A small 9mm carry with a light trigger?

V

Vinnie Harold

New member
Hello.

I have several large 9mm handguns (Sig 226 X-5, CZ SP201, STI Range Master, Glock 19(smallest)), and each of these has had trigger work done. The trigger pulls are 3.5 lb., short, and a fast reset, and I enjoy shooting them.

About 2 years ago I bought a small auto a Kahr CW 9 in the hope of making it my easy to carry piece. I disliked the weapon from the start, as it vibrated too much from the discharge, and the heavy trigger pull as well as the very long reset distance forced me to lock it away.

After some time I took it out and after a visit to the range, I called Kahr to see if they could change the trigger pull and reset. I was told no, so I went to a gunsmith where I live, and he said he could do what i wanted. After a 3 week wait, he called, and I went back to the range to try it. He actually damaged the trigger mechanism to the point that it would not reset unless I used my finger to push the trigger FORWARD to its final reset point. I sent the piece to Kahr to have it fixed, and asked again for some help with the trigger pull.
I recently got the firearm back, and it is 100% fixed, just like new...a condition I did not want.

That is my story, but I am looking for something about the size and weight of the CW 9, but it must have a light trigger pull and a fast reset. Does anyone know of such a firearm? If so, is something like this possible to try before I buy? Or, if not, sometimes, like I did with the SIG, I purchased it from a gunsmith who worked on the trigger before I even got it...it is smooth as silk.

Can anyone offer some advice?

Thanks.
 
I've been carrying a Kimber SOLO with a Crimson Trace laser for about two years. I replaced a Kahr with it, for the same reason you're looking around. The SOLO is small, has a good trigger and really, really accurate.

My SOLO, after 300 rounds, will shoot just about any 9mm ammo, including 115 gr. round nose. But, I gave up carrying it. WHY? I seem to be aging pretty fast; realized I can no longer rack the slide easily. Weak hands/fingers.

The SOLO works flawlessly, if loaded when the slide locked back. Otherwise, it can be a hassle to load and fire.

I have 45 other handguns, so I'll likely dispose of it. Don't need another range gun. I'm carrying a HK p7. Heavy, but a super gun.
 
S&W Shield. My wife carries one, and truthfully, we almost fight over it. It's a great small 9mm pistol. The Shield can be had with/without a thumb safety, if one prefers one or the other.

Walther has a "cousin" to the Shield, it has always gotten good reviews. PPQ? I don't quite remember the model number.
 
mrray - your talking about the walther pps. They just came out with a pps m2 that has a normal safety instead of the paddles as well. Seems like a great little gun.

My vote goes to the shield as well though. Also with the shield you can do an apex trigger kit which should make it a very very nice trigger
 
Define "light" in this context.

Unless you have manual safety why would you have a light trigger pull (if you are talking less than 5 lbs) on a small concealed carry piece? There is a reason Glock, M&P, and XDMs have a 6 lb or better pull, and pieces with manual safeties tend to have lighter pulls.
 
Define "light" in this context.
Click to expand...

And define "small" in this context.

Bersa CP9CC is a compact single stack, with a light trigger. Scary light, IMHO.

Me, I'm quite happy with a bit heavier trigger, and/or extra safety measures. The XDS9 is perfect for me.
 
If light for the trigger is 3.5 lb. and you want it the size of a CW9, I'm not aware of anything factory that will meet those requirements exactly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
The ruger lc9s is the smallest lightest 9mm with the best trigger I can think of. Not the funnest thing to shoot though.
 
Another vote for the Shield!

Very accurate, light weight, flat, and ridiculously reliable. The gold standard for ccw 9mms, as far as I'm concerned.
 
If I wanted something small and light - with a good trigger - i'd go one of the Wilson sentinel models in 9mm.... ( I know they'll let you spec it to 3.5 lbs )....
 
Can't recall of any subcompact 9MM designed primarily for concealed carry having a trigger that light. IMO it would not be in the best interest of the manufacturer to do so for liability reasons. Most are at least 5LBs.

Walther PPS and Shield mentioned more than once are IMO great CCW pistols but from the factory they have a 5LB+(probably closer to 6LB) trigger pull.
 
Last edited:
The thing weighs 15.8 ounces(vs 17.2 oz for a Ruger LC9). It's going to have excessive felt recoil. Changing the grips might help.
All triggers need fixing. They don't have to be 'light'. They need to be smooth. A light trigger on a small pistol can cause doubling under recoil. Anyway, 3.5 lbs. is for a target pistol. Not a CCW pistol.
Sounds like your smithy doesn't have enough experience though.
 
About 2 years ago I bought a small auto a Kahr CW 9 in the hope of making it my easy to carry piece. I disliked the weapon from the start, as it vibrated too much from the discharge, and the heavy trigger pull as well as the very long reset distance forced me to lock it away.
Click to expand...

The long double-action trigger is the safety for this pistol. It would be ill-advised to modify it. As far as DAO triggers go, the Kahr trigger is quite good. It's very smooth and consistent.

After some time I took it out and after a visit to the range, I called Kahr to see if they could change the trigger pull and reset. I was told no, so I went to a gunsmith where I live, and he said he could do what i wanted. After a 3 week wait, he called, and I went back to the range to try it. He actually damaged the trigger mechanism to the point that it would not reset unless I used my finger to push the trigger FORWARD to its final reset point. I sent the piece to Kahr to have it fixed, and asked again for some help with the trigger pull.
I recently got the firearm back, and it is 100% fixed, just like new...a condition I did not want.
Click to expand...

The moral of the story here is that you should be happy Kahr was able to fix what your gunsmith buggered up.
 
The LC9s that I've tried at the stores is pretty light, I'd guess 3-1/2 to 4 lbs. It felt lighter than the std Glock or Shield. The Ruger also has a safety that I think would be a good ideal with the light trigger on a carry gun. A hair trigger on a pocket gun ain't a good idea in my book.
 
The mentioned Walther PPS/PPS M2 snaps to my mind considering you criteria. Second choice for me would be the shield.
 
Thanks, but 1 "silly" question, please

I thank you all for your suggestions. I will look into the Shield and the Walther...the Wilson, if it costs anything like my CQB, is out of my price range.

Now, at the risk of getting people mad, what is the difference between a range gun and a carry gun in terms of the trigger pull? Some suggest 5 -6 for a carry weapon, but 3.5 for a range gun.

Why the difference? Safety? How?

Thanks again to all.
 
The heavier pull on a carry gun is generally spoken of in terms of safety. Kind of a make sure I wanted to shoot kind of thought.

A light trigger on a range gun is to help avoid a bad trigger pull pulling you off target. In a general sort of way.
 
Although these are a little bigger than that Kahr CW9, why not look at a 9mm STI Escort? Or a Springfield EMP?

I have a Walther PPS M2 with a great carry trigger, but it sure ain't 3-1/2 lbs.!
 
Last edited:
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Sig P938. It's a single action with manual safety. Nice trigger, kind of like a mini 1911.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top