I bought a Kahr, was it a mistake?

Are Kahr handguns high quality or should I go with another manufacturer?

  • Yes, I should keep it.

    Votes: 106 80.3%

  • No, they are junk.

    Votes: 26 19.7%
  • Total voters
    132
  • Poll closed .
My PM9 didn't run, so I traded for a Glock 26. This doesn't mean the Glocks are without fault. My 42 was a horror and had to go back to the shop.
 
I loved my cw380 but I had nothing but jamming and extraction problems with it even well after the break in period. I sent it in to Kahr twice for service. Things got better when I got it back the second time but it still wasn't 100% reliable so I parted ways with it. It had a great trigger and I loved the size but in the end it was meant to be a carry gun and who wants to carry a pistol that may give you just one good shot? If I wanted that I'd have bought a derringer. If you have one that is running right I'd definitely keep it and enjoy it.
 
I wasn't a fan of my CM9, but not to the extent that I would brand it as a talisman of tragedy, certain to bring unspeakably bad fortune upon anyone foolish enough to touch it.

Shoot the snot out of it. If you like it and that particular gun has proven to be reliable, what else is there?
 
The manual on my Kahr K40 suggests a 200 round break in, although I did have a few failures during the first 100 rounds, it has been 100% reliable since. Great carry gun, and the extra weight of the all steel K40 makes it a pretty soft shooter considering its size.
 
I feel like the way the trigger is designed with its pivot point inside the trigger guard makes me shoot my cw40 a little low, but I don't see anyone else saying this so it's probably either this particular gun or more likely myself not handling 40's in such a small gun very well. That said the trigger feels great for a da Tupperware gun and it hasn't had a single hiccup. I bought it with about 100 rds put through it already, guy cleaned it and put it back together wrong and shunned it after he couldn't figure it out. I gladly paid his price of $250 for a pretty much still new gun :D I took it home, she was already clean, lubed her up and put the end of the spring in the correct position before inserting the takedown pin and what d'ya know? She runs just fine now! I just wish the guy chose a 9 instead.
 
Your poll has no middle ground. I'm not a fan of Kahr and I think there are lots of better guns on the market at much lower prices. But I don't think they're junk, either.
 
I got a CW9 I like it accurate and been reliable . Nice carry pistol. I was shooting at 25 yards other day and was getting a nice group . Not a bullseye target gun But more than enough for SD.
 
Keep it.I love my CT380. My CT9 sits next to me as I type this and there is definitely another CM9 in my future. I have kicked myself over and over for getting rid of it.
 
Kahrs can be hit or miss but when the individual gun runs they are great IMHO. I love my CW9 and have never had an issue with it past the first 100 rounds.
 
On this note someone could go buy a hi point and never have problems then someone could go buy a kimber and have alot of problems. Just like everything else you just never know until you buy it and use it.
 
I bought a used cm9 about a year ago. Strangely it is as accurate for me at 7-10 yards as my M&p 40c although like all firearms you should practice. I get 1-2 inch groups at that distance shooting pairs taking 1 to 1.5 seconds each shot. This is after not shooting for 4 months or so and my first mag was about a 5 inch spread as I was remembering my fundamentals. I never had a failure that wasn't ammo related (reloads). Use caution if you try to polish parts because some are nickel plated internals to prevent corrosion and galling. The trigger is excellent by revolver standards with no overtravel. I too was worried about the horror stories but they just didn't apply to my gun.
 
"Hey guys, I traded for a new Kahr CT380 the other day."

You didn't say what you traded for it, unless I missed that part. So it's hard to say whether I think you made a mistake or not.

I don't own a Kahr, never shot one, and I've only handled a couple, so I'm not going to say they're junk. But a lot of people like them, and it seems you do too. But, what did you trade in for it?
 
I have no experience with the CT380, but my CM9 has been 100% reliable, and accurate. The first 100 rounds were with various fmj "range" rounds. The next 100 were a mix of fmj, and jhp self defense rounds. Both standard pressure, and +P. Finally choosing Speer Gold Dot +P Short barrel as my carry round. Now I am somewhere in excess of 500 rounds of various ammo being fired, and without a single problem.
I know 500 rounds isn't any kind of longevity, or durability test. But it's good enough for me to have confidence that my Kahr CM9 will function if needed.
 
I only own and have only fired the K40. But, we're talking about tiny little guns here, and I think they can be a challenge, no matter who makes them. My opinion, based on my K40, is that Kahr makes excellent pistols of very high quality. I bought mine used and in fact it was a factory refurbished unit, and I had my share of problems with it. Those problems were all due directly to handloads that were most likely, in all cases, unintentionally well over maximum loads. Have had no problems since in shooting probably well over 5,000 rds. It is a very accurate-shooting pistol--for any size handgun.

There are really far too many things to worry about, IMO, to include worries about what might happen with your CT380. If it were mine and I didn't handload, I'd buy a box or two of something reasonably-priced such as Fiocchi, Prvi Partisan, or PMC ammo and see how it shoots. If it feeds reliably, then I'd buy as much as I could afford to shoot and practice with it. It took me about 1,000-1,500 rds to 'get good' shooting a DAO accurately and quickly from the holster. It may take you far less--I find the tiny little guns to be a real shallow learning curve: they're not easy, and progress for me only came as quickly as my weak hand and trigger finger figured out what to do with themselves. I don't think you can speed this process up much--it takes time.

Work in several boxes of whatever you intend to use for carry ammo over the months, as well, and get to know the little feller.

Every make and model of handgun out there probably has its share of 'horror stories', every single story accompanied by equal shares of "yeah me too" and "never had any trouble with mine". Work through issues as they come up, if they do. In the mean time, learn to master the weapon...and enjoy it.



I put the Trijicon sights and wooden grips on mine and had it MagnaPorted. To my great surprise, none of these improvements tightened my groups up at all. ;)

Finally, I carry it. I don't tend to do that unless I have 100% confidence in the function of the gun. That confidence doesn't come from the brand name, the caliber or internet lore and legend.

 
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I would like to thank everyone for their replies. Like several of you said, I need to put some more rounds through it and see how it performs. So far I really like the gun, hopefully it will turn out to be a solid reliable firearm. Lately I have been cycling snap caps through it to loosen it up a bit.
 
IF you start to run into mag issues again, the Kahr forum has some threads (and a sticky IIRC) about how to disassemble, clean, and ensure the spring was put in correctly at the factory - which seems to be a major cause of feed issues. The fix is about 2 minutes and not hard if I can do it..........,.
 
Lately I have been cycling snap caps through it to loosen it up a bit.
Click to expand...

That is also quite possibly the very fastest way to learn to shoot it well. Use that snapcap time to your best advantage--and pin up a target on the wall. Dry fire practice will improve your shooting about 5 times faster than anything else you can do, IMO, assuming you train in good practice and repeat what you've learned at the range. If you get to the point where those sights don't jerk, bounce and pull and those eyes stay wide open through the trigger break, then you know exactly what things should look and feel like when there's a live one in the chamber. Behold! Tiny, wee little groups are yours.
 
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