Posted: 4/14/2007 8:01:27 AM EDT
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I just bought a PM9, supposedly only has 1 box of ammo through it. Anyway, I heard they were supposed to be very reliable guns and so I got it for concealed carry. I love the feel of it, it is light and fits into a pocket easily. However, when I rack the slide, unless you are very deliberate and make sure you pull back all the way, the round won't load and the slide will stick back/jam. I have tried several ammo types and it happens with all of them. I guess if I am carrying one in the chamber, this wouldn't be a problem. But I never have this problem with my glock. Is this normal? Maybe it hasn't been through the 200 recommended rounds of break in. |
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I have the PM 40 and love it. I believe they recommend you put at least a couple of hundred rounds through it to break it in. Why don't you carry it with a round chambered? There is no safety or exposed hammmer to worry about, and with the long trigger pull, it is safer than many other CCW guns. It's like having a double action, hammerless revolver. |
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Try putting a few boxes through it. Mine jammed once in the first few mags, and I've put 1000 rounds through it since then with no issues whatsoever. It's a great gun. I'd look for the barrel peening thread, someone had a link to a picture of the problem. It could be that, but I don't know what the barrel peening would cause to happen. |
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Thanks guys, I think I will go put several boxes of ammo through it and see if that helps clear up any problems. Otherwise, I might check on that barrel recall also. I'm hoping I can get it working well as I like the feel of it and would like to use it as my carry gun. Thanks |
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The problem you are having is exactly why I sold my Kahr PM9. The book does state you should lock the slide back and use the slide release to reliably chamber a round. In my opinion, that is a design flaw, and unfortunately, I didn't read the manual prior to purchasing the gun. If I have a malfunction in a gunfight, I am pretty sure I, and 99% of everyone else, am going to instinctively rack the slide and expect the failed round to eject and the next one to chamber. I should not have to think about locking the slide back, then using the slide release to chamber a round when my life is on the line. With that being said, I contacted Kahr because my slide was also failing to return to battery while shooting. It would hang back about 1/8 of an inch. They sent me a new, stronger/longer recoil spring assembly(only the spring was longer) and it seemed to cure that problem, and it also helped the unreliable chambering by racking the slide. It didn't cure it, but it did work more often, and it did always work using the slide release. Still unacceptable to me, so I sold it. I also had to file a little bit off the front top of the barrel hood, because that sharp edge was catching on the sharp edge of the milled rectangle in the top of the slide, causing the slide to stick to the rear, but not due to engagement of the slide release. My advice is to fix it as best you can, and sell it. |
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I bought a pm9 today because I needed a BUG and summer carry for off duty. I'm pretty sure that the new pistol needs to be broken in...200-300 rds, due to tight tolerance. You could call kahr to make sure your serial # is not affected by the barrel or recoil spring issues. As far as the slide stop/release lever, I don't find it all that big of an issue. It's a trade off and so is carrying a j-frame. YMMV |
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I have a couple Kahrs, but I don't understand what you mean. If you don't pull the slide "all the way back", it shouldn't chamber a round. Maybe you're being too gentle, or maybe you're riding it forward. Use the "slingshot" method. It's not possible to pull the slide too far back. If it still gives you problems after a couple hundred rounds, Kahr's customer service is very good. |
If you aren't talking about a PM series, you don't understand the problem the gun has. No matter how hard you slingshot it, or forcefully rack the slide all the way back(and even push it forward forcefully) the gun will not chamber the first two or three rounds, even round nose ammo, unless you lock the slide back and use the slide release. Mine still did it with almost 500 rounds, of three different brands of ammo through it. If I can't clear a jam with a quick, decisive, and forceful racking of the slide, I don't want any part of it. The gun went bye bye and I will never buy another Kahr for as long as I live. |
Just tried my P9 and PM9. No problems. |
+1 The price of such a small pistol is that there isn't much slop when it comes to racking the slide to chamber a round. If the gun cycles with live ammo, the slide can go far enough back to strip a round off the mag. If the slide can go back far enough to strip a round off the mag, the gun can be loaded by manually racking the slide. Just have to make sure the slide goes definitively to the rear. |
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From the Kahr website (can't hotlink it because their website will go to a default page): Q. My firearm fails to chamber the first round when I pull back the slide and release it. What is wrong? A. It is likely you are either failing to pull the slide fully back or you are riding the slide as you release it. We recommend that you lock back the slide, insert the clip, and release the slide with the slide stop. This will require that you carry a load in the chamber for self defense purposes. However, the passive safety system will prevent the pistol from firing unless the trigger is pulled, even if the gun is dropped. If you would prefer not to carry a round in the chamber, you may remove a round from the magazine. This alters the angle of the bullet and will allow it to chamber even if you ride the slide. |
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I'm off to pick up my PM9 today and hopefully get to have some range time the next two days. I have to qualify the new "kids" at the dept. so I should have access. Anyway, I'm under the impression that this so called "issue" that has most people bothered is strictly for loading the first round. I'm pretty sure that the tap and rack drill should work on a round that does not fire. I will post back with my findings. Like I mentioned earlier, it is a small price to pay to have to use the slide stop lever instead of the slingshot method to load the gun. Everything is a trade off when you want something small for CCW. Either you have to dress around a larger gun or carry a small caliber. |
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I still have a bit of an issue with manually loading via the slide however it may be, in my case at least, due to my choice of carry ammo, RAnger 147 gr. I find that when i first load up after cleaning that i often have to jack the round up the into the pipe by popping it a couple of times. however i've had no problem with FTFs when i'm actually shooting it, after ~200 rds through it. My advice is to shoot the damn thing ! |
I've put "a few" rounds through my PM9 and no longer have the problem you have, which I saw fairly regularly during the first couple of months that I had mine... get it good and broken in, and then if you're still having problems, call their customer service to get it fixed... |