Kahr CM9 woes

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GratefulGuy1234

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Hello all -
Just wanted to share my story for those considering a Kahr firearm. I have a Kahr CM9 and I have had it for about 4 months. In that time, the firearm has been to the factory now 3 times. I sent it in with 'nosedive jam' issues well after the break in period at a rate of about 10%, and with the slide locking back when the mag wasn't empty.
It came back and now it doesn't nose dive, but I still have the slide locking back issue. So, we'll see how they do this time.
I also paid to have them <the factory!> install night sights right when I bought the gun, and can you believe that the front sight fell off the first time I took it to the range. :cuss:
So I found the screw and put it back on, but after a call to customer care they suggested that I send the firearm back to them... so when they had it, they replaced the front sight so it wouldn't fall off again. Well, when at the range to proof their work (and burning up my money with JHP rounds) the sight fell off again. :cuss:
So, I have a firearm I have spent more than $250 in range fees and ammo on... plus I have all the time sending it back and forth invested, the cost of the night sights, etc and I have not yet had a trip to the range without issue. :banghead:
I really am frustrated, to say the least. I have read post after post at the kahr forums where people have all sorts of issues. A lot of folks over there want to help, but it's staggering the number of poor reports for the CM9 and PM9... talk of sanding down parts on the gun to make it work right, etc. It's just wild. It's only my experience, and only with this firearm but after this I will never consider a Kahr ever again.

Thanks -
Scott
 
Sorry to hear about the problems you are having.
I purchased a new P380 and it was a toilet from the getgo.

Traded it in on a big loss.
For the prices they ask for the firearms (Kahr) I thought I would get a good pocket carry but I think the only thing I paid for was looks and ergonomics.
Reliability was a negative.
I really hope you get the issues worked out. I've had a few problems with lots of my other pistols but after breakin in period they just go Away.
The P380 was just a nightmare.
 
That stinks man. My cm9 has been pretty much flawless. I love it. Maybe I got lucky though.
 
I have a PM9, wife has a CM9. They are both great firearms......guess everybody makes a lemon now and then. How many different magazines have you had problems with? Have you asked Kahr for a new CM9?
 
I'm sorry to hear about your CM9 woes. I recently purchased a new CM9 and have put 225 rounds through it, all flawless. 200 UMC 115gr FMJ rounds, 25 Hornady TAP FPD 124gr, not a single failure of any kind.

I love the little gun and I hate to see someone get a bad one. I hope Kahr makes it right for you!
 
Did Kahr tell you what was done to correct the issue? Have you tried a different set of mags? I'd ask Kahr for a new set.
 
CM9 here, just under 400 flawless rounds. Installed my own front night sight early on, hasn't fallen off or come loose.

"I have read post after post at the kahr forums where people have all sorts of issues. A lot of folks over there want to help, but it's staggering the number of poor reports for the CM9 and PM9..."

I have read the Glocks and found a STAGGERING number of poor reports... jokes aside you can go to any forum dedicated to a certain gun and found a higher number of problem threads. Problems with the CM/PM9 is no where near as wide spread as you're making it out to be. People can see that for themselves by checking out the Kahr forum on their own. Not to mention the many people in this thread with great results with theirs.
 
Sorry to hear of your problems and hope they get resolved. FWIW, I believe every firearm manufacturer has had a lemon slip through QC, some more than others. Its what they do for you the customer, after the sale to make things right, this shows what kind of company they are, and if they believe in service after the sale. I have had 3 pistols which I could not solve their problems myself, which had to be sent back. A FN 5.7 Herstal; Great service, sent prepaid shipping tag and had it back in under 2 weeks.(awsome). Next a Steyr M40; (used) Had to pay shipping there but was repaired and back in just over 2 weeks. (pretty good for an older pistol not new to me) My latest is a Diamondback DB9; (used) will see how this one goes. (they will have had it 2 weeks within a couple days. LM
 
The first time they said they reworked the recoil spring and polished (ground down- from what it looks like) the feed ramp.

I have two mags, 6 rounders, and they seem to do the issue equally. There is a theory on kahrtalk where they suggest it could be rounds hitting the slide stop lever internally and preloading the slide stop. I mentioned this in the last letter I enclosed when I sent it back. When I put the slide lever in when the slide is off and I put a full mag in, the end of the round does contact the slide stop lever so I guess it's plausible. Some guys suggest that I could be making contact with the slide stop, but I don't shoot with my thumbs that close to the slide stop. In fact, I TRIED to lock the slide back using upward pressure with a thumb and it never did. Ahhh.

I totally realize that everyone makes a lemon here and there, it's just I had some high hopes and it seems it's such a fight to get it right so far. Trust me, I shoot it so well that I just WISH I could be a kahr fanatic. I shoot it much better than my G19... figure that one out! ;)

As for the front sight, I will probably just take it apart and put some blue loctite on the screw and forget about it forever when I get it back.

We will see, I will keep it until someone offers me a great trade or I trust it again...

Thanks for the input -
Scott
 
That sucks. I would stay on it until they make it right. I would also make sure they pay for the shipping back and forth until it is right.

I have a CM9 and it has been just fine, but I have read some real horror stories. Go on over to the Kahrtalk forum. The only thing that I haven't been happy with is the magazine quality.
 
To bad your not near buy to look yours over. My cm9 is also a slick little pistol out of the box. 750 rounds fired with a 6, 7 and 8 round mags and no issues. Carry ammo is 124gr gd +P from georgia arms. Practice ammo is whats cheap. Take everything down , smooth all edges that are sharp even mag followers lube well and let a friend that you feel is a quality shooter with small pistols give it a run. Mine even slowly working the slide will chamber rounds.
I bought my first kahr a cw9 from a guy that said it was junk. Runs like a pro for me. Go figure.
 
Dear GratefulGuy:

I'm sure you're enjoying hearing from everybody whose CM9 has worked flawlessly from the start. That's just what you want to hear, right?

Well, like you, I had a lot of problems with mine. None that required sending it back to the factory, but Kahr did have to send me a new recoil spring, and I had to adjust the slide-stop spring myself, and I did have problems with the mags sticking and the slide locking open when there were still rounds in the mag.

Instead of the 200-round break-in period that Kahr says might be necessary for proper functioning, mine took more than 400 rounds before it started working right.

In short, I feel your pain.

On the plus side, everybody who has had trouble with their Kahr, and there are plenty of us, has praised the willingness of Kahr customer service to make it right.

But like you, I'm wondering WHY THE EFF you or me or anybody should have to go through such grief with a brand-new gun that we paid serious $$$ for.

I'll keep my CM9 for now, but I don't think I'll ever buy another one.

Good luck, amigo.
 
Shoot it left handed. That will solve the mystery of your thumbs hitting the slide lock lever. You can't hit it if your thumbs are on the other side. What was their explanation for the sights falling off ?? And it was the factory that installed them, and not the gun shop you ordered it from?
 
I was looking at the CM9 as my motorcycle leather jacket pistol. Thanks for the great postings.

I am interested in finding out what Kahr customer service does for the OP.

Kahr has a great product magazine. It is however, very hard to see the pistols, due to the models holding the product.

The All American 15th Edition is some great advertising. Pick one up at your LGS.
 
I bought my first kahr just before Christmas last year. It's the CM9. I haven't gotten to fire it yet and after reading this I wish now I hadn't bought it. I've read this complant and some over on the Kahr forum. I like the size and I was banking on Kahr's reputation. From what I've read Kahr's CS leaves allot to be desired. I've worked the slide several hundred times.
 
Bought mine when they first came out, and the rumor was that the "moonies" owned the company, "remember those guys at the airports with the bald heads", Sun Yet Moon", or some such nonesense. Mine was awful from the get go, maybe the moonies cursed it. I tried everything to get it to fire more than 1 mag without a problem, some days it would actually shoot, and next day same crap. I chucked it, I don't waste time anymore with mysteries in firearms. If the guys who made it can't fix it, I don't want it. It was the only model they made when they first came out, maybe 12 years ago, or more. May have been p9, anyway that was the first and last Kahr I will ever own. You are not alone.
 
My Kahr P9 worked flawlessly from round 1. At 50 rounds I considered it broken in.
 
I bought my first kahr just before Christmas last year. It's the CM9. I haven't gotten to fire it yet and after reading this I wish now I hadn't bought it
Click to expand...

I would suggest at least shooting it before jumping to any conclusions.
 
My CM9 has been flawless. 100% reliable from the start. Likewise, my father's MK9 (basically the same pistol with a steel frame) is almost 10 years old and has never had a malfunction.
 
Ruger Redhawk said:
I bought my first kahr just before Christmas last year. It's the CM9. I haven't gotten to fire it yet and after reading this I wish now I hadn't bought it. I've read this complant and some over on the Kahr forum. I like the size and I was banking on Kahr's reputation. From what I've read Kahr's CS leaves allot to be desired. I've worked the slide several hundred times.
Click to expand...

Seriously? This is a first. A pre-shooting gun whine.

Buy a gun, don't shoot it for 4 months, and then slap the brand because you've read some bad things about the guns. Is that called post purchase research? Shouldn't that be done first?


Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
 
Make sure its not your thumb accidentally pushing the slide lever causing it to lock back prematurely, this happens alot! You can also try having someone else shooting it.

Not really sure how they coild mess up installing the front night sight, all you have to do is throw a little lock-tight in the screw threads and your good to go. Thats what I did with my CW9, you can do it your self pretty easy if needed. Good luck!!
 
Sorry to hear about your "woes." I don't know what to say, except keep hammering on them until they get it right, at least WRT the front sight. It is possible, as mentioned, that your thumb might be contacting the slide stop while shooting. This is a little gun, with not a lot of flexibility as to where you can place your digits. And I would like to see the corners of that slide stop rounded a little bit.

Unless something has gone downhill in the past few years, I wouldn't say your service problems are widespread or typical. Both Kahrs I have owned needed some work to make them run to my standards, but at least they fixed them the first time. An E9 (a now discontinued "economy," less finished version of the K9) purchased in 2000 never had any functioning problems, but occasionally tossed brass at my head ... as well as the front sight falling off. :uhoh: They lowered the ejection port and put a new front sight on, which stayed put. The PM9 I purchased in 2006 had severe functioning problems, but they replaced the barrel and recoil spring and I had no problems since. It became one of my most frequently carried guns, filling my "pocket gun" niche.
 
paperpounder said:
Seriously? This is a first. A pre-shooting gun whine.

Buy a gun, don't shoot it for 4 months, and then slap the brand because you've read some bad things about the guns. Is that called post purchase research? Shouldn't that be done first?


Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
I wouldn't say it's a pre shooting whine. It might be perfect. I'm just going by what I've been reading and Kahr's CS. I want to start using this for my carry gun. I'm disabled and that's one of the main reasons I haven't fired it yet. Allot of days I can't get motivated. I have Glock's a Sig and other semi autos that have been flawless. I hoping this CM9 will be another one.
 
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