New CW380 - Help!

[ky1911]

Just bought a new CW380 from Bud's on Black Friday - been wanting one for a while and the price was insane. I'm not new to handguns and not new to Kahrs, but I have an odd problem that I've never encountered and need some feedback.

When dry firing the CW380 without a magazine inserted or with an EMPTY magazine seated, the handgun dry fires fine and you can hear/feel the striker engage (very similar click and feel to my CW9). However, when I dry fire with a loaded magazine inserted [not chambered] the striker is hitting the top round in the magazine and nudging it forward. It is hitting with so much force that it is 1) leaving a mark on the rear of the case rim; 2) is moving the round 1/3 of the way forward on the magazine follower, so much so that the mag will not drop free and you have to force it out; and 3) is causing bullet setback in the top-most round. I have not live fired the handgun and am now afraid to do so. I've never encountered this problem with any handgun. When this occurs it also does not feel or sound as if the striker is fully engaging - sort of a muffled 'click.'

I removed the magazine and flipped the handgun over to view the internals through the magwell. When pulling the trigger I can see the striker slam forward (whatever the piece of the striker is that contacts the sear). This is the piece hitting the next round in the magazine.

Anyone else encounter this? Doesn't seem at all right.

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

[ulflyer]

I have a nearly new CW380 but never thought about dry firing with a loaded mag. Frankly, don't see any reason for it. I suggest you jack the bullets in/out and if that works ok, go shoot it. If you have one in the chamber, I don't see how there can be any harm in firing it. Either it works or it don't.
Let us know what happens.

[topgun1953]

My P380 doesn't do that. If you could get another mag from someone you possibly determine if the mag is the problem. It seems to me that the cartridge is sitting too high, allowing the rear tab of the striker to strike it.

I dry fire all the time with a snap cap in the chamber and one in the mag.

[ky1911]

I've tried the mag that came with it as well as an identical OEM Kahr magazine bought new separately. I thought perhaps one was deformed or had widened feed lips, but it happens identically with both magazines.

[ky1911]

Here's a quick video I made describing and showing the problem.

http://youtu.be/xSyaHSQhocA

[addictedhealer]

Why dry fire with loaded mag inserted? Seem like a ND waiting to happen.

[ky1911]

How about you help answer the question?

[b4uqzme]

It does seem a bit like you are trying to manufacture a problem. FWIW it's not uncommon for me to remove a loaded mag from my MK9 and find the top cartridge bumped forward a tad just like in your video. It hasn't seemed to cause any problem. I didn't try the dry firing loaded thing...nor will I. Sorry I cannot be of more help. Just be safe...OK?

[SlowBurn]

I'd say the concern is that during actual fire, the striker might damage the round in the mag before it's chambered. But possibly a round in the chamber stops the forward motion of the striker when the firing pin hits it before the lower part reaches the round in the mag, which would make it a non issue.

I would want to test it out with snap caps, one in the chamber and one in the mag, to see if the same thing happens. Or just take it to the range and shoot it.

I also get a little queasy watching the gun dry fired with a round in the mag.

[ky1911]

Thanks for the feedback. I suppose the only way to know for sure is to fire it at the range. And I do appreciate your safety comments.

[TheLastDaze]

Why dry fire with loaded mag inserted? Seem like a ND waiting to happen.

no doubt... I was absolutely blown away reading this.......

its probably an issue no one can directly answer as I'm sure none of us have loaded a gun to dry fire it.... or perhaps I'm just speaking for myself....

just sayin

[gb6491]

Just bought a new CW380 from Bud's on Black Friday - been wanting one for a while and the price was insane. I'm not new to handguns and not new to Kahrs, but I have an odd problem that I've never encountered and need some feedback.

When dry firing the CW380 without a magazine inserted or with an EMPTY magazine seated, the handgun dry fires fine and you can hear/feel the striker engage (very similar click and feel to my CW9). However, when I dry fire with a loaded magazine inserted [not chambered] the striker is hitting the top round in the magazine and nudging it forward. It is hitting with so much force that it is 1) leaving a mark on the rear of the case rim; 2) is moving the round 1/3 of the way forward on the magazine follower, so much so that the mag will not drop free and you have to force it out; and 3) is causing bullet setback in the top-most round. I have not live fired the handgun and am now afraid to do so. I've never encountered this problem with any handgun. When this occurs it also does not feel or sound as if the striker is fully engaging - sort of a muffled 'click.'

I removed the magazine and flipped the handgun over to view the internals through the magwell. When pulling the trigger I can see the striker slam forward (whatever the piece of the striker is that contacts the sear). This is the piece hitting the next round in the magazine.

Anyone else encounter this? Doesn't seem at all right.

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

I checked this on my P380 and found that the striker did hit the top round (in this case a snap cap) in the magazine with enough force that it "2) is moving the round 1/3 of the way forward on the magazine follower,...".

I must say that I haven't had any light strikes with my P380 since replacing the cocking cam, still I find this development a bit disconcerting.
I don't think it's much of a reach to believe that the striker hitting the top round in the magazine might contribute to a light strike.
Then again, I found this only happened with the top round seated fully to the rear of the magazine. If you consider that the top round's position in the magazine changes with recoil, slide movement, rounds feeding, even inserting the magazine can change the position, I wonder how likely this is to cause an issue. It might even be that the striker isn't hitting the top round until after it's already popped the primer of a chambered round.

FWIW I've modified another striker I had on hand to preclude it from hitting the top round in the magazine when there's a round in the chamber (see my thought above about the cap being popped before the top round is hit). It will still move the the top round (if seated all the way to the rear) about an 1/8 of an inch if the pistol is dry fired, but I can live with that (won't be dry firing with a loaded magazine in the gun). I've shot about 50 rounds using the modified striker and have had no issues. Yeah, I love to tinker

Regards,
Greg

[muggsy]

Someone please help me out here. I've read my owners manual from cover to cover and nowhere in it can I find anything about dry firing a Kahr pistol with a loaded magazine in place. Maybe it's just me, but I find that a very odd thing to do and well outside of the parameters of normal operation of any firearm. I have also found that if I use my Kahr pistol to hammer nails that it mars the finish. Is this normal, or should I contact Kahr Service for an RA# and a prepaid mailing label?

[topgun1953]

Someone please help me out here. I've read my owners manual from cover to cover and nowhere in it can I find anything about dry firing a Kahr pistol with a loaded magazine in place. Maybe it's just me, but I find that a very odd thing to do and well outside of the parameters of normal operation of any firearm. I have also found that if I use my Kahr pistol to hammer nails that it mars the finish. Is this normal, or should I contact Kahr Service for an RA# and a prepaid mailing label?

If the Kahr drives the nail into the wood, then keep hammering the Fokker like you stole it...or something like that!

[gb6491]

Someone please help me out here. I've read my owners manual from cover to cover and nowhere in it can I find anything about dry firing a Kahr pistol with a loaded magazine in place. Maybe it's just me, but I find that a very odd thing to do and well outside of the parameters of normal operation of any firearm. I have also found that if I use my Kahr pistol to hammer nails that it mars the finish. Is this normal, or should I contact Kahr Service for an RA# and a prepaid mailing label?

It's not about dry firing with a loaded magazine in place (that's just how the OP found it).
The issue to me is that the striker on his 380 and my P380 will hit the top round of a loaded magazine (if positioned fully to the rear of the magazine) with enough force to send it forward about a third of it's length. Using snap caps, I verified this will happen even with a round (again a snap cap) in the chamber. This makes me wonder if this could possibly (or not) cause a light strike. Hammer away.
Regards,
Greg