So tell me about your Kahr PM9.

[deerslayer]

I'm looking for a new BUG/jogging gun to replace my P3AT, and have been considering a PM9 and a J-frame. Any thoughts positive/negative about the Kahr? I haven't shot one, but have dry-fired them, and don't particularly care for the trigger, but I'm more interested in your opinions on reliability if you have one.

[andersmg]

I have one and love it! I have not shot it a lot but what I have it is very accurate, even for the small size it is as accurate as any handgun I have ever shot. The quality of this gun is as good as most any I have seen and I have had no malfunctions at all. I would highly recommend one to anyone considering it!

just my .02 cents...

[Guest canynracer]

I may be mistaken, but I am ALMOST positive RangeUSA has one for rent....I know they have a Kahr 9mm...just can remember if it is a PM...(I know it is NOT a CW)

good luck!

[Rightwinger]

I guess I'll be looking at the Kahr PM9 as well. That or a baby Glock for the wife. I traded her Bersa .380 for Jgrauman's XD40 so we could possibly have the same caliber but she doesn't handle the .40s recoil very well.

Anyone looking to trade? Kahr for XD40 ported?

[Guest rockytop]

It's a great little pistol. Works exceptionally well for front pocket carry. I'm a Sig collector and I rate the PM9's quality on par with the Sigs.

[strob2000]

I've been looking at that gun also, will be interested to hear opinions.

[KahrMan]

The PM9 was may carry gun for quite a while. It is a great pocket gun. I put about 7-800 rounds thru mine without any malfunctions. It was recommended to me to keep the feed ramp polished which I did. Don't know how much this helps feeding but mine worked great. I finally sold it to move up to the P45.

You also mentioned a J-frame. That is my other carry gun, a SW 638. It is also a great carry gun. Can't go wrong with either choice IMHO.

[Guest jcramin]

mine is AWESOME. Not a single jam or anything. I use it as a front pocket carry gun when im wearing shorts or something and dont want to wear a belt.

J

[Guest ChopperGuy]

I've never owned one, but my CCW instructor has one and he let me fire several rounds through it on the day we had to qualify at the range. I was extremely surprised at how accurate the gun was at 15 yards. It's definitely on my list of "must haves" sooner or later. The smith revolvers are always a good choice as well.

[gunsablazin]

I owned a CW9 which is similar to the PM9, the one I had functioned perfectly and the pistol was way more accurate than a small carry gun needs to be. I carried it for almost a year and only sold it to finance my next purchase. The trigger does not take long to get used to, if you want a good carry gun I'd say you'll be happy with the Kahr.

Robin

[deerslayer]

Thanks for all responses, guys.

[Guest m4coyote]

I purchased a PM9 about six weeks ago, and have nothing but good things to say about it. I was in the same boat as you, and wanted something other than my Kel-Tec P3AT.

My PM9 has digested over 800 rounds now, and has only malfunctioned once. The malfunction occurred at round 175, and was a failure to completely feed a round of WWB 115gr. A simple tap on the rear of the slide with my left hand was all it needed to go bang.

I purchased the Kahr PM9 because I was unsatisfied with the accuracy of my P3AT. My PM9 will empty the six shot magazine into a two inch bull at 10 yards, and will still keep all shots within the "kill" zone at 25 yards. The little gun did take some getting used to, but after a couple hundred rounds, I pretty much became accustomed to the trigger feel and tiny frame size.

I looked at the Walther PPS after reading the Guns & Ammo review, and was somewhat shocked that they even referred to it as a "pocket pistol". It is much larger and heavier than the PM9, and the magazine capacity is identical. The Walther is a well made pistol, but so is the Kahr.

I was hesitant to purchase the PM9 at first because of the horror stories about barrel and slide peening, and multiple trips to the factory for malfunctions. This simply has not been the case for my PM9, and I would recommend it to anyone.

If I am not mistaken, Wolff supplies Kahr with all of the springs for the PM9, and they sell a reduced power striker spring for it. The reduced power striker spring is rated a 5 lbs. and the standard striker spring is 6 lbs. I ordered and installed the reduced power striker spring from them, and it resulted in a very noticeable improvement in the trigger pull weight.

After devoting some research to the subject of pocket pistols, I have come to the conclusion that there is really nothing else on the market to compete with the PM9 as far as size, weight, and accuracy are concerned.

If you are ever in the Chattanooga area, give me a PM, and you would be more than welcome to try out my PM9 before you purchase one for yourself, but I really do not think you will be disappointed if you bought one.

[Guest happyg]

I have been very happy with mine. The serial number is VDXXXX. It carries great in the front pocket. It has been reliable with everything I have run through it. And, it is accurate for what it is. I got tired of dressing around a gun everyday. I don't shoot the J frames very well. I don't like the recoil. So for me the Kahr fits the bill nicely.

[deerslayer]

Hmmm...pretty much all positive responses so far--that's what I was hoping to hear. The only guy I personally know with a Kahr ended up getting rid of it after shooting a few IDPA matches with it. He said it always ran fine when punching holes in paper, but when he started running-and-gunning with it in a match, it always malfunctioned. He is an experienced competitive shooter; he wasn't riding the slide release or limp-wristing, etc. I don't know the model number, but I believe it was a polymer frame 3.5" barrel 9mm.

I personally despise the trigger on these guns--it's not too heavy, but the reset is four feet long and it feels just like a DA revolver (exactly the same all the way through the trigger stroke). I prefer guns with slack in the initial trigger movement (which facilitates shooting from the reset), but my other option is a DAO J-frame, so the trigger issue is moot. Other than my friend's negative experience, I have heard nothing else bad about these little guns.

Edited February 22, 2008 by deerslayer