Kel-Tec PF-9 Extraction Problems....Your solution? :)

[Humphrey Bogart]

hope you get it worked out. Mine has been a good companion and trouble free for 5 or 600 rounds now.

There's no reason why mine shouldn't run perfectly as well.

One situation I've heard described from a 'civilian' Kel-Tec expert is 'Tolerance Stacking'

If you take 3 parts let's say the slide, the extractor and the extractor spring...perfectly formed parts will run properly.

But these parts are mass produced to provide a $250 pistol that is lightweight and thin and it's purpose is to fire a couple dozen rounds in an emergency.

Suprizingly some PF-9 fans have 2 pistols...one to carry in perfect shape with a very low round count and another to practice with.

So with tolerance stacking if 3 parts are all 'within tolerance' but skewed in a ...tight or loose direction...as an assembly it will funtion marginally....if that's the case with mine I will keep at it until I get it right.

One example I've heard about is the surface of the slide where the extractor sits...some have relieved that surface so the extractor sits a little deeper in the groove in the slide...extractor tuning.

And I've heard that in the early days of mass producing the Colt 1911, that the almost-finished-pistol wound up on the workbench of an experienced gunsmith who hand finished the fit of critical parts.....that's not happening for $250 / 13oz / .88" thick.

So, I'm looking first at ammo quality, eliminating limpwristing, and thirdly fine-tuning.

I have yet to do the 'fluff and buff' The pistol came with a highly polished feed ramp and it seems they've learned that they need to get that in the 90th percentile before it leaves the factory.

They actually stopped production of the pistol after nine months (years ago) to redesign the barrel and feedramp and retro-fitted the early runs.

The Kahr PM9 costs twice as much and I've comparable stories of failure to get it to run properly.

[Humphrey Bogart]

between the fte's and the pain in the rear reassembly, and the mag button problem, my solution was to trade it away for a different compact 9mm pistol. i was tired of tinkering, and the taurus 709 i traded it for works great.

They redesigned the mag button, it's steel and is cone-shaped. I"ve never had it release in the thin plastic holster I use for rear-pocket carry.

[Gustavs01]

I just purchased my pf9 from my local Scheels about 12 days ago, I haven't had 1 FTF/FTE, But I got a worse problem. ~Rust~ I keep it well oiled using Fp-10 which has served well for ALL my firearms the past 10 yrs, But I now have surface rust on my pf9? this pic was taking this morning before my Jog.