Kahr trigger job?

[FergusonTO35]

Hey folks. I have a new Kahr CT-380 pistol and like it very much. Have put around 300 rounds through it and she functions 100%. Unfortunately it has a nasty habit of dropping the muzzle when the trigger breaks causing most shots to be in a neat pattern 1-3" low at 20 feet. On the odd occasion this doesn't happen I get tight groups that are point of aim. I really like this pistol so I need to figure out a solution. I am experienced in shooting double action and can actually shoot my little Kel-Tec P32 better than the Kahr, as well as my .38 Special wheelguns.

From what I can tell, this is caused by roughness in the trigger pull near the break point and rather significant overtravel after the break. My big hands and fingers only exacerbate the problem. I do think that smoothing out the trigger pull and possibly reducing the overtravel just eliminate the problem. I know some folks have done a trigger job to their Kahr, Cylinder & Slide advertises such work. I think that the CT-380 would benefit from the same polishing operation that is commonly done to Glocks, i.e. the .25 cent trigger job. I have done this to my Glock 19 and 26 and the results are impressive, both of them are way more accurate than my shaky hands can hold them. It looks to me that the same principles would apply. Everything that rubs against something else gets polished and deburred.

As far as the overtravel goes, it seem that this could be reduced by a bit of judicious trimming and polishing in the area where the trigger bar engages the cocking cam. I would take the approach of trim and polish a little, test fire, trim and polish a bit more, until the overtravel is reduced to the point that it isn't such a problem. Will try just polish and deburr first though. Any advice is welcome, in particular about how to disassemble the receiver of a Kahr.

[HollowPoint]

I've never shot the Khar 380 model you're referring to but if it's anything like the CM and PM series in the trigger group, you may be able to just swap out the striker spring with an aftermarket spring from Wolff springs.

That's what I did with my CM 9 and it made a world of difference.

HollowPoint

[DougGuy]

Might want to go join up over at the Kahr forum and see what they have to say as well:

http://www.kahrtalk.com/forum.php

I have a CW45 that is great but sometimes I wish it had more energy at the striker. It does NOT like Hornady Critical Defense 230gr +P ammo, I had some FTF with what appeared to be light primer strikes. Switching to Speer Gold Dot cured that problem.

[FergusonTO35]

Thanks gents. The .380 pistols do not use the same striker springs as the larger ones, indeed they seem to be a perfectly miniaturized version of the larger ones-one big reason I like them. Today I took the CT380 completely apart, not much more difficult than a Glock. I'm going to take my time and do a really good polish job on everything. This pistol is so close to being carry ready, hopefully this will get it there. What kind of accuracy do you guys get out of your Kahrs at 20 feet or so? Do they shoot point of aim for you?

[DougGuy]

Mine is great to 25yds, haven't tested farther than that. I see no purpose in testing a pistol used for edc at distances that would likely not be considered a viable self defense situation.

[FergusonTO35]

Sounds good. I usually shoot my pistols at 15-20 feet so the Kahr should be dead on.

If, I can get the stupid trigger assembly back on. The trigger pin has a coil spring which pulls the trigger forward and a half moon bushing which keeps the trigger bar located on the trigger. Sounds easy enough, right? Getting the trigger, spring and bushing back on is no problem. Getting the trigger bar reconnected is the problem, because you cannot put it all together, put it into the frame, insert the trigger pin and call it good. No, the way the trigger bar is shaped and the narrow pathway for it in the frame it is not possible to install it as a complete unit. You have to install the trigger components and then somehow install the trigger bar even thought the half moon bushing is blocking the hole for the bar to engage the trigger, which is how the bar is retained on the trigger.

I have spent several hours trying and all I can think of (other than feeding the whole thing to the wood chipper!) is that there must be a way to maneuver the bushing around for just enough space to shove the trigger bar into it's hole in the top of the trigger. Maybe if I made a temporary trigger pin that is smaller in diameter than the actual one, it would hold the parts in place but allow the bushing to move enough to place the trigger bar where it needs to be? Any suggestions (or offers to trade for a Glock 42) appreciated!

[FergusonTO35]

After more hours than I would care to admit the little tuerd finally yielded to me. Here's how I did it, starting with the stripped frame mounted in a vise:

1. If your household is on the swear jar system, add about $20.00 to it. I think that's where my next paycheck is going.

2. Install sear, ejector, and locator pin in the frame

3. Install the trigger in its recess, and just barely start the trigger pin on the right side to hold it in place

4. Put the trigger bar in through the window on the right side. Once it is situated insert and empty mag to hold it in place, then make sure the little bump on the front part is inserted into its hole at the top of the trigger.

5. Install the trigger spring and half moon bushing into the recess inside the trigger. I found it easiest to stuff cleaning patches under the trigger to keep the parts from falling out, then very slowly lower the spring and bushing down through the top of the frame into place. Once they are in place you may want to push a 1/16 punch through the left side to hold these parts in place.

6. Ensure that the trigger bar is still connected to the trigger properly. If it is, the half moon bushing will keep it in place, remember the flat side of the bushing goes against the trigger. Also make sure that one leg of the trigger spring is pressing against the inside of the frame, the other is pressing against the inside of the trigger.

7. Slowly push the trigger pin into the right side of the frame, through the bushing and spring, into the other side of the trigger and frame. You will probably have to apply some leverage from the top with a small screwdriver or similar object to line up the bushing properly so the trigger pin will go through it. The trigger pin is a very tight fit by design, I used a little 6 oz. hammer to tap it through. As the trigger pin goes through it will push the pin punch out that you used to temporarily locate everything. The trigger pin should lock in place at the end of its travel with the head flush against the frame on the right side.

All I did to modify the gun was home and polish the mating surfaces of the sear, firing pin, and bottom of the firing pin safety. Just dry firing I can tell it is smoother and feels a little lighter. Hopefully I can shoot it tomorrow and see if that cured my low grouping.

[bcp477]

Or, you could have saved yourself all of that bother.....and simply put enough rounds through the pistol until exactly the same result was achieved.... as you broke in the mechanism.

Sorry, but your tendency to shoot low is a trigger control issue, not the gun's fault. The Kahrs do have a relatively long 0.7" trigger travel and are by no means perfect as is, but they are eminently shootable, right out of the box. Control of the gun as the trigger breaks is simply a matter of training. I would suggest lots of dry firing - a no cost and convenient solution that will also help to break in the trigger mechanism.

[dubber123]

I also would rather fix the issue right away, and spend my time putting lead down range rather than fiddling with an empty gun for hours. It sucks it took so much to get yours back together, but it was still likely quicker than waiting for it to break in. Rugers are one brand that gets trigger work here before a round goes down range. I can strip, and give one a 2#ish trigger in about 1/2 hour, and be out shooting. It would take thousands of dry fires, and it would still have a long pull, with too much weight. I guess it comes down to expectations.

Kudos Ferguson for having the testicular fortitude to work on your own stuff :)

[FergusonTO35]

Good advice on both counts. The trigger job did help the pull some, and my ability to hit the target with the CT380 has improved as I put more rounds through it. I won't own a car, tractor, or gun that I can't work on myself, and believe that the more you know about any of these the better off you will be. My little adventure taking the CT380 completely apart and putting it back together was, well, an adventure but I learned exactly how these guns work and am a fan of the design.

While cleaning the CT380 yesterday I noticed that the little half moon shaped protrusion on top of the slide stop that goes through a matching cut on the bottom of the slide had broken off. It still works perfectly and stays in place though. I e-mailed Kahr this morning and they promptly replied that they were sending me another one. Good service!