Kahr PM9

[Racinbob]

Hi folks,
My first thread here. I've been reading the others on this site for months and love all the great input so I just recently joined.
I just finished reading the most recent thread on the Ruger LCP. 'Wait for the new Kahr' was one comment. I expect the new Kahr 380 to have issues too. I purchased a PM9 a short time ago knowing about the break in period. I went straight from the gun shop to the range and fired 100 rounds. 3 FTF and one was probably my fault. I had the bloody thumb to suggest it. I was pretty pleased. Out of the box without cleaning and the first 100 rounds. Not bad. I cleaned and lubed it and fired another 150 rounds. 8 FTF. Ammo brand or magazine didn't matter. Not as pleased. I've cleaned and lubed it again and havn't gone back. My thoughts are to go 500 rounds and if things don't improve I'll give Kahr one attempt to fix it. If that doesn't work, it's back to my J frame. I don't want to buff or modify anything until Kahr has a chance if needed.
I'm not giving up since I really like the feel of the Kahr. It just needs to be reliable. If I get it to that point I'm considering Wolff springs to tweak it some more. What do you all thing about aftermarket springs? Also, I have a couple boxes of +P+ ammo but havn't tried them yet. I know the recoil will be healthy but is the PM9 able to handle them now and then? I don't plan a steady diet, just enough to see if they feed OK. After that just for carry purposes.
By the way, I may get a LCP but waiting for the bugs to be worked out might be a good idea. Ruger is great at exterminating bugs (the few they have) and getting their firearms to the top shelf.

 

[KingAirDriver]

How is the frame internally? We had TONS of problems, even 500 rds or so into break-in, with our PM9. The frame was really jagged, so I sanded it all smooth, and then took my Dremel and polish to the feed ramp. It works GREAT now! I think it's Jocko on this forum that gave me some tips. I'd suggest doing the same to yours and see how it works.

 

[burningsquirrels]

keep me updated, the pm9 is near the top of my deep carry list.

 

[Racinbob]

PM9 frame

Thanks King. I'll look at that after my next visit to the range and the cleaning after. But I still don't want to mess with it until I give Kahr a chance (if needed). I know S&W wheel guns inside and out and do a great trigger job on my personal ones but since the Kahr is new and under warranty I won't go there yet. I'm still optimistic about this pistol.

 

[1KPerDay]

Yeah, keep us informed... the PM9 is on my short list.

 

[Guns and more]

I liked the PM-9 because of the small size. In the first 100 rounds, I had maybe 6 FTF. In the second 100 rounds, not a single one. I hope mine will be trouble free, it's a fun little gun.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

My own (purchased April 2006) had severe functioning problems and had to be sent back. Kahr replaced the barrel and recoil spring and it has been fine since ... fortunately for them. Normally I have little patience for such things, but there is just no other gun that combines this gun's cartridge power, concealability and shootability on the market right now. For that I was willing to give them a "shot" at fixing it. My other Kahr (an all steel E9, purchased in 1999) has been reliable.

 

[DAdams]

Stick With it if

You don't get 100% right away, don't give up. Kahr will make it right if you continue to have issues. The form factor of these pistols and tolerances are tight. Sometimes it's the break in and sometimes they just need to have some parts replaced and some personal attention, they did replace my barrel and polish the ramp.
A Kahr tech told me they should feed about any 9mm or +P ball or JHP. The nose configuration according to him should not matter.

They make a great pocket carry auto. Mine had to go back once.
It has been fine with over 400 rounds of high quality ammo through it since.

 

[Racinbob]

Great input as I expected from the folks here. Thanks. I'll keep you posted on the next 2-300 rounds. Based on what seems to be getting worse, I'm not too optimistic about it clearing up without a trip to Kahr. That doesn't make me happy but I'll definitely try everything to make it right. I'll try some of the +P+ the next time.

 

[DMR]

I have long been sceptical of the PM line from Kahr. I saw it has to much of a good thing in to small of a package. The Number of reported problems have kept me in that school. That said i got a deal I couldn't pass up and picked up a PM-9 this winter. It was lightly used and I'm not sure what experiances the previous owner had with it if any.

When I finaly took it to the range I did a 200 rnd break in to be sure it would function. No malfuntions were experianced. The PM's grip is to small for my taste for true accuracy, but is good enough for BUG distances. I did have an issue with the ejection pattern. I'm cross dominate (left eye/right hand) and when firing the pistol it would eject into the right lense of my shooting glasses. Once I get it back out to the range I'll let you know if it works.

I quick call to Kahr and I had it back in about 10 days. I have had my P-9 since 99 and several thousand rounds. The only issue was the early P-9's trigger pin would walk. Never caused an issue except for roughing up the Kydex holster. I finaly called Kahr and recieved a new pin that was grooved which is retained by the trigger spring.

Bottom line Kahr seems to be good about making it right if you have a issue with their product.

 

[jocko]

I sure do love my PM9, 13,200 flawless rounds. Pocketable, lots of firepower, more accurate than I am and just one hell of a fun gun for shooting, as my above round count so indicates. Most do need that 200 round breakin.

a little hint though, just take your kahr, lube the rails up good with grease, and with no magazine, just sit there and rack the slide as fast as you can 4 or 500 time.s You will be very suprised how fast that also enhances break in without shooting one round or leaving the house. Now buy good fmj ammo for break in and just shoot it like u stole it. great guns IMO, their entire line is..

 

[RNB65]

Sounds like you're a prime candidate to join the Kahr parade.

 

[Racinbob]

No RNB, I'm not ready to slam this pistol. I'll go the long haul to get it 100% because I love the feel and the way it shoots. The Pearce grip extension I received and installed tonight is outstanding. If it doesn't get to my expectations as far as realibility you can bet I'll post it here.

 

[klane]

I have had a Cylinder & Slide PM9 for about 9 months and after 500+ rounds I have had zero FTF or FTE from several types of HP ammo. I carry and Speer 124gr. GD +P and have had no probles with them. I would be okay shooting +P+ in mine but that is me. But honestly I must tell you I got a LCP a few months back (not near the gun but not near the price of the C&S PM9) and after 500+ rounds of various HP ammo (my favorite being Remington 102gr. GS) with ZERO FTF or FTE I have only carried the PM9 once!

 

[CSG]

I bought a PM9 because it's the smallest 9mm I could find. I might have tried the LCP or even a K-T had one been available locally but, honestly, I'd rather carry a 9mm. For me, the PM9 meets the criteria of a pocket pistol with the pants I wear.

 

[jocko]

Had my pm9 all done up by Cylinder and slide. they are not cheap but what a super fighting gun I have now. Goes bang every time and rides in my front pocket 24/7....Love my lcp to, just for me not enough firepower...

 

[DHart]

The PM-9 is my top choice, by far, for super small, super light "deep" carry gun. I won't go below 9mm for a defense caliber and with the PM-9, you don't need to. Most PM-9's run just great, and those that don't will be made right by Kahr. I give a big thumbs UP for the PM-9.

I must say, though, that I (and most of us) can easily conceal much better choices for defense use like the Glock 30, Glock 19, M&P 40 Compact, Colt 1911 Commander, etc. I don't often need to resort to carrying my PM-9, even though it has been totally reliable for me and I believe it's a superb choice for a super small/light defense gun.

As for .380, when you can carry a PM-9, why would you ever choose to rely on a .380 for defense? Doesn't make much sense to me.

 

[burningsquirrels]

what's kahr's warranty like? there's a pm-9 that i've been eyeing, but it's used... :-\

 

[DAdams]

racinbob

Sounds familiar. The more I shot mine the worse it got. Finally out of 50 rounds, 25 were light strikes. That's when it went back.
Fine since.

 

[eric.cartman]

Give it 300 rounds at least.

Got my PM9 few months ago. First 100 or so rounds were problematic. FTF mostly. I shot about 300+ rounds of WWB 9mm ball ammo through it, and it now runs smooth as butter. Even the HP ammo runs fine. I've been carrying and shooting it often and haven't had an issue yet. Even the manual recommends 300 rounds for break in.

 

[eric.cartman]

One more thing...

My father in law used to be a gun smith in a Polish army... I know, I know
Anyways, he always recommended taking the recoil spring out, removing the lube, and putting crap load of polishing paste in the gun. Then reassemble, cycle the slide few hundred times, clean, lube, and reassemble.

OR, run the gun dry for a while to get the friction going for few hundred rounds. Then clean and re-lube. Works wonders.

And don't use +P+ ammo in PM9. It only goes up to +P.

 

[loplop]

I have owned 2 PM9's. The first I bought used, with unknown round count or provenance. I had heard of issues with some Kahr Poly's, and I was a little worried... But the gunshop owner (small shop) said it came from a very good customer, who I assumed would have had the kinks worked out. I don't know if the gun ever went back to Kahr, but I only had 1 FTF after a bunch of really dirty reloads. On factory ball or JHP ammp I never had a problem, and the dirty reloads were fine if I didn't shoot hundreds.

I ended up selling that PM9, though, because I liked my j-frame better for pocket carry. Fast forward a year or two, and I really missed the PM9; it was a fun and (for me) more accurate and shootable gun than a snub. So I bought another one, this one brand-new.

My second PM9 has also been flawless. I have about 500 rounds through it now, 2/3 of them WWB ball and 1/3 GDHP 124gr +P. No problems with function, although it does abrade the knuckle at the base of my thumb in recoil. It's the corner of the frame. It takes about 50 rounds for this to start smarting, so if I'm going to shoot more than a box I wrap a little athletic tape on there. No biggie.

It seems some PM9's have function problems, but it also seems Kahr will make them 100% for the original owner. I'd say if it's not running 100% after 3-400 rounds, send it back. It should.

Jocko, how often do you replace recoil springs? Have you done a complete teardown in the 12k+ rounds?

 

[jocko]

loplop; i have replaced the recoil springs 3 times in 13,200 rounds. Twice with a new set of the outer karh recoils springs and once I ordered the new 20.5 recoil springs from Wolffs gunsprings and took my captive kahr assembly apart and just put on the new springs. that end plug will unscrew. Just put back on with blue locktite. I am still on this set of spings. I have replaced the magazne springs twice (again just for reasons of doing so) and I used the 5% more strength magazine springs that wolffs sells. They seem to work super to.

I have also installed myself the 5# striker spring from wolffs ,but other than that I have installed no new parts.

I had a complete action job done on my pm9 by cylinder and slide. I bought an exrtra slide stop lever to trial and error a heavy contour of that little lever. Once I mastered it with my trusty dremel. I did the same thing to my original slide stop lever and that is the original one. So i do have an extra slide stop lever. At about 200 rounds I had mag-na-port do their thing to the slide and barrel. I love ported guns and this pm9 ported, to me anyhow is just a dream gun. I have also put on the xs24/7 big dot tritium nite sites and they are awsome. Have the grip 360 degrees stippled. It is my 24/7 carry gun but it is also my range gun as the round count indicates. If I can't shoot um I don't want um. My k9 kahr is also a dream gun to shoot. I think I am more accurate with it than my pm9, but the weight and size has to help alot. If somethng broke in my jpm9 tomorrow, I would just get it fixed and continue on. Just not alot of parts in those kahrs either. If you think the glock trigger system is simple, then you have never looked at the kahr system. Just not much there to go wrong IMO.