Decision: Kahr MK9 or MK40 ???? Any thoughts?

[Daguerre]

Hey guys, I've decided to buy a Kahr MK model but can't decide between 9mm and .40.

Has anyone shot both the MK9 and the MK40? Would .40 be too much caliber for such a small pistol? I know 9mm stuffed with CorBon +P would make an adequate defense caliber, but may begin to approach the felt recoil of standard .40 caliber. I get one round less in .40. Of course there are trade offs. Any difference in reliability? Reliability is THE most important factor to me if there is a difference in this gun depending on caliber. Appreciate your thoughts. Thanks.

 

[WonderNine]

9mm

Didn't you like the PM9?

 

[PCRCCW]

Ive shot both...the MK40 is a little monster with Corbon etc.
I highly recommend the Pearce mag extension on a back up mag....it helps with faster followup shots. The 9 IMP is a better mini gun caliber...almost as much energy and follow up is much faster.....Get an Elite if you can find one ..with nights..your set!
Shoot well

 

[Kahr carrier]

They are both good ,the 40 is managable and reliable.

 

[Jeff OTMG]

I bought the MK9, though I also have a K40 Covert. The recoil seems much less in the Covert than in the MK40.

 

[stellarpod]

Albeit a little bit out of context...

I carried a P9 for several months, shot it regularly and had zero problem handling it.

I wanted a more conceilable firearm with a little more bite and was looking for an MK9 or MK40. I eventually landed on a K40 Covert - same slide/barrel length as a K40, but short grip like an MK40. I find the short-gripped .40S&W to be completely tolerable. It has now become my standard CCW.

Highly recommend the K40 Covert and would expect the MK40 to handle in similar fashion.

stellarpod

 

[mini14jac]

I have occasional problems with carpal tunnel syndrome.
I started to feel that my .40 cal. Glock 23 was a little too "snappy".

I had a MK9 and was never bothered by the recoil.
It was a very fun gun to shoot.
I traded it for a PM9, and the recoil is only slightly worse in the polymer gun.

I haven't shot the .40 cal Kahrs, so I'll bow to others knowledge.

The 9mm is going to be much cheaper to shoot.
I feel that any good hollow point is adequate for defense.

I feel that the .40 cal. is certainly a better self defense cartridge.
A little more expense, a little more recoil.

I resolved it this way:
I'll shoot a lot more at paper if I have a 9mm.
More fun, less expense, etc.
Most likely, I'll never have to shoot another human, though I have a CCW permit.
If I should be involved in a shooting, a .40 would be better, but I've practiced so much with the 9, that I should be able to get the job done.

Hey, choosing is half the fun!

 

[hd1.]

You really need to get your hands on both guns and try them out before you lay out the bucks. It's your money, and your hands. Other folks ability to handle recoil is no measure of your own. YOU have to be the judge AFTER experiencing both calibers in the MK Kahr. Asking others which Kahr to buy is like asking someone else to try on a pair of shoes for you. What is comfortable for one person may not be comfortable for another.

OK, after all that, you can see by my signature what I chose. I had READ everything I could find about the Kahrs. I had made up my mind to buy the MK40. Fortunately for me, I was able to rent both the .40 and the 9mm before buying. I changed my mind. I can handle the .40, but follow up shot took a little longer. That, plus one less shot.

For MY hands and money, I enjoy shooting the 9mm, ammo is cheaper, and it can be hot loaded for defense. I'm not getting any younger or stronger, and I need a gun that will work for me in years to come. Needs and ability unique to the person.

 

[Onslaught]

I have owned and fired both, so here's my .

Bought an MK9 for wife's CCW. She loves it. I loved it, but prefer the .40 over 9mm. So I ordered the MK40 for myself as soon as it was available... (without handling one first)

First impressions... The MK40 was top-heavier than the MK9. The MK40 is a smidgeon larger overall than the MK9. For some reason, the MK40 just always felt "1 size larger" to me.

Firing them side by side, there was enough difference in recoil to notice, but it was less than I expected, and not enough to call "too much" either.

I eventually sold the MK40 because it wasn't the pocket pistol I thought it would be, and if I'm going to carry on the belt, I might as well get one with a full grip, and do away with the "pinkie swinger". FWIW, I did have the pinkie extensions for the mags, but what's the point? It makes the grip nearly as long as the K40, without the extra round, and the backstrap is still short...

My wife still proudly carries her MK9, and it is her absolute favorite pistol of all time. I can say without question that it will never be sold or traded.

Bottom line - If I were buying, here's what I'd choose.

Pocket or ankly carry? Easy... MK9, or quite possibly, the PM9. I've handled a PM9, and it feels even smaller than the MK9, even though it's technically not. But the grip is slimmer. Plus, let's not forget that it's 10 ounces lighter!

OWB or IWB carry? Easy too... Neither. I'd want the next size up so I'd have the full length grip and backstrap. I personally have chosen the K40 for IWB carry, and I went with a S&W 642 snubbie over both the MK9 and PM9 for pocket or ankle BUG.

One last note... I've also had the P9 and P40, and I am positive that, if Kahr ever offered a "PM40", I would NOT own one. The P40 had a very stout recoil, moreso than any Ultralite Snubbie .38+P I've ever fired. It wasn't uncomfortable, but on hot, sweatty days, the recoil would frequently cause my firing hand to slip from my support hand. I have no interest in the kind of BANG a PM40 would bring to bear.

Hope this helps.

 

[hogan]

MK40

I tried a P40 Covert and a K9 before buying and liked both, though i thought the recoil on the P40 Covert would be a bit much for extended practice sessions. I bought an MK40 with night sights and am very pleased. Very accurate, very concealable and very reliable. I have two magazines with the 1 extra round, one short magazine with the Pierce extension, and one short magazine with no extension. When I carry with very light clothes IWB or in an ankle hoster I use the short mag with no extension. Sometimes I am wearing heavier clothes or using a fanny pack so I can get away with the one with the Pierce extension or the extended magazine with an extra round (and carry one or more loaded magazines). Paired with a FIST kydex IWB holster, my MK40 fits even my tighter pants; being on the wrong side of 40 (years, not waist size!) this is a big help.

 

[riddleofsteel]

If you like 9mm's get the MK9, if you like 40's get the MK40. By the time you get a hot enough 9mm load to be really effective it has almost as much buck and roar as a decent .40 load.
I shoot my MK40 with either 165 grain PMC FMJ's for practice or 165 grain Remington Golden Sabers for CCW. Neither load is for the weak wristed or wimpy but neither load is beyond control either. Good little pistols all the way around. Very flat with no external controls except the trigger. Pretty heavy though, I am more comfortable packing mine in a belt slide holster.

 

[Zundfolge]

I've got an MK40 Elite 98 and frankly its not all that bad to shoot, I'd say my Makarov is less comfortable to shoot and its only 9x18mm.

You're not going to win any 25 yard bullseye competitions with it, but its not painful to shoot either, and around 7 yards its pretty darn impressive for such a little gun. Plus if you get the Pearce grip extension for the smaller magazine then its even more comfortable to shoot (however I don't like how the grip extension causes the gun to print more so I didn't keep them)


My MK40 has been very reliable with only one failure to eject ... and that was with Wolf (which is crap). Only problem was it jammed up so hard that I couldn't easily get the gun apart. However everything else I've fed it has fed fine.

As far as effectiveness, I wouldn't want to stand in front of either the 9mm or the .40. The main reason I have the .40 over the 9mm is that the my primary home defense gun is a Steyr M40 ... I figured it would be best to share ammo between my house and my carry guns (well that and I found an awsome deal on the MK40 on gunbroker).

I would say you should decide which caliber based on a couple of things. 1. do you have other handguns, if so then it might be easier to just match calibers and 2. keep your eyes open for both and take whatever the best deal you find is regardless of caliber.