Are Kahrs fragile ??

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I had a K9 with no problems, unfortunately I traded for a Glock 26 looking for the perfect "pocket gun" which it was not, Anyway I now have a PM9, one of the early ones and it has never failed, with the exception of the day that a .380 got loaded into the mag by owner error. By the way it fed the cartridge it just would not ignite it. I've read a lot of comments about Kahrs but I've never experienced anything but excellent working pistols without all the crap one reads about.
 
I don't own any Kahr's, but I've fired a p9, and kicked around the idea of buying a p45. I really enjoyed shooting the p9, and I thought it was pretty controllable for it's size. I know a couple local pd guys that carry p9's for off duty or back-up, and they love em. The only thing I don't like about the p45 is the grip marks on the backstrap. They tend to dig into my hand while holding it. I'm almost afraid to fire one for fear of cutting up my hand.
 
I have the CW45 and love the gun but have the same problem with the grip. I posted another thread about the discomfort and had several suggestions of which I haven't had time to act on........sanding the "bumps" down was one, slip on Hogue grip another. As long as I have a glove, it's OK although I have some arthritis in my hands and always dread the big .45 BANG.
 
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I have owned and carried a PM9 for three years (summer) and a P45 (winter) for about two.

Both are absolutely trustworthy with any ammo I can fit into the mags.

In the interest of full disclosure, my PM9 was in th barrel-peening S/N range, and made a trip back to the factory. It was fixed fast, right, and free.
 
I owned a CW40 very briefly a couple of years ago. Past the 200 round break-in period, the slide was still very difficult to rack, would not close completely into battery, and finally, large chunks of polymer were getting lodged inside the frame and slide, causing the slide to lock back after every shot. Thus making it a rather expensive single shot pistol. Not exactly the application that I had in mind when I bought the pistol. So I would say fragile in the sense that the polymer material they're using in their pistols is not as durable as what other manufacturers are using.
 
olecodger, so is the discomfort worth it? I've been looking at one of these for a while for pocket carry. I know it's not something you'll go to the range and fire 100 or so rounds at a time with, but if it's not fun to shoot I know I won't carry it.
 
In my opinion, yes, it is worth it. It's a very concealable weapon and very, very dependable, also very competively priced. Wintertime I carry it in a Mitch Rosen, summertime a Crossbreed. The beaded grip problem is the only fault I can find and is very easily fixed. Five minutes doing a little sandpapering would take care of the problem. Also one of the Hogue slip on grips would be a quick fix. For some reason, Kahr became a little overly agressive in making the grip "slip proof". Also it's like another fellow poster said........"If you get into a defensive gunfight, you won't notice the discomfort of the grip!".

Is the CW9 or CW45 adaptable for pocket carry? Not for me......it's too much gun and I'd hafta ask the culprit to wait a minute while I try to get my pistol out of my pocket (regardless of the holster)!!!! And either one would print.

Would I do it all over again?............Yes....... mine isn't for sale or trade!....:D
 
verdun59. Kinda makes u wonder to about all the "crap" we read about kahrs. My two have been flawless, best guns I ever carried ...
 
verdun59
jocko

I can assure you what I experienced with my CW40 was not imagined or fabricated. Large pieces of the polymer frame were coming apart and getting stuck in between the slide and the frame. I have several other polymer handguns, including a first generation Glock, that have never had any problems whatsoever with the integrity and durability of their polymer components. And the truly unfortunate part about this is that when I purchased my Kahr, I thought I had finally found the perfect CCW that I had been looking for all these years. Lightweight, compact, great feel and ergonomics, and in a credible caliber. Obviously, I would have greatly preferred the results to be just the opposite of what I ended up with. So to write that any such negative reports that you have read about polymer framed Kahrs are spurious and misleading, is to take a very narrow minded approach to the question of fragility, which is what this thread is all about.
 
It sounds like the steel frame Kahrs work and not so much the polymer frames. I think I would be interested in a steel frame .45 acp like the T-9 if one was available but am leary of the poly .45 acp .
 
Everybody makes a bad gun. My PM40 however, isn't one of the bad ones. Great gun. Fires every time and is amazingly accurate for a ccw.
 
Bannockburn, my comments were not directed at you and I am sure that you have had an unpleasant experience with your Kahr as anyone can with any gun. You expressed your problems in a reasonable manner. My concerns are the people that say all Kahrs are POS and junk etc. Those folks are just short sighted and I sometimes wonder if they have even owned a Kahr or just passing on internet "facts". I'm sorry that you got a bad one, and just as a personal observation I believe that .40 have been hard on any num ber of different brands even Kbooming some Glocks. Not a round that I like.
 
verdun59

I agree that far too many people tend to paint with a very broad brush when it comes to making sweeping generalizations about certain manufacturers, either good or bad. Some of it may be based on actual experience, but certainly a lot of it might also be Internet hearsay. But the OP asked about fragility and I thought my experience, while not typical, was worth sharing. I also believe that in such a small package as the Kahr, that possibly the .40S&W might be a little too rough on the polymer that Kahr uses. Perhaps Kahr needs to reconfigure their polymer formula to compensate for the increased wear and tear created by this cartridge. I guess time will tell if that's the case, or if my particular gun was just an anomaly.
 
I've had an early E9, early P9, MK9 and now a P9Covert. The MK9 did have some FTE issues (rather nastily jammed up actually) w/ several factory range ammo types. This was well after the break-in period and has been the only problem I've had w/ any of the Kahrs (not counting the slight rust under the grips of the E9, this is the NW).

After experiencing the same problem w/ an early Glock 26, I more or less gave up on pistols w/ captured recoil spings (my Glock 30 being the exception).

My P9Covert is my current and lasting carry piece. It has just over a 1k rounds through it ranging from light to heavy, standard to +P, no problems.

Otherwise, in my humble opinion and experience, Kahrs (especially the polymer versions) are the gun Glock should have invented (albeit w/ better feeling triggers).
 
bannockburn: I did not mention ur name. One complaint or issue seems to get posted and repeated far more than one good report. and I do stand by that statement.
 
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