Im sticking with my S&W 642, so I wont be needing that Kahr cm9

[SorenityNow]

After thinking about purchasing a pocket 9mm, I realized that my snubbie is just fine. To me this weapon has been suitable to just drop in my front pants pocket when Im off to work in the morning or walking my dog in the evening. Loaded with .38 Speer Hot loads this weapon is not to shabby.I was in the gun range twice this week to break in a glock that i own, and I really liked the looks of the Kahr cm9. I didnt get the chance to rent it but it felt good in my hand. After doing some research It seems that alot of Kahr owners end up having to send thier gun in for repairs... What would I really gain by making this purchase?? Six 9mm rounds instead of five 38+p. and my S&W can be fired inside of my coat pocket, since it has a internal hammer. Im always in the market for a new gun, just wont be this one.

 

[fxstchewy]

I know the feeling, i went over to one of the Kahr forums and ALOT were having problems, you hear of someone that has a problem once in a blue moon with a J frame but it is mainly finish wear issues.

 

[Choclabman]

Then you have the thousands of Kahr owners with no problems in hundreds and hundreds of rounds.

I own a K9 Black, K9 Stainless, CW9, PM9, and a CM9. Yes, I love the Kahr 9mm's

All have been 100% reliable with JHP, and FMJ.

The internet is a weird place.
On it, the late 3rd Gen and 4th Gen Glocks are a train wreck, and are not worth owning. My personal experience tells me something different.
HK's are overpriced and not worth the money. My personal experience tell me something different.

One the internet, people who have NEVER owned the gun(s) nor who have NEVER shot the guns tend to dogpile.
I have seen this on some Georgia forums.

Try a CM9.
I love mine and carry it in a Recluse pocket holster. Sometimes in a Silent Thunder IWB.

 

[Lawdawg45]

"It seems that alot of Kahr owners end up having to send thier gun in for repairs... "

Yep! I purchased a PM-9 new, and the thing wouldn't feed anything except FMJ's. I was patient and endured the painful 200 round break in period as recommended, but all the problems continued well past the 400 round mark. Even had hang ups trying to load a magazine initially, and this was so surprising to me because the feed ramp out of the box looked as though it had already been polished.

LD

 

[wheelyfun66]

I'm sure that there are plenty of great Kahr models out there, and I nearly bought a PM9, after borrowing and shooting one recently...

My problem with the Kahr was the magazine. The top round of your spare mag tends to work loose, and when you go to reload...not good.

The j-frame and LCR type revolvers do fill a very solid niche for concealed carriers....

Ease of carry: for me, the natural shape of a revolver, with it's curves and round shapes, tends to disappear easier on my body. Super light-weight, which is great for carry (not so great for range sessions)
Reliable, with 5 (or 6) shots on hand, and no magazines to malfunction.
Small size, yet still maintaining a caliber that has proven to be effective (.38+P or even .357).

Can you tell that I just bought a new airweight snub?
It's riding in a Remora holster as I type this....barely know it is there!

 

[beatledog7]

After doing some research It seems that alot of Kahr owners end up having to send thier gun in for repairs...

went over to one of the Kahr forums and ALOT were having problems

One the internet, people who have NEVER owned the gun(s) nor who have NEVER shot the guns tend to dogpile.

Does anyone remember years ago when TV Guide magazine was still popular? They used to do annual polls of readers' favorite and least favorite TV personalities in several categories. This was way before the Internet, let alone the www, became a household staple.

One year, Howard Cosell (may God rest his soul) polled at the top among sportscasters, winning both the favorite and least favorite honors. When asked about that, he famously noted that either way you go, you know people recognize you, and that's always good.

You can find someone on the Internet who will bash Liv Tyler's looks or Michael Jordan's basketball skills if you search long enough. But my point, in case it's not clear, is that the Internet has not created the challenge of sorting through conflicting and contradictory opinions. It has made it easier to insert one's own opinion into the mix, thus making it harder to tell whose opinion is truly worth considering.

 

[DAdams]

About 4 years ago I purchased a PM9 and had trouble working towards the 200 round break in. I would get to 30-50 and have to "start over". I tried a bunch of different FMJ and JHP and had 4 Kahr magazines I marked and rotated. To no avail. It had to go back to Kahr. Very dissapointing as this was a later model that supposedly had all the early issues cleared up. I sent it in.

I wanted something to carry so after much research I purchased a 642-2 J Frame. Reliability issued solved right? Wrong. I had been imtermittantly dry firing and taking it to the range, and probably had 750 plus operations....
it failed (something internal, I don't recall now) and had to go back to S&W
for repair.

So there you have it. Nothing is infallable.

As far as my best luck....BERSA Thunder .380 over 800 rounds in a row and not one failure.

Also my M&P 340 J Frame has been flawless after about 500 rounds.

Post Script. Following a trip to the factory (recall this was about 4 years ago now)... it has been fine since. The PM9 continues to climb in reliability as the round count goes up.

Today it looks like this. The CT laser is outstanding BTW.

 

[dprice3844444]

my fave j frame is the 649 full ss 38/357. you have a dual caliber option in case only 357 available.just need to research a good expanding mfg for short bll guns.

 

[DAdams]

you have a dual caliber option in case only 357 available.just need to research a good expanding mfg for short bll guns.

Plus One.

May not carry it (with .357), but it's nice to know you can grab a handful of .38spl, Plus P or .357 and go.

That was one of the reason and including, XS Dot sights, 13.3 ounces, SS cylinder and DLC finish.....S&W M&P 340.

 

[SorenityNow]

Then you have the thousands of Kahr owners with no problems in hundreds and hundreds of rounds.

I own a K9 Black, K9 Stainless, CW9, PM9, and a CM9. Yes, I love the Kahr 9mm's

All have been 100% reliable with JHP, and FMJ.

The internet is a weird place.
On it, the late 3rd Gen and 4th Gen Glocks are a train wreck, and are not worth owning. My personal experience tells me something different.
HK's are overpriced and not worth the money. My personal experience tell me something different.

One the internet, people who have NEVER owned the gun(s) nor who have NEVER shot the guns tend to dogpile.
I have seen this on some Georgia forums.

Try a CM9.
I love mine and carry it in a Recluse pocket holster. Sometimes in a Silent Thunder IWB.

Sure Ill rent the cm 9. It looks and feels great, and I wouldnt be surprise If I shoot a little better than my S&W 642 DAO. I shot a rental Glock 26 much better than the glock 19 that i own on thursday. For me its just the $$$ and I would only gain 1x round. And it looks like most of the Kahr slide rides on the polymer frame... Glock has more steel clips for the slide to glide on, for some reason I favor Glock for that. I havent heard anything about train wreck glocks , other than the "03" spring on the mid and full size guns. Ill rent the cm9

 

[glockman19]

+1 for the 642...

 

[340PD]

God the information on guns varies. I carry a 340pd. Foolproof, accurate, light wt., powerful. That said, I had the opportunity to pick up a new KAHR PM9 at a very, very, low price. I handloaded three bullet wts. and 5 different powders and brought it all to the range. After an initial magazine full of factory RN I shot my handloads. All loads functioned without issue. Some on forums say you cannot "slingshot" the slide to load the first round on a KAHR. I used the "slingshot" method on each magazine I fired. Zero issues. I just left the range after letting a new student, a little lady who, prior to lessons, had never shot, fire my kahr. At 28 ft. she put ten of her fifteen rounds in the black on a standard 50' slow fire bullseye target. A plastic surgeon will be needed to get the grin off her face. If you like the double action trigger on a revolver you may love the trigger on a KAHR. Long smooth pull at about 7-8 lbs.
Back to my first statement about the internet.
I could write paragraphs on how solid and reliable my Kimber Ultra CDP II is. Another thread perhaps.

 

[kellmark]

Interesting thread. I have an LCR .357, which I love. But I would still like a pocket 9 for two reasons. They are slimmer, in general, and it is easy to carry an extra magazine. While I have 5 rounds available for the LCR, I could have 7 plus 6 rounds available for a Kahr PM9 or CM9 or the new Beretta Nano. for a total of 13. I know, I could carry a speed loader or speed strip for the revolver. But it just doesn't reload for me the way a simple magazine swap does in an auto.

 

[glassman]

I'm with you serenity. I bought the 642 several years ago thinking it would be my summer carry. It has turned into my all weather choice for the same reasons you stated.

 

[Tony_the_tiger]

The 642 is inferior to the 442

both are available now with no lock.

 

[Kendal Black]

Back in the Paleolithic era, I decided that a .38 snub was the best concealed carry gun around. Still ain't changed my mind.

The pocket autos today are much improved from those available in former eras, though the PPK was always pretty good, but what's not to like about the .38? It does the job without suspense. Pressing the trigger nearly invariably produces a bang.

 

[sixgunner455]

Been carrying a 642 for years. Haven't seen anything that will take its place in my pocket. Not always the funnest thing to shoot, but it always shoots.

 

[harmon rabb]

i have a cm9. it's 100% with fmj, 100% with jhp's that don't have a wide mouth. i think you guys are worrying a bit too much.

i also think some of you haven't heard of corbon's powerball rounds they will feed 100% in anything that will feed fmj. they're a great choice for guns that can be finicky with some jhp's, like kahrs.

7 rounds of 9mm+p vs. 5 rounds of 38+p is a big difference. no need to get into a revolver vs. autoloader debate, but to just discount a cm9 offhand is kind of silly.

 

[harmon rabb]

Sure Ill rent the cm 9. It looks and feels great, and I wouldnt be surprise If I shoot a little better than my S&W 642 DAO. I shot a rental Glock 26 much better than the glock 19 that i own on thursday. For me its just the $$$ and I would only gain 1x round. And it looks like most of the Kahr slide rides on the polymer frame... Glock has more steel clips for the slide to glide on, for some reason I favor Glock for that. I havent heard anything about train wreck glocks , other than the "03" spring on the mid and full size guns. Ill rent the cm9

were you planning on carrying with the chamber empty? because if you carry with one in the tube, as you're supposed to, you get +2 over a j-frame.

 

[SorenityNow]

Yep 1x in the pipe. Forgot about that. Im still gonna rent the kahr and if its a better pocket fit than my j frame, then I can see it growing on me.. Im better at shooting small 9mm than my 642 s&w and 9 mm ammo is alot cheeper. Who knows the guns that I love the most is usually the gun that i shot last..I love em all

 

[gb6491]

...And it looks like most of the Kahr slide rides on the polymer frame... Glock has more steel clips for the slide to glide on, for some reason I favor Glock for that....

FWIW, The poly frame Kahr slide runs on steel rails at the rear of the frame and at the front in the dust cover. The poly rails are there to help guide the slide onto the frame. Here's a link: Mythbusting the "no steel insert" polymer Kahr frame rails
Regards,
Greg

 

[SorenityNow]

FWIW, The poly frame Kahr slide runs on steel rails at the rear of the frame and at the front in the dust cover. The poly rails are there to help guide the slide onto the frame. Here's a link: Mythbusting the "no steel insert" polymer Kahr frame rails
Regards,
Greg

Nice. This is why i like to run stuff passed you guys and get feedback in return. Ive been tring to get exactly this info. Where and how did you find it. Ill be sure to check it out... Up until now i been watch vids on how to break this weapon down to clean it just to get a glimps of the rails and after seeing just the 2 clips in the rear of the gun, that was a deal breaker for me.. I was thinking of taking a closer look at the rails at my LGS. But this is a good start.

 

[2wheels]

I was never a revolver guy and I'm still not 90% of the time, for a long while I used my Sig P238 as my pocket carry gun.

Then on a whim I bought a lightly used 442. It's practically replaced my P238 when I pocket carry.

IWB/OWB I still go with an autoloader, but pocket carry it's hard to beat a good snubbie...