Kahr K9 v Kahr E9: Differences?

[faiello5]

Anyone who has either of these pistols, or is familiar with their differences above and beyond what is described on the Kahr web page, please enlighten me. Also, what do you like and dislike about the gun. Thanks.

Frank

 

[Cpt. John Park]

Dear Friend,

I love everything about my Kahr K9 stainless. I think it will fill all my pistol needs for years to come.

What is the price difference? I know the E9 does not get an extra mag, which I think would be a bad idea for any semi-auto, since rapid reload is one of the main advantages over a revolver.

Do a search for Kahr. There are lots of thread on it. All reviews of Kahr are positive, and I think the E9 was metioned in several.

JP

------------------
Nehemiah 4:18 " ... and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked."

 

[jtduncan]

They are basically the same gun but the sights on the E9 are plactic, the K9 has rubber grips while the E9 has hard polymer grips and the K9 comes with two magazines.

I bought a brand new E9 for $312 and ProMag makes great mag's for the E/K9 with a great little lip on the bottom to help you grip it.

Why pay more when it's the same gun? Seeking value and quality.

Check out Kahr's website. But I don't know if they're going to maintain any data on the E9 since they've moved their efforts to the new polymer Kahr which still hasn't come out.

I love my Glock 26, Much lighter, trigger system across all major calibers and accessories like butter all over the place.

Think about the Glock 26 or Glock 27.

I'm wearing mine in an IWB holster in a library and I'm comfortable.

------------------
The Seattle SharpShooter
If it can't shoot jacketed rad turds powered by rodent farts, I ain't gonna shoot it!

 

[Shake]

faiello5, There are a few differences between the K9 and the E9.

1) K9 has a dovetailed front sight, E9's is pinned ( a consideration if you intend on installing night sights).

2) K9 has a better(?) finish than E9 (at least it looks better, don't know if it wears better).

3) K9 has soft rubber grips, E9 has hard plastic (you can buy the soft grips for about $16 if you prefer them).

4) K9 has some cosmetic machine work on the frame and slide that the E9 lacks (cosmetic only, maybe takes off some edges).

5) K9 is shipped with two magazines, E9 with one. The magazines run anywhere from $25-$37. If you buy another magazine you can add about $30 to the price of an E9.

The E9 is a good buy if you really want/need a KAHR, but won't have the money for a K9. If you plan on adding night sights or buying an extra magazine you will be better off getting the K9. The difference in price is around $80 in my area. Functionally they should shoot equally well and both have the KAHR warranty.

A lot of people complain about the heaviness of the KAHR compared to the small GLOCKS. I don't get it. Weigh a KAHR with its fully loaded magazine and compare that weight to a GLOCK 26 or 27 with its fully loaded magazine. The difference is very small (the GLOCK magazines hold ten, the KAHR seven). If one or two ounces makes a gun heavy and another light, then we are splitting hairs.

One of the good aspects of a steel gun versus a polymer gun of the same dimensions is that the weight of a cartridge can significantly affect the overall weight of a gun. When shooting a polymer framed gun the weight changes significantly while emptying a magazine. With a steel framed gun, the weight change is less significant as each cartridge is a smaller percentage of the overall package. Shake

[This message has been edited by Shake (edited December 19, 1999).]

 

[Poplin]

As a Kahr pistol fan, I also do not understand the complaints about its being "heavy." It's no heavy than many pistols out there. It is, however, very small. So, a more accurate comment is that the Kahr is very "dense."


[This message has been edited by Poplin (edited December 19, 1999).]

 

[biker]

My wife bought herself a Kahr k9 Elite with nite sites last Oct. I was so impressed with it, I went out and bought one for myself. Relablity of both pistols has been 100% for about 2000 rounds.
The only down side is, that there are alot of sharp edges that need to be rounded off. Some filing and my Fordom tool took care of that. I stippled the front strap of her k9 and checkered the front strap 30 lpi on mine. I also beveled the mag wells. Also we didn't like the shiney flats of the slides and frames. so I use a mild abrasive pad to put a satin finish on them. She's carried a S&W mod 60 for almost 20 years and she doesn't rally notice a weight differance,but she does notice a differance in the balance on her hip

[This message has been edited by biker (edited December 20, 1999).]

 

[Robb]

The E9 also doesn't have a dovetailed front sight, so you can't replace or get it with night sights. DOOOOOOH, I saw someone already said this!

[This message has been edited by Robb (edited December 20, 1999).]