Raphael

I'm still pretty new here, and I have 2 questions that might be stupid. But if you don't ask you'll never know. 1. What/who is PK? 2. What is "the Jungle Walk"? After reading about all these other problems (firing pin, etc. breaking) I'm really concerned. I'd be more than willing to write down my experiences in more detail if a lawsuit is brought to help us win. http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/wink.gif As my friend said, Kahr's motto should be, "Some filing required".

Yesterday I took the Kahr Arms 1927 A-1 Thompson out to shoot. I figured I'd try that accursed drum magazine in Tommy but this time, wind it 6 times instead of 5. Well, it jammed when loading the 2nd shot and jammed when loading the 3rd. I was very very mad and took it out after fiddling with the jammed round with a screwdriver. Later that evening, I had my father check it out again. I loaded it and just popped out the rounds with my fingers and they were all jamming, and we could see where the hangups were. Once again, he discovered more burrs right at the opening which we suspected were causing the jams. Once again, he broke out the metal file kit and started filing. After a few minutes, he had me try loading it and they were still jamming. We did some more filing and I tried it again and some of them didn't jam. Then he did some more filing and I popped them all out and none jammed!!!!! However, it was dark at the time and I couldn't take it out and test it in the gun. But I'm pretty confident it will work now (or at least work a lot better). I still had about 4 or 5 out of the 30 in the stick jam, so that is still a problem. I have also noticed a small crack in the Disconnector where it bends 90 degrees, and it appears that there is a small crack in the receiver where the round ejects. I've been checking the disconnector crack carefully each time after I've shot it and it doesn't appear to be getting any worse, but I'm still concerned. If there are small cracks in those parts I can see, I wonder about the inner workings of the trigger area and the receiver... I'm just amazed that they can sell an *unfinished* gun that the customer has to modify for such an outrageous price. I'm going to be writing a letter to Kahr to express my displeasure. http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/wink.gif The only thing is, it is DEAD ON accurate! I think it's the most accurate gun I have, and it was sighted in almost perfectly out of the box. I don't think any other gun I have was. Because of the accuracy, easy of aim (which I can't understand because it has a peep sight), and no recoil, it's hard to really hate it. However, despite the accuracy, I would recommend that everyone stay away from Kahr Thompsons, unless they slash their prices. It is not worth the 800$+!

Well guess what... more problems with this piece of Kahr junk! Yesterday, I took it out for the 3rd time and I decided to try out the 10rd drum magazine. I loaded the rounds exactly as the manual states, put the top back on, and wound it 5 times (it said 4-6 times, so I figured the middle should be good). It fired the first 2 rounds with no problem, but when it tried to load the 3rd round it got jammed. The bullet part had come up into the receiver but the back was stuck down in the drum. ARGH! After fiddling around with it and moving the drum back and forth and a lot of swearing I finally got the back unjammed and it came up into the chamber. That round fired ok. Then all the other 6 rounds except 1 did the same thing. It was so frustrating. This gun is definitely not worth the >800$ paid for it. Is this a problem with not winding it enough, or just poor design? Second, after I got it home, I opened it up to clean it. I discovered to my dismay that the entire inner area between the frame and receiver was covered with a small layer of rust. I had used a LOT of oil the last time I put it back together to ensure I would be able to slide it back off easily (see my first post in this thread about how I couldn't get it to slide back together), so there was plenty of lubrication. I had cleaned it very thoroughly and I just could not believe it. I used sandpaper and solvent and got off as much of the rust as I could and put some new blueing on. I checked it today and it looked ok (no new rust). Once again, is this a mark of poor quality metal or did I do something wrong?? Thanks for all your help.

Fencer, what did they say about it?

LOL! Yeah... it makes me wonder how they can charge such a huge price for them. I don't think the price I paid was justified.

It turned out that it was the rails. Some tiny metal burrs were getting in the way where the rails on the frame & the rails on the receiver join together and they were preventing it from sliding back together. After a little filing it now goes back together easily. The metal the Thompson is made out of is very soft and easy to file. The softness of the metal is probably what caused the problem because it wouldn't have "burred" if it was harder. But that saved paying a gunsmith 100$ or sending it back & waiting a month or more to get it back. BTW, when I called Kahr Arms, I spoke with both of their repair guys. The one said he didn't know how to fix this specific problem and to talk to the other guy. The other guy said he would take a rubber mallet and hammer it until it fit back together and he said it's "really messy" and "there would be pieces all over the floor". He said he'd then have to totally refinish it and it would be "like getting a brand new gun". I thought that was kind of overkill, or at least unnecessary to have to totally remake the gun for such a simple problem, but he said that's how they do it... However, they were both very friendly, and when I suggested simply using a metal file to file it down he said that was a good idea. http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/smile.gif He also assured me that filing it would NOT void the warranty, which I was concerned about.

After another hour of very close inspection and attempts to put it back together, it seems that the problem must be the guiderails. There is just nothing blocking anything in the trigger area/frame or the receiver/bolt. The only thing I can see that appears to be blocking are the receiver rails and the frame rails. I can't get the frame past the point where it shows in the picture (where the rails and frame start to hook together). Would you guys recommend filing down either the frame or guiderails a little?

I read all the replies and tried the suggestions, but it still will not budge. The frame latch lock doesn't seem to be the problem. I can see that it's pushed all the way up and it doesn't seem to be catching on anything. It's almost as if the guide rails on the frame won't go into the rails on the receiver. I can't figure out what is catching on what. As PK mentioned, I thought the disconnector might be the problem but I've tried holding it upside down from what it shows in the picture AND sideways and something is still catching on something. I just can't see what it is. I also tried pressing the trigger, but that's the opposite of what I want to do. I'm trying to REassemble it, and by pressing the trigger it moves the parts up to push the receiver out. Thanks so much for all the replies, but sadly they didn't work. Anymore suggestions?

I have a Kahr arms 1927A-1 Thompson and I shot it for the first time last weekend. Afterwards, I disassembled it to clean it. I had a lot of problems taking it apart, but eventually I got it. The main problems were with the latch lock (I couldn't figure out what it was catching on). I am at this point in reassembling it: http://www.netpath.net/~bethf/1927a1reassembly.jpg and I am totally, literally, stuck. I can get it to the point where it shows in the picture and it absolutely will not slide back together. The receiver rails are completely flush with the guiderails, and there doesn't seem to be anything in the trigger area that is blocking anything.. It seems that something is stopping the top and bottom sections from sliding back together but I have closely inspected both parts and I can't see anything in the way. I spent about an hour fiddling with it and I just can't figure it out. I was able to get the parts to close back together last night but I just can't get it now. Please help!!!

Thanks for all the info! You guys have been very helpful. Good point about the 3rd hand, Lionhart. 1930s, I was just inspecting the gun and clips and I opened the drum to figure out how to load it (don't have any ammo yet). After I closed the drum and put the key back in I wound it a few times without thinking. That's why I was wondering if winding it unloaded would damage it. So unloading the drum releases the tension then? If so, then if it's not loaded to begin with and you wind it, no tension would build up so it would be ok?

Last weekend I purchased a Kahr Arms Thompson 1927A-1, and I have a few questions. I checked the Kahr Arms site, and they don't have email support for the average person (only dealers), so I was hoping some of you could help. I am totally new to this messageboard and to the Thompson, but I have a little gun knowledge. 1. Is it ok to leave the "third hand" in the slot, or should it be removed when not needed to remove the drum magazine. 2. The manual states that the drum magazine key should not be turned more than the stated number of times printed on the magazine. If one accidentally turns it more than that amount of times, is there a procedure to safely release the pressure, or some other action that should be taken? 3. If you turn the drum magazine key without the magazine loaded will it damage the magazine? 4. Is Wolf .45 230 grain FMJ safe to shoot? 5. Kahr Arms (www.tommygun.com) advertises magazines for what seems to be incredibly high prices ($139 for a *10* round drum mag?? Sure it looks cool, but isn't that a little expensive for such a small amount of rounds?). Is there somewhere else to get Thompson magazines any cheaper? www.autoweapons.com seems to have some more reasonable prices, but will those magazines work with the Kahr Arms Thompson? Thanks in advance for any information anyone may have!