P380 Recoil Assembly Replacement

[wyntrout]

Next month will make my P380 about 5 years old. The last trip to the range I shot about 60 rounds through the P380 since it's my EDC in and about home, and for short trips or maximum concealment on longer ones, especially doctor or dentist appointments. I fired a box of the Geco FMJ's without any problems and the carry ammo that was in the pistol, Buffalo Bore +P 90-gr Gold Dots... the last of those. I have plenty of Underwood's +P Gold Dots to take their place.

Anyhow, I noticed that the slide was not closing completely after each magazine was loaded using the slide release method. I would be able to thumb the slide forward about 1/16" or more. I didn't try to fire with the slide rearward like that, so I don't know if it would. I decided it was time for a new recoil spring assembly. I had a spare set so I compared the two before installing the new set, along with a cleaning and polishing the feed ramp with Flitz. I lubed the pistol with Tetra oil and put Tetra Grease on the rails and those bearing surfaces.

It's only a guestimate, but maybe I put maybe 1,500 rounds through the P380 in the last 5 years... over 200 of which were +P. I'm sure that I should have replaced the RSA earlier.

I compared the two sets of springs and counted the coils... 13 1/2 coils each for the larger springs and 16 coils for the smaller diameter springs. I don't know what coil count is used on the newer pistols and newer "C" models, but I've had the spares for a long time and they are the same as the old ones in coil counts.

I'll include some pix. The older springs are shorter, having taken a set.

FYI.

Wynn

[erichard]

If you use the guide rod as measure, you can see where the new spring is relative to the guide rod tip and where the old one was. When it is getting close to where the old one was, it may be time. The spring may need to "set" before finding the useful length of a new recoil spring.

It might be useful for us to determine what is the average length of the spring beyond the tip of the guide rod, so that we can let others know if we think their spring is the issue in failure to return to battery. I can't remember if my new ones were 1/2 inch beyond or what. It was between 3/8 and 5/8, so I'm guessing around 1/2 inch beyond the tip when the spring is mounted on the guide rod.

When I used to own a Seecamp 380, Larry Seecamp told me to switch out his recoil springs every 200 rounds (I think they were less robust/long than the Kahr ones), and to keep a newish set of recoil springs in the gun for carry (and use another, practice set for target shooting). That is not a range gun, so it wasn't bad advice. It was a way to ensure his gun worked in carry situations. Nonetheless, it could prove useful for the Kahr to have two sets if you really want to have a fresh pair for carry purposes. The main problem would be that function at the range might not reflect function in action since two different recoil springs would be used. Could be a big issue I suppose. Unlike the Seecamp, the Kahr is a pleasant range gun in my opinion, apart from the cost of the ammo (which is unpleasant!).

[wyntrout]

Since I don't keep up with the number of rounds fired, I wait until there is a perceived problem as I had with the slide not going fully forward into battery. I had a K9 for about 14 years and never replaced the recoil spring until I sold it. I had the spare and never had a problem, but wanted the new owner to have a fresh one, since I had spares for it and the P9 and P40... same Wolff springs.

The slide closes smartly and flush now... fully into battery when the slide is released to chamber a round.

In the included pictures, the ruler is even with the closed end of the springs. I show the new and the old ones on the rod.

Wynn

[East River Guide]

Has anyone noticed a change in the P380 recoil springs? I bought a new P380 and some new recoil springs. The springs in the new P380 and the replacement springs are the same as each other, but both are different than my old P380 springs and the old (unused) replacement springs I have in stock. The difference is on the new springs, the inner spring is about 3/4 inch longer then the outer spring. My old springs, both used and unused, look like the ones in the pictures above with the inner and outer springs being equal length.

[sas PM9]

Wyn:

According to your text and pictures it appears that you have made a good argument for the replacement of the recoil springs on a p380 when they shorten to the length of 2 1/2".

Yours were 2 3/8" when you were having failures to return to battery and the new springs fixed it; so it stands to reason that you would want to replace them just BEFORE they reach this length.

Thanks for your info.

-steve

PS. anyone have similar observations about PM/CM9's?

[SlowBurn]

Has anyone noticed a change in the P380 recoil springs? I bought a new P380 and some new recoil springs. The springs in the new P380 and the replacement springs are the same as each other, but both are different than my old P380 springs and the old (unused) replacement springs I have in stock. The difference is on the new springs, the inner spring is about 3/4 inch longer then the outer spring. My old springs, both used and unused, look like the ones in the pictures above with the inner and outer springs being equal length.

I noticed that too but assumed it was just that they were new springs. I didn't have an unused old set to compare.

[wyntrout]

My replacement springs were pretty old... 3-4 years old. I've had them for a while and don't know what the newer ones are like, so there could be differences in coil count and length.

I got my P380 the end of March 2010 after a wait of 11 months for one with factory installed night sights as an option, paid in advance. I sent them back the next day because the front sight was DOA and the rear was marked up as if they used pliers to install them. I got a new FS, but the rear still looked like an amateur had installed it, but they work. Kahr paid for the shipping.

Wynn