whatsit:
I've have two (2) Kahr PM9s, both w/Crimson Trace LG-437 red lasers. Nice CCW setup. Use them for summer pocket carry [Glock33/.357Sig for winter]. They don't take up much room and if you don't like the small 6-round magazine, you can get a 7 (w/Pearce extension) or an 8 rounder.
The Kahr factory admonition about a 200-round break-in requirement is a firm fact. You can help punch through that hurdle by repeatedly racking the slide on a newly purchased PM9 that has not been fired (50-60 times, in several sets.) It still takes a while for the parts to all work smoothly. Tight tolerances [ain't no Rock Island 1911].
They are sturdily built little guns and will spit out whatever you put into them. However, they have a steep, offset feed ramp and can be picky about feeding and chambering just any old rounds. Especially on the very first loading round. I've learned to tap the bottom of the magazine sharply whenever the nose of a cartridge sticks on the feed ramp. Always fixes the problem, but that kinda thing might make some folks nervous.
Also, I always slingshot the first round from a fully closed slide unless it's during a reload situation where the slide is already locked back. In that case, I release the locked open slide w/my left thumb, maintaining a full control grip on the handgun w/my right hand.
Never could figger out that "use slide-release" thingy that Kahr so seriously espouses. What's the difference whether I pull the slide all the way back and release it or whether I release a slide that's already all the way back. It's all the way back, either way. Perhaps Kahr is concerned that the user will pull the slide only partially back, not far enough to chamber a cartridge, and then release, failing to load. Just dunno.
It's a rugged little sucker. I've put 7-8000 rounds through one of mine and never had a mechanical failure. Further, it's a barker, meaning that it jumps a bit when shooting, making double taps something that you can do but have to work on. In addition, it does tend to tear up my sissy professor hands somewhat, such that I now put on the band-aids at the range before shooting, not after. Over the previous scars.
All the above notwithstanding, I luv my Kahr PM9. But then, I used to romance with slightly neurotic women and I've owned two Jaguars. [Common Theme: Lovely, but with special needs and maybe some extra care required. ]
After I bought the Kahr PM9 there were times I wished I had gotten the PM40 for more muzzle energy and firepower. Also, after I paid about $650 for the Kahr PM9, they came out w/the CW9 and CW40, which are a coupla hunnert dollars or so less expensive. For the life of me, I can't see the difference.
And--if you're gonna get a 9mm, better look at the Ruger LC9, which is Ruger quality, also considerably less expensive.
Me?? When you see me downtown, you'll see my right hand in my right pocket. Could be holding a Kahr PM9.
If you live in Omaha or nearby and want to shoot mine for a while to see what they're like, you're welcome to do so. Just gimme a PM.
