Kahr Support CW9 (Update)

[bamaman]

I have been having slide lock back issues with my CW9 purchased in March of this year. I E-mailed tech support over a week ago and never got a reply.
Decided to call this morning and got put straight thru and talked with Jay about my issue. He is sending a new slide stop pin as I believe mine is a tad bit out of spec. (ogive on bullets of several types of ammo touching, or very close to touching the slide stop. I am impressed with the "live support" and hope this will take care of the issue.

[BEARDOG]

You know, I wonder what "spec" is on the slide stop? If possible could you measure the two slide stops at the highest point on the posts and let us know the findings?

This is such a reported problem that it seems a little odd that they keep making so many mistakes of out of spec. slide stops???

I wonder if they are making special made shortened stops to send out to everyone with issues?

If these are molded, why aren't they ALL out of spec? Thats the point of a mold all the pieces keep coming out the same! Unless they are grinding/fitting them after molding which would not seem very cost effective, which is why they are using MIM slide stops to begin with right to save cost?

I have a CW9 and a CM9, the CW9 never had a problem.(yet)
The CM9 did, I had to file down and polish its stop to make it clear the bullets using the standard 6 rd mag... BUT before modifying it, when I tested the CM9 with my 7rd mag from the CW it cleared the stop pin fine..... I think that the mags may have a lot to do with this problem also.

[wyntrout]

You're right on with the magazines... the design allowing the lower round to be pulled forward as the top one is chambered.

Wynn:)

[gb6491]

You know, I wonder what "spec" is on the slide stop? If possible could you measure the two slide stops at the highest point on the posts and let us know the findings?

This is such a reported problem that it seems a little odd that they keep making so many mistakes of out of spec. slide stops???

I wonder if they are making special made shortened stops to send out to everyone with issues?

If these are molded, why aren't they ALL out of spec? Thats the point of a mold all the pieces keep coming out the same! Unless they are grinding/fitting them after molding which would not seem very cost effective, which is why they are using MIM slide stops to begin with right to save cost?

I have a CW9 and a CM9, the CW9 never had a problem.(yet)
The CM9 did, I had to file down and polish its stop to make it clear the bullets using the standard 6 rd mag... BUT before modifying it, when I tested the CM9 with my 7rd mag from the CW it cleared the stop pin fine..... I think that the mags may have a lot to do with this problem also.
That's a good point BEARDOG. I had issue with my CW45 locking back prematurely. I tried taking material off the stop (up to the point it didn't always lock the slide back on an empty magazine), but the problem persisted. What fixed it for me was tightening down the slide stop spring screw. This restricts the springs movement about it's length. The lever end now requires more force to move it. The section of spring that engages the slide stop pin also requires more force making the stop harder to remove. I haven't had a single slide stop issue since making this adjustment and replacing the modified stop with a new one.
Regards,
Greg

[jocko]

You know, I wonder what "spec" is on the slide stop? If possible could you measure the two slide stops at the highest point on the posts and let us know the findings?

This is such a reported problem that it seems a little odd that they keep making so many mistakes of out of spec. slide stops???

I wonder if they are making special made shortened stops to send out to everyone with issues?

If these are molded, why aren't they ALL out of spec? Thats the point of a mold all the pieces keep coming out the same! Unless they are grinding/fitting them after molding which would not seem very cost effective, which is why they are using MIM slide stops to begin with right to save cost?

I have a CW9 and a CM9, the CW9 never had a problem.(yet)
The CM9 did, I had to file down and polish its stop to make it clear the bullets using the standard 6 rd mag... BUT before modifying it, when I tested the CM9 with my 7rd mag from the CW it cleared the stop pin fine..... I think that the mags may have a lot to do with this problem also.

just happen in the molding process, it is all not perfect science, plus every gun has its own personality to. It could be a perfect slide stop but in your polymer gun it doesn't work and in mine it might work, that could all be due to the polymer in that area also. I had 3 side locks replace don my Para carry 9 and to me they all looked the same, the last one worked. Not sure measuring is going to give you the answer u need as the lower frame itself being polymer could be off a few thousands etc and one would never know it. Kahr is not sending back shortened slide stops, I can assure u of that..

[bamaman]

I will measure the new one when I get it just to see. I guess it could be the spring, but all looks well there, and the screw is not loose. When I first got the gun I thought I was having failures to feed ( I'm a lefty and never checked the slide stop to see if it was engaged.)

It is definitely a lock back issue, and thanks to the experts here I checked to make sure last time at the range. I really like this gun, but I have had slide lock with 2 types ball ammo, and 2 types of HP ammo. All 124 gr.

Some come closer to the nub on the lock than others, but they have all caused lock back. I will report back after my next range trip, and see if this takes care of it.

[jocko]

I am a lefty and IMO it would be very hard to hit that slide stop being a lefty. `14 grain ammo should have zero effect on pre mature slide locking open, If rounds are close to that nub, ur ok, but they should not hit. That slide stop sring IMO should not be tight either, courseu can't really tighten a slide stop spring as uwill strip the threads in trying to do so. What I do is snug it up and then backit off about ahalf turn. That spring must have free play in it, as it does two things. #1, holds the slide stop in thegun, #2 activates the retun downward of the slide stop lever courseneither shold cause a premature slide stop issues IMO. Makes sure there is no free play in that slide stop lever and by that I men, that lever once in thegun, should immediately feel downward pressure on that slide stop spring when you try to move it upward. If thereis some free play there before that springs starts to wantto bring the lever back down, then just tweek that spring tip downward a tad and retest. or call kahr and get anew spring and then preceed to GBH 6491 tutoial in the kahr tech section under cw4e5 fixes and scroll on down and you will see an excellenttutorial on whgat this spring should look like and how to installit easily without damage to the threads. Its the best photo tuto0rial I have ever seen.. THAT MAKES SENSE

[hardluk1]

I have some 124gr georgia arms speer deep curl loads that rub the tip of the slide stop but run fine in both my cw and cm9. Anyone shooting the right or wrong 147gr profile or loaded long could be getting under the slide stop enought to hold it in an upward position. I have 6 different brands of 124gr practice and see know problems . Only the posiblity of problems with the long speer DC bullets with a average lenght of 1.120

[bamaman]

Thanks Jocko, will look into that. Wonder why they didn't use some type of small locking nut imbedded in the frame, instead of the current setup.

[BEARDOG]

Thanks bamaman I am interested in if the one they send you is shorter or polished or ???

I also agree that a weak/loose spring could lead to this happening. After Greg posted above, I remembered I also tweeked the end of my CM's spring down a little, there is a little ramp for the spring to go up so it can have a little downward angle and still slide in place just fine. (I have done so many little things to mine I am starting to forget what all I did!)

I love my CM9 though, and I will make it run 100%!

[Bill K]

I had the problem with my then new PM9 when shooting Black Hills 124 +P ammo (bullets are XTP). Did not have the issue with the 115 break-in ammo. Slowly milled the slide stop by stropping on a sharpening stone to fix issue. I keep meaning to one day put in the unmodified replacement slide stop lever to see if problem returns... or just leave well enough alone?

Bill K.

[bamaman]

Well I got the new slide stop pin and spring from Jay, and it was exactly the same size width as the original slide lock pin. The spring was never the problem so I left that alone. After inserting the new slide lock with the slide off and inserting a loaded mag, all the bullets I use were bumping the nub, (as before) or so close I couldn't get a piece of paper between bullet ogive and lock nub.
You could hear it hitting, and feel it. This was using 124 gr gold dots, 124 HST's, 147 HST's and some NATO 124's.

Guess it might be the width of the the frame on this gun, so since I had the new slide lock pin in hand, I filed the crap out of the original until every type ammo I use had clearance.

Went to range today and am happy to report it ate everything I fed it with zero malfunctions. It is ashamed in my opinion that a new pistol has to be tinkered with to perform as it should out of the box, but I really like this pistol (very accurate), and now have confidence in it as my CCW

I appreciate all the good tips and advice from you guys. This is a great forum.

Bama

[knkali]

you know every Kahr is test fired before shipping. :)

[jocko]

whats ur problem? u fixed it, now shoot it like u stole it. I had 3 slide stops replaced on my Para carry 98 before it ever gotr right. Sh-t happens.

[knkali]

Bill K,
nice work. that was probably pretty satisfying to make that fix.

[jocko]

I had the problem with my then new PM9 when shooting Black Hills 124 +P ammo (bullets are XTP). Did not have the issue with the 115 break-in ammo. Slowly milled the slide stop by stropping on a sharpening stone to fix issue. I keep meaning to one day put in the unmodified replacement slide stop lever to see if problem returns... or just leave well enough alone?

Bill K.

leave well enough alone, IF IT AN'T BROKE DON'T FIX IT:hungry: