P380 Light Strikes/Lube Question [Archive]

scotchlouis

08-03-2011, 11:36 AM

I have a P380 with about 800 rounds through it. I experienced two light primer strikes with Cor-bon DPX and one with Winchester PDX-1. That latter during the last 100 rounds (I haven't had any light strikes with any fmj ammo). I took apart the slide and cleaned it thinking that it could be the firing pin channel being clogged up.

My question is with re-lubing. Specifically #7 on the Kahr lube chart. Could lubing that location cause a problem with oil getting into the firing pin channel and causing these light strikes?

Thanks

Jackalope33b

08-03-2011, 01:53 PM

After reading several posts on here, I have been keeping oil, lube etc away from #7, and #8 on the Kahr lube chart. 2 light primer strikes in 800 rounds, I would say thats pretty good considering what alot of guys are going through lol. You might need a new spring, but Im no expert. Im sure someone will chime in and lead you in the right direction.

Bawanna

08-03-2011, 02:04 PM

I'm no expert either but I spray some light lube on 7 and 8 myself. If you flush out that striker channel with the patented Jocko brake cleaner method any that does creep into the channel should be flushed out easily.

FWIW I only do the flush treatment periodically, (I know I'll pay for this in the afterlife, I can see it now at the Pearly Gates, Did you flush out your striker channel using brother Jocko's brake cleaner method in every cleaning?) I don't do it every cleaning and have had zero problems with junk building up. Some seem to build up more than others and I haven't figured out the reasoning behind that but I'm some times challenged in such things.

Jackalope33b

08-03-2011, 02:12 PM

Jigger

08-03-2011, 02:14 PM

I use a Q-tip for 7,8 & 9 and just put a light coating on each area. I clean the channel out after every range session. It only takes a minute to do it.

Bawanna

08-03-2011, 02:32 PM

I agree.. If you dont clean that channel, your just asking for problems. Brake cleaner method works perfect, and will flush anything out! It should be part of cleaning, and it takes a whole 5 second burst of spray........

Actually when you think about it a 5 second burst is forever. A 1 second burst or on and off the button fast as you can is usually more than enough.

It is quick and easy, I just need to go outside to do it which isn't a bad thing.

scotchlouis

08-03-2011, 04:21 PM

Thanks for all of the replies.

I have had 6 or so shooting sessions with it and cleaned and lubed (including #7) each time, but I didn't clean out the firing pin channel each time. However, I took the slide apart after about 500 rds and cleaned it out and have found plenty of (excessive amount of?) oil on the firing pin and in the channel. I did it again last night after my last range trip and had the same result.

Isn't it typical with pistols that there should be NO OIL on the firing pin and in the channel lest it make pin move more sluggishly resulting in light strikes?

I'll try both: replacing the spring (firing pin spring, or recoil spring, or both?) in case it's a failure to go into battery problem, and spraying the channel every cleaning. Do I need to take the slide apart to spray it, or is there way to do it without?

jocko

08-03-2011, 04:31 PM

Look for that little hole on the bottom of the slide up by the breech face. That goes direcrtly into the striker channel.Insert your spray clean nozzle in that hole and spray away, fluds wil come out the breech hole and the back of the striker channel. Then just pubb back with your finger the stiker itself and spray directly from the brrech face into the channel now fluids will comeout that clean out hole. ur striker will stay perfectl clean if u do this and itmight take 10 seconds at best if you do both things. Most just insert the nozzle in the hole and spary away. Once yo get it cleaned it is a brreze to keep it that way. No need ti dissasemble. I doubt if ur striker spring is weak,but if u got a new one, go for it. NO oil in the striker channel. everything is stainless. Personally for me spray cleaning through that cleanout hole should be part of every cleaning routine. YMMV.

Also IMO two light strikes in 800 rounds could also have been maybe u just short stroked the trigger.. Normally if a gun starts to produce light strikes, it will continue to produce them, but also u found alot of crude in the striker channel, so maybe that was the cause.. replacing with a new recoil spring IMO is a good idea, althugh basically a new spring is in ur gun, one never knows and we have readf on here many times where a new recoil spring solved that shooters issues. Ur certainly not going to hurt anything and u are also eliminating a possability also. No doubt not all recoils springs are the same, ...

rogerthedodger

08-03-2011, 04:34 PM

I think it depends on how many rounds per range trip, and whether you will carry, or store your handgun. I like to clean the striker channel, the Jocko way, after every 100 rounds or so, in all my pistols, but more often my carry weapons. I use Electronic contact spray cleaner instead of brake cleaner.
Roger

jocko

08-03-2011, 04:39 PM

electronic contact spray cleaner works just as good. Probably not a hill of beans fiddreence , other thant he name on the can.

scotchlouis

08-03-2011, 05:14 PM

So any kind of brake cleaner or contact spray will do the trick?

Guess I have another excuse to make a trip over to Wally World. Auto parts are right next to the ammo :D

Bawanna

08-03-2011, 05:26 PM

I think the key word is non clorinated. I don't think theres any clorinated around anymore. I know the NAPA stuff is 880, same stuff as gunscrubber if you got any of that. Just alot cheaper.

ripley16

08-03-2011, 05:59 PM

My question is with re-lubing. Specifically #7 on the Kahr lube chart. Could lubing that location cause a problem with oil getting into the firing pin channel and causing these light strikes?

Thanks

No, you'd have to have a very wet channel to cause the striker to malfunction. The various holes and open nature of the striker allow it to "self-clean.

Certain models of Kahr have been plaqued by light strikes. Why this is so is an open question, but I suspect the energy is just barely suffucient to fire most primers and when anything out of spec occurs the striker simply fails to hit hard enough. I have alot of guns...only my Kahrs have suffered from light strikes.

scotchlouis

08-03-2011, 06:41 PM

No, you'd have to have a very wet channel to cause the striker to malfunction. The various holes and open nature of the striker allow it to "self-clean.

Both times I cleaned the channel, there was a generous amount of oil and was quite wet. I placed one small drop on #7 each time I cleaned the gun which was 4-5 times before I opened it up and clean the channel out. So it seems that not much oil had drained out.

I just picked up some brake cleaner and I'm gonna try it out. Hope it helps.

jocko

08-03-2011, 08:03 PM

So any kind of brake cleaner or contact spray will do the trick?

Guess I have another excuse to make a trip over to Wally World. Auto parts are right next to the ammo :D

napa brand #M high pressures non cholorinated brake cleaner. part # 08880, won't hurt anythinbg.

Wally world : CRC spray non cholorinated spray cleaner. :::: electronics dept. electronic spray cleaner, all will do the same job. One reason why I suggested and use myself the 3M brand is that it is the most pwoerful spray cleaner I have ever use4d. It will blow sh-t out of places that you could nevrer get to. Drys instantly, as do the other mentioned. Wear a rubber glove for any of those spray cleaners for they will take the oil out of your skin and cause dryness.. safety first, as with all gun cleaners...

scotchlouis

08-03-2011, 08:12 PM

napa brand #M high pressures non cholorinated brake cleaner. part # 08880, won't hurt anythinbg.

Wally world : CRC spray non cholorinated spray cleaner. :::: electronics dept. electronic spray cleaner, all will do the same job. One reason why I suggested and use myself the 3M brand is that it is the most pwoerful spray cleaner I have ever use4d. It will blow sh-t out of places that you could nevrer get to. Drys instantly, as do the other mentioned. Wear a rubber glove for any of those spray cleaners for they will take the oil out of your skin and cause dryness.. safety first, as with all gun cleaners...

Picked up the CRC. I ended up taking the slide apart again and spraying out the channel along with the pin, spring, and rod. I tried spraying down in the hole first, but it seemed like it didn't want to dry. Maybe it needed more time. But anyway, it's dry as a bone in there now. Gonna go try it again this weekend. Maybe I'll bring several different kinds of ammo. I still have some PDX left. I'll try that first.

Thanks for the help everyone. I'll keep y'all posted.

Jackalope33b

08-03-2011, 08:24 PM

TominCA

08-04-2011, 11:31 PM

It could be time for new recoil springs. When I spoke to the factory about light strikes they said it was often from failure to go fully into battery. Even a few thousandths out of battery will be enough to cause this. The P380 is kept in battery by the recoil spring tension so if cleaning the striker channel doesn't work try a set of new springs. Mine lasts about 800 rounds (plus a few hundred more cycles"playing with it") In both my P380 the extractor tension was way above anything I have seen. I trimmed the rear extractor pin and reduced the tension to approximate the tension on my PM9 and MK9. The recoil spring must overcome the effort to drive the rim under the extractor. The spring gets weak and it can't push the slide fully home. I think the exact cut on the extractor is very critical - A little bit of difference in the tooth thickness makes a big change in the tension on the rim - and the recoil spring force required.

jocko

08-05-2011, 05:26 AM

Here is a Thread I started about Brake Cleaner. Acoording to "JOCKO", and alot of other members on here, its the same stuff as those $7 cans. Since you have a Walmart near you, I would get the same stuff I got. It works GREAT, and its less than $3.00 a can. Its called ("Super Tech" Brake Parts Cleaner. NON- Chloninated. Part # WM 2417 14.5oz can ) Im going to check out Sam's club and see how much cheaper it is if I buy it in bulk. But check out the below link, and go from there.

http://kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?t=7783

is good stuff, I have used it also, and it works great. price is super to. thanks for the report, when it comes from someone other than jocko, it goes to show that there is alot of low priced sray cleaners out there that will not harm anything and will certainly CLEAN.

I just got back fropm my mornng walk and I walk buy my local NAPA store and checked their 3M #08880 price. $2.29. a few cans down was CRC electronic spray for $5.59. I bought 5 cans of the 3M for $10,as they gave me 29 cents pff per can if I bought 5 cans.

dursker

08-05-2011, 09:34 AM

Any preference on what oil, or grease to use on the slide contact areas?

jocko

08-05-2011, 09:48 AM

I lean towards TW25 (Mil-comm.com) but any gun grease works just fine.

scotchlouis

08-05-2011, 07:16 PM

Any preference on what oil, or grease to use on the slide contact areas?

I've been using Ballistol to clean and lube all my guns. Good stuff.

Btw, just ordered some boxes of Speer Gold Dots and another box of WWB to cycle through. Any malfunctions and I'll take the suggestion of changing out the springs and repeat the process. Any more light strikes after that and it will be sent back to Kahr.

hoghunter

08-07-2011, 10:05 PM

Just so I am clear, I am familiar with the Brake Cleaner from NAPA. I used it to clean the throttle body of my truck. I will read the thread on cleaning again but just spray that right down in the firing pin area? I have used the Hickok Ballistol & denatured alcohol. I use the Ballistol as the lube/cleaner and the denatured alcohol on a QTip to clean breach face and odd and end metal parts. But I have never disassebled the firing pin area cause I was always afraid of screwiing something up. Spraying this in the striker pin hole (not the tech term) would solve that problem on all my semi-auto guns I guess? I do not have a Kahr yet. All I have ever done was wipe the breach face clean but never got inside.

TucsonMTB

08-07-2011, 11:27 PM

Just so I am clear . . .
There is a dedicated clean out hole in the slide for this purpose near the head of the lower arrow of the two labeled "number 9" in the lube diagram pictured below. Insert your tubular plastic extension nozzle (usually supplied with the spray can) into that hole and push the valve on the top of the can. Do it outside and at arm's length for safety.

http://i1038.photobucket.com/albums/a466/btowngeorge/KahrLubePoints.jpg

Jackalope33b

08-09-2011, 10:15 AM

Just make sure you spend the extra 2-3 seconds and clean out that striker area with the Brake Cleaner.

Just so I am clear, I am familiar with the Brake Cleaner from NAPA. I used it to clean the throttle body of my truck. I will read the thread on cleaning again but just spray that right down in the firing pin area? I have used the Hickok Ballistol & denatured alcohol. I use the Ballistol as the lube/cleaner and the denatured alcohol on a QTip to clean breach face and odd and end metal parts. But I have never disassebled the firing pin area cause I was always afraid of screwiing something up. Spraying this in the striker pin hole (not the tech term) would solve that problem on all my semi-auto guns I guess? I do not have a Kahr yet. All I have ever done was wipe the breach face clean but never got inside.

Glockenspieler

08-11-2011, 09:17 AM

So here's a question for those here who seem to have the time to post by the hundreds in praise of Kahr products:

Why doesn't Kahr simply furnish these instructions with their guns?

Wouldn't that save Kahr the hassle of a backlog of returned guns from unknowing owners so they could more quickly fix or replace their backlog of actual lemons (like mine)?

I performed a similar procedure on my P380, basically gleaned from decades of personal experience and consultation with professional armorers, and, nonetheless, it constantly malfunctioned. I then found this procedure on this site, which was basically identical, (except for lubing the plastic rails), and my P380 continued malfunctioning. Once Kahr replaced the frame (after six weeks away), it took another hundred rounds before it started behaving. Fortunately, I probably will never have to depend on this pipsqueak, but, after this expensive ordeal I am no longer considering a 9mm or .40S&W Kahr as a more compact alternative to my Sig P229's, Glock 23's/27's or .38 snubs, none of which has ever lost my confidence.