PM9 Early Slide Lock--Any Suggestions

[boscobarbell]

Just got back from the range with my fairly new PM9 (this was only my fourth range trip...about 250 rounds through it before today).

After having been problem free after the first 150 rounds of break-in, I started to see the slide lock back while I still had rounds in the magazine. It was intermittent, perhaps one or two rounds ever few magazines, but enough to be worrisome.

Examination reveals nothing different about the pistol. Fairly sure it's not user error, though...I have pretty small hands, and don't come anywhere near the slide lock with my grip.

Any suggestions for fixes??

[topgun1953]

shoot with one hand, the strong hand (if you haven't already), and see how it goes. If you do not have any problems, then it is likely user error. I hate when that happens! :)

[boscobarbell]

shoot with one hand, the strong hand (if you haven't already), and see how it goes. If you do not have any problems, then it is likely user error. I hate when that happens! :)

Should've mentioned that, at the end of the session, I tried that. Still had a lock back. I figured that wasn't the issue, since before the one-handed shooting I paid careful attention to my finger/thumb placement, and I am nowhere near the slide lock.

[Bawanna]

Need to check the little spring. See if it's loose or out of position. There's a thread here that describes that in detail.

Assuming it's the same magazine, might check the follower over closely.

Very doubtful since it's ran so well but to be safe I'd check the mag spring orientation. If it's backwards it might still work but balk now and then, again since it's ran, that's most likely not the culprit.

[boscobarbell]

Need to check the little spring. See if it's loose or out of position. There's a thread here that describes that in detail.

Assuming it's the same magazine, might check the follower over closely.

Very doubtful since it's ran so well but to be safe I'd check the mag spring orientation. If it's backwards it might still work but balk now and then, again since it's ran, that's most likely not the culprit.


Thanks...I think I was able to find the thread you mentioned. It would appear that my spring is positioned correctly. And I'm not sure how tight that spring is supposed to be, but it moves freely but with some effort required.

I did notice (with the slide off), that if a round is not properly seated in the magazine, it makes significant contact with the slide stop, enough to move it up a bit.

I saw in some threads that people have shaved a bit off the face that would make contact with the round...is that something fairly common? I had to do that with a Taurus that I owned, and it worked like a charm. Hate to mess up a beautiful Pm9, however!

I'd also heard some mention that Gold Dots can be particularly troublesome in this regard because they flare a bit more than some other rounds. IS there any kind of consensus around here on which defense rounds seem the least troublesome for these pistols?

[Bawanna]

That's probably it exactly. Several have had to remove a tiny bit to make a little clearance for certain bullets. I'm sure that's the culprit.
Not sure what I was thinking, your post was written clearly and completely in the English language but I for some reason was stuck on failure to lock on empty.
Maybe I need to increase my coffee consumption. Half a gallon a day just isn't enough.

[boscobarbell]

That's probably it exactly. Several have had to remove a tiny bit to make a little clearance for certain bullets. I'm sure that's the culprit.
Not sure what I was thinking, your post was written clearly and completely in the English language but I for some reason was stuck on failure to lock on empty.
Maybe I need to increase my coffee consumption. Half a gallon a day just isn't enough.

Ha! That makes two of us. I may need to resort to an IV drip of the stuff.

[gb6491]

Need to check the little spring. See if it's loose or out of position. There's a thread here that describes that in detail.

Assuming it's the same magazine, might check the follower over closely.

Very doubtful since it's ran so well but to be safe I'd check the mag spring orientation. If it's backwards it might still work but balk now and then, again since it's ran, that's most likely not the culprit.


That's probably it exactly. Several have had to remove a tiny bit to make a little clearance for certain bullets. I'm sure that's the culprit.
Not sure what I was thinking, your post was written clearly and completely in the English language but I for some reason was stuck on failure to lock on empty.
Maybe I need to increase my coffee consumption. Half a gallon a day just isn't enough.
While the OP's issue may be with the slide stop's clearance, I think you were correct to mention the spring. My CW45 would lock back prematurely and tightening up the screw that holds the spring in place solved that:
http://www.kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?1612-CW45-%28and-other-poly-45%29-issues-and-fixes&p=15672#post15672

Here's how I tighten that screw YMMV:
c50P7HCAATo

Regards,
Greg

[gb6491]

If you have the stomach:
https://www.caffeineinformer.com/strongest-coffee-brands
http://i66.tinypic.com/2uz6vqh.jpg

[boscobarbell]

Here's how I tighten that screw YMMV:


Very helpful. Thanks, Greg.

[boscobarbell]

If you have the stomach:
https://www.caffeineinformer.com/strongest-coffee-brands
http://i66.tinypic.com/2uz6vqh.jpg
Been meaning to try that for a while.

[Bawanna]

Slightly off track but that's what I do sometimes.
I acquired a taste for strong coffee when my wife's aunt and uncle visited from Sweden.
At most restaurants he would request strong coffee and they usually made a special pot.
He would then take the cup and add a full packet of instant to the already strong coffee, his wife would add 1/2 a packet of instant and he would take the other half and dump it in his.

I never got that bad but I make my coffee pretty full flavored. When people come over the wife has to remind me to make colored water so they don't spit it out.

[boscobarbell]

Wow...that's pretty hard core!

My tastes in coffee run the same as yours. I was a standard American coffee drinker, but I spent almost 10 years in the Foreign Service, serving mostly in Central/South America, and my tastes in coffee evolved to the point that I just couldn't handle the tepid American stuff. My brother-in-law, another java junkie, says that I make "coffee that hurts."

[boscobarbell]

Okay, based on some helpful hints on this thread and others (another thanks to Greg for the video), I went to work on my PM9 this afternoon. Sure enough, that little spring wanted a little half-turn of tightening, so it's good and firm now.

Next was the high-risk stuff. I took out my dremel and went to work on the release itself. After getting a good feeling for how much was needed to ensure a good seating with the magazine followers, I tested to see how much extra material was rubbing up against the leading round. Then I steeled my nerves and shaved off just the thinnest slice of the leading edge. Checked to see if it still brushed against the round, and if it still seated well with the magazine followers. Rinse and repeat. On and on it went for at least a half hour, tiny little shave by tiny little shave.

I was finally satisfied when the slide lock didn't move a whisker when a round cleared it, but still positively locked up when it came in contact with the magazine follower lip.

I cleaned and lubed it when I was done, and plan on taking it out to the range again tomorrow to see how my efforts pan out.

Fingers crossed.

[Bawanna]

I have a good feeling about it. I think you nailed it pilgrim.

The beauty of each of us having our own range (in our dreams of course). It would have been nice to try it after snugging that screw.
Now we won't know if it was the loose screw (why do I think of myself when I write that) or the dremel treatment.
No matter as long as it works.

Fingers crossed but I'm pretty confident for you.

[boscobarbell]

SUCCESS!!!

I went to the range today and put 150 rounds of Gold Dots through my PM9...without a single premature slide lock!!!! Looks like we kicked this problem's ass, huh?

I'm thrilled to have my little PM9 100% reliable again. What a relief.

Thanks again to everyone for their assistance.

p.s. Almost forgot to mention...because, apparently, nothing in Kahr Land is ever completely drama-free, my pistol decided to chew up the magazine follower in my 6-round magazine. I've already got an order in to Lakeline to change out both the followers. I should have learned my lesson with my MK9 and done this as soon as I bought the PM9, but I was saving my $$$ for night sights and thought I'd live dangerously.

[Bawanna]

Might have to fire up the dremel and take a tad bit off the end of the feed ramp so you don't beat up the new Lakelines.

[Ed M]

Congrats bosco!

Now it's time for a CW380 - you can do this. We'll help, and that's a promise. :boink:

[boscobarbell]

Congrats bosco!

Now it's time for a CW380 - you can do this. We'll help, and that's a promise. :boink:

You're killing me! Believe me, it's been nagging at me!