Kraighster knows exactly what he is talking about with this side plate thing. IF IT AIN'T BROKE DON'T FIX IT.
Unless you fokk up something there,,,, there is no reason to be taking that little screw out or screws. The trigger bar (half moon) riding over the slide improperly is a result of poor reinstallation, so just be careful. That should not be happening at all. And the result of the slide pushing the trigger bar out of position and popping through the hole on the side plate is more than likely just an anamoly to. That should not happen.
That side plate even though kahr will tell you is a blow out safety thing, is in MY OPINION pure b. s. It is onlly there for one reason and one reasn only. IT IS IMPOSSABLE TO PUT THE COCKING CAM, COCKING CAM PIN AND COCKING CAM SPRING in that gun without an opening on the side of the gun. Kahrs trigger system is not like glocks that totally drop in from the top of the frame, there for no side plate required. That is the only reason that side plate is there, or why would there not be one on the left side???. Now will that side plate blow out if you have a K-BOOM. Most certainy it will , as will more than likely the rest of the lower section to. A K-boom will blow the hell out of the grip, barrel and u name it. A k-boom is a uncontrolled explosion and if you think those two or one little pissy screws is going to act like a pressure cooker valve, your mistaken. So again to make a long story short, IMO and being around these kahrs for a very long time, leave some things alone.
Kraigster is right on the two screw now in the plate. Kahr did this lately as a precautionary measure. Mine is one of the first 125 P380 made, I have over 1500 rounds through it, One screw plate , never had it off and it has never popped out. Kraighster more than likely had an out of spec side plate, nothing more than that, as a new one took care of his issue.
We all know we are screwing that little as screw into polymer, the screw itself is so so small and short even and such fine threads, that there is no such thing as "tightening" that screw. You snug it and let it go. But snugging for me and for you is different and even the shortest Torx 5 tool can so easily strip that screw right through the polymer threads and u will not know that even happened until the screw works itself out.
There is a fix if u do that to, so no need to send it back. Put some super glue/ finger nail polish/ epoxy into that little now stripped out hole and reinsert that screw and it will hold as good or IMO even better than new, but yet still if needed allow you to take the screw back out.
Once you fokk up that little hole and have to do the "fix" you will never go back to that area again. Truse me on that, I know..
I tend to ramble but I cannot over stress how important it is to LEAVE THAT LITTLE DAMN SCREW ALONE.
And that also goes for the slide stop lever spring to. That thing will never break nor wear out, now u can fokk it up by inserting the lever in wrong and get the spring tip out of whack but with a small set of needle nose pliers, you can retweek that little spring tip right back into proper position and never have to touch the screw. If u insert the lever in correctly like the manual states, you will never have to address that area either. The "fix" is the same as the side plate cover holes, as the screw is the same. I have over 1500 rounds and over 30,000 rounds through my P380 and PM9 , they both use the same lever spring set up, and I have never visited that area, never. Probably had the PM9 slide lock lever off 500 times, at least.. GET MY POINT???
I do consider this a weakness in the kahrs, although they claim they have little issues ever in that area and from beng on 2 kahr forums they are right to, But I like kraighster have always wanted them to at least in the slide lock lever area to have a threaded metal insert that was inbedded in the polymer like the front slide rails are,so that that little screw will thread into a metal insert instead of polymer.
but again IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT..
THANK YOU
Whew, time for a damn Bud Lite now. that wore me out.