Kahr, Bad thing it sounds like a Lunchmeat

[Acmemfg]

But I know it isn't. Gotta buy a new carry pistol. Light, small (but not too small), simple and effective are the only criteria. Just sold a .380, simply did not have faith in it. Carried 9mm and .38 for decades. Also have a Para 1911 .45 ACP that sees some use from time to time. No 1st hand experience with .40 S&W but I doubt it is THAT much better than a +p .38 or +p 9mm.

New S&W Shields look promising but I'n not waiting that long (90+days MAYBE, most probably much longer). Price, dimensions and casual research show Kahr pistols may be a viable choice. The CM series look about right, but their catalog is confusing. "CM, PM, CW, TP, K, Elite...." the list goes on.

I need a small, DAO pistol that's gonna fit snug in my back pocket.

.380s (or anything smaller) are not part of the equation

I'm not a Kel Tec fan

I cannot afford a Kimber or another Para

Glocks are too clunky...great performers but a tad bulky for my applications

Taurus ditto

Ruger LC9 had the worst trigger pull I have ever experienced

...so we return to Kahr. What is the opinion of the common wisdom here?

 

[stobes21]

The CW line are their entry level guns. Fair bit cheaper than their more refined cousins. You get beveled edges instead of round, a traditional barrel instead of octagonal, and a few other small things like that. But they use mostly the same parts including mags and have the same capacity, reliability, and basic design as their more expensive cousins.

I bought my CW9 used and have fired thousands of rounds through it without any problems save a few caused by crappy aftermarket mags. With factory mags it has been perfect with many types of cheap ball ammo and probably a half dozen types of JHPs. The handle is long enough to hold my pinkie finger but short and thin enough to conceal very easily. It'll even fit in some large pockets, though kahr makes a smaller version if that's your primary mode of carry. At 7+1 capacity and an extended 8 round mag in my pocket I feel like I have plenty of ammo should I need it. Accuracy is fine. You aren't going to be making half inch groups at 50 yards or anything, but this is a gun designed for CCW, not target shooting. The gun handles recoil well enough to make a couple hundred rounds at the range pretty easy. The trigger is long but smooth and consistent in pull. All in all I have been very happy with mine and would heartily recommend it. Fortunately there are a bunch of good single stack 9mm models out there right now from a bunch of different companies. I think people are finally starting to realize a longer, thinner gun is actually easier to conceal than a fat short one (see baby glocks).

Plus, made in America!

 

[Dirk-Lerxst-Pratt]

Without repeating myself, see the other thread on the M&P Shield.

 

[Acmemfg]

Without repeating myself, see the other thread on the M&P Shield.

I'm sure it's a nice pistol. S&W makes a decent product. As a factory trained S&W Armorer (Beretta also) I know the S&W product well, from the inside out. But....I don't know if it's shill marketing or an insane response to the current review in this month's NRA magazine; no matter I'm not waiting that long for any pistol. Not my style when there are plenty of others out there just as well made for the same price or cheaper. Oh, the S&W Shields are out there. I could have had one by next Wednesday if I wanted to pay $150-$200 over MSRP. I think not......

 

[MrMurphy]

He means the comments on the Kahr, not the Shield, in the Shield thread.

Kahrs are notoriously picky, of the two or three dozen I've fired, I would only trust half as a carry piece.

That does not include the one I owned. The original K9 was the best, the rest have had issues. The P9/PM9 aren't too bad, but the advent of the Shield means they're now in trouble, as the Shield costs less, is the same size, from a big name gun company in business for over a century, and most importantly, the Shields actually work. All the time, without any magic voodoo break-in.

 

[blary54]

You said you cant afford the Kimber so I wont recommend the awesome 16 oz Sig P938 (around$800). If you dont like the Kel Tec PF9 or the LC9 and you cant get ahold of the shield the Kahr Cm9 is really one of your only options. I handled the gun and like it. It got good reviews and Im considering it for myself. Sidenote...it kinda bothers me that Kahr is owned by what some say is a crazy South Korean cult. Decide for yourself. Also Springfield is coming out with a single stack 9mm this year but release date has not been set yet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unification_Church#Beliefs

 

[nrv216]

I liked the only PM9 I ever handled and shot! I was personally fine with my Kel Tec pf9 for the price difference though. I cannot speak to the reliability of the Kahrs as I have never owned one but the limited experience I had with the PM9 left me calling it the luxury version of its kel tec counterpart.

How about a Walther?

http://www.gunblast.com/Walther-PPS.htm

Or you could look at the Rohrbaugh R9 (very interesting gun)

http://www.americanrifleman.org/ArticlePage.aspx?id=1932&cid=19

Let me know if you want any more suggestions. I could keep going but do not want to keep adding options if you do not want them.

nrv216

 

[my19]

I have a Kahr CM9 and I'm very happy with it. Kahr recommends putting 200 rounds through it, and I concur. I had a couple of slide-lock failures among the first half-dozen or so magazine loads, but that sorted itself out in fewer than 50 rounds. After that, it has performed flawlessly with JHPs and normal range ammo. With a good pocket holster, it seems no more threatening than a cell phone or a wallet.

 

[nortac]

Kahrs do require a break in period, after which they run just fine. I carry either a PM9 or P45 daily, both are fine reliable guns once broken in. The PM9 is the easiest mini 9 to shoot that I have come across, very controllable and better than just "combat" accuracy if I do my part. I carry both of mine in Comp-Tac tuckable IWB kydex holsters.

 

[Deltaboy]

Get a Kahr and 2 boxs of FMJ ammo and head to the range. Blast through the 2 boxs and give it a good cleaning and you will be set to go. My LGS had 2 returned with less than 50 rounds throught them . They cleaned them and ran 100 rounds though them and they ran like a top after the break in.

 

[petr]

Re-evaluate the glock 36. I enjoy carrying mine. It's thinner than you think. I've shot some amazing qual groups with that little thing.

What you are describing is a Rohrbaugh 9mm or a Keltec. A guy has to make compromises. These days if I am walking a lot away from the car all day in casual clothes I put a keltec 32 with winchester silvertips in my back pocket. It's effortless and better than not wanting to carry because of bulk or weight. I'm not shooting groups at 25 yards, I'm defending myself at 5.

The other thing you are describing is an old school slicked up .38 wheel gun.

I like the looks of that kimber solo. Sweet sweet thumb safety.

 

[nortac]

The slickest set up for a S&W Jframe Airwieght is a combination of Barami Hip Grip plus a Tyler T grip adapter and a small Hogue sleeve (meant for semi autos). This combo fits the hand for extended shooting comfort and solves all the issues of small gripped small frame revolvers. I used this set up during a snubbie class taught by Massad Ayoub several years ago. When not carrying one of my Kahrs, I carry my airweight bodyguard so equipped .

 

[Acmemfg]

Odd sense of coincidence-

My current carry pistol (and has been for quite a while) is a S&W Model 442 Airweight. The hammerless design helps keep it easy to carry in my back pocket using an Andrews pocket holster (small operation near Gainesville, FL and possibly some of the best leather out there http://www.andrewsleather.com/). Spent all day yesterday riding and I never knew the gun was there. I'm for sure keeping this one in the rotation.

Glock 36-had one for about a year. Along with my PARA 1911 these are the two sweetest shooting pistols I ever owned. The Glock was very nice, especially when paired up with a Pearce mag extension, it was a fine handling gun....just a tad too big for my preferred mode of carry (back pocket).

Looked at some PARA PDAs and a couple Kimbers yesterday. Surely some great ordnance, but considerably out of my price range. The Kahr is looking better every day, but I still plan on taking a good look at the Beretta Nano. I'm a huge Beretta fan and this one has been out long enough now so that hopefully any new model issues have been resolved.

 

[Mr. Tettnanger]

I have been very happy with my Kahr CM9.

I read the manual, and cleaned it before shooting. I followed the recommended break in procedure and have been sling'in lead trouble free ever since.

 

[Ron991]

There are probably a dozen or so gun makers out there who make a handgun in ALMOST any caliber that you could possibly want. You could then flip a coin and either way come up with a winner. On the flip side of that coin you could also come up with a looser. As guns are mass produced, you will on occasion find a piece that just does not function right, and I don't care who makes it. IMHO!

 

[Acmemfg]

Hand in hand comparison-Beretta won..
F&F were much better, ergonomics were better, Beretta quality and engineering design are near legendary. Price was better also, considering the Nano comes with 2 magazines (which for my application is mandatory). I also like the fact there is no "required break in" of hundreds of rounds. I think I made a good choice.

 

[tinashubby]

I recently bought a full size XDM9, seems to be nice, they make a compact version that may be worth looking at.

 

[mayhem]

I have one of the new Beretta Nanos and I really like it. I was able to compare it with a Shield at the range and shoot both - I felt the Nano was the better designed, built, and smaller (easier to conceal) pistol. Especially for the price (+/- $400) it's a great gun.
I also have a Kahr P380, which I feel is the best all-around 'pocket-pistol' available. (Don't flame me you wheel-gun guys, YMMV!) It is tiny, and slips into a jeans pocket very easily. It's what I carry when nothing else will work with what I'm wearing. The .380 round is obviously not as effective as the larger calibers, but 6 rounds of +P hollow-point is waaaaaay better than nothing.
I don't mind a 'break-in' period much for any gun, as I won't trust a carry weapon without running a couple hundred rounds through it first without problems.

 

[Acmemfg]

The Nano will fit in well with the other carry weapons. Already ordered an Andrews Pocket Holster (similar to the one shown alongside the S&W). A bit of a wait but a superb product.

 

[petr]

I like the nano a lot. Didn't even know it was out there.