Report on my test-fire TP9

[The Cigarman]

I posted that I got a factory-fired TP9 this week. I was traveling so I got to spend some quality time with it in the motel room and examined it carefully.

It was in perfect shape and well-lubed with an oil-based lubricant. I first racked the slide about 20 times and noted the feel was gritty with some metal-on-metal or sandy feel.

I field stripped it; the slide stop was a bugger to get out. The pistol had not been cleaned since any firing and so the interior showed some powder residue. Based on my many cleanings of other pistols, I would estimate that less than 20 rounds had been fired.

I examined the rails and channels on the slide and the oil was dark in places and there was much debris from the frame in the channel. There was also "hanging" debris on the rear of the frame where it met the slide. I took a fine emery board and cleaned the area well, removing the excess material.

I wiped it well and put the slide on the heat exchanger in the room and turned the thermostat up to warm the metal. I then lubed it with Militec-1, following the lube info in the sticky here. There was an immediate difference in the feel when the slide was racked; much smoother and not that gritty feel. I racked it about 25 times and put it away.

When I got home I field-stripped it again, noted the slide stop was easier to remove and also that there was more material in the channels of the slide. I cleaned it well, lubed most of the points indicated in the sticky and then did the channel and flat surfaces with Brian Enos' Slide-guide.

The feel was unbelievably different. I racked the slide; sometimes notching the slide stop in the frame and releasing it, as if to chamber a round. I field stripped it, wiped it again and re-lubed it. There was very little detritus in the channels or on the other surfaces at this third cleaning.

I plan to rack it 40-50 times before I get to the range and try it out, stripping it and cleaning it as appropriate.

Next stop, the range. I will also post some pics of it with my PM9 and possibly other pistols because it seems that there are a lot of questions posted about size comparisons.

[mercury40]

It sounds encouraging. Good luck with it and please post an update once you've gone to the range.

You didn't mention it but if I were you; I'd have dry fired it each time I racked the slide. It's never too early to smooth out the trigger.

Which sights are on it?

[The Cigarman]

The standard sights are on it.

Good point about the trigger. I didn't do that because hate to develop the habit of pulling the trigger when I rack the slide (worried about muscle memory in my old age :-)

Even though this is DAO and my bedside pistol is also DAO, I want to carry it and my PM9 for a few weeks and make sure I don't inadvertantly pull the trigger before I will carry with one in the chamber. If I carry and holster it daily and never do that I'll have confidence in that aspect of carry.

Also the trigger on this one is really smooth as it is (I did clean it and militec it in the trigger area).

I'll follow up on this report, thanks for the comments

[mercury40]

I understand about the muscle memory thing.

I was handling one just this evening and it does have a smooth trigger. It also balanced really well.

[FreeMe]

Originally posted by The Cigarman
...Good point about the trigger. I didn't do that because hate to develop the habit of pulling the trigger when I rack the slide (worried about muscle memory in my old age :-)...

Try this...Load the chamber using only the method described in the manual (lock back, release the slide lock). Only rack the slide (with the mag out, of course) for dry-firing.

That's what I've done with my K9 for years, and with no problems.

[The Cigarman]

Good tip. Thanks

[The Cigarman]

I picked up a 100 pack of WWB 115gr fmj and headed to the range. First I checked over the pistol to familiarize myself with the condition of the pistol. Since I have only one 7-round mag I settled down for a leisurely shoot.

I started out with the WWB firing at 25 feet at 25yd slow pistol targets. Perfect function mag after mag. The pistol was shooting left and low by about 4 inches. Since my PM9 also hit about the same, I think that must be me rather than the pistol. Later when I shot for accuracy, I easily hit the bull, so some learning is in order.

I picked up some brass and examined it and saw a relatively deep, comma-shaped fp mark as I expected in the WWB ammo.

After 100 rounds I got into a 50 round box of Fiocchi 115gr full-jacketed rounds.

At the 18th and 19th rounds there was no ignition. I ejected the rounds to examine later and completed the mags. Rather than a deep comma-shaped mark ther was a shallow round mark. I loaded the two rounds in the mag and both went off at the first pull for each. I picked up some rounds for comparison and the fp mark on the ftfire Fiocci was shallower and with a less pronounced comma-mark from the fp drag.

When I shot Fiocci in my PM9 I got a stovepipe. I attributed that to a bit of limpwristing on my part due to rapid-fire and, while I was more cautious after that and paid attention and thought all was well, it may be that I may be dealing with harder primers in the Fiocci and possibly a quality control issue. I am considering this because all of that ammo was purchased at the same time.

I completed the 50 rounds of the Fiocchi. BTW, I took my time and allowed the pistol to cool for 10 minutes between each 50 rounds or so throughout the session.

On several of the mags I put one in the pipe and reloaded the mag to see how it would function--again no problems.

The trigger throughout was great for a new pistol, on par with the PM9 that I consider the est DAO trigger I ever tried and as I said at that time on a par with the SIG 228 DAO I love.

I went onto two mags of Winchester 115 Jhp and then to 2 mags of Speer Gold Dots--124gr jhp (short barrel ammo). I finished with then to two mags of Winchester 115gr Silvertips without a problem.

BTW, the Winchser Silvertips offered the most recoil; very noticably more snap, while the Speer short barrel gave more of a push (similar to the difference between .40 and 357 SIG, if you have had that experience.

I shot 192 rounds at the session (all on the paper from beginning to end) with 2 ftfire at the 118th and 119th rounds.

I loaded each mag with the suggested "release with the slide stop lever" method, with the exception of the last two rounds in the first 100 WWB. When I released without a snap of the slide, the round did not chamber and hung up. The next time I will try 7 + 1 and also loading without the release.

The trigger is very good and I am expecting continued improvement. I have had two Kel-tec P-11 pistols that I liked very much(still have one with an extra barrel in .40). The KT 9mm had more snap and the trigger was longer and less precise (although both had been worked on and had White trigger stops and so were very good).

All in all I am very satisfied and believe I have two good Kahrs. I would comment, though that I did not experience a significantly better level of accuracy with the TP9 over the PM9, but I am still adjusting to the trigger.

I examined the pistol at the end of the session and noted no unusual wear, but I did see some plastic flashing in the interior of the slide and near the chamber. I'll clean it tonite or tomorrow and do a report.

[The Cigarman]

Got to the range today and put another 75 rounds of WWB 115gr fmj and 8 rounds of Winchester 115 jhp through it without a hiccup. Nice tight groups; I love this pistol.

I also shot about 30 rounds through my PM9 with the same story.

My new (to me) MK9 also got a workout; first time out since I bought it used this week. I put 75 rounds of the WWB 115 fmj through it. I was surprise that the recoil was the same as my PM9, but, as I expected, greater than the TP9. Tight groups as the TP. I did have one horizonal smokestack at about the 15th round. I attribute it to the recoil spring that I noted is somewhat worn with a bend to it when it was laid on the table as I fieldstripped it. A new recoil spring is on the way from Kahr, and that should take care of the problem.

Three Kahrs and three winners. Looks like the SIG239 SAS will never get carried and I guess it will go on the for sale forum soon. Since I got the Kahr PM9, my trusty SIG239 in 9 has been sleeping in the safe.

[Mr. S]

Originally posted by The Cigarman
Since I got the Kahr PM9, my trusty SIG239 in 9 has been sleeping in the safe.

This is exactly what happened to my 239.
BTW Nice report on the Kahrs!