CW9 gouged breech face

[tomwalshco]

Was doing a deep cleaning on my CW9 tonight and noticed some alarming gouges on my breech face. I'm sure I have been through much less than 500 rounds and all have been factory brass rounds. How could soft brass casings possibly scar up a hard solid SS piece like this?

Took a closer look at my PM9 and it shows a very small area similar to this. I've probably got 1,000 rounds through it.

I also noticed that when I took a bronze brush to clean this area up real good, it ended up looking like I burnished the face. This metal can't be that soft. Can it? Anybody else have breech that looks similar to this?

The pic does make it appear worse than it is, but I got an angle that didn't just show a discolored area.

[gb6491]

Are you positive those are gouges? I ask becuase that looks like lead/powder residue to me. I've seen it before on breech faces and it can be quite stubborn to remove at times.
Regards,
Greg

[Bawanna]

I agree. Don't seem possible to gouge in that area. Lots of pressure driving junk into the metal right there. I've seen it like that also.
I'd try a little solvent and a good stiff brass or steel toothbrush.

[jocko]

if it is working Okk stop worrying about it and yes stainless is not the hardest metal out there either. My breech face looks similar and it has never given me one issue . I think bawanna has a good point, that area like all metal is still pourous and quite possable it is just compatced material in the breechf ace and mauybe a damn good scrubbing will clean that area up better ..

[tomwalshco]

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind these are etched depressions, not stains or residue. I can see it with a magnifying glass and feel it with my fingernail and a pick.

It runs OK now, but with all due respect, I am concerned. Should I wait 'til it blows up in my face? Less than 500 rounds?

Here's a picture of a Glock with a cracked breech face and all the fracture marks follow the outline of a casing.

Talking about it won't make it better, just wondering if anyone else has seen this. And got it remedied? Guess I'll have to send it back. Anyone at the factory I could send the pics to and discuss? But I'm sure they will say they have NEVER seen anything like this and I must have abused it by running titanium cased rounds through it....?!?!

[ripley16]

The closest one of my Kahr's breech face comes to the one pictured is in my TP9. It has the vertical tool cut mark on the right side but nothing else that resembles a gouge. The impact area around the hole is polished and a bit stained or discolored, but very smooth. This is pretty much true for all the Kahrs I own.

I don't think I have any pistol with a breech face that looks like that. I'm having a hard time orienting myself with the picture because the pistol in post #1 looks different than what I'd expect. It has non-Kahr features on the right side of the slide that I can't identify. I am puzzled by the photo. The rear of the ejection port and extractor area look different. It it just my poor photo interpretation?

[jlottmc]

That's a clip draw Ripley. I had a snubbie with one once, it eliminates the us of a holster, and is an aftermarket part. For the OP I have never seen a breech face gouge without seriously hot loads and a steady diet of them. I think that the fingernail or pick test may be a bit inaccurate as it's really hard to tell if you are going up or down. I think it may be impacted residue, and try a good cleaning with a steel brush, then if you still see them, call Kahr.

[wyntrout]

My PM45 was lying apart on the table, so I tried to figure out the orientation and things still didn't look right... like the extractor is missing?
you might try light scraping, chisel-like, with a flat jeweler's screwdriver of the appropriate size to see whether it's a build up or a gouge.
Wynn

[jocko]

for no more than it will cost call kahr ans ask to send just the slide back for their inspection. I doubt if they will pick up the tab for proabalby a $5 postage charge, but if you have serious doubts, don't depend on us to answer your questionsas you can see already, you are getting different answers from different owners. All they needis the slide, so regular mail will get it there pronto.

As one poster started just be dxarn sure before you send it in that it is indeed not a hard buildup of something, so as to not have egg on yourface when kahrs tells you .

I can't believe it is the brass or hot rounds doing it either. Stainless is harder than brass casings for sure,so IMO those marks were probalby there when you bought it and you ar enow just noticing it more or possable residue buildup.

Picutres only do so much justice and if in doubt, let kahr look at it..

[jfrey]

Based on the shadow orientation in the first picture, it does look like it is gouged. It may not hurt anything but I would definately call Kahr and make arrangements to send it back for inspection. It is normal, after extensive firing, to get a ring on the bolt face but it won't be deep and irregular like the picture shows. Never hurts to get it checked out.

[tomwalshco]

Pic is looking down from the top front. Correct, jlott, that is a clipdraw. I mentioned in original post, I was doing a deep clean so the extractor, striker, springs, etc are removed. The extractor would be sitting on the right where that fat semi-circular machining is. That's the stripper lug top center.

[wyntrout]

If it is indeed a gouge, just the slide won't do as fitting is required for a new slide to the barrel AND the frame . Talk to Kahr Customer Service.

Top front?? With the slide upside down... the "stripper" is at the top or up in orientation.

Wynn

[tomwalshco]

I'll call, I'm sure the ordeal will be painful.

As I recall, I have never shot any hot loads through this gun. I have shot some +p and +p+ through my PM9 and 4 times the total rounds and the face on it still looks pretty good.

[tomwalshco]

Update

Has been returned from Kahr. Got the bigtime runaround. Any of my concerns were answered with "oh, it's normal" or "what kind of solvent do you use", "nothing to worry about"

Huh? Asked about the peening you can see on far right of pic. "normal" was the answer. really? 150 brass rounds can beat up a stainless slide like that?

Disappointed in both product quality and CS.

[jocko]

wait and see what kahr tells you before getting to far bent out of shape. Once in their hands they might change their minds to. I tried to see the peening you talked aobut in the photo but it was not very clear to me to form any opinion..