What do you think of Kahr pistols?
- Thread starter Rapidrob
- Start date
precision_shooter
New member
Had one, sold one.
Trigger is way too long of a pull and way too long to reset.
Would rather spend a little more for a single stack glock 42, 43, etc.
Trigger is way too long of a pull and way too long to reset.
Would rather spend a little more for a single stack glock 42, 43, etc.
Carl the Floor Walker
Moderator
Kahr was ahead of the game years ago. And they got it right. Years later and this little Micro 9 is still a top contender. And you will not find many as small and light. Great smooth, deliberate Striker fired DAO which IMO is Perfect for a small gun.
Absolutely love the Kahr Cm9, Simple, reliable, and shoot fantastic. Very mild shooters and build quality is excellent. Kahr does a great job! How much do I like the CM9? Just bought a second one. One for range and one for carry. A great video is a PM 9 going the distance to 40,000 rds.
Had the CW380 out last week and this gun runs like a sewing machine as well. Shot two boxes of ammo and shooting such great groups at 8 yards with rapid fire. Move to a box of ARX ammo I had and my gosh, a 10 year old could shoot this gun.
Plus 1 for the Kahr. And also a nice gun that you just want to hold in your hand a admire.
Absolutely love the Kahr Cm9, Simple, reliable, and shoot fantastic. Very mild shooters and build quality is excellent. Kahr does a great job! How much do I like the CM9? Just bought a second one. One for range and one for carry. A great video is a PM 9 going the distance to 40,000 rds.
Had the CW380 out last week and this gun runs like a sewing machine as well. Shot two boxes of ammo and shooting such great groups at 8 yards with rapid fire. Move to a box of ARX ammo I had and my gosh, a 10 year old could shoot this gun.
Plus 1 for the Kahr. And also a nice gun that you just want to hold in your hand a admire.
I had a cw9. It was ok,reliable but accuracy was not up to my standards. Maybe it was me. Grew tired of it and gave to my bro in law. Was going to trade it in but resell value is horrible on these guns. NYPD went with glocks so there are a ton of them out there especially in the NY area. If you want one go used, great values are to be had.
Tactical Jackalope
New member
They are extremely well made and filled a niche of single stack concealed carry guns in a time when they weren't really popular or sought after.
Fast forward to today and almost everyone (HK is doing it soon!) is making a micro 9mm.
So they're not that sought after even more so.
Fast forward to today and almost everyone (HK is doing it soon!) is making a micro 9mm.
So they're not that sought after even more so.
Tactical Jackalope
New member
Bamboozled again! I blame Rapidrob.
HighValleyRanch
New member
LOL, I missed that too. Oh well, my 2 cents worth I already typed!
This thread is worthless with pics!
I admit that I am a total fanboy of Kahr Arms.
I've owned a K40, beautiful workmanship and smooth as a swiss watch. Only hiccup was that the slide lock broke and the slide would lock back prematurely, but after installing a new one, it function flawlessly.
The next one was the PM9 in the photo. What's not to love about 8 rounds of 9mm in the pocket slimmer than an LCR and as light. Functioned perfectly from day one and easy to control and avery accurate.
Of course the trigger is what everyone complains about, long and no wall, but it's like the smoothest DA revolver pull I've ever felt, so I have no trouble with it.
The last one and my most favorite is the Kahr P45. It's so slim and compact and yet holds 7 rounds of .45 acp. Shoots like a dream with minimal .45 recoil, and I can shoot ragged holes all day with it! It did start to have some functioning problems, with light strikes and on the day that I had to qualify with it, it malfunctioned three times including one Type III malfunction double feed during a timed relay. But managed to do the drill and get back on target and shoot 100% with the last three rounds.
Found that there is a cleaning hole in the underside of the slide where you can use gun scrubber to blast out the striker channel to clean out all the gunk, and boy, did a bunch of black debris flush out. Now it is running flawlessly again with any type of ammo. But the tolerances are very tight, so you have to try the ammo out to make sure that the OAL is correct and timing is functioning. Love this pistol and it rides all day IWB
The PM9 and P45 are my EDC's.
I did smooth off the funky checkerboard rasp stuff on the front and back and straps and now the grip feels so good. I'm sure that the recoil control is much better because the grip is so slim that I can really grasp much tighter than I can with my glocks.
You will also notice that the Kahr is inserted with a MecGar Colt 6 round magazine that rides flush to the bottom of the Kahr grip. Most 1911 magazines work in the Kahr with none to some modifications. Slide lock is not always guaranteed on the last round, but a good trade off IMHO.
I thought about chopping the P45 to a PM 45 covert, but realized that I would not gain much between the chop job and the p45 with the flush magazine, maybe 1/4" max. So keeping it like stock.
This thread is worthless with pics!
I admit that I am a total fanboy of Kahr Arms.
I've owned a K40, beautiful workmanship and smooth as a swiss watch. Only hiccup was that the slide lock broke and the slide would lock back prematurely, but after installing a new one, it function flawlessly.
The next one was the PM9 in the photo. What's not to love about 8 rounds of 9mm in the pocket slimmer than an LCR and as light. Functioned perfectly from day one and easy to control and avery accurate.
Of course the trigger is what everyone complains about, long and no wall, but it's like the smoothest DA revolver pull I've ever felt, so I have no trouble with it.
The last one and my most favorite is the Kahr P45. It's so slim and compact and yet holds 7 rounds of .45 acp. Shoots like a dream with minimal .45 recoil, and I can shoot ragged holes all day with it! It did start to have some functioning problems, with light strikes and on the day that I had to qualify with it, it malfunctioned three times including one Type III malfunction double feed during a timed relay. But managed to do the drill and get back on target and shoot 100% with the last three rounds.
Found that there is a cleaning hole in the underside of the slide where you can use gun scrubber to blast out the striker channel to clean out all the gunk, and boy, did a bunch of black debris flush out. Now it is running flawlessly again with any type of ammo. But the tolerances are very tight, so you have to try the ammo out to make sure that the OAL is correct and timing is functioning. Love this pistol and it rides all day IWB
The PM9 and P45 are my EDC's.
I did smooth off the funky checkerboard rasp stuff on the front and back and straps and now the grip feels so good. I'm sure that the recoil control is much better because the grip is so slim that I can really grasp much tighter than I can with my glocks.
You will also notice that the Kahr is inserted with a MecGar Colt 6 round magazine that rides flush to the bottom of the Kahr grip. Most 1911 magazines work in the Kahr with none to some modifications. Slide lock is not always guaranteed on the last round, but a good trade off IMHO.
I thought about chopping the P45 to a PM 45 covert, but realized that I would not gain much between the chop job and the p45 with the flush magazine, maybe 1/4" max. So keeping it like stock.
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I used to carry a P9. Absolutely reliable. The main problem was that I could not shoot it very accurately because it was so narrow (Me not the gun). I also used to own a CW40. It jammed all the time. I replaced the recoil spring and it became reliable but has a ton of recoil and the same personal accuracy issues as the 9mm P9. Sold the CW40 and the P9 only comes out if my XDM-45 3.8 is too big to carry, which in the last 5 years is exactly once.
The older Kahrs seem to have been better as well as the higher trim levels. My dad had constant issues with a K40 or P40 and I don't know if that ever got resolved.
Would I buy another Kahr? No. Possibly better options out there and I don't shoot them well.
The older Kahrs seem to have been better as well as the higher trim levels. My dad had constant issues with a K40 or P40 and I don't know if that ever got resolved.
Would I buy another Kahr? No. Possibly better options out there and I don't shoot them well.
I think at last count I have 6 Kahr pistols... 3 CW9's, a CM9, a PM9, and a CW45. The 9's are my EDC and I trust my life to them. For the most part they have all been 100% reliable... right out of the box, no 200rd break-in, no nothing, load them up and go. The one exception was a P45 I bought used, it had what I believe to be a short chamber and had all sorts of FTFire issues... I traded it off for another CW9. I also had a CW9 that was 100% reliable, but it shot high left... unlike the others. It, too, is gone... replaced with... you got it... another CW9.
You can argue that a double-stack pistol has more firepower, but the Kahr is extremely slim and easy to pack... all the while being a full-sized pistol (CW9) or slightly compact (CM9, et al.) What that means is, I'm more likely to carry the pistol with me, in lieu of leaving it in the truck console... which is what I was doing with everything else I was carrying.
I bought my first CW9 used, from my FFL, as sort of an experiment. It was my first poly pistol, and I DIDN'T expect to like it... I figured I'd buy my first plastic gun, hate it, and move on... but I didn't. I fell in love with the thing. I've since had 2 friends buy them (and like them...) and have given them to my brother and my daugher.
After my first range trip...
You can argue that a double-stack pistol has more firepower, but the Kahr is extremely slim and easy to pack... all the while being a full-sized pistol (CW9) or slightly compact (CM9, et al.) What that means is, I'm more likely to carry the pistol with me, in lieu of leaving it in the truck console... which is what I was doing with everything else I was carrying.
I bought my first CW9 used, from my FFL, as sort of an experiment. It was my first poly pistol, and I DIDN'T expect to like it... I figured I'd buy my first plastic gun, hate it, and move on... but I didn't. I fell in love with the thing. I've since had 2 friends buy them (and like them...) and have given them to my brother and my daugher.
After my first range trip...
I think the CW series have exceptionally terrible triggers. The higher end models have nicer triggers and the milling work is more detailed. Sharp angles on the CW, smooth on the P/PM/K. I think they should all be equally reliable but the higher end ones have more "features".
Cheapshooter
New member
My CM9 has been rock solid right out of the box. No need for the suggested break in, as it has been 100% reliable, and very accurate from the first round fired eight or nine years ago. Since then it has gotten a moderate amount of CCW use, and a hundred or so rounds worth of range time per year.
CW9
I have a CW9. Bought it new for conceal carry in April '13. Got my permit in October '13 and have had a CCW ever since (in California - yes, it's possible). I carry it about 80% of the time I carry. (As a revolver guy, I tend to carry a 7-shot S&W 357 in the cool months when I can layer up for concealment.)
I've put about 1500 rounds or so through it. I don't shoot it a lot as it's my carry piece and want to keep it in good shape. (I shoot a lot of other guns.)
I bought it new. And since I have had it, it as never - never - failed to cycle. It has fed every single round. All of them. No exceptions. And that even includes lead semi-wadcutters (notoriously difficult to feed). It has been an extremely reliable gun.
The trigger is soft and smooth; but very long in pull. I like the long pull - some may not. It shoots straight and is very accurate by any reasonable standard. I even like the stock sights and have no need/desire to change them. Sighted straight from the box. At 10 yards, it shoots poa for 115's, and about 1.5 inches higher for 124's (my preferred weight).
My CW9 is a superb piece and I couldn't be more pleased with it. Nor do I have have any need or desire for any other semi-auto carry piece. I got it right the first time
I have a CW9. Bought it new for conceal carry in April '13. Got my permit in October '13 and have had a CCW ever since (in California - yes, it's possible). I carry it about 80% of the time I carry. (As a revolver guy, I tend to carry a 7-shot S&W 357 in the cool months when I can layer up for concealment.)
I've put about 1500 rounds or so through it. I don't shoot it a lot as it's my carry piece and want to keep it in good shape. (I shoot a lot of other guns.)
I bought it new. And since I have had it, it as never - never - failed to cycle. It has fed every single round. All of them. No exceptions. And that even includes lead semi-wadcutters (notoriously difficult to feed). It has been an extremely reliable gun.
The trigger is soft and smooth; but very long in pull. I like the long pull - some may not. It shoots straight and is very accurate by any reasonable standard. I even like the stock sights and have no need/desire to change them. Sighted straight from the box. At 10 yards, it shoots poa for 115's, and about 1.5 inches higher for 124's (my preferred weight).
My CW9 is a superb piece and I couldn't be more pleased with it. Nor do I have have any need or desire for any other semi-auto carry piece. I got it right the first time
unclenunzie
New member
1500 rounds you might be due a recoil assembly spring replacement.... At least that's what I did with my PM9 at that point when it had a couple feed fails, never happened again. Great gun.
Besides the bling of the PM9... the night sights, the black stainless slide, the forged parts... I can't really tell a difference between the two in a blind taste test. Seriously. The trigger on the PM9 is a little heavier than the CM... but has a smoother let-off. There is actually more shaping of the slide on the CM than the PM.
The one thing that helps the PM/CM is the magazine pinky extensions. My PM9 came with 2 of them. I've always thought magazine extensions were dumb on a micro pistol... they make the pistol grip as long as a standard CW9... so why not carry the CW? ...but, they help immensely on grip and rapid fire. I noted this when I swapped in a full-length CW magazines (which I carry as a reload since they fit any Kahr I happen to be carrying...) and that improved shooting utility, so it makes sense the pinky extension would as well, so they are the mags that are in the pistols now.
A lot of people complain about the Kahr trigger... but the trade-off being no safety for a longer, very smooth trigger pull? I'll take that everyday and twice on Sunday for a CCW pistol. I did have to work with it quite a bit to get where I'm confident with it for carry, and is one of the reasons I only carry a Kahr, now, with rare exception.
I rotate my carry pieces... that's why I have so many of them. It allows me to swap my pistol out each month... so I can clean and inspect, then range test each pistol at my leisure. I carry the PM and CM9's interchangeably.
I was filling out the paperwork for a NIB CW9... the clerk just went to the back and picked one from a stack of them. As he was filling out the SN and such, I handled it... it had a defective trigger. You had to squish the trigger to the back of the frame to get it to fire... definitely defective. I made him give me a new one... which he was upset about, because we had to redo the paperwork... but tough. Like any manufacturer, lemons slip out once in a while.
In reality... looking at my PM9 and CM9 side by side... the CM slide has more machining than the PM slide does, and includes a beveled muzzle surface. The big benefit to the premium Kahrs (the 'P' models...) is the stainless slide and forged hardware.
HighValleyRanch
New member
And the more round profile slide, the extra magazines and the lothar walther barrel.
While I think the stories of individual Kahrs that have had problems go further than they should against the brands reputation I am highly skeptical of using the term "Gold Standard" in relation to Kahr.
I mean aside from a few notable exceptions of generally individual firearms does any major manufacturer today really produce a non-quality firearm that at least does what it is supposed to do at defensive distances?