Kahr Semi Question

[tvrc18]

Just received a Kahr M1 with 2 magazines. I have yet to fire it but noticed one mag fits pretty tight in the mag well with the bolt back and one feels loose and wobley. With the bolt forward the loose one of course is not quite as loose. I am going to modify the mag catch sometime to use unmodified mags but plan on trying it out on Friday with the mags Kahr shipped with the gun. Is this going to be a jam just waiting to happen or is it normal for a little wobble. They must not be concerned with making the modified mags the same. Can't understand why they did not make the catch work with GI mags in the first place.

[DC Chris]

A wobbly mag is a problem (and will probably misfire) but there are many other mag and possibly gun problems that could cause a misfire. Others should jump in, but here is what I know. I have had to ditch some mags because of what I have found.

 

Check for a loose or worn follower and follower spring, compare the feed lips of each magazine (also a major cause of jamming issues) and the overall distance between the mag top to catch hole (a bad/wide dremel grind can cause wobbles). Some have also said that the feed ramps in WH and Kahr guns are not as polished, deburred or shaped as well as Colt or Savage/WWII guns. I will leave it up to the more exprienced to answer the gun part. Also, make sure you load it correctly with 230 gr ball ammo, not wad cutter, semi wad or hollow point. I prefer virgin white box Winchester .45 ACP you can get anywhere. I don't like commercial reloads/remanufactured stuff. Don't underestimate the ammo for feed and accuracy!

 

Its tough to say what "normal" wobble is, but with a GI mag catch and a non-modified, good condition surplus magazine, you should have no problems and it should be pretty tight. Both my semi and full auto don't wobble hardly at all with a stick installed.

 

I would really suggest that you consider ordering NOS (new old stock) unmodified 20/30 round sticks and installing a GI mag catch before you try the gun. A wobblely magazine/bad feed could be dangerous and will absolutely be frustrating and embarassing if the mag drops off during shooting or you are spending more time with jams than the 10 ring. Sarco, TommyGunner, etc all have GI mag catches available. If you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself, send it to a professional, such as PK or the fellow at TommyGunner.com and they can take care of you.

 

Good luck. I hope to hear a range report from you! Kahrs, IMHO, get a bad rap generally to questionable ammo or poorly modified (to semi auto) magazines. My M1 worked fine out of the box... but it didn't stop me from sending it to Paul for a short barrel! http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/smile.gif

 

Welcome to the forum!

 

Chris.

Edited November 25, 2004 by DC Chris

[Bisley45]

My first WH came modifed for the FA mags, my second I modified. if a mag rattles while you shake the gun it is likely to give you nothing but headches. recomend a large supply of NOS mags and a modified mag catch, if any don't work or are loose they can be modified to tighten or just held in reserve and traded to someone willing to take the time or who's gun likes them.

 

BB

 

There used to be a link probably under FAQ about sliding the rib on the back to tighten up a magazine.

 

BB

[Grey Crow]

With WH and Kahr guns even a GI mag catch will need modified to accept un-altered GI mags. The receivers on both of these guns are .10" lower per ATF regulations.

The mags. that are shipped with the AO and Kahr guns have a .10" elongated catch hole and are sloppy at best.

 

The procedure for modifying the mag catch is listed in the FAQ section. Or you can purchase a new modified one at:

TommyGunner.com for $55.00, and simply swap it out.

 

It is also not recommended to move the rib on the back of the mag.

 

I had a lot of feeding problems using the modified mags that shipped from Kahr. After shaping the mag catch and getting a supply of even used mags things smoothed out quite a bit.

Another area of concern is the chamber size and head space. Both can be checked and remedied by a competent Thompson Smith.

 

Stick with brass cased ammo, as steel casings tend to be hard on the extractor.