Kahr Bite!!! Ouch!!!

[CarlCyrus]

Fired the MK9 yesterday at the range. Ran about 170 rounds of American Eagle 115 gr ball and a couple of clips of Rem Golden Saber 124 gr HP.

By the end of the shooting I had a bite on the base of my thumb. I took a pic of the MK9 losely held in my hand to show the relationship of the frame to the rub-mark on the knuckle of my thumb.

Anyone else get these? Any way to stop it?

Carl

[Rainman48314]

Fired the MK9 yesterday at the range. Ran about 170 rounds of American Eagle 115 gr ball and a couple of clips of Rem Golden Saber 124 gr HP.

By the end of the shooting I had a bite on the base of my thumb. I took a pic of the MK9 losely held in my hand to show the relationship of the frame to the rub-mark on the knuckle of my thumb.

Anyone else get these? Any way to stop it?

CarlA 1911 with a good sized beavertail?

[TheTman]

I usually wear some padded fingerless biker/weightlifter gloves when I shoot at the range to help assorb recoil and cut down on the wear and tear from the aggresive pattern on the backstrap.

[Bawanna]

I've never got nothing like that with a Kahr. My first feeble thought would be to treat it like recoil on a rifle and squeeze that grip even tighter and higher. Cut out the movement that's biting you.

Let that heal some before you do a long stretch at the range with it.

[mr surveyor]

looks to me like with your thumb riding the slide so high, you may not have a firm grip control which would cause the muzzle to buck...allowing the slide bite.

With the low bore axis of the Kahr pistols (a good thing), and the shorter grip frame (not so good for big hands), you may need to go to a different grip. You might try turning the thumb tip down towards your middle finger on the grip, this will also reduce the amount of hand web meat you're exposing to the slide... and also may improve control in general. When shooting two handed, you can place the thumb of your weakside hand over the strong hand thumb and have a very solid lock up.

worth a try;)

[Ubaldo99]

Hey Carl.... I have a couple firearms that are just uncomfortable to shoot when you go beyond 30-40 rounds, particularly my Ruger LCP. I finally bought a set of shooter gloves from Cabelas and that took care of the problem.

[Barth]

Fired the MK9 yesterday at the range. Ran about 170 rounds of American Eagle 115 gr ball and a couple of clips of Rem Golden Saber 124 gr HP.

By the end of the shooting I had a bite on the base of my thumb. I took a pic of the MK9 losely held in my hand to show the relationship of the frame to the rub-mark on the knuckle of my thumb.

Anyone else get these? Any way to stop it?

Carl

My MK40 does the same thing to me at around 200 rounds.
If you hold at two boxes of 50 (100 rounds) the girl will stop bucking you off - LOL!

[O'Dell]

I'll second or third or whatever the gloves solution. I never shoot without them. I used to get an abrasion, not a bite, in the same place with some guns over a period of time. Now I don't even remember which guns they were - probably stolen anyway. I haven't had the problem in a couple of years.

[popgoestheweasel]

I'll second or third or whatever the gloves solution. I never shoot without them. I used to get an abrasion, not a bite, in the same place with some guns over a period of time. Now I don't even remember which guns they were - probably stolen anyway. I haven't had the problem in a couple of years.


this seems to bring new meaning to the phrase 'shoot it like you stole it'......... i'm just sayin'

[JFootin]

this seems to bring new meaning to the phrase 'shoot it like you stole it'......... i'm just sayin'

Not that HE stole them! But probably in the collection of guns that were stolen from him awhile back.

[CarlCyrus]

I'll second or third or whatever the gloves solution. I never shoot without them. I used to get an abrasion, not a bite, in the same place with some guns over a period of time. Now I don't even remember which guns they were - probably stolen anyway. I haven't had the problem in a couple of years.

It really is an abrasion, not a bite. I used the term bite in the subject/title of the message but that doesn't accurately describe what is going on.

This happened once before when the MK was new and I was running rounds through it for the break-in. I just ignored it as a by-product of such a small pistol.

I shoot two 1911 style handguns and they don't abrade the skin.

I don't like shooting gloves but have a pair (very thin leather batting gloves) and will use them next time.

The left rear corner of the frame that hangs over the web between the thumb and the first finger is not well rounded. May take a file and Dremel polishing wheel to it.

Carl

[Ikeo74]

Fired the MK9 yesterday at the range. Ran about 170 rounds of American Eagle 115 gr ball and a couple of clips of Rem Golden Saber 124 gr HP.

By the end of the shooting I had a bite on the base of my thumb. I took a pic of the MK9 losely held in my hand to show the relationship of the frame to the rub-mark on the knuckle of my thumb.

Anyone else get these? Any way to stop it?

Carl
Lower your target, it will change the angle of your wrist and the slide will clear without rubbing. Or only shoot 100 rounds in a range session.

[OldLincoln]

Carl, the good news is that it usually only happens once. I learned from my "first bite" and changed my grip slightly. If it were a puppy, I'd say it was trying to let you know it's the boss. So just spank it good and shoot the dickens out of it and it will housebreak pretty soon. Just don't expect it to retrieve your slippers, that would be below it's dignity.

[G3709]

I used to have the same problem with my K9. I tape a band-aid over the affected area then put on a latex exam glove to secure the band-aid. I also squeeze the grip tighter. The problem is fixed. I simply discard them after the shooting session. Keep the hands clean also.

[OldLincoln]

I used to have the same problem with my K9. I tape a band-aid over the affected area then put on a latex exam glove to secure the band-aid. I also squeeze the grip tighter. The problem is fixed. I simply discard them after the shooting session. Keep the hands clean also.
Yeah, I never go to the range without bandaids and tape. Used it quite a bit. I try to be careful, but I can bump a wall and tear my skin. Guess you can say I'm thin skinned (Ha!).

[Bawanna]

The only issue I have with gloves, band aids etc is if this is your carry gun, habits that occur at the range may take over in the jungle.

Unless you have a **** Tracey calling Go Go Gomez, stop the picture watch, the bad guy ain't gonna wait till you get your hand prepped.

Course in a bad situation the least of your worries will be an abrasion or a bite or even a large framing hammer on the thumb.

I guess a magazine or two to start at each range session prior to donning the protective gear might solve my concerns.

I recall many many years ago when police carried revolvers. I read of an officer on the east side of the mountains, a town I am familiar with getting shot.
During range sessions they unloaded their revolvers into their hand and then into a pocket so they wouldn't have to pick up brass, rather than dump the empties on the ground and reload.
Sure enough they found 12 cases in his jacket pocket. Habits can be horrible things to break.

[O'Dell]

Not that HE stole them! But probably in the collection of guns that were stolen from him awhile back.

Correct. I was pretty well cleaned out in February - the only ones left were the two in the car and the one I had on me. Whichever one was causing the problem is gone, maybe a Kahr. Possibly some of my new collection would do the same thing, but I now wear gloves.

[G3709]

Well I am talking about practice range session when I usually shoot about 400 rounds with K9 and 200 rounds through my ASP. In emergency, you do not shoot that many rounds to blister the base of your thumb. There is good chance that you even take a bullet or more. So prepare mentally for it.

[340pd]

If you feel you need a glove try a golf glove. Low cost and effective. Your issue, I believe, is your grip is too high. Guns with short handles force you to grip high and the good news is, it lowers felt recoil and followup shots. The bad news is, you need a band aid. The next time you go to the range, try shooting with the longer magazine in the gun and see it it goes away. If so, look at some Pearce extensions. They helped me. I grip my KAHR the same way I grip my 1911, as high up as possible, with both thumbs point forward. On KAHR's this can cause another issue. The slide not locking back on the last round fired. Everything has a trade off.

[Cyterio]

I've shot 200 exactly through my MK9 just once, all other times have been clocking in around 100rds, give or take a few. I've never experienced the bite or abrasion. I usually have a fairly high grip on the gun and would say I have medium sized hands. Maybe try adjusting your grip like a few others have said, or if you're not comfortable with making that adjustment, or it drastically alters your accuracy them maybe just go with the bandaid or a glove for practice purposes. I would tend to stick with the most natural feeling grip, mainly because if it ever came down to a hostile situation, most likely you would revert to that grip.

[MW surveyor]

That ain't a bite! Shot a 44 mag Blackhawk yesterday and held the damn thing like my 357 (left thumb over right hand for single action shooting), boy that was all wrong. Got a real good hammer bite on my left thumb when the gun recoiled. Was expecting recoil but not that much!

[Bawanna]

Speaking of bite. My wife had an uncle and a nephew visit us from Sweden. (Thats a whole nuther country) Guns over there are a rare thing and they were quite impressed with my meager but growing man cave collection.

I took them out to a pit (Sultan Basin for Scoundrel who knows the area) and let them shoot several guns. They very much wanted to shoot a 44 magnum, apparently Dirty Harry is alive and well in Swedish cinema as well.

So the uncle is blasting away with my Ruger Super Blackhawk 7 1/2". Huge smile on his face just having a blast literally. Then I happened to notice that he was bleeding profusely from his hand, I mean serious blood letting. The squared trigger guard was just tearing him up. I went for the first aid kit for bandages but he would have none of it. Said he was just fine, more bullets please. We'd still be out there if we hadn't run out of ammo or he passed out from blood loss.

I think we went a couple more times during their visit.

[dirty_sanchez]

Kahr Bite?

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f247/lauriefromla/ChipsAlbum/IMG_1699.jpg (javascript:void(0);)

Nah.

Hurts sooo good.

Dirty

[ltxi]

Fired the MK9 yesterday at the range. Ran about 170 rounds of American Eagle 115 gr ball and a couple of clips of Rem Golden Saber 124 gr HP.

By the end of the shooting I had a bite on the base of my thumb. I took a pic of the MK9 losely held in my hand to show the relationship of the frame to the rub-mark on the knuckle of my thumb.

Anyone else get these? Any way to stop it?

Carl

Always with MK and PM. Not so much with K. I suspect small hands contribute to issue in my case. Smoothed off the edge a bit on the steel frames + fabric band-aid prior to range sessions = problem solved.

Personally don't think gloves are the answer for a SD arm unless you'd be typically wearing gloves.

[Cash.45]

Kahr Bite?

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f247/lauriefromla/ChipsAlbum/IMG_1699.jpg (javascript:void(0);)

Nah.

Hurts sooo good.

Dirty

This photo seems telling to me. It looks to me like the abrasion is being caused by the bottom left rear corner of the of the frame, not the slide as mentioned in previous posts. Gun fires, muzzle rises, back of the frame lowers...into the back of the thumb. A tighter grip might solve the problem, or a shooting glove as previously mentioned.

Just my 2 cents.

[340pd]

That last close up looks like an abrasion rather than a slide mark. Originally I thought it was from the slide. It may just be firing a lot of rounds and the recoil against your hand rubbed the skin off. If you go to the range with the intent of shooting a lot of rounds just slap a band aid over that area.

[QuercusMax]

Never had this happen with my MK9 after any number of rounds. But then I've not been satisfied with the accuracy I have achieved, either. Maybe these are related.

Are you achieving the accuracy that you expected, even with this "bite"?

I wish there was a way to compare grip technique better online. Lots of examples on YouTube but it's not the same as just doing it yourself. I don't golf, but the endless quest for grip and technique is much the same there as here I imagine.

[dirty_sanchez]

The bite really isn't noticed until the next day. It happens about half the time I head to the range.

As with most of us, I'm sure I could work on my grip a bit more, but even still I can dump a saucer-sized group at 10 feet before the second case hits the ground with the 9 or the 40.

Both my PM40 and PM9 are scary accurate-moreso than I am. If I do my part and take my time at 21 feet, I hit or can almost touch those 1" black stick-on dots.

I like my Kahr's

Dirty

[ltxi]

This photo seems telling to me. It looks to me like the abrasion is being caused by the bottom left rear corner of the of the frame, not the slide as mentioned in previous posts. Gun fires, muzzle rises, back of the frame lowers...into the back of the thumb. A tighter grip might solve the problem, or a shooting glove as previously mentioned.

Just my 2 cents.

Yes, it's the frame, not the slide.

[CarlCyrus]

This photo seems telling to me. It looks to me like the abrasion is being caused by the bottom left rear corner of the of the frame, not the slide as mentioned in previous posts. Gun fires, muzzle rises, back of the frame lowers...into the back of the thumb. A tighter grip might solve the problem, or a shooting glove as previously mentioned.

Just my 2 cents.

That is the exact same abrasion I got. Maybe my pic didn't make that clear. It is not a bite from the recoiling slide, but constant rubbing of the left corner of the frame on the base knuckle of my thumb.

Normally I don't shoot 170+ rounds through my PM or MK in a single session. I normally take a Cbt Cdr or Kimber Pro for 200+ rounds of practice then follow up with a box or two through the PM/MK.

None of my other pistols or revolvers have caused this problem, so I think it is just a combo of the size of the pistol, the strength of the recoil, and the geometry of my hand. Guess I'll live with it and over time develop a callus.

Carl

[ltxi]

And....extended range sessions with my .40 cal Glocks blood blister my right index, trigger, finger on the right side of the nail. LW J-frame rips the inside of my right thumb when I get stupid and fire .357 through it. The sharp point of the follower on Glock mags draw blood on the first knuckle of the ring finger of my right hand when loading them. Other stuff I can't think of at the moment. It's all good and just part of being a gun guy.