LC9 or CM9 quandary

Status
Not open for further replies.

LCPor9mm

Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2009
Messages
223
While trying to decide between the LC9 and the CM9 at the local gun show last weekend, the wife told me to get both. What a great idea! So I did and took them to the range yesterday. I ran about 320 total rounds of 115, 124, & 130 grain hardball through them before I stopped.
My impressions are as follows:

>Both guns are accurate at close range (15-21 ft).
>Recoil for both was surprisingly light.
>The CM9 had one FTFeed at somewhere around rnd 15-20 then ran great.
>The LC9 ran great.
>Both had intermittent failure of the slide hold open after the last round; the LC9.
appears broken, as it fails 80-90% of the time, the CM9 failed 20-25%.
>Both triggers are good. The CM9 is better and it may shoot more accurately because of
that. Hard to tell .… I wouldn’t win any prizes with a handgun.
>Sights are better/faster on the CM9.
>None of the safeties on the LC9 bothered me and the grip (with pinky ext) felt better to
me than the CM9 without. On a side note Kahr is offering a free magazine right now.
>The CM9 is built to tighter tolerances. I don’t know if that translates to a better gun,
but there it is. The slide spring in the CM9 is a slight PIA to compress due to it’s length.

All in all a very difficult choice between the two, made easy for me for now due to a (IMO) glaring oversight on Kahr’s part. The bottom edge of the slide is a meat slicer and I will have to stone/bevel/sand…do something to it before I shoot the gun again. It tore off enough skin I had to stop shooting before I was ready.
 
Thanks for sharing always nice to find a reference/review for two similar pistols in a side by side.

In case you haven't seen this, you may find it interesting. There are lots of reviews on the net on both your pistols.

FWIW.

Kahr CM9 Wins The On Target 2011 Editor's Choice Award by Massad Ayoob
June/July 2011, On Target Magazine

http://www.kahr.com/kahr-news.asp#OTAward2011
 
The bottom edge of the slide is a meat slicer and I will have to stone/bevel/sand…do something to it before I shoot the gun again. It tore off enough skin I had to stop shooting before I was ready.

Yup, same with my K9. Backstrap under the slide was really sharp, so was the trigger guard. Took some fine sandpaper to it, much better.
 
Go to Kahr forum and Ruger forum, then Giggle CM9 and LC9 and see how much more the CM9 really needed that Ayoob backing, and if I'm not mistaking Ayoob also liked the LC9 too. I rely more on over-all real time users options like those that post their experience, complaints, did this happen to you and how do I fix this questions, on forums like this. More then I do reading a magazine's review. They, the forum posters are the ones that buy the product and either more do have or do not have issues.

I said over all forum comments because there are some trolls that post so reader beware, but, if you start reading more bad then good about a product then it has to make you think about buying that product. And some manufacturers have more issues then others.
 
My choice was the LC9. I grew up shooting revolvers, so a long double action trigger is not a negative for me, expecially in a CCW. I feel that the LC9 trgger is smoother and more consistant than the CM9 was. I think that this is due to the LC9 actually being hammer fired as opposed to the CM9 being a striker fired. Please correct me if I am wrong on the KHAR. That being said, I do wish Ruger had kept the KISS principle they had on the LCP, but I don't find the safety features to be overly aggrevating that I would discard the pistol. Both will do the job, it just comes down to your preference, but whatever you choose, at least have the comfort of knowing you will be well armed either way.
 
i own a few handguns including having owned a pm9 and pm40 and the LC9 has quickly climbed to the top of the heap, its absolutely perfect for me.

i never hear talk of the advantages the LC9 has over the PM/CM9 - girth and an extra round are just 2 of them.
 
i never hear talk of the advantages the LC9 has over the PM/CM9 - girth and an extra round are just 2 of them.

That's because not everyone finds them to be advantages. The thinness of the Kahr is one of the major selling points, making it easier to conceal. The extra round comes with a slightly longer handle, again making it not quite as easy to conceal. The extra length is also uncomfortable to me, it's not enough to get my pinky on the grip, but too much to make it comfortable to put my pinky underneath.
 
I rely more on over-all real time users options like those that post their experience,
I happened to be in the gun store when the LC9 was delivered. I impulse bought it. Then I went home and ran about 200 (trouble free) rounds through it.
Over the next eight days, about 10 different people ran over a thousand rounds of seven different kinds of ammo through it.
At present I have over 1,700 trouble free rounds through the gun.

I liked it so much I bought a second LC9 for a spare.:)


I know nothing about the CM9.
 
im thinking about a second LC9 also, its the best handling gun i have ever owned. 1000+ trouble free rounds through 2 range trips for me, ive also ran about 10-12 different loads through it and it gets light primer stikes with S&B
 
CM9 I chose. I dunno what it is about the Ruger semi auto pistols but I hate the triggers. Kahrs triggers are amazing!

Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk
 
UPDATE:CM9 is the winner

The second time out and the Kahr seduced me with that trigger. After another 100 - 150 rounds through each I put the LC9 down because the Kahr was easier for me to shoot accurately, which I attribute to a superior trigger. Both guns worked flawlessly including locking back on an empty mag.
I was so impressed with my first Kahr...I purchased a second one; an MK9.
It shoots better than the CM9 but is a tad heavy for pocket carry.
 
what does the LC9 offer that the PF-9 didn't for a $100 less and years before?

(owned a PF-9 held a LC9...same gun)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top