First Range Report & Malfunctions

[Vetack]

I took my new PM40 out to the range today and fed her 100 rounds of FMJ. Man, that little sucker has a kick! I followed the prep guide and lubrication chart and didn't have any major issues, however I did notice a few things:

Two of my magazines are not locking back the slide after the last round I fired. One is a 5 round, the other a 6. I don't know if it is related, but both of the malfunctioning magazines have a small indent on their backside as shown in the photo below. These may be the ones that originally came with the gun, but I did not mark the extra 6 round I purchased so I cannot be 100% sure. The magazine in the middle functions fine:





I made it though 100 rounds and experienced zero jams, zero failure to extract, and zero unexpected slide locks. I did however have a handful of failures to completely return to battery. These fixed them self on two occasions before I could even react (I heard and felt the slide pop in to position well after the recoil) and the other times took a simple press of the thumb to finish the travel, as it was maybe only a quarter inch shy. I assume that this will work itself out in the next 100 rounds, or with better ammunition.

Upon my initial disassembly and cleaning I noticed a loop in the spring was odd shaped. It did not appear to inhibit function, but does not look right. I am going to send the photo below to Kahr but wondered if anyone else has experienced the same thing:





After the first 100 rounds was all used up I loaded a magazine with a mix of six different rounds, half FMJ and half JHP, three different manufacturers. She shot all of them off without any hiccup.

No surprise, but I am shooting low and to the left! Here is my best 5 shot group for the morning. It was shot at 7 yards and measures just under 2 inches. Not great, but not bad for a first trip:





I am anxious to get the kinks ironed out and get some quality grip time with my new Kahr. Thank you in advance to anyone who can help!


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[muggsy]

The recoil spring is definitely damaged and should be replaced by Kahr at no cost to you. It could also be the cause of the slide not going into battery fully. E-mail Kahr Service and send them the pictures of the recoil springs and mags. Nice shooting. I'm happy with 3" groups at 7 yards. It's a concealed carry pistol not a target pistol.

[kenemoore]

I think the low left will get better as you become used to the Kahr trigger. Might want to check what part of your finger is on the trigger, something to be aware off. Agree with Muggsy, you need a new recoil spring.

[Vetack]

I figured that spring wasn't right. I have sent Kahr an email with pictures of the springs and mags.

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[sharpetop]

Good PM40 report! Mine shoots the old Federal Classic Hi Shok 155gr JHP better than anything I've put through it. It did break a mag follower and damaged another one. An e-mail to Kahr and they sent me a couple of new ones. I dremmeled the part of the feed ramp that was hitting the follower. Maybe tomorrow I'll go out and shoot it and see if ramp still contacts the follower.

[OvalNut]

I think the low left will get better as you become used to the Kahr trigger. Might want to check what part of your finger is on the trigger, something to be aware off. Agree with Muggsy, you need a new recoil spring.

I concur with kenemore. Expect the low left stringing to tighten up toward the bullseye as you shoot it more. I had very similar initial accuracy results with my PM9. Also, I have found that heavier for caliber bullet weight is very agreeable with these sub compact guns.


Tim

[b4uqzme]

?..Also, I have found that heavier for caliber bullet weight is very agreeable with these sub compact guns.Tim

I would agree if we were talking about 9mm but I've experienced the opposite with 40sw...lighter bullets function fine and seem to be more accurate.

Get a new spring and you should be off to the races. Thanks for the range report. B

[Vetack]

Actually, I have already purchased a selection of both JHP and FMJ rounds in varying weight from three different manufacturers. My next trip out will be after the new spring is installed. My goal on that trio will be to finish the other 100 rounds of break in and confirm proper operation. Once that's out of the way and we are running malfunction free the ammo testing will begin!

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[NYADVrider]

I own a PM40 and love it! I have a 5 and 6 round magazines and the 5 round does not allow the slide to lock back. Because of the kick it has if you limp wrist just a smidge the slide may not go into battery. It has happened to me few times and proven by a little one handed shooting. I find it to be accurate within its operating range of 7-10 yards. Once you become accustomed to the long DA only trigger pull it will feel completely natural.


"I know what you know. I feel what you feel."
- Mr. Spock -

[jocko]

I took my new PM40 out to the range today and fed her 100 rounds of FMJ. Man, that little sucker has a kick! I followed the prep guide and lubrication chart and didn't have any major issues, however I did notice a few things:

Two of my magazines are not locking back the slide after the last round I fired. One is a 5 round, the other a 6. I don't know if it is related, but both of the malfunctioning magazines have a small indent on their backside as shown in the photo below. These may be the ones that originally came with the gun, but I did not mark the extra 6 round I purchased so I cannot be 100% sure. The magazine in the middle functions fine:





I made it though 100 rounds and experienced zero jams, zero failure to extract, and zero unexpected slide locks. I did however have a handful of failures to completely return to battery. These fixed them self on two occasions before I could even react (I heard and felt the slide pop in to position well after the recoil) and the other times took a simple press of the thumb to finish the travel, as it was maybe only a quarter inch shy. I assume that this will work itself out in the next 100 rounds, or with better ammunition.

Upon my initial disassembly and cleaning I noticed a loop in the spring was odd shaped. It did not appear to inhibit function, but does not look right. I am going to send the photo below to Kahr but wondered if anyone else has experienced the same thing:





After the first 100 rounds was all used up I loaded a magazine with a mix of six different rounds, half FMJ and half JHP, three different manufacturers. She shot all of them off without any hiccup.

No surprise, but I am shooting low and to the left! Here is my best 5 shot group for the morning. It was shot at 7 yards and measures just under 2 inches. Not great, but not bad for a first trip:





I am anxious to get the kinks ironed out and get some quality grip time with my new Kahr. Thank you in advance to anyone who can help!


Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

go to gunsprings.com (wolffs site) and find the pom9/40 magazine springs. your PM40 has the 18# recoil springs in it, order the 20.5# for your PM40 and it will help alot. I would sh!tcan that phooto of the spring u posted as soon as u get the new sprngs. Order a 3 pak, its cheaper. Wolffs makes kahrs springs, u can't find any better. Your two magazines with the indent shuld not be causing what ur having, but it looks to me like the plasma weld quit alittle early. Why not send that photo to kahr, attn Jay, state your case and see what he says. being u have one that works, if they say send those two back, then uyr not out of business.. The PM40 is just a fokkin hand cannon, so u gotte be sure you are not the cause of the failure to. Keep your range sessions short, and if I owned that gun it would be at magna port as I write this. U can then really enjoy this 40 cal. every wonder why u don't see +P in 40 cal? Now u know why. Your group is IMO excellent, in time if rounds down range don't move it more to center then just move the rear site a tad. U can correct a shooting mistake, as long as you continue to do the same thing. Kahr realydoesn't site in theire guns, they do test fire for groups but that doesnt mean it is dead center either. I am a lefty shooter and my groups are low and right, certainlyot as good as yours. I tend to shoot te FBI bowlingh pin silhouette targetts, for as long as I can keep them in that silhouette area, I feel good about it, and trying to shoot the bulleyes target like yours is very depressing to me. your group IMO is excellent. Just sayin

I would also check ur two mags that are giving u issues to see if the mag spring is in correctly. This would not be thge first time we have seen mag springs put in backwards. They come to kahr assembled and ready to go, so it can happenb. eliminate the possable issues before calling kahr. but I do think I would wait until u get he new recoil outter springs and then retest. U mght also try shooting a few rounds of defense ammo tos ee if that extra power helps that . Idoubt if it will as even 40 cal range fodder is hot comparded to 9mm range fodder. keep us posted..

[Pacn45]

As explained to me by a police shooting instructor. Right hand shooter hitting low/left with short stack (5/6 round mag) pistol, caused by over squeezing bottom of grip during application of trigger. This increasing squeeze pulls bottom of grip deeper into palm thus pulling barrel down = low shot. Inadvertent increased closing of hand pushes barrel left = left shot. Opposite flexing by left handed shooter results in low/right shot placement. To correct, two hand grip, strong hand knuckles placed on inside balls of knuckles of weak hand and middle knuckles of strong hand placed against the inside heal of weak hand palm. Finger tips of weak hand should be pressing in on back of strong hand. Thumb of weak hand placed at the top front corner of the trigger guard and applying pressure against frame. Now slightly bend elbows and as you establish your sight picture pull straight back with the weak hand and push forward with strong hand. The push/ pull stops the changing of grip pressure as trigger is pulled. The placement of the weak hand palm over the top of the strong hand fingers gives a naturally squared alignment of the pistol with the eye to target line. And finally the weak hand thumb pushing against the weapon frame at the front top of the trigger guard prevents the curling of the gun as the trigger finger moves back into the strong hand palm.

I know this all sounds weird and awkward but when the instructor showed me this my 10 yard shots started falling either on or within one inch of center. Oh, and that was shooting a PM 45 with 230 gr factory target loads for my concealed carry permit. Once I practiced this grip for a little while my shooting improved with all caliber pistols I shoot.

[Vetack]

go to gunsprings.com... order the 20.5# for your PM40 and it will help alot...

Can this extra power recoil spring be ran with their reduced power striker spring?

[CJB]

yes

[jocko]

As explained to me by a police shooting instructor. Right hand shooter hitting low/left with short stack (5/6 round mag) pistol, caused by over squeezing bottom of grip during application of trigger. This increasing squeeze pulls bottom of grip deeper into palm thus pulling barrel down = low shot. Inadvertent increased closing of hand pushes barrel left = left shot. Opposite flexing by left handed shooter results in low/right shot placement. To correct, two hand grip, strong hand knuckles placed on inside balls of knuckles of weak hand and middle knuckles of strong hand placed against the inside heal of weak hand palm. Finger tips of weak hand should be pressing in on back of strong hand. Thumb of weak hand placed at the top front corner of the trigger guard and applying pressure against frame. Now slightly bend elbows and as you establish your sight picture pull straight back with the weak hand and push forward with strong hand. The push/ pull stops the changing of grip pressure as trigger is pulled. The placement of the weak hand palm over the top of the strong hand fingers gives a naturally squared alignment of the pistol with the eye to target line. And finally the weak hand thumb pushing against the weapon frame at the front top of the trigger guard prevents the curling of the gun as the trigger finger moves back into the strong hand palm.

I know this all sounds weird and awkward but when the instructor showed me this my 10 yard shots started falling either on or within one inch of center. Oh, and that was shooting a PM 45 with 230 gr factory target loads for my concealed carry permit. Once I practiced this grip for a little while my shooting improved with all caliber pistols I shoot.

buy a half dozen 45 snap caps and let someone load your magazine when ur at the range, so u don't know if one, or 4 or none are snap caps. this will show your shootng errors faster than anything. dry firing will ot show those errors for you know in advance there is no BANG thing gonna hapen. One doesnt realizer it either when the bang thing hppens ththe is anticipating the bang thing as it all happens at the same time, butif you have a magazxine with live and dud rounds, it will show up big time.Ur instrutor is correct but until you yourself reaize tha tyou are jerkng that fokkerbiugtime, then correcting it is not easy. You have to accept the fact tyhaty it is not thegun that iws causin g u to show low and left. One can master a bad shooting habit if u can do that badhabit every time,but why not startout trtying to do it right. Also that is what thatdovetailed rear site is for to.It is adjustyable to your shooting ills to a degrtee. Kahrs are not the easiest guns to shoow accuractly, due to their ultra smooth but looooong trigger system.It a semi auto double action wheel fun in essence, but, practice does not make pefrfect but perfect practice does.. Shoot close to, IMO keep ur rangetie at 7 yards.If u can'tkeep umin a 6"area at 7 yards thern why fokk with a longerdistance. I tend to hate to shoot at bulleyses as they are so damn depressing for me, and also badguys don't wear bulleys, so buy some FBI bowling pin silhouette targets. Keep um allin that area ande you should feel etter a bout yourself and thegun. Kahrs are IMO not target guns, but a close personal gun that indeed will save your life when needed. Small guns like the4 PM9 are just not alot of grip to hold on to, but it is agun that you cvan pocketcarry 24/7 in jeans and never be noticed. That to me is the most important thing about kahrs. They are smalle ough to carry 24/7 and you might indeed have a better brand of shootert in ur arsenal but if it is home in thge drawer and not on yhou, well to me, its asworthless as **** on a boar. Just sayin

the reduced power striker spring has nuttin to do with the recoil spring, so as CJB stated...

[muggsy]

Jeez yer gettin' long winded in yer old age, Jocko.