Kahr's to hit or miss to take a chance on a used one

[Patton]

I got a trade offer on my XD9 for a unfired CM9 with an extra magazine. Being that ~10% of Kahrs get reports of being returned is it worth taking a chance being a second onwer. Shooting it first is not an option because I asked. He wants to keep it unfired.

[D3vo]

Did the first owner send in the warranty paperwork? If memory serves me the first owner has a five year warranty. I had to send mine in for work three times so that would matter to me. That being said if you did have a problem Kahr will make it right. I am proof of that.

[MphsTiger1981]

I picked up a Kahr CW9 at a gun show three weeks ago, and it has been flawless. My brother in law purchased the CM9, which is essentially the cheaper version of the well known PM9 the same day, and his has also been boringly reliable. We took them to the range and ran over 200 rounds of mixed target ammo through both of them, without so much as a burb. If you want a single stack 9, then the Kahr CM9 would be a good choice.

[Fourtyfive]

The warranty is 5 years for the original owner , if it is registered with Kahr and never been shot do not buy it.

That being said , I have 3 Kahrs and love them all ; my CM 9 is my EDC.

Edited March 3, 2012 by Threeeighty

[Will Carry]

You asked for my opinion so here it is. I would not buy a Kahr at any price. They are expensive, require 200 rounds to break in (according to their own web site) and they are designed to fire 2500 rounds. That is not the reason I won't buy a Kahr.....I once bought a Kahr and it would not cycle one round without jamming. The gunshop was kind enough to take it back and I bought a Ruger LC9, which has never failed since the first shot.

That being said many people love them.

[Steelharp]

I really wanted to like Kahr. I've had two CW9's, a K9 Elite, a K40, and a CW45 run through my stable. I tried. Hated all of 'em. No way would I buy it.

[Guest bkelm18]

You asked for my opinion so here it is. I would not buy a Kahr at any price. They are expensive, require 200 rounds to break in (according to their own web site) and they are designed to fire 2500 rounds. That is not the reason I won't buy a Kahr.....I once bought a Kahr and it would not cycle one round without jamming. The gunshop was kind enough to take it back and I bought a Ruger LC9, which has never failed since the first shot.

That being said many people love them.

Expensive? I bought my CM9 for under $450. It has been 100% reliable. Did you send yours back to Kahr? All gun manufacturers produce lemons. I find it silly that people balk at break in periods. It's a mechanical device with tight tolerances. Every gun has a break in period whether the manufacturer actually says so or not.

[Patton]

Well, the break in doesn't bother me. I would try 200rds to check for reliability any way. I am actually going to pass on it anyway.

[Steelharp]

Expensive? I bought my CM9 for under $450. It has been 100% reliable. Did you send yours back to Kahr? All gun manufacturers produce lemons. I find it silly that people balk at break in periods. It's a mechanical device with tight tolerances. Every gun except a Glock has a break in period whether the manufacturer actually says so or not.

Fixed it.

[Guest bkelm18]

Fixed it.

Touche'.

[Will Carry]

Expensive? I bought my CM9 for under $450. It has been 100% reliable. Did you send yours back to Kahr? All gun manufacturers produce lemons. I find it silly that people balk at break in periods. It's a mechanical device with tight tolerances. Every gun has a break in period whether the manufacturer actually says so or not.

I mean no disrespect but he asked for opinions and I gave him mine. That Kahr was not my first handgun purchase.

[hipower]

Just my experiences here. I've owned 2 Kahr pistols: a K9 Stainless and a blued 40 vesion of the same. I didn't care for either one. Just felt awkward to me and I couldn't get to like the long trigger pull on them. As to reliability, both were absolutey flawless. Took anything I loaded and never balked. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase one if the trigger was more to my liking.

I even find myself eyeing a used CM9 at the lgs.

[lshel]

I have had both PM9's and a PM40 and all were flawless, no malfunctions. Accuracy, trigger pull, and weight/slimness are better

than a Glock. I own three Glocks and like them too. My experience with Kahrs has been excellant.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Would there be "objective" documentation somewhere that Kahrs are designed to fire 2500 rounds? What would be expected to wear out? Barrel? Frame rails? Trigger? Or does it just spontaneously disintegrate into subatomic particles on the 2501th round? Would the 2500 round figure also apply to the metal-frame models?

The 3.6" barrel kahrs seem nearly ideal compromise between shootability and carry-ability. The trigger seems safe for carry purposes and is smooth, but I could shoot it better as a range gun with some other light-short trigger.

[Fourtyfive]

2500 is Kahr's recommended recoil spring replacement , I believe the Glock is around 3000.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

2500 is Kahr's recommended recoil spring replacement , I believe the Glock is around 3000.

Thanks 380!

[R1100R]

I bought a CM9 for under $400. It has ran flawless. I even like the trigger and I own a few Glocks.

i feel this is the best purchase I have made in a while.

[Guest tommy62]

I have heard also that they are hit or miss in the quality department.

[Fourtyfive]

Thats where the warranty comes in , sent my P380 back twice ; now it eats everything and runs flawless.

[Oh Shoot]

Though I love my PM9 (in my pocket right now), and I've never had any probs with it, I'd be somewhat leery of grabbing one for $400-425 (around the assumed value of your XD trade value) without the warranty, as it looks like on site the price for non-warranty work is minimum $60, plus shipping.

Reading forums through the years, I think the ~5-10% problem rate on their smallest guns is realistic. Just sort of the norm for miniaturized gun tech with the close tolerances of the Kahr line.

If you can find that he didn't register the warranty, though, that might be a different matter. No idea is they actually check through distributor and find when a gun was sold at retail outlet or not, or require a receipt to show sale, probably neither, but dunno.

- OS

[Fourtyfive]

All they did was ask me when I had bought my P380 , I had never sent my card in. I have not sent the one in for my new CM either , but it's working fine.

[tnhawk]

.... Being that ~10% of Kahrs get reports of being returned is it worth taking a chance being a second onwer....

I bought my K40 in 1996 and it has never given me any problem.

[Caster]

NO, I would NOT trade. The XD will run and you know it. How many XD's do you read about with problems? No way.

[Guest hawkeye10]

Did the first owner send in the warranty paperwork? If memory serves me the first owner has a five year warranty. I had to send mine in for work three times so that would matter to me. That being said if you did have a problem Kahr will make it right. I am proof of that.

I bought a P380 used and had to send it back at no cost to me and now it's my every day carry. Don

[Fourtyfive]

Yeah , I think they fix them anyways , but no guareentee.