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Any Experience with Kahr?

7K views 19 replies 14 participants last post by  Jesse 8 
#1 ·
I'm just curious, I've got small hands (even for a woman) and while a Walther P22 fits great in my hand, I personally don't feel that a .22 has enough firepower to stop a serious threat. I've been looking at a Kahr CM9. It's got a 3" barrel, and a 6 cartridge mag. It's also a 9 mm. Any of you have suggestions? The one thing that makes me nervous about a Kahr, is that there's no external safety. I'm paranoid about safety, so it's a bit of a sticking point for me.
I'd love to hear what you people think...
 
#2 ·
That gun has a pretty stiff recoil spring in it. You got to be tough to rack the slide. For sure handle one first and make sure you can manipulate the slide.
 
#3 ·
You might want to look into the Ruger SR9c or Taurus 709. They are both compact, 9mm, and have manual safeties. As a matter of fact, the Taurus 709 was so small on its grip that it hurt for me to fire it, because I didn't have enough grip to get a purchase on.

If you can live with no external safety, then a Kahr CM9 could also be quite comfortable for you. My wife also has small hands and struggles to find pistols that fit well.
 
#4 ·
I have a P-9 and a PM-9, both of which are wonderful to shoot. The lack of external safety is negated by the revolver like DA pull. It is a longer, non-stacking smooth pull with a clear break point.

Both guns are the favorite of a female friend who has small hands and even shorter fingers (proportionality). For a start, the P is the better choice, longer barrel - more "umph" and less recoil and the slightly longer grip might make a difference if your hands go around. I like the PM mostly because it is a backup in 9mm.
 
#5 ·
I used to have a PM9, which is nearly identical to the CM9. I loved it - best micro gun I've owned. I can't say shooting it was a pleasure - being so small and light and shooting a 9mm cartridge translated into a bit of punishment for your hand. I put a Hogue Handall grip on and that helped a bit. I believe you can get most Kahr models with an external safety now, but I'm not sure if that is true of the CM9. The trigger pull on Kahrs is what most people really rave about - its very smooth, and a little long, almost like a double-action revolver. Its a very pleasant trigger pull but you really have to mean it in order to fire the gun. I was always comfortable carrying mine with no external safety.

Unless the micro size is something very important to you - if you're going to pocket carry or something - I'd actually recomment the CW9 - its just a tad bigger, so you lose just a little bit in concealability, but you gain capacity and its easier/more comfortable to shoot.

Some people have also said that the slide is a little hard for them to manipulate due to the stiff springs Kahr uses. It was never a problem for me, but you might want to play with a couple to see how you like it.
 
#7 ·
Like Paul said, every Kahr I've played with has a very tough recoil spring. There was no way that my wife could operate the thing.

I just purchased a Sig P238, and I believe it's an excellent pistol for the lady users. The recoil is quite manageable, and the operation of the firearm (other than simply pulling the trigger) is easy for my wife (who also has smaller hands). It's not a 9mm -- though they are coming out with a 9mm version soon... the P938 -- but the .380 ACP in modern self-defense loadings is quite potent.
 
#8 ·
My dad has a Kahr. I'm pretty sure it's the CM9. My gf and I went with him out west to do some shooting. I have shot it before and wasn't super impressed. The trigger pull is very long. It is smooth, but very long. The slide is stiff, and it isn't really accurate. He had to do the famous Kahr break in of 200-300 rounds before it would function properly. Still sometimes it fails to go into battery and you have to smack the back of the slide to fix it. The recoil is stiff as well since it's just a little guy. My gf was thinking about buying one until she shot it.

I threw up a little when someone mentioned getting a gun that starts with T and rhymes with Boris.
 
#9 ·
Snurd said:
My dad has a Kahr. I'm pretty sure it's the CM9. My gf and I went with him out west to do some shooting. I have shot it before and wasn't super impressed. The trigger pull is very long. It is smooth, but very long. The slide is stiff, and it isn't really accurate. He had to do the famous Kahr break in of 200-300 rounds before it would function properly. Still sometimes it fails to go into battery and you have to smack the back of the slide to fix it. The recoil is stiff as well since it's just a little guy. My gf was thinking about buying one until she shot it.

I threw up a little when someone mentioned getting a gun that starts with T and rhymes with Boris.
HEY!!! I love my Thoris.:grin:

Sent from my SGH-T759 using Tapatalk (which means I probably should be working)
 
#10 ·
I agree with what has been said about the kahr. I owned a pm45 for a while. But go and shoot one. That's the only way you will know if what we're saying applys to you.
My wife loves her Ruger LCR. The trigger is almost identical to a kahr. So, I don't know what Slim is whining about. But the key to picking a gun, is to go shoot! No other way.
 
#12 ·
Mine didn't handle limpwristing well, at all. I had to concentrate on keeping a steady solid grip. So, we've had the same experience there. Mine would go into battery, but would stovepipe if limp wristed. It had gotten better with 500 rds. Enough so, that I carried it. It's not in the same leage as glock. But I do think they can be realible. Justs takes some break in, they need to be super clean, and you have to be aware of what works/no limp wrist. I skiped that, and bought the g36... which I sold, because I'd rather carry a full sized 15rd + gun.
 
#13 ·
Thanks for all the input folks!
I took what you guys said into consideration, and after doing a little more digging on my own, I've decided on the Walther PK380. Where I've already had some good experiences with Walther, I'm probably a little superstitious :)
 
#16 ·
So I might be a little late, but I love my CW9, the recoil isn't to bad, although the slide can be stiff. I find that its plenty accurate for me :dunno: maybe I just need to be a better shot though. I would recommend it to anyone.
 
#17 ·
I have had good success with my two Kahrs but they are both steel framed 9mm's. I would not recommend anything smaller for a woman. They carry a little on the heavy side but I like the extra weight for recoil, etc.

Aim Surplus has the K9 stainless versions which are police trade-ins for $419. LINK

The other gun which seems very popular with the ladies these days is the M&P9c. A little on the thicker side but seems to go well with small hands.
 
#19 ·
Just thought I'd update y'all....
So I ordered a PK380 through Doug's quite a while back.
I found out later (on here, actually) that Doug's no longer had a license to sell firearms, and thus, couldn't order in my PK380. Apparently, they knew this at the time I ordered my gun, but must have thought it'd be resolved soon, because no one said anything to me. I'm not really complaining about it, I guess, but it seems like a poor way to do business, you know?
I've got a little issue with my P22, and I'll have to send it to Walther for warranty work. I didn't like feeling naked without carrying, so I finally took the plunge, and decided to get my PK380. I went to Doug's, & finally got my partial payment back, minus the tax, but whatever, and got a PK380 through Impact Guns. It took less than a week for them to get it in, and I was very pleased with the service. I've had great service at their Ogden location, but this was my first time at their WVC store. I'll definitely be going back. I figure I'll hit the range after work on Monday...can't wait!! :dancing:
 
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