Kahr CM9 nightmare!

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You know you get what you pay for. Although you save a substancial amount when opring for the cw or cm series. You really must ask yourself, what else is really missing from a $350 gun to a $650 gun. It isn't just a bit of engraving, it's more of the care that goes into doing the fitting and finishing, that can make the difference between a good gun, and a great gun. I know that if I were being paid 30% less to produce a product, it would reflect in the end result. So either pony up for the higher end gun, or prepare to have small issues that probably would be less prominent on the more costly gun., just a thought.
If you are handy and know how to fit and finish a pistol, then there should be no problem in going for the less expensive models. Also you may get one that requires no fitting. But price usually dictates quality with guns to a large degree.
 
The only thing that I can come up with from the stories told on this thread is that those that had problems should have spent the extra money and got the top of the line Kahrs instead of going cheap with the CM/CW lines...

You know you get what you pay for. Although you save a substancial amount when opring for the cw or cm series. You really must ask yourself, what else is really missing from a $350 gun to a $650 gun. It isn't just a bit of engraving, it's more of the care that goes into doing the fitting and finishing, that can make the difference between a good gun, and a great gun. I know that if I were being paid 30% less to produce a product, it would reflect in the end result. So either pony up for the higher end gun, or prepare to have small issues that probably would be less prominent on the more costly gun., just a thought.

I can't disagree more with these sentiments. If Kahr can't make a gun reliable at $350, they shouldn't be selling guns at that price point. It CAN be done; Ruger has proven that a sub-$400 (out the door) gun can be reliable. I don't expect the fit and finish of a $700 gun, but I do expect anything designed for conceal carry to be reliable.
 
I can't disagree more with these sentiments. If Kahr can't make a gun reliable at $350, they shouldn't be selling guns at that price point. It CAN be done; Ruger has proven that a sub-$400 (out the door) gun can be reliable. I don't expect the fit and finish of a $700 gun, but I do expect anything designed for conceal carry to be reliable.

Agreed. My Ruger ( <$400 ) is dead nuts reliable and accurate. Perhaps with certain brand names one should expect to pay more.
 
Kahr's mags and followers have always been there weakest link. Love there older pistols for overall quality but there mags suck. I carried an older circa 2009 PM9 for a few years with great results, but when I decided to sell it and move on to a new pistol I went with a different brand because of Kahr's questionable CS. Seems like the followers are hitting the lower back portion of the of the feed ramps on the Kahr's and braking them. It also seems like I've heard of this problem more on the CM9 models then I have on the PM9 models. I personally can't help but think if Kahr is having some internal problems at the moment. One person on CS ,and a problem that has been ignored and has gone on way to long has got to tell you something, and it isn't good. It's a shame really because they used to build a damn good pistol IMO.
 
CM9 is back from factory.

Yes, after all the confusion and frustration, my CM9 made it's way back yesterday.

Put 60 or 70 rds through it yesterday with no hiccups. I look forward to wringing it out some more today. After enough rounds w/o issue, I will put it into rotation for EDC. We shall see!

I made a similar post over at KahrTalk just so the stockholder posters over there can see that I bear no grudges. Good is good, right is right and awful is still awful. Apparently a few feathers got ruffled because I posted my opinion of both the gun and the customer service.

I thought that was what forums were for!
 
Good to hear they got it squared away for you.
I picked up a new cw9 to try out. It functioned fine right out of the box and very accurate. Then I found a pm9 Liked the smaller size it also is running 100 percent. The CW is gone now.
Now to get to the point. I still carry my S&W 640. I think the pm9 will be sold or traded also.
 
I made a similar post over at KahrTalk just so the stockholder posters over there can see that I bear no grudges. Good is good, right is right and awful is still awful. Apparently a few feathers got ruffled because I posted my opinion of both the gun and the customer service.

I thought that was what forums were for!

I got banned and can NEVER return to KT because I voiced my opinion once too often I guess. :rolleyes: I was accused of Brand Basheding!!!

I got off on the wrong foot there anyway because I refused to kiss Jock's ring the first few days I was there. :eek:

I thin Bawanna was the one that banned me though. :D
 
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I got banned and can NEVER return to KT because I voiced my opinion once too often I guess. I was accused Brand Basheding!!!

I got off on the wrong foot there anyway because I refused to kiss Jock's ring the first few days I was there.

I thin Bawana was the one that banned me though.


Yeah, touchy crowd over there...lots of denial...according to them any problem with any Kahr is nothing 7 to 8000 rounds and thirty trips back to Kahr won't fix...:rolleyes: lots of newer guys over there post about mega issues with their guns and the main guys over there just keep telling them to follow the lube chart and keep breaking it in...they have a huge turnover of members but the original few guys have been there for years...
 
Sounds like a biz opportunity to me. How expensive can it be to have somebody make a proper injection mold for a mag follower that is shaped as it should be? Or a die to reshape the mag lips?
 
I registered at kahrtalk and did a lot of reading there. Not a very happy or friendly site.

I bought my PM9 back in 2011. I found KahrTalk somehow and read what I could about the PM9 before I purchased it.
The CM9 was not yet out. If it had been, I would have still purchased the PM9. I just like the extras that the PM9 offers, some don't and so be it.
I realized that there were a lot of hardhead Kahr owners there but that didn't bother me. :banghead:
I was never a fan boy of any specific firearm but I found that the Kahr Kool-Aid
drinkers are a tough bunch, right or wrong!
I made no friends when I kept criticizing their recommendation to "rack" your slide 500 times on a new pistol before going to the range for the first time. :what:
 
Response to #83
I could not disagree more. I find the members there to be very helpful. You have to understand who usually is the first time Kahr PM/CM series owner. It is usually an individual that is shopping for a small handgun and many times it is that individuals very first small handgun. Kahrs look great, they have a fabulous trigger system, and they are very accurate, if the shooter does his/her part.

What I see on brand specific forums is a few regulars that have guns that run great for them. Then you have a lot of new shooters that have no idea as how to run a very small semi auto handgun. They treat it as it it was a full size all steel gun and the usual complaint is "my gun won't feed" , "I cannot it get it to chamber while closing the slide slowly", "my slide won't lock back on the last round fired", "my gun jams while I am shooting it", I can't hit anything with it"

Sounds like a re-run from Kimbers Solo or Seecamp forums.

I am not saying Kahrs do not have problems, they do. Do they have more than other guns? Maybe.

I am a RSO and can purchase a Kahr direct from the factory at very low cost. I only own only one Kahr, a PM9. I trust it, and very often carry it.

Am I Kahr supporter? Only to the extent most of the Kahr issues can be attributed to shooter error or a simple fix by the owner. My S&W Shield along with hundreds of others, spit off the white dot front sights within a month. I elected to repair them with a drop of white out and a toothpick, as opposed to shipping my gun to S&W and posting what terrible gun S&W is making. I also followed up to make sure my gun was OK when they recalled every Shield manufactured. I wound up replacing the sights, installed a aftermarket sear and smoothed the internals to remove the famed grittiness in the Shields trigger system. The same for my XDs .45 which sat for 6 weeks before it was returned from the factory during a huge factory recall.

My point is, most small guns have their issues. Some more than others. Do your research before you purchase a gun that you feel may not live up to your expectations. If you own one, it is your choice to keep it and work through your issues with help from informative forum members, have it fixed at the factory and shoot it, or let a new owner deal with the perceived lack of, or great customer service from the factory.

If Kahr, S&W, SA, or any other manufacturers have a CS issue that is another animal, and that particular company needs to fix that issue very quickly.

Kahr is currently moving out of anti-gun NY state and building a new facility on a 620 acre site in Pennsylvania. Let's hope this move is very productive for them and their customers.

That decision alone may have me looking at a second Kahr soon.
 
Thank the Lord, we live in America!

I am grateful that we can all post our thoughts and opinions of various policies, products, etc. without fear of sanction. That is the premise the the internet was based on and fitting for a country such as ours.

Historically, there has always been individuals and groups of individuals who feel it is their right to push people toward the religion, politics, products that they feel is appropriate. I have no problem with that. It is their right, just as I and people like me have the right to voice our opinions.

Where I take exception is when normal, everyday people who spend their hard earned money on a product, get something other than what they paid for. When treated poorly by said companies customer service, there are few options for the common guy other than searching out other avenues for a resolution.

To explain away the deluge of broken, faulty, malfunctioning guns as being the fault and/or imagination of NEW "small gun" shooters is less than genuine.

Nearly every single negative post that I have read anywhere regarding Kahr pistols had everything to do with quality control and customer service; very little to do with the initial quality of the gun.

If a person buys anything today without first having researched it on the computer, he or she runs the risk of being disappointed. If a person goes to a couple of forums looking for information regarding a purchase they are considering, they shouldn't have to weed through the "kool-aid" drinkers.

There are NO products out there that are perfect now and have always been perfect. That has never been a bone of contention. How those manufacturers choose to handle their problems is where the difference lies.

Kahr made and makes excellent handguns! Their "current" quality control and customer service has a long way to go before reaching "excellent".
 
I purchased my only Kahr, a new PM9, back in mid-2009. Since the 1st round, it has been a joy to shoot without any issues. I'll put at least several hundred rounds through any handgun before I decide if it is reliable for carry purposes. I have about a half dozen mags for it and they too all work well. A co-worker purchased a CM9 several months back and has enjoyed his too. He shoots it more than I do mine as I swapped my PM9 out of regular carry for a Springfield XDs45 last year. I still have my PM9 with no intentions of getting rid of it. I've not frequented KahrTalk much in the past years....but was a regular there back when I first acquired mine. It was an enjoyable forum while I was participating.
 
I believe it was an enjoyable experience for you. Because you have good things to say about your kahr. The people that are having trouble get told you did not break it in properly you did not lube it correctly you are limp wristing the gun. I have no complaints with the Cw9 I had or the PM9 I still have. My opinion of Kahrs reputation is that my PM9 will be sold and I am not interested in buying another Kahr product. I have no confidence in the gun continuing to function trouble free. I have owned enough different guns over the past 30 plus years that I do not believe there you need to break it in excuse. The two Kahrs I have experience with ran perfect right out of the box. You need to break it in is just an excuse for poor quality control.
 
I have a Kahr CS success story I'd like to share.

I had to send my CM9 back to Kahr for the broken follower issue myself. Kahr sent a prepaid overnight FedEx shipping label to my email and all I had to do was box it up and take it to FedEx. I called CS and asked about the status of my pistol and was told it was fixed and I would receive it within 3 days. I received my pistol back at my front door 8 days from the day I originally shipped it out. Keep in mind this included a weekend and shipping both ways...pretty quick turnaround, IMO.

Took it out over the weekend and fired 50 flawless rounds of 124 grain Blazer Brass. From the looks of it, Kahr took enough off the feed ramp to clear the followers under recoil.

I hope the issue is fixed as I do really like the pistol. It is the most accurate "pocket" sized 9mm I have been around.
 
Response to 89

Quote:
My opinion of Kahrs reputation is that my PM9 will be sold and I am not interested in buying another Kahr product.
And then, in the same post....

Quote:
The two Kahrs I have experience with ran perfect right out of the box.
Perfect.

You forgot this part
I have no confidence in the gun continuing to function trouble free
 
I have no confidence in the gun continuing to function trouble free

Why? Because of internet chatter?

You have had 2 firearms from Kahr that have been 100% reliable and you want to sell the PM9? Why do you "have no confidence in the gun" if it's been perfect for you?

Interweb blather.
 
Why? Because of internet chatter?

You have had 2 firearms from Kahr that have been 100% reliable and you want to sell the PM9? Why do you "have no confidence in the gun" if it's been perfect for you?

Interweb blather.
I bought the Cw9 first. Then saw the smaller PM9 and liked the size better that is why I sold the CW.
My comments about them running 100 percent right out of the box was to say that if they can make some that will run with out being broken in they all should. If there are some that will not run they should be considered defective. And not use the excuse that the gun needs to be broken in.

My lack of confidence in the gun CONTINUING to FUNCTION comes from to many reports of problems with broken guide rails and the recoil springs coming apart and poor customer service.
Thank you for your interest.
 
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Where I take exception is when normal, everyday people who spend their hard earned money on a product, get something other than what they paid for. When treated poorly by said companies customer service, there are few options for the common guy other than searching out other avenues for a resolution.

To explain away the deluge of broken, faulty, malfunctioning guns as being the fault and/or imagination of NEW "small gun" shooters is less than genuine.

I agree completely. Imo, too many disappointed buyers of guns that don't perform 100% out of the box make too many excuses for issues of poor workmanship/design/material, compounded by unsatisfactory customer service. Classic case of enabling.
 
JimC said:
Careful what you say about Kahr firearms on Kahr Talk. I guess all the negative press and recent problems with their guns has gotten to them over there.

I just found that I have been banned!!!

You have been banned for the following reason:
Negative Attitude / Brand Basher, no attempt to seek help from Kahr

Date the ban will be lifted: Never

I've been doing various gun forums for many years, this is a first for me.

LOL. How dare you bash Kahr.
 
I've had two Kahrs; a P380 and a PM9. The P380 wast the biggest POS I've ever had in a gun. Even after going back to Kahr, the thing malfunctioned almost every magaizine. I dumped it. The PM9, on the other hand, has been perfect and is a really good option for a compact carry piece. It shoots great and has been flawless. Don't ask me why it's been good while the 380 sucked a$$, but it has. I just slapped some Talon Grips on it and it just locks into the hand now.
 
That is a bummer man, sorry to hear. Seems like such a simple issue to fix with the feed ramps. Put the barrel in a gauge and if anything sticks out.. it's too long.

Problem is that if you do a search on any gun you will find problems. Especially the smaller ones.
XDS9s - just recalled
Shields - just recalled
Kahrs - feed ramp issue
Sig 938 - ejector issues
etc.. etc.

These days it seems a risk anytime you buy something.
 
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