Barrel Pitting/Flaking on new PM9??

[kahr47]

Hello Everyone,

Happy PM9 owner here (thanks to Jocko, Bawanna & Hickock45) Spent a few weeks monitoring this group (best one I've every watched. Polite, friendly and VERY helpful) before making my purchase.

I decided on the PM9 as I had just started my CHL process here in Texas and wanted a reliable pocket pistol with a bit of punch to carry with me on vacation trips, etc. The CM9 was just coming out with a waiting period but I've always been a little short on patience when my minds made up so I forked over the money for the PM. Besides I got that fantastic extra 7 round mag in the bargain! (Did you notice that some of the FAQs on Kahr webpage refer to it as a clip?)

To the point. I clean my pistols after every range trip and this time noticed some discoloration (plating flake...if plated, or corrosion of some type??). It showed up after cleaning and using a bore light. Had never noticed it before. I guess I've got around 400-500 rounds thru it by now with hardly any hic-ups other than probably caused by my technique.

I've tried searching posts to this group looking for similar situations but no luck so far. Decided I would just jump in with my question and attach a couple of pictures to see if anyone has seen this condition.

Would appreciate ideas of the cause from the experts among you. BTW I don't use anything caustic in my cleaning process. Originally used Hoppes but lately using M-PRO-7 which works great in all my guns.

The sticky on preparation was fantastic as well as the break cleaner recommendation (thanks Jocko)

Thanks to all for any suggestions.

[Bawanna]

As I'm one of the low down varmints partly responsible for your purchase although I'll blame most of it on Jocko and Hickok45, both true heroes I'll enter the fray.

First I like M Pro 7 alot or Hoppes Elite which is exactly the same stuff, mixed in the same vat so either is good.

A long long time ago we encountered a few barrels, actually quite a few that apparently got a bad nickel plating job. They flaked and discolored. Usually they didn't effect accuracy or performance but many like myself don't like to see that flaking and discoloration.

So a polite email or phone call to Kahr might be in order. We haven't see this in a long time so I thought they had a handle on things and I might be totally off the mark too. If it bothers you it might be worth letting kahr take a look at it. I suspect you could send just the barrel but let them tell you that. They may want the top end or the whole gun. Their call to make.

They will make it right, I can assure you of that. And it may be fine as is.
Let us know what you find out.

[kahr47]

Barrel Pitting/Flaking on PM9--- Kahr Response

Hello Bawanna,

Took your advise last night and sent email with pictures to Kahr. Had a response bright and early this morning from Jay. He advised to send barrel back for replacement and will send prepaid FedEx label to take care of shipping costs.

Will do and I remain a happy Kahr owner.

Thanks Again,

[jocko]

kahr will replace the barrel, more than likely. If it is flking for sure they will, if it is just showing discoloring, then that is debateable. You willbe please, with their service..

[Ressom]

Yeah, that barrel does not look good. I can see the flaking in the chamber there.

I read somewhere that you shouldn't use Hoppes No.9 solvant with nickel plating. I was seing some discoloring on the outside of my CM9 barrel, so I stopped using Hoppes and switched to Ballistol. I took some Flitz to it and pollished it up a little and now it looks good. I didn't have any flaking though or I would have been calling Kahr too.

[jocko]

not really true, kahr says it is ok to actually a nickerl plated barrel is alot more corrosion resistant than standard steel barrel. clean with hoppes #9, they recommend not letting it sit in the barrel for a prolonged time. I have used it on my G19 and all my kahr barrels. If the nickel finish is done right, u will be OK with Hoppe's.

Our military Beretta 9's allhave nickel plated barrels along with our military M4's. must be a good reason for that...

[PattayaPistol]

My barrel looked much the same in the same place after about 400 rounds.
I was not in the position to send it back to Kahr as it is not legal to re-import a barrel into Thailand. I had a good think about it and decided that it really should not be flaking (hopefully) so bought some crud buster and gave the area a good but gentle scrubbing with the brass bore brush soaked in the crud buster - just the area of the flaking. It actually took about half an hour a day for about 2 days of gently working the brush, for the area to clean up, although there is still a small amount of discoloring. I oiled it well, headed out to work and will check it out in a couple of weeks when I get home.

I will post any negative results when I get back home, but as I say, mine looked very similar to your photos, in the exact same area, and did appear to clean up with gentle but persistent working of the brass brush.

Good luck with yours and please post the results of the visit to Kahr.

Cheers
PP

[gb6491]

...Our military Beretta 9's allhave nickel plated barrels along with our military M4's. must be a good reason for that...

Sorry boss, but they have hard chromed bores not nickle plated.
Regards,
Greg

[Bawanna]

I think alot of people get the terminology mixed up. I often mix nickel and chrome meaning the same which it really isn't.

Alot if not most AR's have chrome lined barrels also. I'm sure not a metalurgist. Isn't nickel part of the plating process?

[gb6491]

Isn't nickel part of the plating process?

Decorative chrome plating, is quite often (usually?) applied over nickle or nickle/copper plate/layers. Hard chrome is applied directly to the steel.
Regards,
Greg

[Bob G]

Clip or mag? Kahr will make it right..

[gb6491]

Clip or mag? ...

Yes, two different entities, but the term for one is quite often incorrectly used to identify the other.
Regards,
Greg

[kahr47]

Pitting/Flaking in Barrel of PM9 ----Resolved

Hello Again Everyone,

As noted below I had trouble with pitting or flaking on a new PM9 barrel.
Sent it back to factory last month as per suggestions and received a replacement today.

No notes/PS were in the package just a brand new shiny barrel. The feed ramp also looks like it has special polish to it. I don't see how I could make it any better.

Looking forward to shooting again this weekend and see if the new barrel improves my spread (Actually, I don't have a problem with "spread". That's the easy part !)

Steve
===============================================

Hello Everyone,
Happy PM9 owner here (thanks to Jocko, Bawanna & Hickock45) Spent a few weeks monitoring this group (best one I've every watched. Polite, friendly and VERY helpful) before making my purchase.

I decided on the PM9 as I had just started my CHL process here in Texas and wanted a reliable pocket pistol with a bit of punch to carry with me on vacation trips, etc. The CM9 was just coming out with a waiting period but I've always been a little short on patience when my minds made up so I forked over the money for the PM. Besides I got that fantastic extra 7 round mag in the bargain! (Did you notice that some of the FAQs on Kahr webpage refer to it as a clip?)

To the point. I clean my pistols after every range trip and this time noticed some discoloration (plating flake...if plated, or corrosion of some type??). It showed up after cleaning and using a bore light. Had never noticed it before. I guess I've got around 400-500 rounds thru it by now with hardly any hic-ups other than probably caused by my technique.

I've tried searching posts to this group looking for similar situations but no luck so far. Decided I would just jump in with my question and attach a couple of pictures to see if anyone has seen this condition.

Would appreciate ideas of the cause from the experts among you. BTW I don't use anything caustic in my cleaning process. Originally used Hoppes but lately using M-PRO-7 which works great in all my guns.

The sticky on preparation was fantastic as well as the break cleaner recommendation (thanks Jocko)

Thanks to all for any suggestions.[/QUOTE]

[Bawanna]

Looks fine to me.

[lostagain]

Something must be going on in the barrel department at Kahr. There is guy on another forum with a CW9 having the same problem starting back in August. His replacement barrel did the same thing. Sent the whloe gun in and was finally told he would get his gun back with a new barrel. Gun returned today with the same old barrel in it. Needless to say he's not a Kahr fan at the moment.