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Kahr Question?

4K views 27 replies 21 participants last post by  SCfromNY 
#1 ·
I'm considering a Kahr cw.40. for ccw.I also looked at the 9mm model.I can't seem to decide between the two.I have tons of 9mm ammo but thought maybe the .40 would be a better choice.How do they differ in recoil and general performance? Any and all help welcome and appreciated!!!
 
#2 ·
I have the CW9, not the 40. I do have an XD40sc and I feel like the recoil on the CW9 is less than that of the XD40sc, so I could imagine what the recoil on the CW40 could be since it is a lighter smaller gun.
 
#4 ·
Thanks guys for the info! I'm leaning towards the 9 because of my ammo stock,never fired a .40 but I'll bet recoil is not very manageable in such a small gun like tkruf said.I have a NIB XD9SC that I'm selling,$600.00 with IWB and new in box fobus paddle holster,plus 100 rds ammo.If interested PM me.Leaning towards the Kahr because of better concealment and lighter.
 
#5 ·
I love my CW9. I find that my chosen self defense ammo, Speer Gold Dot 124 grain +p, is about as snappy as I care to handle. I hear that .40 caliber is much snappier, so I can't imagine myself changing to the CW40.
 
#6 ·
I have a PM9

and really enjoy shooting it. Like you a have a fair amount of 9mm ammo and feel confident with a 9mm that I am able to shoot frequently.

If you get the $ for the XD you really should consider a P9 or a PM9. I don't have any real experience with the CW but I love my PM9.

Kahrs are great guns.
 
#7 ·
I pondered the same decision and went the PM9. I already had another full size 9mm, so my ammo was compatible. Some may say otherwise, but I'm glad I didn't get the .40. The recoil on the PM9 is very snappy, so much so that I added a Hogue grip. The polymer alone was tearing a blister in my hand. To each their own, but I'm very comfortable with my choice.

Also, if you're considering the Kahr, I'm sure you'll hear all kinds of stories about their "reliability". Take it from someone who owned one of these problematic boogers, Kahr's customer service is top notch. If there is a problem, they will make it right.
 
#8 ·
Thanks so much for your input.I have a taurus 85 ultralite for BUG incase anything happens tomy EDC piece which would be the Kahr.Never go out without your weapon,no matter what it might be is better than none at all.
 
#9 ·
I have a Kahr 9mm, model is PM9094 (3" Barrel)
Black polymer frame, matte blackened stainless steel slide----anyways, I'll echo what ezenbrowntow wrote, the recoil is a bit "snappy", and I will be buying some grips soon.

As far as reliability, kahr recommends 200-250 rounds for breaking in the gun....and during my first 200 or so, I had a couple of FTF/FTE, almost guaranteed to be ammo related, Wolf & PMC Starfire.
Since then, I've shot another 350 rounds, all Hornady, WWB, & Speer Gold Dot with zero problems.

This gun is easy to conceal, and with a couple of extra mags is almost unnoticeable when out on the town.
 
#10 ·
I have both a CW9 and a K40. As I mentioned in a recent post, the recoil in the CW9 is a pussycat. You know the gun is going off, but compared to standard .38s in a 16 oz snub the CW9 is easy on the hand.

The .40 in the all-steel K40 gets your attention, as the recoil is definitely snappy. The rubber grips help keep it manageable, and the low bore axis relative to your hand helps minimize muzzle flip. For me, the K40 is more comfortable to shoot than the larger Glock 23.

The bottom line for me is that if I had to pick one to keep for personal protection, it would be the CW9. Easier to hit with, lighter to carry, and holds one more round then the .40 variants.
 
#11 ·
Ahhh I love a good caliber war! :twak: Heres my OPINION. 9mm. I'm a fan of 9mm, especially in small, light guns. Fast followup shots, high speed, more capacity, cheaper to buy ammo/train. Kahr's are fantastic pistols. Just heed the out of the box cleaning/lube, and break it in with the recommended 200 rounds. After a little love and attention, that gun is sweet :comeandgetsome:
 
#12 ·
Here's a post on breaking in a Kahr from Kahr's user forum:

Proper prep of a new kahr
Here are some helpful suggestions to set your new kahr up before heading to the range as compiled by Jocko, with the help of the forum members.

#1. Read and then Reread your owners manual. There is some real MUST DO's in there that if you don't you will have issues.
#2 clean ur new gun, dont' assume Kahr did it, They don't and there could be crude in places that it should not be. Take that slide off and that little hole in the bottom of the slide, that is your clean out hole into the striker channel, Insert your spray cleaner nozzle in there and spray away. Fluids will come out both ends, Now with one finger pull back on the striker at the back of the slide and continue to spray in that hole and also spray clean from that breech hole also. You have now cleaned that striker channel without dissambly, DO NOT OIL THAT STRKER CHANNEL. Refer to the kahr tech section and the 2nd sticky down is KAHR LUBE DIAGRAM. Point #9 shows that clean out hole and this is the best lube chart for any semi auto to..
#3 grease the slide rails or if you prefer a certain gun oil, fine. just lube the slide, and better yet go to the kahr tech section and hit on the kahr lube section. This will save alot of explaining. If you have a dremel, I would suggest a good polish on the already smooth feed ramp and inside the chamber also..U can't hurt anything buy a nice polish job. The lube chart is the 2nd sticky on this KAHR TECH thread. It is simply the best ..
#4. Now sit there with an empty gun and no magazine and rack the slide about 500 times as fast as u can, they helps break in without the bang thing.
#5 Take your magazines apart and recheck to see that they are properly put together right to. then if you have some 600+ grit auto sand paper just roll it up like a pencil and polish the under side of the feed lips on your magazines. Do not oil the magazines, wipe with a silicone cloth at best.
#6 to check to see if you have no issues with the slide lock lever hitting the rounds in the magazine, take the slide off and insert the slide lock lever and then reinsert a loaded magazine and see if that top round is hitting the slide lock lever and moving it upward. That is a NO NO.
#7 break in the gun with fmj ammo, forget about the defense stuff until it is running right, Practice close, stay 7 yards and under, get a good grip on the gun and watch your thumb to see that it is not accidently hitting the slide lock lever and causing premature slide locking open. This is a known cause of premature slide locking open..
#8, Don't worry about the accuracty thing until you have the gun running reliable with both types of ammo. Sometimes the 200 rounds break in is necessary, Most of the time, if the gun is pre-prepped properly it does not.
#9 Be aware that you can limp wrist these little guns far easier than the bigger ones. Keep your shooting at 7 yards and under
#10 Kahrs have a looooong but totally smoother trigger system, GET USED TO IT. More rounds down range the better your groups will be to. remember you and the gun have to mate up also correctly for all things to work right. A very good test of your shooting skills with a kahr is to buy a half dozen snap caps and throw them in with 30 rounds of fmj range fodder. Let someone load your magazine for u, so u don't know if any snap caps are in that magazine. I can assure u, it will show ur shooting errors BIGTIME..
We will continue to add to this section in hopes that later on down the road we can just direct a new owner to this thread and not have to keep
repeating ourselves

Good luck and just shoot it like you stole it.. and many Thanks to those who have contirbuted...

(Proper prep of a new kahr - KahrTalk Forums)
 
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#14 ·
I think the 4sw is too much for the cw 40 series, get the 9mm. Mine was a problem child that I ended up trading off for a sig. Besides the feeding issues the slide would not return to battery and the muzzle flip was awful.
I shot a friends cw 9 and it was much more controllable thou it also had feeding problems.
 
#15 ·
I have a Kahr 9mm, model is PM9094 (3" Barrel)
Black polymer frame, matte blackened stainless steel slide----anyways, I'll echo what ezenbrowntow wrote, the recoil is a bit "snappy", and I will be buying some grips soon.
I am picking up a PM9 this weekend. I saw at the Kahr forum where they they slide a piece of inner tube over the grips...I am going to try it.
 
#16 ·
I have the cw9, I did clean before I shot it and at least 400 rnds without a single problem, great carry gun, never shot the 40 but I,ve heard they are snappy. no problem with fast folow ups with the 9.
 
#17 ·
CW9

Before I bought my CW9, I shot an MK9, PM9 and a several different Glock .40 pistols. The .40 has more recoil and flip than the 9mm or .45 caliber pistols. The MK9 was some easer for me to control because of the weight. The PM9 was a torture for me to shoot and very rough on the hand. So I thought the CW9 with a full grip and longer barrel would be a size that I could manage better than the shorter grip pistols. That proved to be correct. To me the CW9 is the best size that gives me a light, reliable, compact, thin pistol to carry. I have over 400 rounds through the pistol and it is accurate and easy to CCW. I did buy a Hogue Hand All Jr. and am glad I did. With that addition I can comfortably shoot 100 rounds or more per range session. Terrific pistol!

-- Richard
 
#18 · (Edited)
Well the .40 certainly has more recoil than the 9mm, but recoil sensitivity is subjective and each person has his own comfort level. I have a PM9 and CW40 and shoot them both often. I think the recoil of the CW40 is very manageable. None of the Kahrs are range guns, they are CCW handguns and when the adrenaline is pumping you will not worry about recoil. Point and shoot simplicity, that what Kahr handguns are all about.
My CW40 has been 100% reliable from the get go. I disagree that the .40 is too much round for the CW40. It may be too much for the individual shooter but the gun handles it just fine. Recoil in any sub-compact handgun in .40 will be somewhat stout, but again thats subjective to the individual shooter. If you look at almost any manufacturers line up, the .40 caliber guns seem to always have a few more feeding issue than the 9's. It’s just the nature of the beast. CCW handguns "require" you to shoot the guns to get closely familiar with their operation and ammo requirements. Many buyers just buy a handgun run and box of 50 through it and call it a day, and start to carry it, or if they have some early on issue give up on it. Oh well, to each his own. Not me. IMO "most", not all but most issues are operator error related. There is more to gun ownership than just purchasing the gun.

In a nut shell, Kahrs are not everbody's cup of tea and .40 cal compacts and subcompacts like the CW40 are not for everybody.

 
#19 ·
Kahr

Pirate, well said, I agree. I am recoil sensitive. I am a firm believer that each shooter should try several models and calibers in order to make a good choice.

-- Richard
 
#20 ·
I have a CW40. Any .40 is going to be a little snappy. I have no problems with my CW40. Recoil gets harsh with the heavier bullets.
I use bullets in the 160 gr. range. The only failure was when I limp wristed the gun. I got to relaxed. It is not a target gun. It is for up close and personal. I think it is a great gun.
Semper Fi
 
#21 ·
Either way you go you'll be happy with the Kahr brand of pistols. I have two CW9's that have worked great with absolutely no...and I mean no hiccups.

I have seven Kahr's total and of all of them the only one that gave me trouble was my P45. It took two trips back to the mother ship to get it right. It is now part of my CC rotation. Of all the ones I own I'd have to say that the P9's are my favorite.
 
#24 · (Edited)
Thanks all for your great posts to help me.I have made my mind up for the CW9. I have almost 2000 rds of 9mm ammo, my ammo box is full.I find the best prices on ammotogo.com.Now I have a taurus 85 .38 snubby so need to get some ammo for it.It's my EDC for right now until I get the Kahr.I'm selling 3 guns also NIB.Sig P232.380,Springfield XD 9mm subcompact and a Taurus 85 .38. If anyone is interested please PM me.
 
#25 ·
See how different we are. A couple people said recoil on a PM9 was snappy. I find it pleasant to shoot. Especially compared to Kel Tec PF9. I just put about 30 rounds into a 3 inch hole at 21 feet. So I find it imminently easy to shoot. So the advice on these forums really are subjective, and as many recommend you really need to shoot one yourself to be sure.
 
#27 ·
I like the 9mm in +p, if the pistol isn't rated for +p, I'd go for the .40, same size frame and dimensions unless I'm wrong.

Fortunately the Kahr is +p rated and 9mm 124gr +p GDs will get the job done.

I love my CW9. I loved it so much that I made it into a CW9c with a slight modification. Good shooting pistol IMO. :hand10:


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#28 ·
I will chime in that my PM9 has been flawless and accurate from day one. I was able to run 150 rounds through the first day for the start of the recommended break in. 25 rounds were all that I liked to shoot with my J Frame.

I normally carry a .40 S&W Sig or H&K using the Kahr for pocket or deep concealment. Having shot quite a few .40s I will say that the PM40 is considerably harsher than the PM9 and I would not choose it even though I am very used to .40.
 
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