New PM9 - Slide extremely stiff

[Fizzyone]

I just picked up my new PM9 and am about to take it apart for cleaning. The slide is extremely tight, and actually got stuck/jammed part of the way back once as I was trying to rack it. I loaded a couple of snap caps in the magazine and tried cycling the slide--the first round popped out the ejection port as I expected it would, but the second round just sort of sat in the chamber. I took it out, and now the slide is jammed in the locked-open position and the magazine will not come out.

I'm a female, so I know my hand strength isn't like a man's, but I've got other semi-automatic pistols and have fired probably a dozen or more different ones, and have never encountered a slide like this. It almost feels like something's not right with the way it's assembled.

Any ideas?

[gm412]

This is normal. I still have trouble. The first couple of cleanings are the hardest. Kahrs are very stiff. It will loosen some with use.

[JimC]

Yours sounds like the one that I looked at last year at a LGS before buying the one that I currently own.
I decided against buying the first one. It felt like someone dropped a handfull of sand down the ejection port.
I could hardly get the slide drawn to the rear sufficiently to lock it open.

[pitandkahr]

Mine was very stiff too...Stiffer than any of my XD's or XDm's...You might also have a little difficultly taking out the slide stop, but just give it a little tap and then follow the sticky for the proper prep/lube and you will be good...After the first 100 you will notice a significant difference...Just be patient and it will turn out to be a great little gun...I love mine and just picked up my MK9 a couple hours ago...So I will be going through the process again with this new sexy girl...LOL

[MW surveyor]

OK, I'll take a stab at it.

First, see if you can pull the slide back just a bit further, then while holding the slide back, engage the slide stop. If that works, then try to remove the magazine holding the mag release in and pulling on the bottom of the mag. The mags on the Kahrs do not always drop free so don't worry about pulling it out.

If you were able to get the mag out......let the slide go back into battery (close), then align the marks and push out the slide release leaver. This is not always an easy task the first couple of times so have patience. Leaver out? Pull trigger and slide the slide forward and off the rails.

There are a few videos around on Ytube and also look in the tech section of this forum for the cleaning and lubing stickys as well as some ideas for breakin.

AND WELCOME TO THE FORUM.

[Fizzyone]

Thanks for all the fast responses and for the reassurance!

My hubby came home and helped me disengage the jammed slide, and he racked it about 2 dozen times and it's already loosening up (but those serrations on the slide--ouch! They're sharp!) but still pretty tight compared to my other guns. Now, with both of us working together, we managed to take the slide off and I'm following the first-cleaning sticky. Once I have everything well lubed and put back together, I'll spend the evening racking the slide so it continues to loosen up. I'll check the follower springs in the magazines and all the other things the sticky suggests.

I took a vacation day tomorrow, so I'll go down to the range in the morning to see how my new toy works. Hopefully my sticky-slide episode is the only hiccup. I'll report back when I get home.

[Tinman507]

Congrats on the new gun.
The best thing you can do for it is shoot it. It's gonna feel like a totally different beast after tomorrow when you break it down to clean.
Have fun!

[jocko]

how abvout letting a male person try to rack the slide back and lock it open for you. It just sounds tight to me and certainly could be a real chore for a woman just staring out with a PM9. They have the stoutest recoils springs of any gun maker and they are a bear to hand rack for even alot of males, so don't feel bad about it. It will get better, but IMO u might have to still fight this gun to hand rack it or to clear a jam. I would suggest in ur case, just pass on the take aprt thing and trying to clean and lube it but jsut go to wal mart and buy a hundred rounds of WWB 115 grain fmj and just shoot it like u stoleit. Using the slide lock lever to load that first round every time. If all goes well, the u might start at the range to try some hand racking to see if u can load and unload thegun properlyt and safely. I think u hve ur work cut out for you to. If the gun has not been apart I doubt if it is put together wrong, just tight as hell..


That will get better as rounds go out the barrel

[MW surveyor]

A word of advice if you are going to be racking the slide tonight.........wear gloves

Glad you were able to get it apart, lubed and back together.

Have fun with it tomorrow!

[jocko]

indeed, good hubby no doubt, what Surveyor staed is a good idea and while ur at it, leave the slide locked back tonight to. Once those springs take their designed set, it willbe a different gun, be patient,kahrs are tight, they have extremely strong recoil springs, do't mess with defense ammo until the gun is running right, shoot close,k kahrs triggers are loooooong but so so smooth. don't worry to much about groups either, that will come in time. right now all we want is a good successful first trip and ur ability to hand rack alittle better. Ur family with semi's so once u get accustomed to the PM9 do some tap, rack and bang drills with it. U have the best semi compact 9 on the market

hopefully u have read the two good sticky's on the kahr tech section.

#1 kahr lube cvhart

#2 propper prepping of ur kahr.

welcome aboard to this group of good people whio are here to help, if needed.

[pitandkahr]

A word of advice if you are going to be racking the slide tonight.........wear gloves

I used them because w/o them your hands will be pretty beat up whether they are male or female hands...Just sat and watched TV while I racked the slide...Probably got out at least 200 plus and it was noticeably different...

[JFootin]

You need to be carefull of the orientation of the slide stop lever when reinserting it: 4:00 until half way in, then 3:00 the rest of the way. There is a takedown video on the CM9 page on the Kahr website. Look below the picture and click the Downloads tab.

[david8613]

im still a new pm9 owner like yourself, one thing I found that helped alot was using gun grease vs just plain gun oil on the slide rails this made a huge difference, feels so smooth now. try it I think you will agree. +1 on the gloves I found that out the first long session of racking the slide. another thing that worked for me is breaking it down, cleaning, lube it a few times even if you haven't been to the range seems to really loosen it up some too. last thing I did was insert and eject your mags a bunch of times ok maybe more than a bunch of times but now my mags drop free, nice!

[jocko]

hopefully u have read the manual and then maybe even read it again. there are some real MUST DO's stated.. What JFootin stated is gospel,

[Fizzyone]

Okay, an update. Hubby is working on breaking in the gun and here's what's happening (I'm letting him work on it--he's got the hand strength).

If he racks the slide, pulls the trigger on an empty chamber (releases striker), and tries to rack the slide again, when it gets about a half inch back, it hangs up/meets an obstruction. The slide doesn't jam per se, but resists being pulled back any further--letting go of the slide lets it close, and then "jiggling" the slide forward and back a little eventually allows the slide to go all the way back. This is happening consistently after every empty-chamber trigger pull.

ETA: This is exactly what was happening when I first took the gun out of the bag, before I took it apart. It's loosened up some from working it, but it's still hanging up at that exact same spot.

Does this sound like something that will resolve during the break-in period? If so, I'll just follow through with my plan to take it to the range in the morning.

Again, I really appreciate all the advice and insight--as well as the welcome! I'm looking forward to some positive range reports after this tenuous start.

P.S.: Jocko, yes, I'm a firm believer in reading the manual. In fact, I was the one who read it to my husband as he took the gun apart, so I read it and re-read it twice so far.