1500 rnd Bday...what now?

[tyrobins]

Just got back from the range. 300 flawless. Even more love for my PM9.

This puts the PM9 at 1500. I know that there are some suggestions of tune ups/spring replacements at this benchmark. Can anyone share what a responsible owner should do at this point? It would be much appreciated.

[Bawanna]

I don't know much about responsible but if the gun was mine I'd give it the usual cleaning, maybe build it a cake or something, blow out a candle and get ready for the next range trip.
Technically speaking I think kahr recommends a recoil spring about now. I'd probably order one up from Wolfe, get that extra power one that Jocko recommends but I doubt I'd even put it in till something acts up. They aren't expensive, I'd probably order 2 and go ahead and put one in.
Other than that, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Happy 1500 birthday to your PM9!:israel::israel:

[jfrey]

Just curious: do you actually count the number of rounds you shoot through your pistol??? I don't have any idea how many rounds I have shot through some of my pistols, but it is a bunch.

[Bawanna]

I try to keep track, but it gets hard sometimes. I usually take several guns on range visits so alot of times its just a good guess at best.
I shoot mostly my reloads so that kind of helps keep track too as I keep meticulous records on all my loads.

[mr surveyor]

ditto the sentiment of "if it ain't broke don't fix it"

[Seahawk60]

ditto the sentiment of "if it ain't broke don't fix it"

That's all fine and dandy unless it "breaks" when you NEED it. Stuff wears out...especially recoil springs... I rely on my PM9 and carry it EVERY day. On the street is NOT the time to find out your heavily recoil spring set has gotten just weak enough to induce a malfunction if, say, you limpwrist it under stress or something. No way, no how and I going to shoot a carry gun to the "starting to malfunction" point and HOPE those stoppages occur on the range.

As for the OP, I'd email Kahr and ask nicely for a new "updated" PM9 guide rod/recoil spring set. I did and they sent it for free. My older VAXXXX PM9 had over 2000 rounds on the original set, but I'd read about this "updated" version, so I just asked. In fact, they sent me two complete sets for free.

As for the "extra power" set from Wolff which was previously mentioned, the new set from Kahr is noticeably stronger than my other silver spring guide rod set. The new ones have black springs. And have absolutely been 100% when firing. Only "problem" was they were very difficult when locking back the slide by hand until they broke in/took a set after 100+ rounds and being left in the locked back position after firing the last round for several days on end. All is well now.

[Seahawk60]

Just curious: do you actually count the number of rounds you shoot through your pistol??? I don't have any idea how many rounds I have shot through some of my pistols, but it is a bunch.

It's actually quite easy. Just keep track of how many rounds you take to the range in the first place for each caliber and/or gun. For example, with my PM9, two 50 round boxes of cheapo + dumping my old carry load of 19 rounds (three mags +1) = 119 rds. Ain't that hard, but it's best to START from day one of the beginning of a beautiful relationship with any firearm. Keep a pen/paper scratch pad in your range bag (if you have to) to use at the range and then transfer it into a quick and dirty Excel spreadsheet to keep track when you get home. ;)

If you're like many shooters, myself included, and anal enough to actually care about this, the important thing is to start keeping track NOW. That way, when you do replace parts/springs/etc, you'll have an accurate round count from when that was done. The only thing you'll be missing is the total overall round count on the gun. I actually don't really care about that because many of my guns were used, so I'll never know the total count anyway. But, I know how many rounds I put on it and that's the important thing, to me. I usually drop in a fresh recoil spring in any used semi-auto I pick up, so the round count starts then with my "new to me" gun. :D

[jfrey]

Like Bawanna, I keep meticulous records of my reloads but my father-in-law shoots with me so when I take a quart freezer bag to the range filled with 300 rounds, I don't know exactly how many he shoots, as we share ammo in several guns. The best I can do is try and count the times I load my mags. We have a habit on the range of only loading 5 rounds in a mag, so if I load mine 10 times, obviously that is 50 rounds but sometimes I forget. Most of the time I just load and shoot. The only time I did actually count the rounds was for the 200 round breakin of my CW9.

[Seahawk60]

The best I can do is try and count the times I load my mags. We have a habit on the range of only loading 5 rounds in a mag, so if I load mine 10 times, obviously that is 50 rounds but sometimes I forget.

Use a pen/scratch pad and a "tick mark" for each 5 round magazine you run, if you can't remember, as I sometimes don't. A pad or two of post-its always rides along in my range bag.