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I've had it. Time to replace the Kahr CW9.

38K views 79 replies 62 participants last post by  oldskeetshooter 
#1 ·
I have had it with the magazines in this gun.

Bought it 2 years ago. I love the gun. It fits my hand perfectly, it points more naturally than any gun I have ever owned or shot. It carries so easily it is like it isn't even there. But, the magazines SUCK. I'm tired of worrying if the top round in the mag has slid forward and nose dived. I'm sick of pulling the spare mag out of the mag carrier at night and having the top round or three pop out of the damn thing.

I've tried the mods to the mags that everyone has talked about to limited success. Bottom line, I shouldn't have to modify the mags on a modern carry gun to make them reliable.

I've called and spoken t Kahr customer support three times. Each time, they seem very uninterested in my concerns and just tell me that the mags have to work that way, which is BS. No mag HAS to work bad for them to function. That doesn't even make sense.

So, I am dumping the CW9 in favor of something else. I am currently looking for a comparable replacement. Going to look very seriously at the XDs9, the Beretta Nano, and maybe a few others. Suggestions would be appreciated. No Glocks, the do not fit my hand.

Like I said, I love the gun, but the fact that the mags don't work and the company doesn't care and won't fix the problem, and it IS a problem, they have lost me as a customer forever.
 
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#5 ·
if you are trying to stick to a single stack 9mm, I would do a Shield, PPS or wait for the new XDS 9mm.

--I had a terrible experience with my kahr pm9 including a chipped guide rail, I loved the way it felt but it just was an inferior firearm.

--My current shield was very problematic, mostly feeding and ejecting, it drove me crazy and I almost gave up on 9mm single stacks as a whole . I sent my shield back to s&w and when I got it back from repair and I am glad I did because it was worth the wait.

For the price the shield is the ticket in my book, performance wise it will not disappoint.. And if it does disappoint you can send it back to S&W free of charge and they will make it right !!
 
#6 ·
I've held a Shield and to be honest, I don't like the way it feels in my hand. The point where the trigger guard meets the front strap of the grip feels terrible to me. I'd be more likely to by an M&P compact.
 
#7 ·
I've held a Shield and to be honest, I don't like the way it feels in my hand. The point where the trigger guard meets the front strap of the grip feels terrible to me. I'd be more likely to by an M&P compact.
My wife's M&P .40 C is a pleasant surprise IMO , easy to control, accurate and 10+1 in .40 is nice for that size sidearm IMO
 
#9 ·
Wish I could help, but my knowledge of pocket sized guns is limited to j frames and PPK's.
But I did try a friends LCP and liked it. If I were inclined to have a pocket gun for EDC I would look at it.
 
#10 ·
If Glocks aren't to your liking I think Springfield XD pistols are a good alternative. I used to have three all of which were excellent but I favored Glocks and needed money to get more guns so I sold them. Had I not liked my Glocks so much I would have sworn my life to the XD line of pistols.
 
#11 ·
Yeah, we kind of have the same thing gonig on only my Kahr is a K9. Nothing fits my hand better but the magazine thing really really sucks. That & I rarely carry it. Most all the time I carry a commander sized 1911.45 or my Browning Hi-Power. But sometimes I do need a smaller lighter carry piece.

I sold my Glock 26 to a good friend & bought the Kahr K9 thinking the thinner Kahr would have more usefull applications, but no, not really. I may well go back to to Glock 26 but I want to shoot the Glock 30s first.

The 3000 rounds or so( give or take 500 rounds) I put through my old gen .3 Glock26 I never had a malfunction!I cannot say the same about My Kahr K9.

Good luck in your search for a replacement.
 
#12 ·
Guess I'm just lucky... never, ever had a failure to feed with my CW9.

What was a problem was the spare mag, which I initially carried loosely in a pocket (by itself). That unrestrained mag would indeed occasionally shed the top round or two or leave the the top round slightly forward and nosed down (actually level). But having seen that occur, and being a naturally curious guy, I experimented with that at the range. What I found what that no matter what angle or position the top round was in, as long as the nose of the top round did not extend past the front of the mag (which is nearly impossible with the mag seated), the round chambered just fine. The disclaimer here is that this is a test sample of one.

The cure for the rounds escaping from the mag was a pocket magazine pouch crafted by one of our DC members a couple of years ago. The bottom of the pouch is contoured to the angle of the mag's feed lips, so the top round cant go anywhere. Added benefit, of course, is the reduction of swarf and lint accumulating in the mag.

What I do find obnoxious about the Kahr mags - both this gun and the K40 - is that the feed lips are about the sharpest, most user-hostile components I've ever experienced in the world of firearms. God forbid I should ever have to stuff these mags in a hurry.
 
#13 ·
I have NEVER had any type of malfunction with the gun. Never. That is not the issue. The issue is with the crappy mags. If I had to reload in a hurry, pulling the spare mag out of the mag pouch on my off side and seeing the top two rounds pop out would not be a good thing.
 
#14 ·
I also purchased a Kahr CW9. I had issues with insertion of magazine. A couple of times the magazine jammed inside the grip when I inserted it. Several times I had problems with feeding. On the first ten or so trips to the range, there were several occasions when the magazine just slid down the grip while I was firing rendering the gun inoperable. Although I was impressed with the way the gun felt in my hand, it simply is not of good enough quality to be used as a carry gun. I contacted Kahr and found their service department to be unhelpful and rude. A word to the wise, if you are thinking about a Kahr, ask around about their service department, and what others think of their products. My Glocks are a little wider, but always dependable.
 
#15 ·
Only my second post here but I just bought the Bersa BP-9cc I had looked at the Ruger LC-9 and the Khar but had a friend relate similar issues with their magazines. I think if you can find one of the BP-9cc they merit consideration. Most every review of this gun on YouTube is positive...Very positive.
 
#66 ·
The BP-9cc are scarce for a reason....according to a LGS owner (a Kimber ,Glock fan) really likes the BP-9cc..he has one a carries it often...He is hard to please....I held his BP-9cc and really like the feel ..hadn't had a chance to shoot it...He has had these guns on back order for 8 months now...I'm on a long list
 
#17 ·
That sucks. My cw9 was a great gun. I now carry an sr40c and I love it more. The tiny guns just don't fit my hand but my ruger is fantastic

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2
 
#18 ·
Whew...sounds like I dodged a bullet. Not two months ago I almost got a cw9. Didn't really like the trigger but the gun itself felt great in my hand. I'm still looking so I'll be watching this thread with great interest. Sorry for your bad luck...I've been there.
 
#22 ·
Had no issues with the CW9 that I had. Someone mentioned the CZ Rami 2075. Yeah baby, that's my EDC weapon. Best all round pistol I've had and that includes numerous S'fields, Glocks, Kahrs, Sigs, Kimbers and a few others....28 in total. AIWB or IWB is no problem at all.
 
#39 ·
I have the issue with the ONE magazine that comes with the gun (only 1 mag comes with the guns in the CW line) and all three of the magazines I bought directly from Kahr after receiving the gun. Those three mags were not all bought at the same time. I bought one about a month after buying the gun, then bought two more about 6 to 8 months after that. So as far as I can tell, the problem is an ongoing one that Kahr still has not addressed. And when I have spoken to their customer service department, I also experienced the rude and condescending attitude others have reported.

Thank you for all the great replies and suggestions guys. Yet again, this site shows why it is the best on the internet. I posted pretty much the same comment on the "Kahr Talk" website and I got some replies that were full of the jerk attitude.

As I have said, the Shield I held didn't feel great in my hand but I am more than willing to hold another one and see if it feels better. There is a guy on the Kahr site that has floated the idea of trading me his M&P Shield 9mm for my CW9. I may just take him up on it. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I think I might just do it.

It really kills me because as I said, the gun itself feel PERFECT in my hand. Never felt a gun that fits my hand better than this. But the magazines simply suck, period.
 
#27 ·
It just so happens that I recently traded my Kahr PM9 with night sights for an XDS .45 and haven't looked back. My PM9 was flawless through a few hundred rounds, but I'm just stuck on the .45 caliber.

I compared them side by side at Gander Mountain and the difference is negligible. Springfield did a great job of keeping the dimensions down.
 
#28 ·
I would recommend a SCCY CPX-2. I have one and have over 2000 rds down range not one issues. The mags are tight when you first get it but if you load seven let it set unload it and load ten it is no issue. The price is right and it come with 2 ten round magazine an a life time warrenty. Best part it is made in the USA.
 
#30 ·
I know there are those who don't like 'em, but some of the less-expensive guns are pretty good. In addition to the SCCY line, I've had good performance from the Kel Tecs, both P11 and PM9. Friend has 100% performance from a DB9. I realize they're not the coolest guns around, but neither are guns that cost twice as much and are unreliable. I just keep hearing those stories. Try one of these, break it it and maintain it. If it's a dog, they'll fix or replace, but I've seen good things from them.
 
#29 ·
Mike, I hear the very same thing from Customers who trade their Kahrs in for other upgrades. Wouldn't ya think Kahr would address it, but Noooooooo they won't. The store has a Solo, but mags are next to impossible to get, and the way the barrels really floats when out of battery makes me think twice on one. I know you're a seasoned shooter, and I know you'll find what you're looking for. I'll tell ya, my Shield works well, and hasn't dropped a mag out of it yet. I'm kinda going back to the Old Skool guns. S&W 59, Shorty forty, Browning Hi Power etc. Seems those "old timer" guns just keep ticking.
 
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