7 tool steel and heat treated to over Rockwell 60 going from memory. They are most likely over designed, but that is the idea in that it will truly never break again and is a worry free upgrade.

In my research, I didn't seen many failures of the non-380 strikers, particularly in recent years. I do remember seeing some threads on them, but they were quite a few years old.

Again, speaking for the 380s, the factory spacer is MIM and would never break since it is built very solid and not very stressed. I am not sure about the striker. I didn't see any of the normal marks from sprues or gates on the factory strikers I looked at, but they are more highly stressed than the spacer.

I did not think there was a market for a striker/spacer for other Kahrs.

[topgun1953]

Striker aside, why wouldn't it chamber a round? Was the striker protruding into the breech and preventing the case from sliding up under the extractor?

[allthumbsplusone]

The designer/developer/distributor, head chief and bottle washer of Lakelilne LLC is a member here! Only problem is the striker is for the 380 model.

My mistake in the first post, I have changed it. It was my P380 that had a broken firing pin.

[allthumbsplusone]

Striker aside, why wouldn't it chamber a round? Was the striker protruding into the breech and preventing the case from sliding up under the extractor?

Yes. After I backed out the striker it chambered fine. The gun is a 2002 model (new to me) but the first 500 rounds or so were flawless. It eats all ammo I feed it. Looking forward to getting my Lakeiline stiker.

[allthumbsplusone]

Photo added to first post. Not a lot of material for any kind of strength especially considering it was a MIM part.

[dustnchips]

The lakeline striker is beefier right where yours and mine broke. My cw380 striker broke and I put in a lakeline. My CW was bought new in Jan of this year. Peace of mind $40 or a free part you will always doubt. Easy decision for me.

[Alfonse]

The lakeline striker is beefier right where yours and mine broke. My cw380 striker broke and I put in a lakeline. My CW was bought new in Jan of this year. Peace of mind $40 or a free part you will always doubt. Easy decision for me.

Thanks man! Feeling the love... :D

[dustnchips]

Forget the love, just send me my 30%. I guess I don't get it this time because I forgot to tell him how quick the service is.

[Alfonse]

forget the love, just send me my 30%. I guess i don't get it this time because i forgot to tell him how quick the service is.

lol

[SmokyT]

I cleaned the P380 (fixed mistake thanks for pointing that out) today and when I out it back together it would not chamber a round. After a bit of research I realized my striker broke. Searching the net it seems to be a fairly problem. Called Kahr and they are sending me a replacement in the mail tomorrow.

In my research I found this company that machines steel striker. As I understand the striker is a MIM product so I am not surprised. The new one is from https://lakelinellc.com/ultimate-striker-for-380-kahr-pistols/

Hopefully this will work as good as advertised,

Any other pm9 broken strikers out there?http://www.pbase.com/twistedlim/image/163707218.jpg

Welcome to the "P380 broken strikers" club!
Just get a custom striker from Lakeline like others are recommending. You won't regret it.

[allthumbsplusone]

Got mine from lakeline in 2 days. 100 rounds no issues.

[New Guy With a Crack]

I cleaned the P380 (fixed mistake thanks for pointing that out) today and when I out it back together it would not chamber a round. After a bit of research I realized my striker broke. Searching the net it seems to be a fairly problem. Called Kahr and they are sending me a replacement in the mail tomorrow.

In my research I found this company that machines steel striker. As I understand the striker is a MIM product so I am not surprised. The new one is from https://lakelinellc.com/ultimate-striker-for-380-kahr-pistols/

Hopefully this will work as good as advertised,

Any other pm9 broken strikers out there?http://www.pbase.com/twistedlim/image/163707218.jpg


The fact that Kahr refuses to address this clear design fault is beyond ridiculous. There's no other firearm I shoot more accurately, so I love the overall design, but I can't believe a company would just choose to ignore something like this. I don't mean to be patronizing, but there really should be much more outrage. We shouldn't need to have to buy an aftermarket striker to make sure the gun doesn't absolutely and utterly fail when we need if the most. This is the worst type of firearm failure besides a squib that I can think of. Have a broken striker when you need the weapon and you're done. You can't clear a broken striker. Absolutely ridiculous. Where is the outrage? I'm going to email and call Kahr and make sure they understand that there is a clear pattern going on here.

[gun papa]

When my striker in my CW380 broke and I emailed Kahr, they told me that they were unaware of the phenomenon of broken .380 strikers. I will be a gentlemen and refer to that reply as "disingenuous". Kahr is aware of this problem and denies, and does nothing to remedy the issue.

Lakeline not only solved the problem, but came to market with an incredibly good striker. Lakeline did it right, with the right materials and developed the striker we in the "broken striker club" had only dreamed of. It is not rare that a company builds a better aftermarket part, but it is rare that it is done so well and addresses all of the issues with such great attention to detail as Lakeline has done with the .380 striker. Design, material, price, shipping and service.

Lakeline single handedly took my CW380 from an untrustworthy regret, to a firearm I would bet my life on, and I do. It is frustrating that Kahr is unwilling to do the same.

[erichard]

"I will be a gentlemen and refer to that reply as "disingenuous"."

I can corroborate that. The fellow I dealt with not only said that there were no reports of striker issues but said very emphatically that no Kahr owner should ever under any circumstance take the slide apart to view the striker. He was quite serious about it, as though he would void the warranty or something. Wouldn't really discuss the striker because of that. I realized I was dealing with a maroon and asked to speak with a supervisor. He said he'd arrange that, but no supervisor ever contacted me. I suspect he blew me off. Customer service it was not.

His first name rhymed with pew as I recall. If you get the same guy, I would just hang up and call another day to find someone else. Worst customer service rep I've dealt with in a long while.

(he quoted the manual as saying not to go further than a simple field strip, which I think is true, but meant for folks not into guns, as I told him. Not rocket science.)

[dustnchips]

When my CW380 striker broke I bought a Lakeline and informed Kahr. They gave me the same song and dance and offered me a new striker or to replace it if I sent in the slide. They have their heads in the sand about this issue. I guess a recall would be to expensive so they deny, deny, deny. Sounds kind of like the Clintons

[topgun1953]

I would think that anyone dry firing a lot or putting a lot of rounds down range will experience a broken striker in their 380. I went through 4 before getting the Lakeline striker. Kahr replaced the slide twice (once to the new dimpled style, last time back to the old style) and actually had someone fire it a lot who called me and we discussed a lot of possibilities. He said it was fun to shoot....duh, yeah. Still though, after the 4th one, Jay at Kahr strongly urged me to send it in because it "shouldn't be happening". He's right.