Gentlefolk, I have been lurking in the Glock side of the house, but my local dealer is advertising a Kahr K9 NYPD trade-ins for $379. I have a Kahr P380 which took _forever_ to break in so it was reliable, and not sure I want to go through that pain again. Is this K9 worth looking at? Do they go bang, or would I be repeating my P380 issues?
Thanks, Phantom. Any quirks with the K9? Finicky about ammo? I am just rebounding from a very stressful affair with a series of Walther PPKSs. I wanted the relationship to work, I loved the size, the feel, the accuracy...and yes, the legacy. Sadly, the PPKSs I went through desired to be showhorses, not workhorses, content with the obligatory complete functioning, but then when enough had been done, they would get the vapours and utterly collapse, throwing hysterical fits of soft primer hits, FTFs and FTEs. Yes, I tried counseling, didnt work. I finally realized that separation was the only answer. I hope one day we can resume our relationship on more equitable terms, but right now all I remember is the pain. I don't think I could go through that again...
Kahrs generally eat anything you feed them . My P9 will eat anything I feed it . I have never had a ftf or fte even with my own loads . That includes my work up loads I run through just for testing. It has been rock solid .
Well, went to the local dealer to pick up a Gunbroker Sig P232, and at your suggestion, I looked at the Kahr P9. Told the sales guy that I was told that I had to buy one - that I was told that at the price if I walked away I would regret it. The sales guy agreed that I needed to get the K9. Played with it a bit --fits my hand nicely, I dont have a compact 9, and I am sure my P380 was feeling lonely...so i told the sales guy to find a good one for me. He sorted through a dozen boxes or so until he found what he thought was the best of the lot. Minor downside, just one mag. Store didnt carry any. But, the barrel is clean, minimal wear on the grips. Sales guy guesses maybe mfg year at 2005 or that area. Doesnt have the night sights, but I dont do citizen patrol work in Florida, so that was not an issue for me. Will play with it this wkend. Oh, deal included a box of ammo, and a sales tax refund on a store card.
The Kahr K-9 is a solid performer and NYPD let politics play a role in not allowing it any longer. The K-9 conceals MUCH better than any of the approved NYPD guns now on the list.
Interesting...do you know what the issues were? Did NYPD decide to go the universal Glock route to simplify procurement/maintenance or did other factors come into play? I don't know how a Kahr could be a political issue... Made in America, not a foreign weapon, standard caliber...???
By politics I am actually referring to the mandated 14 lbs trigger pull required by the political types inside NYPD. Kahr could not make a K9 with that crazy heavy trigger pull and make the gun work like it was designed. The triggers always lightened with use. The K9 was not approved for on duty use and I believe NYPD requires all off duty carry to be concealed.
The K9s are probably the most reliable of the Kahr line. And these are police trade ins, so they were probably shot little. And you're pretty sure they're trouble free because the agency armorer will have taken care of any problems with guns brought to their attention. And $379 is a great price.
Where the hell did you get a deal like that? I'm going to have to look for trade-ins around here... Wow.
My 9mm Kahr pistols have been nothing short of excellent. My P380 had some teething problems related to wide mouthed JHP ammo, but always functioned 100% on FMJ. I found some pointy JHP ammo (Hornady FTX) that feeds great, just need to keep the pocket piece lubed and blow the lint out once in a while.
Congrats. I was a Sig-o-phile before the company was ran into the ground, as the classic Sigs (P220,228,226,239,225) were all fantastic and reliable. Once Sig started having problems, I looked into the world of Kahr, and it opened my eyes to the fact that an American firearm manufacturer was putting out world class products in what was then a niche market. I am looking to pick up a PM9 at this time (which would be my 3rd Kahr), since after much study, don't believe there's anything that better in terms of quality, being concealable and better finished, in a 9mm caliber, even with the latest and greatest pocket nines being rushed to market in the wake of the concealed carry frenzy. I wouldn't hesitate to pick up an all metal Kahr, either.
Late last month I got the wife a Kahr T9 (all steel full size 9mm). It is a really nice shooter with less felt recoil than a G17. Since getting hers I have handled a few other Kahr all steel guns, the trigger is noticeably smoother on the all steel models. I now want to buy a Kahr K9 to replace my CW9, but I will be keeping my PM9 and P380.
daughter & i stopped in the LGS and they had two used Kahr K9 models (one blued & one stainless). it fit her hand beautifully and could operate the slide without any issues. a bit on the high side as far as price i think ($475) for this model, but didnt do any negotiations as i wanted to find out more about this company/gun model. so i am curious about the kick of K9. can you compare it to a sig P230, P238, CZ82, LC9, shield, etc. the range i go to doesnt have one to rent so can't see how snappy it is. she found the P230 too snappy, but the P238 a-ok (except for the trigger pull). has your significant others shot the K9? their review of the gun?
I can only compare the K9 with the Glock G19. I find the K9 kicked just slightly, slightly more with 9mm +P Gold Dot ammo. But then agin, compred to the Glock 19, the K9's grips are thinner, so I have to consciously grasp the K9 harder to match the solid grip I get on the G19. And if I don't consciously grasp the K9 hard, I will get a twisting motion with the K9, which requires I readjust my grip every so often while shooting. Which is another reason I'm thinking about getting either vertical or horizontal serrations on the front face of the grip to increase gripping friction.
Oh, with your wife, she can always start with 9mm standard pressure rounds, and then move up to 9mm +P rounds.
