yhtomit
Member
... is that one is such a small number.
While I was picking up the new Witness the other day, waiting for the State to bless me with its favor, another customer in the store and I struck up a conversation, of the kind that gun stores seem to inspire. Favorite guns, least favorite guns, guns on the wish list ...
In this conversation, it came out that he owned a Kahr CW9093, barely fired, that he was thinking of selling to finance a new race gun, probably a 1911. We got to talking; after I was approved (oh thank you! thank you!), and we were both leaving the store, I took a look at the gun, which looks newer than some of the *actually* new guns in the shop. I idly asked (knowing full well I've spent more than this summer's gun budget, and was not intending to buy) what he was hoping to sell it for. He said $400, with a nice DeSantis holster thrown in, and a Hogue grip-wrap as well. I (this being the South) allowed as to that being a seemingly good deal (which I still think it was), and wished him luck with it.
Then, curiosity being a constant nag, I started reading up on the Kahrs, spent some of my insomniac phase last night seeking knowledge of the polymer 9s in particular. The Cw9 is "merely" very small (under 6 inches OAL), while there are smaller Kahrs as well, and of course the tantalizing .380 that will be here in the soon-enough by and by. I was pretty impressed by what I read; the worst things I could find here on THR relating to Kahrs has to do with the slide-slicing problem that some (a few?) readers report with their .40 cal models. (example: http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=375642&highlight=kahr.) About the CW9, it seems that most people had astoundingly good things to say.
I'll soon enough be applying for my WA state concealed carry permit (I *love* asking special permission to exercise a right!), and I'd been considering various guns slim enough to conceal, light enough to carry with a smile, and inexpensive enough that I could buy without wincing. High on the list had been the P11 and the PF9 from Kel-Tec; a P11 (with hard-chromed slide) each seem to run slightly shy of $300 by mail-to-FFL (and a bit more that that, once shipping and state-fealty costs are figured in). The new Ruger .380's appealing, too, but that involves getting into a caliber which seems to cost as much as 9mm, and for which I'd have no other guns, always seems a waste. I have been impressed with (though never owned) the Kel-Tec pistols, and with the Fischer-Price industrial quality of the one KT gun I own (a Sub-2000), but the Kahrs seem to occupy a higher tier of the gun-quality totem-pole.
Looked on gunbroker (dernit, I knew signing up there was a potentially hazardous thing), found that the same model of Kahr could be had for $340 (the best price I've ever seen on them!), plus $25 shipping, plus the $30 transfer + NICS fee + (optional, I realize, but desired) $20 for the Hogue grip, for a realistic cost (modulo gas and time) of $415. However, that doesn't include a holster, and it does involve yet another piece of paper that will never ever be used in harebrained registration schemes, nosirreebob. Call the holster $50, make the total $465. This, note, would still be well under the MSRP, which for *some* guns is difficult to beat.
So, long story long, I made an admittedly lowball -- but polite -- offer for the Kahr: $350. I figured, the worst that could happen is he says No; alternate theory, the worst that could happen for my wallet is he says Yes. Made the call, and as of several minutes ago, I am the proud pre-owner of that gun. (He made a slight counteroffer, again fair: $375 with, and $350 without, the holster, and I chose with.) I figure it's time for me to get holsters for at least some of my guns
I hope it lives up to the reasonable hype as a good CCW gun -- the size, weight, and caliber all seem in its favor.
I pledge not to buy any more guns this week. Promise.
timothy
While I was picking up the new Witness the other day, waiting for the State to bless me with its favor, another customer in the store and I struck up a conversation, of the kind that gun stores seem to inspire. Favorite guns, least favorite guns, guns on the wish list ...
In this conversation, it came out that he owned a Kahr CW9093, barely fired, that he was thinking of selling to finance a new race gun, probably a 1911. We got to talking; after I was approved (oh thank you! thank you!), and we were both leaving the store, I took a look at the gun, which looks newer than some of the *actually* new guns in the shop. I idly asked (knowing full well I've spent more than this summer's gun budget, and was not intending to buy) what he was hoping to sell it for. He said $400, with a nice DeSantis holster thrown in, and a Hogue grip-wrap as well. I (this being the South) allowed as to that being a seemingly good deal (which I still think it was), and wished him luck with it.
Then, curiosity being a constant nag, I started reading up on the Kahrs, spent some of my insomniac phase last night seeking knowledge of the polymer 9s in particular. The Cw9 is "merely" very small (under 6 inches OAL), while there are smaller Kahrs as well, and of course the tantalizing .380 that will be here in the soon-enough by and by. I was pretty impressed by what I read; the worst things I could find here on THR relating to Kahrs has to do with the slide-slicing problem that some (a few?) readers report with their .40 cal models. (example: http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=375642&highlight=kahr.) About the CW9, it seems that most people had astoundingly good things to say.
I'll soon enough be applying for my WA state concealed carry permit (I *love* asking special permission to exercise a right!), and I'd been considering various guns slim enough to conceal, light enough to carry with a smile, and inexpensive enough that I could buy without wincing. High on the list had been the P11 and the PF9 from Kel-Tec; a P11 (with hard-chromed slide) each seem to run slightly shy of $300 by mail-to-FFL (and a bit more that that, once shipping and state-fealty costs are figured in). The new Ruger .380's appealing, too, but that involves getting into a caliber which seems to cost as much as 9mm, and for which I'd have no other guns, always seems a waste. I have been impressed with (though never owned) the Kel-Tec pistols, and with the Fischer-Price industrial quality of the one KT gun I own (a Sub-2000), but the Kahrs seem to occupy a higher tier of the gun-quality totem-pole.
Looked on gunbroker (dernit, I knew signing up there was a potentially hazardous thing), found that the same model of Kahr could be had for $340 (the best price I've ever seen on them!), plus $25 shipping, plus the $30 transfer + NICS fee + (optional, I realize, but desired) $20 for the Hogue grip, for a realistic cost (modulo gas and time) of $415. However, that doesn't include a holster, and it does involve yet another piece of paper that will never ever be used in harebrained registration schemes, nosirreebob. Call the holster $50, make the total $465. This, note, would still be well under the MSRP, which for *some* guns is difficult to beat.
So, long story long, I made an admittedly lowball -- but polite -- offer for the Kahr: $350. I figured, the worst that could happen is he says No; alternate theory, the worst that could happen for my wallet is he says Yes. Made the call, and as of several minutes ago, I am the proud pre-owner of that gun. (He made a slight counteroffer, again fair: $375 with, and $350 without, the holster, and I chose with.) I figure it's time for me to get holsters for at least some of my guns
I hope it lives up to the reasonable hype as a good CCW gun -- the size, weight, and caliber all seem in its favor. I pledge not to buy any more guns this week. Promise.
timothy
Last edited:
