Losing a loose screw

[QuercusMax]

After exercising my MK9 Elite recently, I was cleaning the little guy a couple days later (I'm guilty of not getting on this as soon as I come inside, but there is always one non-gun thing or another getting in my way) when I discovered that one of the grips was loose - because one of the grip screws was missing! And the other 3 were all loose.

Do you other Kahr guys ever lose a grip screw from time to time? Do you have to tighten the grip screws every so often? Or do they always just stay tight?

The screws holding the wood grips on my Beretta 92FS loosen up every so often, but I don't have this problem with any other guns. Just curious.

[Bawanna]

Alot of wood grips will get lose screws. You can use a small rubber oring under the head which usually cures it. The Berettas factory grips have a little star washer that usually doesn't get used with the wood.
The other option is a little fingernail polish. I don't like loctite to much since they should come off from time to time for a thorough cleaning. Many end up cracking their grips from overtightening so they don't come loose, not a real good solution.

[QuercusMax]

I believe you on the wood grips, but in this case I'm talking about the screws on the factory rubber grips on my MK9. The lesson I learned is to always tighten them before and after each session.

Since I probably can't get a replacement grip screw at Ace Hardware, looks like I'll have to order one from Kahr or maybe some other source. *sigh* It's a bother - I'd rather spend my time and money one something more exciting.

Let's see, grip screws are $1.10 each on Kahr's web site, plus shipping. Maybe I'll try to make this positive by ordering something else from them at the same time. Spare mag? Wood grips? Or maybe that stainless steel guide rod that should have come with the Elite in the first place....

[Bawanna]

Actually a nice email or phone call to kahr would probably have a new screw headed your way gratus. But it never hurts to have a few spares. My bad in assuming you had wood grips, I thought the Elites all had wood grips.
Incidently 1911 grip screws are the same thread so you might find one at a local shop that has any parts at all laying around. Might have to use the slim screw so it's not too long or get long and shorten it as needed.
The rubber or hard plastic grips usually don't suffer the loosening syndrome nearly as bad.



I believe you on the wood grips, but in this case I'm talking about the screws on the factory rubber grips on my MK9. The lesson I learned is to always tighten them before and after each session.

Since I probably can't get a replacement grip screw at Ace Hardware, looks like I'll have to order one from Kahr or maybe some other source. *sigh* It's a bother - I'd rather spend my time and money one something more exciting.

Let's see, grip screws are $1.10 each on Kahr's web site, plus shipping. Maybe I'll try to make this positive by ordering something else from them at the same time. Spare mag? Wood grips? Or maybe that stainless steel guide rod that should have come with the Elite in the first place....

[OldLincoln]

I agree with Bawanna in calling to see if they won;t drop a pair or 2 of screws in the mail. You can find them sometimes at a hardware store. I found some at Lowes in their specialty screw selection. Not labeled grip screws, but the correct thread count and you can cut off excess length. I think I paid like 50 cents for mine vs Brownell's cost in the mid teens.

[wyntrout]

I got CT Laser Grips for my K9 and the first time at the range I noticed one of the screws lying on the table. I quickly checked the other three and they were all loose. I didn't want to tighten the screws too much on the rubber grips, but I'll have to keep an eye on them.
I guess I could try a bit of Permatex Blue to keep them in place until I need to change batteries.

Wynn:)

[QuercusMax]

Hmmm, so if other people's screws are falling out too, another way to handle this problem is to just pick up one that the previous guy lost. :)

[yqtszhj]

You know I have checked all my guns and they seem OK but my wife keeps telling me I have a screw loose. I have looked and I just cant find it??????

[wyntrout]

It must be one of those under the hood... internal. I know that I have a few of those.

Wynn:)

[TominCA]

If you can't get them to send you a screw - Why not get an extra recoil spring while you're at it - good to have on hand and helps dilute the shipping cost.

[Bawanna]

And TominCA goes senior with the 100 mark. Celebration time.............

[Barth]

Do you other Kahr guys ever lose a grip screw from time to time? Do you have to tighten the grip screws every so often?

All four of my MK40 grip screws were lose today.
Had to tighten them and the slide release spring screw.
My Sig P239/357 throws grip screws too.
Had to order replacements.
The worst offender is my 38 oz 44 Mag Mountain Gun.
Not grip screws. But other screws would fly off the gun while firing.
Had to have lock-tight applied - LOL!

Bottom line tighten before and after isn't a bad idea.

[QuercusMax]

All four of my MK40 grip screws were lose today.
Had to tighten them and the slide release spring screw.
My Sig P239/357 throws grip screws too.
Had to order replacements.
The worst offender is my 38 oz 44 Mag Mountain Gun.
Not grip screws. But other screws would fly off the gun while firing.
Had to have lock-tight applied - LOL!

Bottom line tighten before and after isn't a bad idea.

So it appears that grip screws loosening up and sometimes falling out is one of those little irritations that is fairly common but infrequently discussed.

I, too, have adopted Barth's practice of tightening before and after, because it is SO annoying to find an empty screw hole.

One of the old-timers that I seem to encounter a lot while shooting told me "Oh yeah, ya gotta put some ???? on each of the screws - use the blue stuff, not the red stuff, because you can unscrew the blue stuff but the red stuff will need to be drilled out." Not sure what he was talking about exactly, but I presume it's something like Loc-Tite or similar. I'm going to look into this, because inevitably I will forget to tighten the screws one day and then find another empty hole.

[Bawanna]

Yup Loc Tite. It comes in different colors depending on how or if you ever want to take it apart.

Finger nail polish (Aqua is my favorite out of my wifes drawer, kind of light blue and not too flashey) work good too. Clean up the threads and just put a little dab on and tighten em down. Comes out easy but usually don't work loose by itself. YMMV.

Got carried away once and did a couple of my nails on my weak hand, kind of awkward.......................