Want a BUG/jacket pocket gun - Tell me which to pick: S&W 642 or Kahr PM9?

Which should I choose???

  • Get the 642! Snubbies all the way!

    Votes: 51 67.1%

  • Knock 'em out with the Kahr PM9!

    Votes: 21 27.6%

  • You're looking at the wrong choices....you should choose......

    Votes: 4 5.3%
  • Total voters
    76
  • Poll closed .
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G

Gary in Pennsylvania

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Dec 19, 2003
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OK.....I'd like a small BUG or gun that I can toss into a coat pocket/trousers etc (IN proper holster).

In my mind, the 9mm PM9 has more advantages over the .38 642


.....but damn! I mean 2,786 posts appear to be fiercely loyal to the lil buggar!
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=314422&highlight=club

Other than "The revolver can fire out of the pocket.....no slide action..." tell me why I ought to opt for the revolver over the Kahr.


Thanks!
 
A snubby is meant for bad breath distances. With the 642 You have the advantage of sticking the barrel into the ribs/stomach and the gun will fire. You won't have that option with an autoloader.
 
I don't know what your definition of "coat pocket" is. I find that a suit coat/sport jacket is unsuitable for even a 2" model 36/60 S&W. You need to holster that, or put it in a more substantial jacket. Once I have a jacket that sized, I find it better to carry a 2.5" 19/66 S&W or a 686. These are much more effective and about as concealable once you go to "coat pocket." If you really want to go small, consider the seecamp. For a true "pocket gun" there are few that rival it.
 
I love my pocket PM9. Thousands of rounds without a single problem and a lot of them were +p.
 
The PM9 is much easier to shoot well than any lightweight snubnose revolver I've tried. It has a lighter trigger, sights you can see, points better and holds two more cartridges.
 
If you can try them first before purhasing, I'd certainly do it. Other than the round count difference, my experience with the two is the exact opposite of The Lone Haranguer. Just goes to show that their is no one size fits all, even when talking about just 2 handguns.
 
PM9 has mixed reviews on reliability. It is a 6+1 if the 2 extra rounds are important to you.

642's has 5 rounds, is slow to reload and the trigger takes getting used too.

You can buy two 642 for the price of one PM9.
 
thats a hard one! I have owned both a S&W and a Kahr and loved both of them - I wish I had never sold either of them - If I had to pick only one that I could get back I would have to go with the S&W - So thats my vote - I just love those lil .38's - great "pocket" gun - never ever fails - So thats my vote!
 
I have both, carry them both regularly, and voted for the 642 without any thought.

The PM9 can be a pain to draw from a pants pocket because the slide is "in the way". With the 642, if you grip high, as long as your fist gets out, the gun will too.

I also have been carrying the 642 in my coat pocket since it has cooled off outside. Even though you're already aware, it's hard to explain how comforting it is to be able to walk around with a gun already in your hand, ready to fire.

I shoot much more accurately with the PM9, but I shoot much more accurately than that with the 1911 on my hip. Both of these are BUGs in my mind.

The only place I really like the PM9 more than the J-frame is IWB because it's so thin, but even with just a T-shirt, you can get away with a Glock 26 or something more substantial.

The only instance in which I would suggest the PM9 over the 642 is if you are going to be in some really bad areas (read: gang-ridden) and will only be carrying this one gun. Otherwise, it's the snubbie for me. It's the only gun I own in which I truly have 100% confidence.
 
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My backup is a pre-lock S&W model 36. I guess the limitation would be that you have only 5 shots, but I don't consider that to be a problem. Most important is choose what you shoot well and feel comfortable and most of all, confident with.
 
You can't go wrong with the 642. Here's my Kahr experience and I'm just stating 'my experience' and not slamming Kahrs. Some folks swear by them. My new PM9 was a nightmare for the first 386 rounds. Kahr 'fixed' it but it cost me $58.00 to ship it. The jams seemed to stop but it would often fail to load a round resulting in snapping on an empty chamber. This well could have been an easy fix but I felt Kahr should do it. After 3 messages left, they havn't responded. It's now in a dealers hands after I sold it at a gun show this morning. I took a beating because I was truthful about it but at least it's gone. Now I'm in the market for a no lock 642 to team up with my 60 as my carry. I'll probably get Jocko's rath for posting this. He's had great luck with all his and was very helpful with his advice as I was dealing with the thing. Again 'my experience' convinced me that I could never trust the PM9 and since it's not a range gun I just wanted it gone. The dealer I sold it to assured me that it would be right before he sold it. I hope he's telling me straight.
 
Sucks for all you guys that have had problems with your PM9s. It's my favorite carry pistol. So reliable and way more accurate than that short little barrel should be. Excellent trigger with all stainless steel metal parts. If I ever get another one and it's problematic, I'll work with Kahr to get it right. They are that good and I love them that much. There's a firearms instructor over on Glocktalk (Tough Guy Levi) that has well over 16,000 reliable rounds through one and he's only on his second recoil spring assembly. Carrying it in my front pocket is effortless along with two spare mags in a mag holster in the other pocket. 19 rounds of +p Corbon should serve me just fine. If it doesn't? Just not my day, I guess...

Racinbob, $58 for shipping? Seriously? I hope you didn't buy into the shipper's "requiring" overnight shipping for handguns BS. It is NOT law and only a policy. I just shipped a pistol back to Kel-Tec via UPS and the entire shipping bill was under $11 with $250 insurance coverage. Got from Connecticut to Florida in 3 days, so the wait was nominal. Just box it up out of view and creatively hide the name so it's obvious it's not going to a manufacturer. Glock of America = GOA, Kel-Tec = CNC industries, Kahr Arms = KA, etc. Or don't even put a name down as only the address is needed.
 
Beating a dead horse here but having so many grip choices with the snub is a big plus.
 
+1 for 642

Ronto has it right, you may not be able to draw in time to clear your pocket.
 
I have never been able to comfortably carry

any gun in a pants pocket with the possible exception of a Colt Mustang 380 that I once owned. Even that was a little on the heavy side, though I wish I had never sold it.:banghead: That all has changed today with the purchase of a Ruger LCP in 380. This will be the gun I carry when I can't carry my Glock 23. It might also ride along as a backup gun. This thing is so light and compact that as soon as I got out to the car, I loaded it up and stuck it in my pocket and went to dinner across the street. When I got up to pay the check I stuck my hand in my pocket to get my keys and realized that the gun was there instead. I really didn't notice it there at all. Even on the ride home it was not uncomfortable at all. I also have an S&W model 36 that I have tried to pocket carry but it only works well in a heavy jacket pocket.
 
Unisonic12, sneak one through any shipping system? Ain't happening by me. Prison time doesn't sit well in my eyes. Like I tried to make clear, I was just stating my experience and not slamming Kahrs. A lot of folks love them and have had no issues. Based on comments from virtually every range master and instructor I've talked to at the ranges I go to are well aware of the issues with Kahrs. They also know that some of them are great. I'd like to have a good one since I think it's a perfect combination of power and size but I won't give them a chance now. All it comes down to, with me, is over 30 years of zero issues with my Smith wheel guns.
 
If a J-frame is small enough, then I'd go with that over the Kahr if you have to choose between the two.

But if you want smaller but still reasonable power, in order of cost and quality from high to low, look at:

Rohrbaugh R9S (9mm)
Seecamp LWS380 (.380)
Ruger LCP (newer "371" model) (.380)
 
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