Kahr CM9 vs DiamondBack 9mm

[gadegaard]

Hey guys just wanting to know what yall are thinking about these two new guns that are out. Both look great to me and feel decent in my hand. The CM9 does win in the trigger category. But what do you all think, which is better for CCW and why.

 

[heeler]

Well before the Diamondback detractors strike,and some with good cause I must admit,and as one who had their early production model DB380 REPLACED due to failure without any corporate BS hassle I can attest that Diamondback is really trying to get in the market and produce a quality carry piece.
My new 380 is superb.
But...They are new and just to keep the slate clean I also own a Khar PM9 that has been absolutely faultless sans the troublesome 7 round extra magazine that was supplied with it.
So saying that you have to understand that the Khar has been around several years longer than the new Diamondback and has worked out the kinks pretty much.
I would truely love to shoot the even lighter and more compact DB9 to get a feel for it and I wish DB bucket loads of good luck with it but if it were me buying at this very instant I would have to go with the Khar.
As far as ccw either are very easy to conceal with and at least at the moment the Khar has far more holsters available as it is basically a cheaper PM9.
But I tell you I think DB is going to make both of these pistols work and have some very happy customers in the future.

 

[w2fnt]

No contest! Kahr PM or CM 9 is far superior to any Diamond Back. After 4 out of 4 comebacks on Diamond Backs we shipped them all back and will never sell another. We are still waiting for the credit and have put them out for collection. Lesson learned as they say. We also will never deal with RSA in Ocean New Jersey ever again either. We are still waiting for money from them for Bersa and the new 1911 Firestorm make over junk they are peddling that have come back.

But this is just my experience and YMMV!

 

[hardluk1]

If the price is right and you have the time to work out any bugs that show before you carry , give the DB a try. If pocket carry'n, would the KT pf-9 fit in your group. It does tend to be a great deal at around $240 and CS is tops. I carried one for 2 years with zero issues and only now carry a kahr after getting a steal on a used cw9. I now carry the cm9 for my pocketand they price around $409 here.

 

[Mr.357Sig]

Kahr wins in a landslide. I know they're both polymer-framed guns, but the DB just looks cheap as hell. It doesn't look like it's very well-made. Seriously, it hit every branch when it fell out of the FUGLY tree.

The Kahr, on the other hand, is a beauty. It is balanced, has a great trigger and a longer track record of reliability, compared to the DB.

If this is going to be your EDC weapon, spend the extra cash on the Kahr. I carry my Kahr CW45 every day. It's a keeper.

 

[MICHAEL T]

The CM9 wins without question . Better pistol all around.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

The Kahr is the most proven and has one of the better grips and trigger pulls in its class.

 

[MedWheeler]

Between those two, and assuming funds are not an object, the Kahr is the proven choice. The DB can work, or be made to, and the saved money spent on ammo, etc, but the Kahr is probably going to be more likely to be ready to go out of the box.
How did the Kel-Tec PF9 feel when you tried it out? (you did try the Kel-Tec, too, right!?)

 

[Ben86]

The DB9 will be somewhat of a risk, but might be worth it if you like the way it handles more. It's sort of like a tiny Glock. Man I wish Glock would get into the "slim" business.

If it was me I'd go with the CM9. It's based off of the proven PM9, of which I am a big fan.

 

[w2fnt]

One of the biggest problems with single stack nines is the tapered shape of the 9x19 Luger cartridge configuration. Stack them any higher than 8 and there is a very problematic curvature problem in the stack. Kahr counters this with extremely strong mag springs. In essence, the 9x19 was meant to be double stacked by the design of the round. I doubt if you will ever see a single stack Glock in 9 mm. S&W gave up on it way back in the 1950's with the 39 model series and went to tradition double stack designs.

 

[gb6491]

...I doubt if you will ever see a single stack Glock in 9 mm. S&W gave up on it way back in the 1950's with the 39 model series and went to tradition double stack designs.

It seems to me that S&W hardly gave up on single stack, 9mm pistols. They had them in production until quite recently and you can sill order a model 952 from the Performance Center.
Regards,
Greg

 

[Sock Puppet]

Kahr, no question.

 

[gadegaard]

Hey guys thanks for all the quick replies. Well Im pretty sure I am going to go with the CM9. Since I can get a killer deal on it at $390 new, I say why not? As for the PF9, I did have one. I wasn't sattisfed with the quality, appearance or reliability. Therefore I will not buy another. So it looks like the Kahr is a winner!!! Thanks guys.

 

[w2fnt]

It seems to me that S&W hardly gave up on single stack, 9mm pistols. They had them in production until quite recently and you can sill order a model 952 from the Performance Center.
Regards,
Greg

They still can't stack over 9 rounds in the magazine. My sweetest shooting pistol is a 5906. Got a lot of trophies with that hunk of steel in the past.

 

[THplanes]

One of the biggest problems with single stack nines is the tapered shape of the 9x19 Luger cartridge configuration. Stack them any higher than 8 and there is a very problematic curvature problem in the stack. Kahr counters this with extremely strong mag springs. In essence, the 9x19 was meant to be double stacked by the design of the round. I doubt if you will ever see a single stack Glock in 9 mm. S&W gave up on it way back in the 1950's with the 39 model series and went to tradition double stack designs.

Explain to me how going to double stack cures this supposed problem. If you're claiming the double stack gets the round count up without either stack being over 8 rounds, how do you explain the 30+ round magazine by Glock and other manufactures that work just fine.

 

[Ben86]

Stack them any higher than 8 and there is a very problematic curvature problem in the stack.

In essence, the 9x19 was meant to be double stacked by the design of the round.

What? You could single stack them to 20 and as long as the magazine is designed correctly it will work.

 

[hardluk1]

9x19 was designed to be a single stack?????????????? hahahahahaha Seems like the some people have NO idea where the 9mm's statred out.

 

[ET]

I look at this argument as being equal to "Which is better, a Taurus pt111 mil pro or a Glock 27?" One is proven to be reliable. the other has had some QC issues. The proven one has many happy owners, but some non-owner detractors. So what to do? Well I can only tell you what I did...I bought both!!! The PT111 Mil Pro has been totally reliable just as the Glock has been. I am not afraid to carry either. I carry the Glock while I'm in a state that allows me to carry it on my person. When I visit a state that doesn't acknowledge my weapons permit I switch to the Taurus, since it is more likely to be stolen while stuck in the glovebox of my car because I can't take it in with me 'where ever I may roam".

Short answer...Buy them both! Buy them all! Every gun deserves a home!

 

[w2fnt]

Just take (10) 9x19 rounds and lay them on a flat surface and push them together. You will quickly see the curvature caused that the tapered configuration of the round.

30 round magazines are double stacks as well.

Yes, original designs (S&W 3913) did single stack 9x19 but never over 9 of them.

 

[mgmorden]

In essence, the 9x19 was meant to be double stacked by the design of the round..

Not to belabor the issue, but it was designed to be single stack. The round was first introduced in 1908 with the Luger P-08 - a SINGLE STACK gun. The Mauser C-96 (using a double-stock mag) was adapted to fire it but that was to supplement slow production of the Luger - the round wasn't designed for that gun. Outside of special production C-96's the first major gun to go double-stack with the 9mm was the Hi Power in 1935 - a full 27 years after the cartridge was developed.

 

[tjbeck]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gASrfejYC6w

Found this review on youtube...if Diamondback has worked the kinks out of there designs it will be a real competitor. Until then Kahr has a better track record from what I've seen and read.

 

[sheepdog96]

CW9 has been one of the best pistols I have owned. Not 1 failure in over 400 rounds. I consider it IMO one of the top 3 concealable pistols available. It eats any ammo I feed it and never complains. I have been very surprise by it and will be purchasing many more Kahr pistols. I cant comment on the Diamondback becuase I have never owned one. The CW9 has surpassed every criteria I had for it and more.

 

[franco45]

I also love my CW9 but my CM9 has replaced it at least for spring and summer. A CW45 sits by my bedside. I had an early DB380 that I really wanted to work, Alas, it was not to be. When Diamondback replaced it after the 2nd trip back I traded it.