Bulged/Swollen Frame? [Archive]

texsky

10-31-2009, 10:37 PM

Just wondering if anyone else has a frame that looks like this. I have 1,845 rounds through this PM9 and absolutely NO problems. It's the perfect carry weapon. Sure has an odd looking frame though. The Kahr online pictures of the PM9 certainly do not show anything like this. I shot it quite a while before I even noticed it. Of course now that's all I see whenever I look at the gun. Still love it though!

http://kahrtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=65&stc=1&d=1257044978
:2eek::2eek:
http://kahrtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66&stc=1&d=1257045463

border bandit32

10-31-2009, 11:30 PM

Mine has !500 rds thru it and it looks the same

wagon

10-31-2009, 11:42 PM

"By design" I guess. Mine is the same, too.

luka

11-01-2009, 04:52 AM

Has anyone ever call Kahr to check on this buldge, sure does Not seem right.:7:

zena

11-01-2009, 05:01 AM

Mine also has a bit of a bulge that I hadn't really paid attention to. Gun runs flawlessly. Not sure if I should stay in this forum...keep reading reasons to go check my gun that I never would have thought to look at....I guess I'll do the glass half full thing and say I'm getting an education.:)

Dietrich

11-01-2009, 06:16 AM

Well I`ll be darned.Mine has a bulge too.Never noticed it before now.Hmm.

Bigcube

11-01-2009, 06:26 AM

"By design" I guess.
x2 Mine was like that new. It's got about 500 rounds though it and it doesn't seem to be growing any. I'd like to measure the distance between the steel rails in various spots, I'd bet they are parallel and the bulge has to do with how they are molded into the plastic frame.

jocko

11-01-2009, 06:50 AM

Not buldged, it is designed that way. Haven't seen one yet that isn't that way. Mine is exactly like that and has over 25,000 rounds through it. That front steel slide rails is one peace molded in the frame and that little nick on the left side of the rail is a mfg-er proof mark. Makes no sense why it is there but it is not a defect or chip out of the steel rail.

It certainly won't grown any either....

jocko

11-01-2009, 06:55 AM

x2 Mine was like that new. It's got about 500 rounds though it and it doesn't seem to be growing any. I'd like to measure the distance between the steel rails in various spots, I'd bet they are parallel and the bulge has to do with how they are molded into the plastic frame.

not to long ago a fella posting a picutre of his polymer kahr on the right side stating back by the rear of the grip his is cracked up at the top. I think most all knew without even looking that it was the side plate and he was looking at the seems, and the photo was dead right to.

wagon

11-01-2009, 10:10 AM

Wonder if all Kahr's polymer models has the same bulge? Will be interesting to compare.

Raoul

11-01-2009, 01:50 PM

My PM40 has the bulge. Hmm, so do I, now that I think about it. :hungry:

zena

11-01-2009, 02:28 PM

My PM40 has the bulge. Hmm, so do I, now that I think about it. :hungry:

I wondered who was going to be the first to make that comment! :rolleyes:

wagon

11-01-2009, 02:46 PM

We got a WINNER!!!! :israel:

I was wondering who would be the 1st to comment on Raoul's comment. :D

I wondered who was going to be the first to make that comment! :rolleyes:

zena

11-01-2009, 03:42 PM

We got a WINNER!!!! :israel:

I was wondering who would be the 1st to comment on Raoul's comment. :D

:third: So much better to be a winner than "average". :cheer2:

Kahrdog

11-01-2009, 05:05 PM

My PM9 has it too. I guess it's unanimous. We can all relax now. :biggrin1:

Kahrdog

jocko

11-01-2009, 05:09 PM

only bad thing about the bulge is if ur new blind date girlfriend's is bulging to

Cornhusker

11-01-2009, 06:34 PM

My Glock 19 was the same way and most Glocks I know of are that way. Glock says it's normal and I believe it.

Dietrich

11-01-2009, 06:58 PM

only bad thing about the bulge is if ur new blind date girlfriend's is bulging to
I don`t know Jocko.It all depends on what`s bulging. If it`s your date`s adams apple, get yourself out of there.If it`s her halter top,buy her a drink.Or two.

wagon

11-01-2009, 08:05 PM

If it's "Crying Game" then bail! :eek:

I don`t know Jocko.It all depends on what`s bulging. If it`s your date`s adams apple, get yourself out of there.If it`s her halter top,buy her a drink.Or two.

texsky

11-01-2009, 10:50 PM

Thanks everyone for your input on the bulge. I never see any Kahrs at the range and so haven't had any way to compare body bulges. The little gun shoots great so I wasn't too worried. I'm am surprised to hear that some Glocks have the same thing.

deadhead1971

11-02-2009, 07:30 AM

I am "picky" and noticed that bulge right away when I got it. It's been there day 1 on my PM9.

Kahrfire

11-02-2009, 07:44 PM

I can't remember where, but I know I have seen some explanation of the reason for this design.

jocko

11-03-2009, 03:18 AM

I wonder if it could be to keep your fingers from hitting the slide and possable slowing down slide return upon shooting the gun. I noticed my G19 has a slight build up in that area also.
Possably additional reenforcement for the kahr dust cover in that the steel rails are imbedded inside that dust cover also, where as most polymer dust covers on other guns are just that dust covers. again this is a SWAG (scientific wild ass guess).

Cramalot

11-03-2009, 09:35 PM

Sure glad I found this thread! Just cleaned my new PM9 tonight after firing the first 100 rounds. Noticed the bulge. Was thinking bad things. After reading this thread I checked my P380 and sure enough it has the bulge too. Would still like to know why. Do they come off the line that way?

spsiege

11-09-2009, 05:04 PM

My PM9 looks the same way. I took some measurements and contacted Kahr. The reply was that it is normal. I have right at 2K rounds down range now.

TonyDe

11-10-2009, 08:17 PM

+1 on the Frame Bulge. My new PM9 and P380 display the same "bulge". Wow never realized it was there till I read this thread. By the way both guns shot very well.

texsky

11-12-2009, 10:44 PM

Interesting to note that the bulge we all seem to have is not in any of the Kahr marketing pictures. This is what caused me to ask the question in the first place.

jocko

11-13-2009, 06:18 AM

probably an optical illusion

Grabbrass

11-18-2009, 09:34 PM

That's just how it's designed. The extra frame width (i.e. the bulge) is necessary there to house the embedded steel 'cage' that includes the slide rails. Notice in the OP's picture, although the frame 'bulges', the slide rails are perfectly parallel. That's how far apart the rails have to be to run the slide, and that's how wide the frame has to be to fully and securely hold the embedded rails.

I think its awesome.

ontarget

12-25-2009, 06:53 AM

sure glad i found this thread! Just cleaned my new pm9 tonight after firing the first 100 rounds. Noticed the bulge. Was thinking bad things. After reading this thread i checked my p380 and sure enough it has the bulge too. Would still like to know why. Do they come off the line that way?
hi everyone with buldge in frame of pm9

thanks for the info on all of the posts

now i can rest easy because mine has the same buldge also.

Same on my brand new (abt 75 rounds) p380 ( i love this little thing )

ripley16

12-25-2009, 07:08 AM

Wonder if all Kahr's polymer models has the same bulge? Will be interesting to compare.

My TP9 has a slight bulge...maybe the short barrel length accentuates it on the PM, and it lessens visually as the barrel length increases.

jocko

12-25-2009, 01:45 PM

Wonder if all Kahr's polymer models has the same bulge? Will be interesting to compare.

there by design, not having every different model of polymer kahrs in front of me a good question but I would say it is in all of them..

Grabe

12-27-2009, 11:15 AM

jocko

12-27-2009, 11:35 AM

those long frame rails inside the polymer dust cover are of one peace, not two peaces, that is also why that front section is so strong also. It is not a buldge, as the frame rails are parallel It is there by design, for reasons I know not why and it looks worse when photos with\ the slide off, but with the slide on, it to me seems to want to also keep any fingers with interfering with slide retraction.

jocko

12-27-2009, 11:40 AM

It would seem possible that the bulge in the frame would eventually get wide enough to cause the slide grooves to not seat with the frame rails.

Seems like that might cause permanent failure! Any thoughts?

got 25,000+ rounds out of my PM9 and no failure, actually I have never ever read of any polymer kahr failing in that area, nor have I ever read of even those steels frame rails ever braking or cracking or the polymer ever pulling away from the one peace frame rails.

I think one can google up kahrs 6 patents on their guns and see the one peace diagram of the front rail and get a better understanding of the process of molding the all steel rail inside the polymer dust cover... the back one peace steel slide rail is also molded inside the polymer grip also and actually carrys most of the burden of proper slide functioning... Pretty well thought out gun IMO, course I realize Jim K feels other wise..:7:

Grabe

12-27-2009, 11:46 AM

Jocko, great clarification and comforting explanation of Kahr solid construction. This should remove concern regarding the polymer frame expanding under normal little lone heavy use. Thanks,

texsky

12-27-2009, 07:01 PM

It seem that we all have the bulge but none of the Kahr marketing pictures show it.

fitzgood

12-27-2009, 08:25 PM

I have a very new PM9 Black Diamond IB49XX and I can say for 100% sure that it had that bulge (couldn't we call it something else) since brand new. My FFL has Kahrs and he pointed it out to me when we cleaned and oiled it before it was ever fired. He said that every ploy Kahr has that and that it is normal.

armoredsaint

12-30-2009, 07:57 AM

i'm new to kahr's, but with a bulge like that i would be a little concerned. can you send it in to be replaced?

jocko

12-30-2009, 10:09 AM

i'm new to kahr's, but with a bulge like that i would be a little concerned. can you send it in to be replaced?

ur new to this forum, it is there by design no bulge, if you looks that those two inisde steel rails up in the dust cover, you will see that they are exactly parallel to each other. Why that little buldge (for lack of a better term) area is there is built into the initial molding of the lower frame with the one peace front steel rail.

My guess and it is just a SWAG (scientific wild ass guess) is that it is there to keep ones hands in two hand shooting from maybe coming into contact with the slide etc, amd maybe slowing down retraction. If only one kahr had that, I would be concerned but I know for sure it is on every PM series kahrs.....