What do you like and hate about your Kahr?

[Josh45]

I been looking to get a new pistol for carry.
But I was thinking of something that I could possibly carry in pocket.
Is the Kahr CW pistols to big for that? I been really interested in getting one for some time now.

What I would like to know is what do you like and hate about this gun?
Do you still have it or did you sell it and if you did, Why? How has Kahr CS treated you?

I am looking at the Kahr CW45 as that is the round I prefer to carry with me. Just a personal thing, Nothing more.
Also, How was Kahrs customer service if you had to use it?
How hard are spare parts to come by? Expensive?

Basically, Anything you would think of mentioning. And of course, The trigger?

I know this gun was not meant to shoot a lot because I have read a lot of people complain about it hurting their hand after a while. If you have any other options you can think of that would work well in it's place, Let me know.

Thanks for any advice on this pistol

 

[danweasel]

Well I have a CW40.

I like that it's very small and slim but with the extended 7 shot mag it is just big enough to handle. I also like the sights but they are definitely not for everybody (Heine Straight Eights)

I HATE that I can only put 6 rounds in my 7 shot mags or risk feeding issues. And I mean like 50% of the time. I also think that .40 is a bit much for such a small gun. .45 should probably be OK but .40 just feels like it is shocking my hand to death. Oh, also, mags are almost $50.00 which is ridiculous.

Overall I would say look for a used one with a good reputation and test fire it first. Kahrs just seem to vary too much between "best pistol I have ever owned" to "trash" for me to feel comfortable buying one new.

I got mine for free from a guy for storing his truck for a year...

 

[holdencm9]

I love my CW9. It fits my hand great, fits IWB perfectly. I can shoot it relatively accurate. The trigger is nice and smooth, but different. Hard to explain. It just kind of pulls back back back and then the striker is released and bang you have a nice hole in the bullseye (well, some of the time ) but I like that it is long for safety while concealed, but not overly heavy. And yeah, I hate the mags too. Trying to get that last round in is a pain, and I don't like the way they tend to nosedive if you cycle slowly, but I am told that is less of an issue with .45. All in all, a great gun!

 

[critter]

I have (and often carry) an MK9. Love the lil gun. It is 100% dependable, very accurate for a little gun and heavy enough to be pleasant to shoot. The heft makes it a little too much for pocket carry unless the pants are compatible with such things. Very comfortable and easy to carry IWB or OWB either, even after a long day. I carry the longer mag for backup.

The trigger is an absolute wonder for clean and smooth. BEST DA type trigger I've found.

 

[gb6491]

I have a CW9 and a CW45. While they will fit in some pockets, I don't consider them "pocket guns". You would probably be better served by a "CM/PM" series Kahr for that role. I like the size, weight, ergonomics, and accuracy of my Kahrs. The CW9 has always been reliable; the CW45 needed some work in that regards, but is now reliable. I did not like that the OEM front sight is made of plastic and held on by two posts that have their ends melted. I've since replaced the front sights on mine with metal ones.
The trigger is long, but smooth.
Parts are readily available on the Kahr website: http://www.kahr.com/Parts/Parts.asp
FWIW, the CW45 is comparable in size to Officer's/Compact size, 1911 style, pistols (the CW45 is lighter and has a slightly shorter OAL):

Regards,
Greg

 

[Fishbed77]

I have a Kahr CM9 that I have been very pleased with, so my list of likes will be much longer than my list of dislikes. I purchased it in February of this year, and to date, I have put approximately 500 rounds of various types/brands of ammo through it.

LIKES:

-100% reliability out of the box with no break-in period needed. I understand the 9mm Kahrs tend to not give many problems in this respect.

-I like the "straight eight" style sights. They suit this type of handgun well.

-No unnecessary safeties to deal with.

-Very smooth (but longish) double-action-only trigger. Probably the best factory DAO trigger I've encountered.

-Clearly a very well-made and well-finished pistol. The feed ramp is polished to a mirror finish, and there are no tool marks to be seen on any of the steel parts. Not bad at all for a pistol that cost me $337 out the door (on sale at Palmetto State Armory).

-Surprisingly soft-shooting and easy to hold, considering the size.

-Small, slim, and easy to carry. Not much to snag on.

-Easy to find parts and accessories for.

-The CM9 doesn't really give anything up to the PM9, which costs hundreds more (except one magazine).


DISLIKES:

-Mine seems to shoot a bit low. Not sure if it is the gun or my shooting style (could be riding/rocking the long trigger). I have since adapted where to hold the sights, so not really an issue.

-Magazines are over-priced (as they are for many firearms in this class), and the CM9 only comes with one.

-The front sight looks a bit chintzy (plastic and pressed/melted into slide). It seems to be holding up fine though, and if I ever have a problem with it, it is easily replaced with the metal night sight that is available for the CW/CM series pistols. Obviously, Glocks, and even higher-quality pistols like Walthers use plastic sights, so I'm definitely nit-picking here.

-The plastic baseplates on the 7-round magazines are flimsy. I broke one from my father's MK9 (same pistol as CM9/PM9, but with steel frame) just by slamming one home pretty hard. Granted, it was almost 10 years old, but I can't tell where the design has changed on the newer magazines.

 

[heeler]

I have not found anything I dislike about my PM9.
The nite sites work well and the pistol is quite accurate.
The one thing I can say that is negative was the extra seven round magazine Kahr supplies with the pistol is a certified lemon.
And will cause a nose dive jam too many times.
This is a well known issue.

I use it as a paper weight and bought an extra standard six round magazine.
And have never once had any sort of malfunction using the standard six round magazines.
I like my Kahrs trigger a lot better than my LCP'S and my KT's P32

 

[Dean1818]

I have a CM9 that fits most pockets


Pros

Small size

Accurate with slow fire

Light weight

Dot the I sights work well


Cons

My biggest complaint is not being able to double tap with the long trigger

Breakin period



Its a good gun...... But..... Not a great gun...... Its fits a role

 

[hardluk1]

My first kahr , a cw9 came used and for sale cheap by a disgruntled owner For me it was so good I bought a new cm9 for pocket carry I do tend to be one that will shoot alot when new to be sure theres not any issues and the cw9 has just over 1200 rounds fire ,the cm9 has 8050 and both have been 100% reliable.

 

[jfrey]

I had a CW9 and it wasn't too bad. It didn't like my reloads and I had to seat the bullets deeper than I like for them to function in the gun. I obviously reload and if any gun won't shoot them, I don't want it. Had a few light primer strikes too. I just never trusted it 100%. I traded it on a G19 and like it better. Last Thursday I got a new S&W M&P Shield. Much better gun all around for me. Shoots my loads like a champ and absolutely no malfunctions. A good friend has a CW9 and CW45. Had some issues with both.

 

[red rick]

P9

Pro's
Slim
Light
Accurate

Con's
Mag release
Can't slingshot the first round
Long ( but smooth ) trigger pull
CS can be questionable

 

[JDGray]

I've been carrying a CW9 for 2 years now, and can tell you its my favorite carry gun. Not a good pocket gun for most people, but great IWB....

Likes:
1. Accurate as any gun I've shot
2. Smooth trigger
3. Very light
4. Not too small
5. Rapid fire drills are very easy, and you dont notice the long trigger at all
6. Never a jam, with any ammo
7. Recoil is a non issue
8. No manual safety

Dislikes:
1. Slide only holds open 50% of the time
2. The mags with the steel bases look like an after thought
3. No Quality Kydex OWB holsters available for the CW9(Raven, Ntac, no blue guns for molds)

 

[deputy tom]

I owned an original K9. It was too heavy for what it was. Later I bought a P40. I didn't like the recoil,ammo costs and the pins walking out of the frame. I currently have a CW9 and it has been flawless thru the two hundred round break-in period with ball ammo and approx. fifty hollow points. I wish the front sight was dovetailled and the mags were less expensive. Other than that nothing I can think of to take away from this nice little pistol. I have no experience with the CW45 but lots of info on them on the Kahr Forums. YMMV. tom.

ETA If I were in the market for a smaller .45 acp pistol I'd get an XD45s or look at the G-36.

 

[sidheshooter]

As an aside, my LGS has a used CW45 in the case for $295. I was surprised by that price. PM me if you want the phone number.

 

[thefamcnaj]

Ive had my cm9 for a few months and love it. It's had know failures to speak of except the slide didn't lock back in an empty mag once. It's super accurate for such a small gun and is not unpleasant to shoot for long periods of time. It's the perfect pocket carry piece during the hot months. Imho the kahrs have the best da trigger on the market.
The only gripe I have is that I can't find a spare mag anywhere. I've been looking for one sine I bought it.

 

[ForumSurfer]

I had a Kahr cw9 and sold it.

Pros:

• Carried wonderfully IWB or OWB.
• Easy to conceal
• Accurate
• Reliable
• A really joy to shoot, you could run a few hundred rounds through it at a time and it didn't punish your hands despite it's small size.
• A real gem og a trigger, it felt like a finely tuned smith trigger or a ruger lcr trigger
• Useable sights
• Extremely affordable

Cons:

• Too big for pocket carry in my pockets, I would have been happier with a cm9
• Frame was a little too slick sided for me. I prefer an aggressive pattern like gen4 glocks or aggressively checkered wood grips.
• Not much to look at or write home to about, but it was accurate and reliable...about all you can ask for at it's price point.

 

[340PD]

I like everything about my PM9. Runs my handloads with no failures. Feeding issues are well documented and can be fixed in less than a minute with a pencil and 600 grit sandpaper. It will also allow you to slingshot the slide. I think you may want to look and ask questions over at a forum named after the gun you are trying to buy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogM036r016M

 

[deputy tom]

ForumSurfer,I agree with everything you said except the last two cons. They don't apply to me.tom.




Quote{ I had a Kahr cw9 and sold it.

Pros:
Carried wonderfully IWB or OWB.
Easy to conceal
Accurate
Reliable
A really joy to shoot, you could run a few hundred rounds through it at a time and it didn't punish your hands despite it's small size.
A real gem og a trigger, it felt like a finely tuned smith trigger or a ruger lcr trigger
Useable sights
Extremely affordable
Cons:
Too big for pocket carry in my pockets, I would have been happier with a cm9
Frame was a little too slick sided for me. I prefer an aggressive pattern like gen4 glocks or aggressively checkered wood grips.
Not much to look at or write home to about, but it was accurate and reliable...about all you can ask for at it's price point. } End quote.

 

[Josh45]

Thanks everyone for the replys. There all very helpful.
And to what I can see, Most Kahr owners are quite happy with their pistols minus a few things.

Hopefully, One of my LGS will have one available so I can get a better feel for it.
So far, I only know one place that has the CW9 and that is a pawn shop asking $425 for it new, I don't even know if it has a box!.

 

[usp9]

My first Kahr was an early model K9 with the longer trigger pull. Great gun but I never bonded with the trigger.

Next came a T9, which has the shorter trigger and I really came to like this gun. Reliable, accurate and easy to shoot. I compare it to a HK P7. My only complaint s the lack of any other grip panel choice.

Next came a P45 which is the perfect CCW if you want a .45 and can handle the recoil from such a light pistol.

I acquired a CW9 but didn't keep it long.

Thought I'd get a TP45 and shorten the grip to the P size, 6 rounds instead of 7, but I wanted the extra barrel length in the TP. I sold both the P45 and TP45 because I had some shoulder problems and the recoil affected me.

Next I bought a newer K9, with the Elite trigger. Great gun, no complaints, no problems. Best Kahr trigger of the bunch, as it was modified at the factory from standard to elite. Expensive but worth it.

Bought a TP9 to go with my T9. I enjoy shooting the TP9 more than the T9. The best Kahr yet.

Picked up a used P9 to consider as a CCW, and it makes an excellent candidate to carry, but I've kept using my HK P2000sk. No complaints with the P9.

You may want to consider a TP9, with a 4" barrel, and cut the grip down to a P sized grip for ease of concealment. This is how the original TP9 was made. Potential to be an outstanding CCW.

Parts are not overly expensive. I've only bought springs and a few others, such as strikers, slide release and such, but they are easy to obtain, ship fast and are reasonably priced.

I do not like the original sights. I prefer Mepros. One reason I sold the CW9 was the inability to change sights.

Spare mags in a pouch may be prone to shed rounds. This may be a problem for some people.

The grip on the polymer Kahrs is a tad-bit small for my hand, so I put a grip sleeve on all my Poly Kahrs. Works great.

Overall I'm pretty much a Kahr fanboy. They aren't HK standard, but they are well made and reliable. I like the compact size, thin profile and low weight. If I were younger, I'd enjoy shooting the .45acp too... but I'm not. Kahr 9mm are great fun, good guns and easy to maintain.

 

[kokapelli]

I really like my PM9, but it is a little big for my pockets so I usually carry a P238 or a TCP.

 

[Snag]

I had a K40 Elite 98 for many years. Carried it everywhere in a reverse horsehide IWB holster. I sold it cause I needed the money and the offer was more than I paid, I regret that decision.

What I liked:

• All steel.
• Fit and finish.
• Lovely trigger. Smooth and clean.
• Grip. I have small hands and Kahr's fit me well.
• Uncanny accurate. Bullets seem to just go where your mind commands them to.
• 100% reliable. I tried many things to get it to malfunction and it would not.
• Not ugly.

What I didn't like:

• Not 100% reliable till broken in. I put 350-400 rounds through that thing before it loosened up.
• My example threw cases straight up into the air. Kahr fixed that.

 

[Micha2u]

I have a few full-sized handguns firearms but purchased my CM9 about a year ago in anticipation of the pending Wisconsin CCW law changes. I evaluated many compact and subcompact .38 and 9mm handguns and picked the Kahr for the way it felt in my hand and for its Glock-like simplicity. It is designed to go bang when you pull the trigger and there is no additional safety or magazine-disconnect to worry about.

I read the Kahr manual, cleaned it and took it to the range to start my 250 round break in with UMC 115 gr FMJ ammo. There were a couple of FTF problems but I had no big concerns until I took it apart to clean it. There were severe scratches on the inside of my slide.

I contacted Customer Service at Kahr and they sent me a shipping label to return my slide for inspection. It took 2-3 weeks but they sent me back a new replacement slide. I believe the problem was a machining burr that broke off inside, got caught between the slide and barrel and scratched the slide interior during cycling when firing. I asked but Customer Service said the gunsmith who looked at it had no thoughts on the cause of the problem.

Since I didn’t have a slide for a few weeks, I had time to work on getting my 6 round magazines to drop freely, something that they did not do. I opted to polish the inside of the polymer frame with small pieces of fine grit wet/dry sandpaper attached to the magazines with two-side sticky tape. I inserted the magazines a few times, removed the sandpaper and my magazines dropped freely as I believe they ought to.

I tried rubber grips but kept going back to the factory grips and, for me, they are what I prefer. I added a Crimson Trace LG-437 LaserGuard that is a great fit on my CM9 and I like it a lot. The lack of an ON/OFF switch doesn’t bother me and it’s always ready when I grip the gun. I do not use the ON/OFF switch on a Crimson Trace laser that I have on my full sized 9mm and it is always in the ON position to be able to be ready immediately. No problems with battery life since they aren’t on unless I’m gripping the gun.

I’m not the world’s best shot but I can hit what I shoot at if I cover the target with the front sight. I have put close to 1,000 rounds through the gun and it is utterly reliable with my carry load of Winchester PDX-1 (+P) 124 gr. I can slingshot the slide to load and reload it and my mags fall free when reloading.

I have a DeSantis Superfly pocket holster I hope I never have to use my CM9 in a self-defense situation but the bottom line is I am confident that I am concealed carrying a totally reliable self-defense handgun that will be there if I need it.

That’s what I wanted when I bought it.

 

[hardluk1]

JDGray Check these for owb carry. -http://www.comp-tac.com/catalog.php?cPath=27
They sure make a fine IWB .

Others are right ,for the most part the CW size pistols are a bit big for most to pocket but the cm/pm works real well for most.

Newbes ,Use 124gr fmj for breaking. As stiff as the kahrs tend to be when new the 115gr sometimes don't have enought energy to cycle the slids . Seem to work good with 124gr loads. Agfter a 100 rounds they my work well with 1115gr cheap stuff.

I don't like the slip on grips made by companies , cost is a bit much and if ordered a bit higher yet and they don't cover well enough. Thats why the free old inner tubes seems better. Cut to fit from the bottom to the top of the grip and build it up as needed with layers and they tend to stick to the hand better. And that helps stop many FTF. Plus if your try to do break in at one setting you can find your grip looseing and control tends to go away holding that hard plastic of any small gun, even some big ones as round count goes up .

Never did put much stock in how a firearm looks. Ugly is fine if it works well. Pretty ain't worth a darn if it don't work. Its is a working gun not a BBq gun.

I carry a 8 shot backup mag for ether of my kahrs ,typicaly loose top side down in a combo knife/phone pocket on columbias or work jeans and never in a year and a half have had a round work out or even back out any.

 

[MICHAEL T]

my front sight ready to fall off . poor quality