New P380

[michpatriot]

Today I took the plunge on a P380 #RC2xxx and even before gettin to the range found reason to doubt... Using the slide release method of loading the first round it wouldn't chamber the round, just solid nosedives into the ramp. I tried time after time and finally took it to the range. The first two shots worked perfectly then nosedives galore and not just tap the slide and shoot either, these were solid smashed bullet deformed stoppages. Every other round all the way till the mag was empty maybe a hundred stoppages if I had to guess. The only way to clear the stoppage was to lock the slide back and remove the mag..Silvertips, Gold dots, Winchester fmj...notta. 200 or so rounds takes a long time at this rate. Back at home I used a black sharpie to color the ramp and examine where the bullet was contacting the ramp, and after some Dremel work and polishing wheel time Voila! it now chambers Gold dots like a champ.. I probably adjusted the ramp angle about 3 or 4 degrees taking off .050 or .060 in the trough and edges, a regular pile of shavings on the vise to say the least. 35min of work and now I wont have to send back my new pocket rocket

[7shot]

Glad you fixed it, if indeed that was the issue. But you might of messed with the warranty now?

[josp]

Polishing seems fine. Have you checked your mag spring to make sure it was put together right?

[MDH65]

Today I took the plunge on a P380 #RC2xxx and even before gettin to the range found reason to doubt... Using the slide release method of loading the first round it wouldn't chamber the round, just solid nosedives into the ramp. I tried time after time and finally took it to the range. The first two shots worked perfectly then nosedives galore and not just tap the slide and shoot either, these were solid smashed bullet deformed stoppages. Every other round all the way till the mag was empty maybe a hundred stoppages if I had to guess. The only way to clear the stoppage was to lock the slide back and remove the mag..Silvertips, Gold dots, Winchester fmj...notta. 200 or so rounds takes a long time at this rate. Back at home I used a black sharpie to color the ramp and examine where the bullet was contacting the ramp, and after some Dremel work and polishing wheel time Voila! it now chambers Gold dots like a champ.. I probably adjusted the ramp angle about 3 or 4 degrees taking off .050 or .060 in the trough and edges, a regular pile of shavings on the vise to say the least. 35min of work and now I wont have to send back my new pocket rocket

Can you post some pics of what the feed ramp looks like? Out of the pistol?

[DKD]

Along with the other previously listed posts, I would also recommend the magazine follower modification. This changes the feed angle of the top few rounds which greatly aid in the chambering of the rounds. I have seen some P380's that wouldn't feed Gold Dots until the third and fouth rounds, and also not feed from the slide stop, but after the follower is sanded down a bit, works like a champ, even hand racks to boot.

[muggsy]

Today I took the plunge on a P380 #RC2xxx and even before gettin to the range found reason to doubt... Using the slide release method of loading the first round it wouldn't chamber the round, just solid nosedives into the ramp. I tried time after time and finally took it to the range. The first two shots worked perfectly then nosedives galore and not just tap the slide and shoot either, these were solid smashed bullet deformed stoppages. Every other round all the way till the mag was empty maybe a hundred stoppages if I had to guess. The only way to clear the stoppage was to lock the slide back and remove the mag..Silvertips, Gold dots, Winchester fmj...notta. 200 or so rounds takes a long time at this rate. Back at home I used a black sharpie to color the ramp and examine where the bullet was contacting the ramp, and after some Dremel work and polishing wheel time Voila! it now chambers Gold dots like a champ.. I probably adjusted the ramp angle about 3 or 4 degrees taking off .050 or .060 in the trough and edges, a regular pile of shavings on the vise to say the least. 35min of work and now I wont have to send back my new pocket rocket

You should have sent it back. It is extremely doubtful that what you did to the feed ramp was necessary. If it was it should have been done by the factory to preserve your warranty.

[jocko]

agree..

[michpatriot]

Took it back to the range on the way home from work shoots those Gold Dots from the same lot like a dream machine now...You can ease the slide foreward and they just slide in.. The only regret...it diddn't come that way from the mothership.

[jocko]

if it functions with the gold dots and basically it is a pure defense gun and not really a range gun, then ur good to go. Why worry aobut a round brand that doesn't work, if u have no intentions of really using that brand. Ur happy with the fix, now enjoy thegun.

[MDH65]

Along with the other previously listed posts, I would also recommend the magazine follower modification. This changes the feed angle of the top few rounds which greatly aid in the chambering of the rounds. I have seen some P380's that wouldn't feed Gold Dots until the third and fouth rounds, and also not feed from the slide stop, but after the follower is sanded down a bit, works like a champ, even hand racks to boot.

Whats this about a magazine follower modification???
Have not heard of this.

Also, I see that Kahr has replacement magazine springs and followers for the P380. Are these any different from what originally shipped with the first P380s??

[michpatriot]

You should have sent it back. It is extremely doubtful that what you did to the feed ramp was necessary. If it was it should have been done by the factory to preserve your warranty.

The pistol would not chamber a round from the mag using the slide release...many types were tried, the rounds nosed into the ramp over 50% of the time when I started with a hand fed round and a full mag in the well. A person who is not familiar with firearms and hand feeding a round into the chamber would not have gotten this pistol to fire PERIOD..Now it works flawlessly....Necessary indeed! now flame on about hand feeding and broken extractors and such..yada yada! Yes you are right it should have been done by the factory in the first place but hey its a Kahr, stamp a serial number on it and ship it.

[DKD]

MDH65

Several months ago some of the folks here at the forum posted colored diagram of the magazine follower sanding which changes the orientation of the top rounds in the magazine. In a nut shell the sanding allows for a more full contact of the entire length of the case to the follower which enhances the feeding. I worked on one that simpley would not feed Gold Dots period. The first two rounds jambed very badly on the feed ramp even when using the slide stop, it also mangeled the nose of the bullets.
Do a search for magazine follower modification, the mod only takes 10 minutes, just do a little at a time then try it. The one I worked on took a couple of tries then it would even feed all problem bullets from slide stop or hand rack. Appearently the shape of the taper shell casing when stacked six igh magnafied the angle of the shell to the feed ramp and the modification ever so slightly reduced that angle and enhanced the feeding process.
I highly recommend it, therte is even so u-tube videos on the subject.

[jocko]

anything u can fix in house is IMO better than sending it back and maybe getting it back not fixed. These guys on this forum have fixes for damn near anything. If ur good or decent at this stuff, , ALWAYS consider them. My point to many is that kahr will fix ur gun "eventually". but if u do some very visible mods to the gun and then try to get warranty, ur on very thin ice, so just take mine and others fixes with a grain of salt and ask yourself, " do I realy want to try this." some fixes cause zero harm, the mag followers mods that many here have tried causes zero harm and at the worst u just ruined a follower whiich is cheaply replaceable, screw up a barrel ramp and ur fokked. Common sense plays alot here also.

Also what fixes one might do for his gun might indeed not be the fix for ur gun, even though it is doing the same thing. guns seem to have their own personality, some are cranky, some are just easy going.

[JERRY]

ive owned a K9 and an MK9 in the past and recently got a PM9.

i find it troubling that these kitchen table gunsmithing fixes are needed on a gun made by a reputable company.

i want a P380, but not if it has to be worked on like a P3AT.

[steveschu]

I bought a PM9 and liked it so much I bought a P380.....liked it so much I bought one for my daughter. VERY minor issues with the P380 that required some grinding on the magazine plates to get them to lock in place without forcing them into the magazine stop. Very dependable, accurate and concealable.....buy a P380, you will have no regrets.