Why KAHR handguns are 'better' than a Glock in many ways

[CPshooter]

I'm the opposite. In a self-defense situation I don't want to mess with a heavy, rough trigger. I want a smooth, consistent trigger that's not too heavy.

I don't really want a trigger that's so heavy it prevents AD because the way I see it, I keep my finger off of the trigger until I'm ready to shoot.

That said, I wouldn't want a trigger lighter than a Glock without a safety.

Then you obviously haven't tried pulling a Kahr trigger. Smooth and consistent are the first two words that come to mind with this gun. Half the reason people praise the Kahrs for accuracy is due to this amazing DAO trigger. It is the furthest thing from heavy and rough as you can get. In fact, I'd say it feels lighter and smoother than a Glock trigger. Of course, you can modify Glock triggers to be even lighter w/ a new connector, and they obviously have a shorter SA-type reset compared to the long DAO reset of a Kahr (better for quicker follow-up shots), but overall the Kahr trigger is smoother and better feeling out of the box. The actual shape and ergonomics of the Kahr trigger also blow away the Glocks. A modified Glock trigger pull performs great, but still feels like absolute crap on your finger...especially with that poorly designed trigger safety. At least Springfield Armory knew how to improve the trigger safety design with the XD. I've owned a G19 for plinking and a G27 for carry purposes, but sold them both because there are better options IMO. Still can't argue their reliability though..Glock is top notch along with Sig, CZ, etc.

If you prefer SA, I'd understand, but Kahr does offer a GREAT trigger pull for DAO. Best of both worlds IMO.... buttery smooth, long DAO trigger w/ a surprise break at the end = great accuracy.

 

[Dravur]

@#$@^%^%^

Look, buy whatever you want.

Personally, I am not a huge Kahr fan, I dont like there Ergos and they are whippy, IMO. Take it for what I charged you for it.

And I have not worked at any gun shops, but have talked to several about Kahr's and the answer is.... They are simply too hard to sell to justify the cabinet space.

again, IMO, they are overpriced for what you get. When a gun shop can fill a case with Glocks and know he will sell them in a matter of months, or he can put in a stack of Kahrs and dust them off every few months, which would he rather do?

From what I was told, dealing with Kahr to get a supply of the guns was just too much trouble and a waste of space. They will happily order you one, but they are not carrying a stock of them.

 

[romma]

I just happen to be carrying the Ole' PM9 Kahr today... Carries well, shoots well, well built, light, always goes bang.

Carry what you want, I'll take the Khar among others.

BTW, I've warmed up quite a bit to Glocks lately.

 

[atblis]

Hmmm

No horse in this race (own neither).

I like the Kahrs. The triggers are decent.

What keeps me from buying one.
Price
Reports of issues.

It's actually the combination of the two. If polymer Kahrs had a better reputation, I wouldn't hesitate for a second to fork over the cash for one. I just cant bring myself to pay that much for a pistol that may or may not work.

If Glock comes out with a single stack 9x19, that's nice and slim...

Keltec PF9 is looking better and better.

 

[glockarmourer40517]

QUOTE::::
Glock cannot import smaller guns due to GCA 1968.
__________________
Oleg Volk



***********WRONG***************!

Glock IS MAKING GUNS IN THE USA NOW........OK?!?!?!?

GLOCK CAN MAKE A SMALL FRAME GUN...............Glock 17s are ALREADY being made in GEORGIA.

Glock ANNUAL last year was ABOUT how glock CAN NOW make injection frames in their GA factory now..........


Import points are irrelavent for a USA MADE GLOCK.......

got it ?!?!?

 

[glockarmourer40517]

most people here complaining about KAHR's trigger, have never shot one.

so thats laughable nonsense.


they thing "double action trigger" and think of an old smith and wesson...


Kahr trigger is better than a stock glock.

 

[Correia]

And I have not worked at any gun shops, but have talked to several about Kahr's and the answer is.... They are simply too hard to sell to justify the cabinet space.

I stock them at my store, and sell them just fine.

In fact, ready yourself for some blasphemy against your ineffectual Austrian gods, I stock about as many Kahrs as I do Glocks. And I sell more XDs, M&Ps, and even Sigpros than I do Glocks.

 

[ABBOBERG]

The fifth patent is related to Kahr's unique extractor design. The extractor's uniqueness is that its pivoting motion is limited in one direction to make "failures to extract" a near impossibility. (I BELIEVE THE MOST IMPORTANT PATENT).

I just read through the Kahr patent #5678340 and it appear that there is nothing in the Kahr extractor that prevents it from letting go early except spring force and friction, which is augmented by the steep extractor pivot angle. If indeed Kahr had a positive lock on the case flange with the extractor claw, then you would not be able to close the slide on an already-chambered round. The overtravel for the claw to go around the case flange has to be there; thus, there is no truly postive lock - all you have is spring force and friction. Like numerous other patents, this one is just blowing smoke.

 

[bannockburn]

I've got to side with my Glock on this one; by far the better trigger than the Kahr that I had. The problem with the Kahr was that it was not like a DA revolver; there was no stacking or felt resisitance when you pulled it through what seemed to be an eternally long distance until it finally went "bang". I could never develop any sort of rhythm or consistency while I was shooting. I also had my doubts about the overall durability of the polymer frame, (mine was a CW40), because at some time a piece of the polymer became wedged near the slide stop spring and caused the slide to hold open after every shot. I did like the concept and concealability of the design, it's just the overall product fell short of being the ideal concealed carry weapon.

 

[iostorm]

I am totally happy with my PM9, Great trigger, unbelieveable accuracy (downright weird how accurate it is) and absolutely flawless operation thru 250+ rounds.

 

[springmom]

You know, y'all, if you don't feed the troll it will go away....

Springmom

 

[denfoote]

broken Kahr extractor? ....ehh, so what, ive had 3 broken extractors on my glock , a hunk missing out of the claw....no big deal.

I am one of the few who have suffered a broken extractor on his MK9!!

I contacted Kahr and they were so flabergasted that they sent me an entire assembly free of charge!!!

I'm not sure what caused the breakage, but I strongly suspect the Wolf ammo I was shooting sometime beforehand!!

The only reason why I'm not carrying it is because of a night sight failure. I have ordered and gotten replacements and only await the time to make a trip into my gunsmith to achieve the changeout!!

 

[RM]

I owned two Kahrs. My experience leads me to repeat the previous sage words of Nomad:

"They suck, the 'customer service' sucks, their 'gunsmiths' suck, and their warrenty sucks."

 

[Joe the Redneck]

I was just wondering, that whole thing about the Moonies owning the company that makes the Kahr, was tha just an urban myth?

I agree, shoot what you like. I like my Glock and my Kel Tec but I'm not going to pee on anyone's choice. Whatever works for you.

Joe

 

[RNB65]

The founder, CEO, and chief gun designer of Kahr Arms is Justin Moon, son of the infamous Reverend Moon.

 

[WeedWhacker]

Any firearm with a "break-in" period gives me the willies.

Isn't that ALL of them?

Not Glocks.

Not Ruger revolvers.

Not IWI Jericho 941s.

Not Browning Buckmarks.

Not IMI Galils.

Not North American Arms revolvers.


... and those are just the ones I've personally shot "new" at some point.

 

[Colt]

I've owned 2 Kahrs.

PM9 stainless, with white dots. Shot fine out of the box, but it was subject to a recall, so I sent it in. Took forever to get back. (6+ weeks is forever to me) Shot fine when it came back, but Kahr's handling of the recall left a bad taste in my mouth, and I didn't want a company with such poor customer service for my carry gun. I sold it a few weeks later.

I tried a few other carry guns over the next 18 months, but none had such a good balance of size/power/accuracy as the PM9. After hearing that customer service had improved (from various sources) I ended up buying another PM9 with black matte finish and night sights. Shot fine right out of the box, not subject to any recalls. I've been carrying it since.

The accuracy of the PM9 is unbelievable.

 

[Johannes_Paulsen]

Joe the Redneck:

It is not technically true that the Unification Church ("The Moonies") own Kahr. Kahr Arms is owned by Saello, Inc. Kook-Jin "Justin" Moon is the head of Saello. Justin runs Kahr through Saello, and is also responsible for designing the Kahr firearms.

Justin, however, is also the son of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the head of the Unification Church, and a member of that Church. (See this interview with Massad Ayoob.)

Obviously, Justin started Kahr at a young age, and it's evident that he had some backing from his wealthy father. There are also reports in the popular press that the elder Moon exercises influence over the way things are run at Kahr. For what it's worth, the elder Moon has a more direct role in several other companies, including the conservative (and pro-RKBA) Washington Times, and (according to the Second Amendment Foundation,) a company that, in 1999, leased a building to the BATF.

The whole "Unification" religion seems a little weird to me (but then again most religions seem that way to me.) What, I think, matters is this:

1.) Kahr makes a good pistol, no matter how you slice it (I just bought one myself.)

2.) The Unification Church and the Moon family are strong supporters of the right to keep & bear arms.

3.) Although I feel a little odd about the Unification Church, it's not like their adherents are running around bombing schools, beheading people, and treating women in a barbaric manner, like some other, more "mainstream" religions I could mention....

Live and let live, eh?

 

[Glockman17366]

I'm pretty sure several of the folks who responded to this thread never shot a Kahr...

I've got an MK9. This is a very sweet little gun. The only downside (to me) is the weight, considering the size.
Now that I've found a holster I like for this gun (FINALLY!!), I've taken to carrying it frequently.

As far as break in...anything made of metals will require a break in of some sort (your car's engine, for example). At least Kahr was honest enough to admit it.
Can't say anything about the polymer Kahrs...never handled one.

 

[Johannes_Paulsen]

Glockman,

I just got an MK9 a week or two ago. What holster are you using? Still shopping around for one.

 

[RNB65]

Take a look at Milt Sparks IWB holsters. They are superb. I carry my P9 in a Milt Sparks Heritage holster. The only downsides are the cost $100+ and the current wait time is at least 6 months.

http://www.miltsparks.com/

 

[Kimber1911_06238]

I've only shot 2 KAHR's....but i absolutely hated the trigger. I'd choose a glock over a KAHR

 

[glockarmourer40517]

as i said from the beginning, and which many above posters confirm.....the Polymer KAHRs are outright lemons with triggers.

sorry, i wont buy a gun which has parts GLUED in it from the factory (aka polymer KAHR).


in response to the above poster, yup, the MK9 is a sweet little gun, awesome indeed.

however a known problem with ALL METAL KAHRs, is that the grip screws back out when shooting them.......there are LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of accounts of this from all-metal KAHR owners, .....answer: locktite the grip screws in.

my 3 K40 Kahrs are awesome, petite little flawless guns, very very concealable, and more reliable than anything else out there, except a glock..

but, glock doesnt make any such super petite gun as a MK9, or MK40, or even a K40. ....or even a K9.......

 

[konradh]

I have a Kahr P9 and PM9. A few other people I know tried mine and bought Kahrs as well.

My experience has been 100% reliability and great accuracy.

Reasons I bought this over a Glock: (1) Slimmer and easier to conceal. (2) Polymer versions are very lightweight (lighther than a G26). (3) Glock finger grooves don't fit my hand right.

The Kahr trigger feels like a highly tuned revolver, like a custom Colt Python. (Kahrs of the last few years have the Elite trigger which is better than the original.) Some people like a double-action trigger and some don't. For me, it is a good balance of smooth operation with security against accidental discharge. I think the Glock 5-lb triggers are scary, but lots of them are in service with no problem.

Negatives about the P9 and PM9 for me: extensive firing (200+ rounds) cuts open a small spot at the base of my thumb. Maybe my skin is sensitive or my thumb is oddly shaped since I have not heard this complaint from others who fire Kahrs.

Other factors that can be negatives or positives: (1) The magazine springs are very strong which gives great reliability and long life but makes them tough to load. Also, the top round can pop out when the magazine is carried in the pocket without a case. (2) The PM9 has very strong recoil springs so it is hard to rack the slide for people with weak hands or arthritis.

I have never had a malfunction with a Kahr. (I have had malfunctions with eery other brand of autoloader I've ever owned, although, in fairness to North American Arms, their pistols were 100% reliable after they changed magazine manufacturers.) I think a 200-round break-in is prudent for ANY autoloader--especially one that is built to tight tolerances.

One advantage of Glocks: their enormous popularity makes it simple to find holsters, accessories, and service.

 

[RNB65]

Negatives about the P9 and PM9 for me: extensive firing (200+ rounds) cuts open a small spot at the base of my thumb. Maybe my skin is sensitive or my thumb is oddly shaped since I have not heard this complaint from others who fire Kahrs.

It's fairly common. The top left corner of the backstrap rubs a serious blister next to the thumb knuckle and can take the skin right off. Stick a band-aid or piece of athletic tape on that spot prior to shooting and you won't have a problem. Problem solved.

For self defense shooting, I like the Kahr trigger much more than the Glock 26 trigger. Some people like it, some people don't. Too each his own.