PM9 - Hogue, Wolff, 8rd mag, slide release chop

[blindluck]

I wasn't planning on posting anymore to this dead-thread:
http://glocktalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=852117
but I tweaked a few things and felt a huge improvement in shootability, hence a new thread.

Previously, I had to use a shooting glove to deal with thumb bite from the slide release and red palm from the grip torquing in my hand. I previously used a Hogue handall Jr with Agrip and it helped but I was looking on a Kel-Tec website and decided to switch the grip to fit upside down. Now the finger groove sits at the bottom of my ring finger and not between my third and fourth fingers. The change is night and day. The gun stays put and no re-gripping is necessary.

I was getting evil thumb-bite from my thumbs forward grip. I couldn't figure out where to but my strong side thumb. Instead of changing my grip, I decided to change the slide release. I dremeled the lower half away and it completely solved the probs with my thumb.

I was getting sick of reloading so frequently and purchased some 8 rounders for $27 each plus shipping from budsgunshop. They work just like they should and using the UPLULA makes it easy on the finger tips.

I swapped out the mag springs with the Wolff products from gunsprings in the hopes that it would prevent any nosedives. Getting the 8 rounders assembled definitely require safety goggles. Compressing the spring and placing a small rod through the cartridge counting holes in the magazine is necessary.

Anyway, I fired 300 rds of Blazer Brass case 115gr FMJ and had one FTF on a 6rd mag - DANG!!! Not including the initial probs with the 7rd mag, I've had 2 nosedives in about 960 rounds of assorted ammo (both with 6rd mags). Including all failures, I've had 12 failures in 1425 rounds - 11 nosedives and once the slide locked back prematurely.

The gun is extremely shootable now but I need to contact Kahr about the FTFs.

[user]

...
I swapped out the mag springs with the Wolff products from gunsprings in the hopes that it would prevent any nosedives. Getting the 8 rounders assembled definitely require safety goggles. Compressing the spring and placing a small rod through the cartridge counting holes in the magazine is necessary.
...

So you used stronger springs in the magazines?

I'm wondering what effect, if any, that would have on the problem noted in other threads to the effect that excess "pinky pressure" on the bottom of the magazine would cause a FTF when in the 6+1 or 7+1 configuration. It would seem that if excessive vertical pressure is causing feeding problems, you'd want a weaker spring, not stronger. Obviously I don't quite understand the dynamics of this issue, and have never had that problem, myself.

[blindluck]

The magazine is not pushed upward as much as the topmost and forwardmost part of the seated mag is now pushed slightly forward and downward. This causes the top cartridge to slide at a more downward angle towards the feed ramp, leading to a nosedive.

BTW, I'm kinda skeptical about their pinkie pressure causing nosedives explanation. My thinking was that the top cartridge is held very loosely by the magazine. Many CCW owners have found when carrying the loaded mag in the pocket then the top round often ends up coming out of the mag. I failed to mention that twice after loading the 7 rd mag and placing it on the shooting table, I'd look down and see the top cartridge loose on the table just inches away from the mag feed lips. It seemed there was not enough spring tension to force the cartridge against the feed lips.

Nosedives can be caused by weak mag springs, weak recoil springs, a rough surface on the feed ramp, bad magazine feed lips, bad mag follower, shape and size of the bullet, poor feeding design and a bunch of other things. I'm just trying to systematically change things. I admit that it will be more painful to figure out with this guns low failure rate.