[RuarkReader]

I've run my P380 through the recommended break in period (with proper cleaning) and it was functioning flawlessly.

Then today, I noticed that after firing about 100 rounds of WWB ammo without being cleaned that when I tried dry firing it a few times the striker didn't seem to be releasing properly. After cocking the pistol the trigger seemed "mushy" and the striker only made a tiny "click".

I haven't cleaned the pistol yet and hope the problem will resolve itself. Has anyone experienced this, and is the P380 one of those pistols that needs to be kept fairly clean or powder residue will cause striker problems?

 

[Cokeman]

There's one way to fund out. Let us know.

 

[RuarkReader]

Well, I soaked my P380 in C&S Dunk-it and blew out any residue with canned air -- particularly the striker chamber. There seems to be a bit more snap when the striker is released, but I'll have to test it on a live round.

I really love the P380, but I'm guessing that fouling of the striker chamber is this pistol's Achille's heel which may eventually cause light primer strikes.

 

[RuarkReader]

D*mn. I can't get the pistol any cleaner, and I just tried the striker on Federal & Hornady hollowpoint ammo. There wasn't even a faint striker impression on the primers. Time to call Kahr.

 

[Cokeman]

Was the slide fully closed?

 

[RuarkReader]

Yes.

 

[RuarkReader]

I called the Kahr Service department and they had Fed-Ex come to my home to pick it up.

Kahr was going to just send me a shipping label for me to take to a gun dealer for shipment. But, when I said that I put $400 down on a P380 in 2009, waited more than a year for it, had talked up the P380 on other websites, (which is true), owned it less than a year before it failed, and knew others had their P380s picked up at their homes, Kahr relented.

I probably dry fired my P380 one too many times and the striker broke. I did dry fire my P380 to get used to its trigger, but didn't do so regularly.

Jocko, on this same board, recommended using snap caps and he's right. It's cheap insurance, and I see on Glock Talk that even Glock has recently has advised against extensive dry firing practice without using snap caps.

 

[RuarkReader]

Received my P380 from Kahr in just over a week. Action taken: "Inspected found striker broken. Replaced striker. Lubed Test fired good."

 

[Cokeman]

Did you shoot it?

 

[RuarkReader]

Oh man, at a bit more than 5 yards I put 47 out of 50 rounds of WWB ammo inside the lower half of a 3 inch diameter Shoot-n-See target. I have pictures but don't know how to post here. The accuracy of these little pistols is fantastic!

The only hiccups I had were 3 instances of the slide not locking open after firing, which I've never experienced. I also noticed scratches on the slide back, (Kahr was none too careful getting at the broken striker), and now there is some play to the slide back when before it was tight.

Can some play in the slide back be related to the slide not locking open after firing?

 

[rgbiker]

+1 on using snap caps for dry firing. Some handguns will take dry firing w/o suffering firing pin damage, but why risk FP breakage when snap caps are so inexpensive.

 

[RuarkReader]

After another 150 rounds fired at the range, there have been no more failures of the slide to lock back after the last shot. Maybe that was due to a bit of limp wristing on my part. The slide back has a bit of wiggle, a millimeter or so up and down, but that does not seem to be an issue. I think I've got a "keeper" and that the P380 is a great little pistol. 8)

 

[RuarkReader]

Almost forgot. Here's that target I mentioned earlier.

 

[Cokeman]

Glad you didn't forget after 9 months.