Kahr P380 Mag Disconnect removal/disable help?

[Nick5811]

I got a p380 about a year ago. The LCI made it difficult to find a decent holster, so I fixed it. Now I'm trying to figure out how to disable the magazine disconnect.

I know some people like them, or believe that altering a firearm somehow changes my civil liability should I use the gun in a defensive situation; I am not asking to debate this, I'm just looking for assistance on doing the modification.

I heard something about using a dremel on the inside of the frame, but there were no details. Has anyone done this that could help me out?

Thanks.

[Gunsmith Dan]

Yea good luck

The reason you won't get to many giving you advice on that because of the liability issues if there ever is a lawsuit, especially any professionals like myself.

The biggest issue is not lawsuits from a self defense case but lawsuits from a wrongful death do to a accidental discharge. Most magazine disconnects are part or the safety system and some firearms can be put into a unsafe state by messing with the magazine disconnects.

The few that will give you advice in many cases have no clue what they are talking about and risking yours or the life of another with gunsmithing advice on the safety system by a anonymous poster would be foolish at best.

[Nick5811]

As an update to my question above:

I found the exploded diagram off the kahr website for the non-ca P380 and found a few differences after taking off the side panel of the frame. With the frame plate removed, I could see that the magazine contacts the components inside the frame in three separate places. Since we all know that the magazine is the weak link in a semi-auto firearm, simple is usually better.

I could not locate a CA-P380 diagram, but there are a number of parts contained in the CA version that are not in the regular version. I also do not see a method to remove the pins holding the trigger or trigger bar assembly into the frame.

[kel-tec-innovations]

I would remove the LCI to improve cycling reliability and holster choice. Why disable the magazine disconnect?

[Nick5811]

I would remove the LCI to improve cycling reliability and holster choice. Why disable the magazine disconnect?

I already took care of the LCI. I punched out the pin and ground down the portion that contacts the cartridge case then reinstalled. It looks 'stock', but no longer interferes with my sights or holster.

My belief is that the magazine is the weakest part of the semi-auto platform. If the magazine fails in any way, the firearm is worthless. With a magazine disconnect, this flaw is compounded. My duty guns over the last 8 years have had magazine disconnects, so I'm familiar with the concept and the inherent sense of 'safety' that comes with them. I'm also aware that if the magazine disconnect fails, my gun won't go "boom" if I need it to. Unfortunately, it may not even go "click" if the disconnect system fails to activate the trigger bar.

Without a mag disconnect, I always have the option of manually feeding a round and pulling the trigger. Since the Kahr mag makes contact in three different places, that is three places the mag will wear and could fail (mag catch, slide stop, mag disconnect). An unloaded magazine or the special fake magazine is also required in order to pull the trigger before disassembling the Kahr.

I've also completed Beretta and Sig Sauer factory pistol armorer course so I'm fairly familiar with the concept of firearms disassembly, maintenance and repair.

Maybe now someone will help me?

[Gunsmith Dan]

The "weakest" point in the magazine system of any firearm is the magazine catch, not the disconnect.

The magazine catch is what holds the magazine in place and if the springs wear out (they all do much faster than metal parts rubbing on each other) it will cause failure to feed issues.

On top of springs wearing out many people in panic situations cause the failure by accidently hitting the mag release button, which you can do to a magazine disconnect.

I have yet to see a magazine disconnect failure that was not caused by someone tweaking it to make it work smoother or to disable it.

[Nick5811]

The "weakest" point in the magazine system of any firearm is the magazine catch, not the disconnect.

The magazine catch is what holds the magazine in place and if the springs wear out (they all do much faster than metal parts rubbing on each other) it will cause failure to feed issues.

On top of springs wearing out many people in panic situations cause the failure by accidently hitting the mag release button, which you can do to a magazine disconnect.

I have yet to see a magazine disconnect failure that was not caused by someone tweaking it to make it work smoother or to disable it.

I said the magazine was the weak point, not the catch, and not the disconnect. In my experience, the two times I've seen a mag disconnect fail were as follows:

On a Sig Sauer P226 the spring on the little wing piece inside the locking insert broke.

On a Beretta 92 the magazine was worn from making contact with the mag disconnect spring. They also tended to get bent from people cleaning the mag well with rags or brushes.

But you did mention another point why the disconnect is a liability: accidental release of the magazine and improper seating.

Hopefully someone will chime in with how to address this issue.

[hkfan]

Any further update on this?

I'd love a P380 without the LCI and mag disconnect. Kahr has already told me their factory won't do the mods back to the original design for me.