Went looking for a concealed carry gun for a friend yesterday.
He was leaning toward the Springfield XD or similar sized polymer framed gun. After fondling and weighing about every gun in that family we came to the conclusion that the XD was top heavy and bulkier than expected.
Smith and Wesson 99's and 40's didn't feel right and most had the lever mag release on the trigger guard which were very difficult for my friend to manipulate.
Finally I pointed out a Kahr.
The slide was narrower and lower profile than almost all of the other .40's
The grip was not as bulky which would lend itself to better conceal-ability.
Although steel framed the Kahr felt top heavy like the polymer framed guns we looked at it although not overly so. The gun was $478 NIB and came with two 6 round magazines.
We took it out and set up some cans and bottles at 15 yards.
On the first few shots the slide would not go all the way forward but after applying a little rem oil it functioned flawlessly after that.
Even with the 3.5 inch barrel point-ability was good, and the weight of a loaded magazine balanced the gun very well.
We were able to take out cans and bottles with regularity using a mixture of Winchester white box 180 grain jacketed flat point and PMC 165 grain of the same bullet configuration.
The fit, finish, reliability and ergonomics of the Kahr were impeccable.
Accuracy was good with the single dot rear v notch sights, even though for me they took some getting used to. Recoil was not much more than a similarly sized 9mm making follow up shots quick and easy.
For me the DAO trigger was weird at first and although not unlike the Keltec guns. there was about 5/8 in of slack until you reach the end of the travel then it feels like a single action. After a few magazines the trigger pull felt natural and was easy to control.
I have to give an enthusiastic thumbs up for the Kahr K40
Caliber .40 S&W
Capacity 6 + 1
Operation Trigger cocking DAO; lock breech; "Browning - type" recoil lug; passive striker block; no magazine disconnect
Barrel 3.5", polygonal rifling; 1-16 right-hand twist
Length O/A 6.1"
Height 4.55"
Slide Width .94"
Weight Pistol 24.1 ounces, Magazine 1.9 ounces
Grips Wraparound, textured soft polymer
Sights Low profile, white bar-dot combat sights (tritium night sights optional)
Finish Blued
Magazines 2-standard, 6-round
Warranty Limited Lifetime
He was leaning toward the Springfield XD or similar sized polymer framed gun. After fondling and weighing about every gun in that family we came to the conclusion that the XD was top heavy and bulkier than expected.
Smith and Wesson 99's and 40's didn't feel right and most had the lever mag release on the trigger guard which were very difficult for my friend to manipulate.
Finally I pointed out a Kahr.
The slide was narrower and lower profile than almost all of the other .40's
The grip was not as bulky which would lend itself to better conceal-ability.
Although steel framed the Kahr felt top heavy like the polymer framed guns we looked at it although not overly so. The gun was $478 NIB and came with two 6 round magazines.
We took it out and set up some cans and bottles at 15 yards.
On the first few shots the slide would not go all the way forward but after applying a little rem oil it functioned flawlessly after that.
Even with the 3.5 inch barrel point-ability was good, and the weight of a loaded magazine balanced the gun very well.
We were able to take out cans and bottles with regularity using a mixture of Winchester white box 180 grain jacketed flat point and PMC 165 grain of the same bullet configuration.
The fit, finish, reliability and ergonomics of the Kahr were impeccable.
Accuracy was good with the single dot rear v notch sights, even though for me they took some getting used to. Recoil was not much more than a similarly sized 9mm making follow up shots quick and easy.
For me the DAO trigger was weird at first and although not unlike the Keltec guns. there was about 5/8 in of slack until you reach the end of the travel then it feels like a single action. After a few magazines the trigger pull felt natural and was easy to control.
I have to give an enthusiastic thumbs up for the Kahr K40
Caliber .40 S&W
Capacity 6 + 1
Operation Trigger cocking DAO; lock breech; "Browning - type" recoil lug; passive striker block; no magazine disconnect
Barrel 3.5", polygonal rifling; 1-16 right-hand twist
Length O/A 6.1"
Height 4.55"
Slide Width .94"
Weight Pistol 24.1 ounces, Magazine 1.9 ounces
Grips Wraparound, textured soft polymer
Sights Low profile, white bar-dot combat sights (tritium night sights optional)
Finish Blued
Magazines 2-standard, 6-round
Warranty Limited Lifetime
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