I'm an idiot

[Adamt]

Yes, that's right, not all Kahr owners are smart. All you need is a little cash and any fool can buy a Kahr.

So I took this K9 on trade without knowing much about them. The previous owner said it was stainless. It looks stainless. The new ones are stainless. So I begin to sand out some pits in the frame. Now after researching my gun, I'm finding that it was probably made around 1996 and was nickel plated over carbon steel. I'm not sure how to confirm this.

My first fun gun restoration project is quickly turning into a disappointment and a money pit. Not sure what to do next. Live and learn. I haven't hit the slide with any sandpaper yet but I've polished it with Mother's to see it better, it was a weird matte gray when i got it. maybe nickel does this over time.

Not sure what to do next but I'm definitely feeling deflated. I will probably duracoat it, either all of it or just the frame. I can't justify NP3 or an expensive finish that would cost 1/2 or more of the value of the gun.

Any of you smart Kahr owners have any suggestions? Any way to confrim that this thing is not stainless?

[Tinman507]

Call Kahr with the serial number. They can tell you exactly what it is.
I realize it's a project gun but have you shot it yet?
Don't be too bummed. It's a totally outstanding piece of gunsmithing.
Shoots like a dream. Even if it's not 100% SS, it's gonna shoot nice.

[chipD]

If it were me I would call Kahr, they should have info about it by the serial number.

[chipD]

Call Kahr with the serial number. They can tell you exactly what it is.
I realize it's a project gun but have you shot it yet?
Don't be too bummed. It's a totally outstanding piece of gunsmithing.
Shoots like a dream. Even if it's not 100% SS, it's gonna shoot nice.

Sorry tinman you beat me to it, I couldn't see your post while I was typing. Plus 1 on what you said.

[Adamt]

I haven't shot it. I wanted to clean it up first. I really like these guns and this one seemed in decent shape for the deal but at this point, I'm putting more money into it than I really wanted to. I did email Kahr with the S/N. The gun had the original receipt and it was purchased new in '98 so I know it was made sometime before then. I looked on the box and it still has the sticker on it. It says in tiny print under the model number "nickel" That would have been a good clue if I had looked at it more carefully. Did they ever make nickel plate over stainless guns? I doubt it.

[AJBert]

Have you tried to see if a magnet will stick to it?

[jdavis]

If you need to refinish look here http://www.customizedcreationz.com/.
I have no experience with them but they seem highly regarded by those on th Sig forum.

[Adamt]

Kahr wrote me back and said it was made in April 1996 and that it's stainless. I'm not sure that makes any sense. The research I've done says the early ones were carbon with nickel plate. Did they actually make some in stainless?

[wyntrout]

I bought mine new in early '98. It's matte stainless and on the right side of the frame above the front of the trigger guard, it says
"9x19
Stainless
AR11xx"

And a magnet does stick to the frame and the slide. It depends on the alloy. Some stainless IS non-magnetic, as in screws and other fasteners on boats, especially around the compass.

Wynn

[Adamt]

Magnet sticks, frame doesn't say stainless anywhere. Wonder if it was in some kind of transition period.

Any other way to tell what metal this is?

[Adamt]

Here's the set of emails from Kahr. Based on this do you think it's really stainless or is he making a generalization? I did ask specifically whether it was stainless or not. Just seems odd that the box says nickel and from what I read online, the guns of this period were carbon with nickel plating.


Good morning.

This firearm was made in April of 1996. The K9 is a stainless steel firearm.

Have a good day from Kahr.

Eoin Pryal.
Kahr Arms.



Date: 03/21/2012 10:36 PM
Subject: RE: Parts Question



Hey Nathan,

I ordered the parts but I have one more question. I’m restoring this gun and I’d like to know when it was made. It has the original receipt dated May 1998 but I think it was made a year or two earlier.

It’s a K9, SN is AFxxxx. Can you confirm that this gun is stainless and when it was made. It looks stainless but doesn’t say that anywhere.

Thanks,

Adam

[gb6491]

I think he made an erroneous statement as we know there were carbon steel K9s (I used to own one). There were nickle plated guns as well: http://web.archive.org/web/199804150...m/pistols.html (if the link doesn't work, input "http://www.kahr.com" in to the wayback machine and look at April 15, 1998).
Now, I guess it's possible that they could have nickle plated a stainless frame, but I doubt it. To test, get yourself a cold blue touch up product and see if it will darken the area you sanded. If you sanded through the plating and the frame is carbon steel the blue will darken it right away.
Regards,
Greg
BTW, here a shot of a nickle plated K9 from the link I posted above:

[Adamt]

That is a cool site. I've never seen it before. Thanks. The earliest cache was in April 2007. Listed in the product line was the K9093 in matte stainless steel, which is what the box for mine says it is. It also says "new". The guy at Kahr said mine was made in April 1996, a year earlier. So i wonder if the model number helps. Were all K9093s stainless as opposed to nickel?

I may try the cold blue technique or just put a drop of water on the slide and let it sit over night and see what happens.

K9093Kahr K9 matte stainless steel

[Adamt]

That cached site shows the model 9091 as the nickel version. Why my box says 9093 and the nickel under it is a mystery.

[Adamt]

If my box is correct - and it has the correct serial number on it - and the model number is correct 9093. And this legend from the Kahr site is correct, then I think it's stainless:

http://www.kahr.com/Pistols/4/Pistols.aspx

Still not sure why the label also says nickel in small letters. Plus the Kahr rep says it was stainless based on the SN. I'll put a drop of water on the slide and see what happens - don't have much to lose at this point.