[Kestrel]

Are they cast? Forged? Milled?

Thanks,
Steve

[Jim Watson]

The dust cover and frontstrap on my E9 (as in Economy) sure look as-cast, with the trigger guard, frame flats and action areas machined. The K models are probably just cleaned up more by milling off all the original surfaces, no reason for them to have two different frame manufacturing setups. Wonder if they get the rough parts from Pinetree?

I can't tell about the slide, it is a fairly simple squarish shape, it may just be milled out of a piece of bar stock.

[Morgan]

From Kahr's website:

"...precision computer machined, the Kahr slide is cut from 4140 Cr-Mo Alloy Steel and 416 Stainless Steel bar stock. This component is heat-treated and tempered to optimize durability."

It doesn't specifically state that the frame is machined, but this implies it is:

"Utilizing the programming and tooling capabilities of CNC machining centers, Kahr pistols' main components are precision computer machined to the tightest universal tolerances. Machined parts, cut exactly to the engineering blueprint, assure proper assembly and peak performance of the Kahr pistol."

[dfariswheel]

The slides are machined from bar stock, the frames are cast.

Unlike most other guns that use a cast frame, Kahr's are of such high quality, it's hard to determine they're cast.

The only way you can tell is to strip the frame and take a close look at some out of the way places inside. If you look close, you will see a very few small mold marks.

[Jim Watson]

Further note:
Kahr is now making them out of plastic so I figure the difference cast to barstock to forged is pretty academic.

[PCRCCW]

Flyer,
Casting vs Forging frames is actually not the only criteria in choosing a "good frame" anymore. Todays technology allows better metallurgy than ever before and without a good "cake mix" for the steel, a frame will not be good regardless of the production process's used.

A forged frame made from questionable steel/alloy will not be near as good as a good cast frame with the better steel.

Castings allow certain amounts of rigidity to be designed into the product..depending on how its designed to handle certain stress's and forces on the finished product, it may be the better choice.

Forgings are better in certain applications also.....pistons, rods....usually products that have a multitude of forces and stress's put on them at different angles in different ways. Torsional, rotation, recipricating..etc.

There is actually nothing that guarantees a forged frame is better than a cast frame. The simple fact that most people hear "forged is better than cast" seems to sway people to that line of reasoning.

With the proper mixture of contents going into the steel..a cast frame can be designed to handle the stress's put on a gun frame at least as good as most better forged frames.

All frames are milled. Castings and forgings are raw "blanks" when done with that process, that both need final milling/machining to make them into actual frames.

Another thing some people dont consider...with both castings/forgings, a blank is machined into the final shape with proper tolerances. This machining process, regardless of how "perfect" the frame is to start with, can either get harder or softer in spots (with no rules to which way it will go) with lack of attention given to proper machining done to the frame.

YET ANOTHER variable is when is the heat treating done to the frame?
If its done after the final machining process then you can change the tolerances on the critical dimensions.

Most frames are heat treated right before the "final machining process" and are machined with proper lubrication and care...therefore minimizing the effect the machining can have on the final product. Keeping it as tight in its given specs as possible.

So how do you tell a good frame after all of this???????????? Buy a quality gun and youll probably do ok.........Kahrs are good guns.

Shoot well.