Regretting my CM9 purchase

[sharpenit]

I bought a CM9 about 10 days ago based on all the glowing reviews, but I'm really regretting it. Right from the start, the thing felt like bad, buggy machinery. The slide is stiff, it doesn't slide very smoothly, it seems to stick and catch. I've had just one opportunity so far to shoot it and put 200 rounds through it. The slide locked open without warning with rounds still in the mag. There was no rhyme or reason to it. Sometimes I'd get off one round and the slide would lock open, sometimes I'd get three rounds off and then have the slide lock open. Another time I'd get five rounds off and then it would lock open.

Yes, I had cleaned and lubed it before I fired it. I think the slide problem has to do with the spring in the slide-stop lever. When I compared how mine looked compared to a photo I found online, my spring looked like it was bent in such a way that it wouldn't properly engage the slide stop lever. I corrected the angle, but haven't had a chance to get back to the range to see if that cured the problem.

So I'm going to try to get back to the range to test my fixes, and if problems persist, I'll be in touch with Kahr CS to find out where to go from here.

But I'm asking myself, why in the hell am I going through all this angst and difficulty with a brand new pistol? I wish I'd bought something else that would have simply worked right from the start. I bought this for concealed carry, but even if I get it working right, I'm not sure I'll ever trust it.

[Bawanna]

Sorry your having problems sharpenit. It could be just your thumb hitting that slide release causing the slide lock or you may have bent that spring putting the slide stop back in the first time. Both of these happen quite frequently.

It's a pretty simple fix which you already may have accomplished. Given a little time most come to love these little gun even experiencing a few glitches. But if your confidence is shattered, don't dwell on it, sell it and move on.

No need to waste time on something that you have no confidence in.

[Ken_K]

Welcome to the forum!

Sorry to hear that your having issues with your new CM9. Have you read this?http://kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1521

There are a few things that could be causing the slide to lock back prematurely. The simplest is to make sure your not hitting the slide lock by accident. It could also be ammo related. What brand and grain of ammo are you using? What's the OAL? When you put it back together after cleaning it did you install the recoil spring closed end first on the guide rod?


Dang it Bawanna, you beat me too it lol.

[wagon]

. The slide locked open without warning with rounds still in the mag. There was no rhyme or reason to it. Sometimes I'd get off one round and the slide would lock open, sometimes I'd get three rounds off and then have the slide lock open. Another time I'd get five rounds off and then it would lock open.

I always criticize and bash Kahr on their quality.. none the less I took home another CW9 yesterday ... (I cannot believe I did that, but I just did.).

But I just want to say that I'm SURELY not one of their fan-boys.

But to your point of slide open, sometimes it is caused by our thumb position which COULD be pushing the slide stop.. it DID happen to me, even on my Glocks, once I have repositioned the thumb position, the "issue" subsided.

Good luck with your micro Kahr.

[Barth]

When I first got my MK40 I accidentally bent the slide stop spring during reassembly. I understand it's even easier to do with the polymer guns.
Once the spring is bent you get pre-mature slide locking open with rounds still in the gun. It sucks.

You have to follow the assembly instructions very carefully to insure the
spring isn't bent. It's a cheap part and I have several on hand now - but never need them anymore. I think the release lever is inserted at about 4 o clock and
then rotated to three after partially inserted? or something like that?
It's sub-concise and natural for my now.

Someone else can chime in with specifics.
A gunsmith at the LGS that sells PM9s said this is a very common problem.
I was really disappointed too in the design.
But after you get used to it it's fine.

[jocko]

3 things can cause premature slide stop

! thumb hitting the release lever and u just don't know it. Try shooting it left handed to see if it persists.

2. bullets hitting on the inside of the slide stop lever and pre engaging the lever. refer to kahr tech section and propper prepping thread to see how to check this out. a 5 minutes thing to see. ( out of spec slide lock lever, a call to kahr willget a new one in the mail pronto)

3. slide stop lever spring is bent or out of spec, cause dby not putting the slide stop lever back correctly, there is a photo tutorial onve ron kahr tech section under propper preppng thread and also under the cw 45 fixes. again easily fixed, u tweeked it and maybe this will solve it

u just need to eliminate the posabilitys starting with # 1.

[ripley16]

Probably your thumb is the culprit. Modify your grip and/ or have someone else shoot the gun. Shoot some rounds one handed. I bet that solves the problem. That tiny little spring holds the follower down pretty tightly in normal situations.

[muggsy]

I think that we have a Jocko impostor in our midst. I couldn't find one typo or spelling error in his last post. Way to go, Jocko. (Horse head coming my way.)

[Ken_K]

I think that we have a Jocko impostor in our midst. I couldn't find one typo or spelling error in his last post. Way to go, Jocko. (Horse head coming my way.)

Lmao! (now there's one heading my way too)

[jocko]

Im trying!!

[Bawanna]

Spelling aside I'm just glad your back amongst us Jocko. Obviously others think so too judging from the PM's in my in box.

[Tinman507]

Im trying!!

Glad you took my advice and asked for starch only in the cuffs and collar and not the entire arm. Welcome back!

[Barth]

The sky is falling?!?

Yes, something is very wrong here?
Does this mean Jocko is on, or off, his meds???

[jocko]

trust me a-holes. I have a full line of horseheads waitibng. U guys have been good to me offline with PM's so I feel I owe u guys SOMETHING.

I was a a lopcal fish stocking event a fewdays ago and the fish hatchery truck had some dead carp in their tanks. I HAVE UM NOW!!! Just sayin

[Thunder71]

Welcome to the forum!

First:
There's no (0, zilch, nadda) guarantee that any other purchase you would have made would have resulted in a 100% flawless gun regardless of manufacturer.

Second:
Is this your first handgun?

Third:
Kahr's are tight until broken in, even then they are tight (but smooth).

Fourth:
I feel that the gun may need to head back to Kahr, it shouldn't be THAT tight if what you describe is accurate. 200 rounds should have been enough to smooth it out.

There's no reason not to trust it once you get it broken in if it cycles well. Different ammo may help as well, mine seem to like Winchester for what it's worth.