Kahr PM9 vs. Kel Tec PF9

[crue2009]

Hello all, the Kahr PM9 and the Kel Tec PF9 seem to be a very popular choice when looking for a small, light,compact 9mm handgun..my qustion is to anyone who has owned both..Is the Kahr that much superior to the Kel Tec that it carries double the price tag? i recently bought a Kahr CW9 and have no complaints with this handgun BUT i kind of regret not going with something a bit smaller in 9mm.any thoughts/opinions...thanks

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[DIABLO9489]

Yes I have owned both. But currently only own the Kahr. IMO the Kahr is worth 5x the price of the KelTec.
The Kahr is a smaller, higher quality gun with a way better trigger. You definitely get what you pay for when it comes to these two guns.

[SIXTO]

Is the Kahr that much superior to the Kel Tec that it carries double the price tag?

Yes.

[pirate]

..my qustion is to anyone who has owned both..Is the Kahr that much superior to the Kel Tec that it carries double the price tag?

Yes, its an apples to oranges thing....the Kahr is a high quality well made handgun worth the extra funds you will pay. All kel Tec's, are rough, poorly finished inside and out but generally fuctional. There are real good reason they sell at the price point they do. I own or have owned several examples of both makers guns so I am speaking form first hand experience here. I have stated this many times here, if KT would spend another 20 min. hand finishing and fitting the internals on each gun (basically an in house fluff and buff) and charge an extra $30 you would have a vast improvement in performance and reliability out of the box. And the price point would still be attractive to CCW purchasers looking for an inexpensive entry level gun.

[carryon]

Never owned the Kahr, but I LOVE my PF9! Price, accuracy from self defense range, perfect CC size, and its eats my preferred ammo like candy! After I put on a cheap Hogue sleeve it feels like it's part of my hand. KT had top tier CS as well.

[ladman]

Never owned the Kahr, but I LOVE my PF9! Price, accuracy from self defense range, perfect CC size, and its eats my preferred ammo like candy! After I put on a cheap Hogue sleeve it feels like it's part of my hand. KT had top tier CS as well.

Agreed

[Truegrit]

I had a PF9 for about 5 months. I liked its compactness, but never felt comfortable shooting it. And sold it. I had a couple other people shoot it and they said it just didn't feel comfortable. But as a "get off me gun" it could be effective. But I used the $$ I received by selling it and bought a XD9sc, its bigger and heavier, but I trust it infinitly more. The PF9 could be a good backup. Remember "2 is one and 1 is none"- Mr. Clint Smith

I have no experience w/ the Kahr.

I aggree its apples and oranges...

[tokerblue]

I have stated this many times here, if KT would spend another 20 min. hand finishing and fitting the internals on each gun (basically an in house fluff and buff) and charge an extra $30 you would have a vast improvement in performance and reliability out of the box. And the price point would still be attractive to CCW purchasers looking for an inexpensive entry level gun.

- This always puzzled me too. I owned a Hard Chrome Kel-Tec P32 and the gun functioned well, but the finish was really rough. The chrome was not even and the polymer grip was equally rough. I ended up trading it in for a Hard Chrome Ruger LCP and the quality difference was immediately noticeable.

[ckfarris]

I couldn't agree more with everybody here. I have owned both; now just the PM9. The difference is night and day. If you can afford the price tag, definately go with the PM9.

[obxned]

We sell both, so I have had plenty of time to play with them. The Kahr is much more nicely finished. However, I find that the KelTec fits my hand better, and the trigger is every bit as good as the Kahrs. There was one sharp edge on the trigger of my PF-9, but a few minutes of my time cured that.

[carryon]

I have no experience w/ the Kahr.

I aggree its apples and oranges...

You have no experience with the Kahr but the difference betwen it and the KT is "apples and oranges?" I see this a lot in forums. People are quick to love the overpriced gun and discount the lower priced one without having experienced them both.

[Truegrit]

You have no experience with the Kahr but the difference betwen it and the KT is "apples and oranges?" I see this a lot in forums. People are quick to love the overpriced gun and discount the lower priced one without having experienced them both.

The price points are apples and oranges, sorry for not being specific.

[yoyomeng]

I went with the CW9 instead of PM9 because of price. I held the PF9 and my hand didn't fit it well and the size difference didn't bother me. The CW9 just felt better and the little bit of extra weight seems to help with recoil.

If there were no CW9 and I was choosing b/t PM9 and PF9 I'd save some extra money and get the PM9 because of the reviews I've read and that the Kahrs are rated for +P loads while the KT is not.

If you look hard enough you can get the CW9 for about $400

[aag]

I have PF9, and while the gun has been flawless and fairly precise, I don't enjoy shooting it. I also feel that whenever I can conceal it, I can conceal my Glock 26 as well, so PF9 just doesn't see much use. It is quite a bit lighter than the Glock, a bit narrower, but has a longer grip and barrel. Have been considering selling it, but for now it is with me ... we'll see for how long -- probably until I come across a good deal on a gently used Glock 19 :-)

I did look at PM9 a few times, and it's a nice option for a true pocket gun.

[philbo]

Owned the KT and the PM as well as many other single stack 9mm's and the Kahr is miles ahead of the Keltec in fit & finish. The only reason not to buy the PM is price, and even then the Kahr CW9 or the Taurus 709 would be my choice before the Keltec.