A friend of mine is looking for a carry weapon. I'd suggested a Kahr as it fit her hands and has sufficient mass to make recoil acceptable. However, she has difficulty working the slide. I know Kahr made Lady Kahr a few years back (I don't believe it's still in production) with a lighter recoil spring. Could you take a Kahr Elite 9mm and put in a lighter spring while maintaining reliability?
Kahr for a lady
- Thread starter buzz_knox
- Start date
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by buzz_knox:
A friend of mine is looking for a carry weapon. I'd suggested a Kahr as it fit her hands and has sufficient mass to make recoil acceptable. However, she has difficulty working the slide. I know Kahr made Lady Kahr a few years back (I don't believe it's still in production) with a lighter recoil spring. Could you take a Kahr Elite 9mm and put in a lighter spring while maintaining reliability?[/quote]
I reccomend she build up her wrist strength rather then changing the springs. There is a possibility that would reduce the reliability of the gun.
She could look into a revolver, couldn't she? Let her look at a Taurus 85 Multi Alloy (for some reason, most folks here call 'em 85UL). This piece should serve her well.
A friend of mine is looking for a carry weapon. I'd suggested a Kahr as it fit her hands and has sufficient mass to make recoil acceptable. However, she has difficulty working the slide. I know Kahr made Lady Kahr a few years back (I don't believe it's still in production) with a lighter recoil spring. Could you take a Kahr Elite 9mm and put in a lighter spring while maintaining reliability?[/quote]
I reccomend she build up her wrist strength rather then changing the springs. There is a possibility that would reduce the reliability of the gun.
She could look into a revolver, couldn't she? Let her look at a Taurus 85 Multi Alloy (for some reason, most folks here call 'em 85UL). This piece should serve her well.
VictorLouis
New member
The Lady edition was only rated for standard pressure loadings, IIRC. You could buy the lighter weight Wolff spring, and use normal loads to avoid undue wear on the gun.
I bought my wife a Lady Kahr last year. You can try asking some of the larger dealers in town to try to order one. It took a little while, but someone finally came up with one for us. $430, blued, standard sites. She loves it. The spring tension is noticably lighter than standard.
I actually sent email to Kahr regarding the differences between the two. because i could not readily find a Lady Kahr, i asked for a spring kit to retrofit a standard Kahr to Lady K specs. The responding email indicated that this could not be done; no explanation why, but said that reliability would be compromised by such a modification. good luck in your search.
I actually sent email to Kahr regarding the differences between the two. because i could not readily find a Lady Kahr, i asked for a spring kit to retrofit a standard Kahr to Lady K specs. The responding email indicated that this could not be done; no explanation why, but said that reliability would be compromised by such a modification. good luck in your search.
Bill Adair
New member
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>. The responding email indicated that this could not be done; no explanation why...[/B][/quote]
Liability, I'd guess! The modified gun would not be marked "for standard ammo only", and Kahr would be liable if it failed, using hotter stuff.
Bill
Liability, I'd guess! The modified gun would not be marked "for standard ammo only", and Kahr would be liable if it failed, using hotter stuff.
Bill
If your wife favors the Kahr in every other respect, the standard recoil spring tension should not be an insurmountable difficulty. My wife can wring a quart of water out of a pair of dry overalls, but claims she can't handle the slide of ANY semi-auto. She prefers revolvers; so autos are '...too hard to handle'. Any normal woman can be taught to use arm/shoulder strength to rack the slide properly...IF she wants to learn. The Kahr is too handy a gun to handicap it with a 'normal loads only' limitation.
The only way I've found to get a woman to do what you want her to do, is to want her to do what SHE wants to do.
--slabsides
------------------
If they take our guns, I intend to let my hair grow long and acquire the jawbone of an ass.
The only way I've found to get a woman to do what you want her to do, is to want her to do what SHE wants to do.
--slabsides
------------------
If they take our guns, I intend to let my hair grow long and acquire the jawbone of an ass.
buzz_knox, you may want to e-mail Frank Harris (over at Kahr) and find out directly from him with regard to the Lady Kahr -- he's usually pretty good about answering his messages. As Ezeckial mentioned, you may also want to recommend a revolver and the Taurus 85UL is a very good choice. I personally prefer pistols but the revolver should not be overlooked as it has it's place -- for example, if you break your arm/wrist, you will not be able to rack the slide to chamber a round in a pistol (might as well just use it as a paperweight) but you can still get by loading and firing a revolver with just one hand. Ragards,
FUD
Share what you know, learn what you don't.
[This message has been edited by FUD (edited May 12, 2000).]
FUD
Share what you know, learn what you don't.
[This message has been edited by FUD (edited May 12, 2000).]
I bought a used lady Kahr a few weeks ago and like it. I e-mailed Kahr to find out if the spring for a standard Kahr could be inserted and was advised that this could be done. No comment about degraded accuracy.
Incidentally, I'm often puzzled at how frequently I note posters commenting on the difficulties their wives or girlfriends have racking the slide. I'm a female with average grip strength for my age (and I know its average because I'm also an occupational therapist with access to tools for measuring grip.) I have no trouble racking my Glock or the Kahr and think the slides would have to be a lot stiffer before I would have trouble. Perhaps many women referenced in these posts are not using good technique. (Now the mag for my Glock is another story. Until I had run several rounds through it, it was a real bear to load without my little mag helper.)
Incidentally, I'm often puzzled at how frequently I note posters commenting on the difficulties their wives or girlfriends have racking the slide. I'm a female with average grip strength for my age (and I know its average because I'm also an occupational therapist with access to tools for measuring grip.) I have no trouble racking my Glock or the Kahr and think the slides would have to be a lot stiffer before I would have trouble. Perhaps many women referenced in these posts are not using good technique. (Now the mag for my Glock is another story. Until I had run several rounds through it, it was a real bear to load without my little mag helper.)
VictorLouis
New member
Welcome aboard, Aim! Nice to have another female here in our midst. 
You did make the mistake of revealing your occupation, though. NOW, let the questions commence!
You did make the mistake of revealing your occupation, though. NOW, let the questions commence!
My girlfriend shoots the K9 without any problems. She hasn't used +P, or +P+, but doesn't seem to mind the slide. At the end of a day at the range she will complain about this and that, but for the most part seems to like the K9. She is 4'9" and 90 pounds. I had to laugh about the previous remarks regarding the Glock mags. Amy won't shoot a Glock unless I prep the mags.
NoCompromise
Inactive
Have you looked into the USP9 compacts? my girlfriend likes it and it is comfortable for her small hands
I have grown to really like the Kahr 9 but I am up in the air over the Kahr 40. I am not so concerned over the recoil as I am with the takedown including the removal of the recoil spring, and reassembly of this pistol. It takes me a while and I can not imagine my wife doing it. A firearm recommended to a female should be one she can maintain not a "honey can you do this for me" handgun. Regards, Richard.
Aimright: Well, my wife is about 100 lb, with very, very little upper body strength. I think she can probably handle the Kahr K9, but my K40 is right out. There are plenty of women who don't have any problem with stiff recoil springs, but in my experience as an instructor, there are also plenty that do have problems.
Regarding takedown of the K40, I used to find it difficult, but not anymore. I check to make sure that the chamber is empty, then I put my left thumb through the trigger guard and retract the slide the correct amount with the rest of my left hand. My right hand is then free to tap out the slide stop.
Regarding cleaning and maintenance of guns, that's one of my jobs, no matter whether or not my wife could handle it
Jared
Regarding takedown of the K40, I used to find it difficult, but not anymore. I check to make sure that the chamber is empty, then I put my left thumb through the trigger guard and retract the slide the correct amount with the rest of my left hand. My right hand is then free to tap out the slide stop.
Regarding cleaning and maintenance of guns, that's one of my jobs, no matter whether or not my wife could handle it
Jared