Update on Kahr P9 experiences.

R

Raymond3

New member
I am thinking of buying one of the Kahr P9s. Now that they have been out for about nine months, I would appreciate it if anyone who has one could give an update. Is the trigger really better than the k9? Is it reliable? What ammo does it shoot best? How is its double action trigger for smaller hands? Does your wife/girlfriend like it (or you, if you are a lady)? This would be for my wife.

Thanks in advance for any comments.

Raymond3
 
I have not been able to compare the P9 and K9 triggers side-by-side. I'll take Kahr at their word, and they say that the P9 is equipped with the Elite series trigger. Bottom line? Either trigger is quite smooth, and easy to master. Even fans of SA autos who loathe DAOs will admit a fondness for the Kahr's trigger.

My girlfriend has what I would consider to be avg. sized hands for a woman. She has no trouble with my existing E9, except for long fingernails being incompatible with autos in-general. :)
The P9 would be even better for the smaller of hand. Its grip is flat sided, making for an even shorter reach to the trigger. This is a sore subject with some purists who had expected a grip profile exactly like that of the steel version, more hand filling. In any case, its checkering is positive, w/o being annoying to the hand. There is nothing sharp to pinch you, or bite you in recoil.

I have yet to shoot mine more than the first, initial break-in session. Through over 250 rds, it didn't miss a beat. Kahr asserts in the owner's manual that the guns should not even be considered for carry use UNTIL 200 rounds have been shot. This goes back particularly to their first models which had minimum spec., i.e. tight, chambers. It is wise council to follow regarding any auto pistol. I held the P9 so loosely in my grip that I would almost drop it as it recoiled. Through one mag of strong-hand, and two weak, it would not malfunction from "limp wristing". I found this quite comforting.

Recoil was really not different from my steel E9, with standard pressure loads. In the hot stuff, you could notice more recoil in the P, but it was not unmanageable. Certainly nowhere near the felt recoil of the K in .40, or an airweight J-frame with 158 +Ps for that matter. Accuracy was sub-3" at 25yds, with Federal premium fodder. As the gun settles in, I expect it will tighten up a little more.

Go get one. I really doubt that you'll find any disappointment. :)
 
I can't add much more than Victor. Just got mine this week. No problems with the first 200 rounds. Tight and a nice finish. The trigger is better than any of my other DA pistols, though not as nice as a 1911. It also takes down nicely. The instruction manual has a misprint - line up the witness marks, not the slide stop and cutout.

Good luck.
 
Is is a most enjoyable gun *when it works*. Mine is back at Kahr because it locked the slide back every other shot. Otherwise, it was accurate and had mild recoil (much less than the Kel-tec P11)
 
VictorLuois, Mike K, and Oleg Volk: Gentleman,

Thank You for the replies. O was particularrly interested when Victor said that the felt recoil was about the same as his E9. the P0 seems to have wone you over. Does anyone else have any comments on their Kahr P9? Do you have the factory night sights? feeding reliable? etc

Thanks for your imput.

Raymond 3
 
I have the E9 (Economy)Model and it was pronounced a POS by me after 100 rounds. It felt heavy and I experienced jams. I pissed and moaned about how could anyone recommend this pistol? Guess what? At about 200 rounds it became reliable and moved into a place of honor with me. Buy the pistol and 200 rounds of good ball ammo, shoot the ammo, and then judge it. Kahrs are very accurate,have great out of the box triggers, and I no longer say much about the weight. Regards, Richard.
 
Raymond3,

I have 1310 rounds through my P9. I am generally very satisfied with the pistol and often carry it as a summer gun. The pistol is factory stock (note that it came with the excellent factory-installed night sites). It is my only Kahr so I cannot compare the trigger to the K9. I can, however, say that I am fond of the trigger after having spent some time getting used to it. Although I find the trigger pull to be most enjoyable for slow-fire shooting, it works fine for faster defensive drills. I am more used to the fast reset of the Glock triggers or the general lightness of the HK P7 series. Still, my double taps and such are only marginally slower with the P9.

I have run Federal 9BP 115 gr, CorBon +P 115 gr, CorBon +P 125 gr, Remington +P+ 115 gr, S&B 115 gr FMJ, and Blazer 115 gr FMJ through the pistol with very few problems. The standard pressure Federal 9BP was very controllable in the lightweight gun and grouped well. I did have two failures to fee with this ammo but I believe both were user-induced. Both cases were the same. Inserting a full magazine into the pistol with the slide locked back, I retracted the slide, released it and the first round from the magazine nose-dived into the ramp. In hindsight, I believe I rode the slide forward.

I sometimes find it a challenge to maintain a proper hold on the grips (esp. when firing hotter loads). Also, a few hundred rounds tends to leave me a reminder in the form of an ache in the web of my strong hand. I find that a VERY firm grip on the pistol tends to mitigate both of these tendencies. Although I by no means have large hands, even smaller hands may find the grip more desirable. If not, there is plenty of room to add a sleeve grip without creating too thick of a grip.

I usually carry it in a belly band and have had no corrosion problems. Disassembly seems pretty straight forward and cleaning is fast.

I think this is an excellent CC oriented pistol. The fact is that it's a 9mm (+P rated at that) in a .380 sized package. For some reason, it is just large enough to feel like a "real" pistol rather than a mouse gun. It shoots straight and functions reliable. I'd recommend it without hesitation.

Hope this helps a bit.


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Best,
- Jawper
 
I have three Kahrs: K9 elite, MK9 elite, and a K40 retrofitted with the elite trigger. I don't have a P9 (more's the pitty). All three have the factory night sights.

I carry the MK9 more than anything else. Nice gun. Easy to conceal. Remarkably accurate for such a short barrel. All 3 have fed quite well.

The recoil of the K40 is a bit stout. The problem is that my hands are a bit large for the gun and I get impact in the web of my hand (between thumb and index finger). If you have smaller hands, it probably won't be an issue. The K9 is a pussy cat. The MK9 has a touch more recoil than the K9 and a stiffer recoil spring.

The only problem that I had was the rear sight on the K40 would slip off to the left. This occurred after the gun was about a year old. I tried drifting it to the center with a punch, but the sight kept slipping off to the left after I fired a few rounds. I shipped it back to Kahr and they replaced the rear sight for no charge.

Jared
 
yOU CAN SEARCH MY OLD COMMENTS ABOUT THE p9. tO SUM THESE UP: THE gun fed reliably, factory night sights are great, accuracy is excellent, trigger is excellent w/o painful reset common to small guns and smoother than any S&W revolver, recoil is light (similar to Beretta 92). I just wish mine worked right...can't wait to get it back from Kahr.
 
After hefting the P9 multiple times at gun shows, my first impression is that it has THE THINNEST GRIP of any 9mm auto. This could become a very favored women's gun.
 
I'll agree with Gino on that. The K9 works very well for people with small hands and short fingers. I won't recommend either an MK9 or a K40 for most women, because their recoil springs are rather stout. Many of my female students have trouble operating semi-autos with springs that heavy. But the spring on the K9 is much easier. jared
 
I am in the market for a new sub-compact 9mm. I am leaning towards the Glock 26. I read up on the P9 and it sounds good but it appears from the pic in the rag that on the upper right side of the grip frame a section of the polymer is held in place by a pin meaning the frame is has two components. I don't want that in a steel frame or aluminum frame much less a polymer platform.

If this is the case, I will be steering clear of it. Until recently, I was an engineered adhesive sales person dealing with thermosets and other polymers daily. The part on that frame that is seperate will be the path of least resistance for stress.

The polymer frame concept is magnificent but it must be all in one piece so that forces will be spread throught the frame. Speaking only for myself, I will not own a polymer frame that has two parts. It must be one solid mass for greater durability.

I'm sure the P9 is a great gun and as good as the K9 I owned if not better but again if that plastic grip section is two pieces, I'm out and on to the Glock or HK Compact with all due respect.

If it is one piece, forgive me and I will more than likely be getting one.

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"When guns are outlawed;I will be an outlaw."

[This message has been edited by Will Beararms (edited August 27, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Will Beararms (edited August 27, 2000).]
 
Just got back from a day trip to Reno, saw a K9, MK9, and a P9. At 5'4" tall, the P9 fits my hand incrudulously. Then I tried the trigger,

AND I COULD REACH THE FORWARD SECTION OF THE TRIGGERGUARD!!!! Pardon my shouting, but the gun was straight along my forearm. I have to twist my grip around to the right to reach the DA on an N frame.

AND A LIGHT BUT FIRM ENOUGH, SHORT, SMOOTH DAO TRIGGER. It is RIGHT!!!!

Folks, for my small hands it was almost a spiritual experience.

This is the gun Glock SHOULD HAVE MADE!!!!

OK, I haven't shot it so far but just holding it was a revelation.
 
Will, you are right. It is obviously there to access the trigger bar and its spring for assembly/disassembly. That same portion on the steel guns is a LARGE opening on the side of the frame. It is covered by a plastic backed RUBBER grip panel, and held on by two short screws. On this gun, it is a comparatively small window covered by a bit thicker piece of plastic held in by tongue-and-groove, and retained at the rear by a cross pin. To me, it appears to be a toss up.

In the event of a catastrophic cartridge failure, I think you will suffer some injury either way. Thankfully, such occurrences are quite rare, and they only seem to happen to Glo... :) :) :)
 
I finally held one at a shop a week ago. Its a winner. It points like an index finger. Is light as a humming bird moth. And that trigger is so smooth that it makes it feel lighter than the 7 lbs stated. Only thing I didn't like was the looong trigger stroke. The only smoother DA trigger I've ever stroked are the SIGS that I've worked on. I'd like to get one, but I might be tempted to carry it once in a while since its lighter than my 225. :o No! I won't be unfaithful to my baby.

....However if I ever get hitched, my better half might like one.

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"But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip; and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one." -Jesus Christ (Luke 22:36, see John 3:15-18)
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"Reasonable gun law?............There's No such critter!" --EQ
 
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