Anything out there better for me than a Kahr K9?

[tek610]

Update!

First- I know it's tradition to post pics, but I have a crappy cell phone and I'd like to wait to post better pics than what I can get with it.

I FINALLY got to the range tonight-

200 round break-in is complete, and nary a hiccup! It shoots like a dream.

I found myself more accurate with it right out of the gate than I am with my Glock 21.

I absolutely love it, and I'm 100% assured that my research led me to the right pistol. I have a DM Bullard belt slide holster on the way (should be here tomorrow) and now that the K9 is broken in, it's ready for EDC.

Thanks again, friends, and I promise- pics soon! But I might just wait until I get some wood on that frame

And man, my wife is gettin' to be pretty damn deadly with her Walther...

tek610

[7shot]

Another satisfied customer!

[Bongo Boy]

Congratulations! I doubt there was anyone here who didn't predict this happy outcome!

I was able to fire my K40 at the range today, having picked up the new slide with new Trijicons installed. While I would say I'm still not completely one with the trigger, I would also say I'm still blown away by how these little solid steel guns feel.

My understanding is that the Kahr wooden grips are a bit fatter than the stock rubber ones...so for anyone with average sized hands this would probably be a bit of a blessing. Handsome choice in holsters to, btw.

Where are the photos?

[tek610]

Ok- at least a few pics to get started..



Here it is!



Dressed in fine Texas leather courtesy of DM Bullard.



Sorry for the glare- SHINY STAINLESS STEEL!

[cw45fan]

Looks REAL good!

[Longitude Zero]

Nice...

[7shot]

Very nice!

[dkmatthews]

Sorry for the glare- SHINY STAINLESS STEEL!

That's a handsome piece and some gorgeous leather!

Fat-fingered from my Samsung Galaxy TAB2...

[OlympicFox]

The K9 was my first Kahr. While not perfect, it’s very, very close. For me, perfect would have a DA/SA trigger for faster follow-up shots. None the less, I liked well enough to buy a few more Kahrs:

• · PM40 – smaller, lighter & more powerful.
  • Perhaps too powerful
  • Requires grip tape to prevent the gun from slipping during recoil – grip tape sucks against a bare backside
  • Two-finger grip
  • Pearce grip mag extensions solve the 2-finger issue however the mag jumps during recoil and the little finger gets pinched between the grip extension and the frame
• CM9 – for the wife. Smaller, lighter and not so pricey
  • Good value
  • Ditto on Pearce grip pinching
• PM9 – an attempt to replace the PM40 with less recoil
  • Less recoil, but snappier. Doesn't feel any better, though
  • Manageable without grip tape, but not easily
  • Ditto on Pearce grip pinching
• P40 – an attempt to replace the PM40 with a full-size grip to better manage the recoil
  • Doesn’t slip in the hands as much as the PM9 & PM40, but the felt recoil is no better than the PM40. In fact, I prefer shooting the PM40
• P380 – to replace my Sig P238 after the wife confiscated it
  • My favorite pocket rocket/BUG (we've had an LCP & Diamondback)
  • Mild shooting for a 380

While I carry the PM40 more often because it’s lighter, I prefer the K9 overall.



Details are all important for maximum carry comfort:

• · Weight. Duh. The lighter the better for carry comfort. I wouldn’t be too quick to dismiss the weight of the K9. Once you’ve acclimated to the K9, it will no longer feel so light. My solution is to switch periodically between the K9, PM40 and 1911.
• Size – length. Shorter is NOT always better, especially for OWB, less so for IWB. In fact, I find the sweet spot is in the 3.5-4.25” barrel length. Why? With OWB, the weight of the gun is hanging on the outside of the belt, so the gun tries to tip muzzle in towards the body. A long-barreled gun has a long barrel (leverage) to support that weight against the fleshy part of the butt vs. the bony part at the beltline. In other words, my 4.25” 35oz 1911 can be just as comfortable to carry “butt-wise” as my 30 oz K9 or my 22 oz PM40 (all weights are fully loaded ‘cause empty weights don’t count).
• Thin slides & frames are critical to IWB comfort. If you’re going to fit the gun inside the waistband, thin is always better.
• Thin grips are more comfortable, especially when the butt of the gun is well behind the hip which is where it should be for concealed carry. The polymer Kahr win here, while the K9’s grip is much thicker.
• Grip material:

o The OEM rubber grips feel good, but clothing hangs on it which results in printing as well as more chances to fumble the draw.
o Smooth wood grips are my favorite – nothing hangs on them, and they’re comfortable against bare skin
o Checkered wood grips are OK, but less comfortable against the backside
o Crimson Trace grips are hard rubber and slick enough to prevent clothing hang-ups, but a tad thicker than the other grips. My K9 is wearing CT grips as we speak.

I’m planning on sanding my smooth wood grips down to make them thinner just like my 1911 wears thin grips.

• Rounded everything. A melted 1911 with an Ed Brown bobtail & thin grips is a classic example of how a gun can be improved for CCW.

Diversity? Diversity is good, but . . . even small differences in handling could be a problem. For example, the Kahr K9 comes with the NYPD trigger which is very smooth and VERY long. That’s great for preventing unintentional discharges with the Kahr, but not so great if you switch from the Kahr to something with a shorter trigger pull, like the Glock Safe-Action and others. FYI, you can opt for the Elite version which has a shorter trigger pull, or have Kahr convert the NYPD trigger to the Elite trigger. After having said all of that, I’ll note that the only two CCW guns we have that have similar triggers are the matched pair of Dan Wesson Guardians. I guess that makes it one of those do as I say, not what I do sort of things.



Yes, the mags shed their contents if carried loose. That includes carry in a flat-bottomed mag carrier. OTOH, I’ve had excellent success with a Comp-Tac mag carrier because it’s sloped to match that top round. I’ve used my K9 in IDPA a few times. It was a disaster when I carried the mags in a conventional rectangular carrier, but successful with the Comp-Tac. There are a few custom holster makers that make angled mag carriers.


Soft shooting guns do make for faster sight acquisition, but faster triggers with shorter resets also help. I can shoot my 40S&W Sig P226 with its DA/SA (7.4#/3.2#) trigger MUCH faster than I can my Kahr K9 with its 5.4# DAO trigger (average of 20 pulls on a Lyman trigger gauge). And I can shoot either of my 9mm S&W M&P 9 Pro (3.1#) or Nighthawk 1911 (3.3#) much faster yet.



But, I’ve yet to find a compact gun that does everything as well as the K9.

[AC7880]

I have been wondering how a P9 stacks up against the K9. Almost the same dimensions, less weight.

I own a K9 now, but would indeed like a bit less weight - if functionality / firing comfort / control/ accuracy is "almost" the same.

Dan

The K9 was my first Kahr. While not perfect, it’s very, very close. For me, perfect would have a DA/SA trigger for faster follow-up shots. None the less, I liked well enough to buy a few more Kahrs:

• · PM40 – smaller, lighter & more powerful.
  • Perhaps too powerful
  • Requires grip tape to prevent the gun from slipping during recoil – grip tape sucks against a bare backside
  • Two-finger grip
  • Pearce grip mag extensions solve the 2-finger issue however the mag jumps during recoil and the little finger gets pinched between the grip extension and the frame
• CM9 – for the wife. Smaller, lighter and not so pricey
  • Good value
  • Ditto on Pearce grip pinching
• PM9 – an attempt to replace the PM40 with less recoil
  • Less recoil, but snappier. Doesn't feel any better, though
  • Manageable without grip tape, but not easily
  • Ditto on Pearce grip pinching
• P40 – an attempt to replace the PM40 with a full-size grip to better manage the recoil
  • Doesn’t slip in the hands as much as the PM9 & PM40, but the felt recoil is no better than the PM40. In fact, I prefer shooting the PM40
• P380 – to replace my Sig P238 after the wife confiscated it
  • My favorite pocket rocket/BUG (we've had an LCP & Diamondback)
  • Mild shooting for a 380

While I carry the PM40 more often because it’s lighter, I prefer the K9 overall.



Details are all important for maximum carry comfort:

• · Weight. Duh. The lighter the better for carry comfort. I wouldn’t be too quick to dismiss the weight of the K9. Once you’ve acclimated to the K9, it will no longer feel so light. My solution is to switch periodically between the K9, PM40 and 1911.
• Size – length. Shorter is NOT always better, especially for OWB, less so for IWB. In fact, I find the sweet spot is in the 3.5-4.25” barrel length. Why? With OWB, the weight of the gun is hanging on the outside of the belt, so the gun tries to tip muzzle in towards the body. A long-barreled gun has a long barrel (leverage) to support that weight against the fleshy part of the butt vs. the bony part at the beltline. In other words, my 4.25” 35oz 1911 can be just as comfortable to carry “butt-wise” as my 30 oz K9 or my 22 oz PM40 (all weights are fully loaded ‘cause empty weights don’t count).
• Thin slides & frames are critical to IWB comfort. If you’re going to fit the gun inside the waistband, thin is always better.
• Thin grips are more comfortable, especially when the butt of the gun is well behind the hip which is where it should be for concealed carry. The polymer Kahr win here, while the K9’s grip is much thicker.
• Grip material:

o The OEM rubber grips feel good, but clothing hangs on it which results in printing as well as more chances to fumble the draw.
o Smooth wood grips are my favorite – nothing hangs on them, and they’re comfortable against bare skin
o Checkered wood grips are OK, but less comfortable against the backside
o Crimson Trace grips are hard rubber and slick enough to prevent clothing hang-ups, but a tad thicker than the other grips. My K9 is wearing CT grips as we speak.

I’m planning on sanding my smooth wood grips down to make them thinner just like my 1911 wears thin grips.

• Rounded everything. A melted 1911 with an Ed Brown bobtail & thin grips is a classic example of how a gun can be improved for CCW.

Diversity? Diversity is good, but . . . even small differences in handling could be a problem. For example, the Kahr K9 comes with the NYPD trigger which is very smooth and VERY long. That’s great for preventing unintentional discharges with the Kahr, but not so great if you switch from the Kahr to something with a shorter trigger pull, like the Glock Safe-Action and others. FYI, you can opt for the Elite version which has a shorter trigger pull, or have Kahr convert the NYPD trigger to the Elite trigger. After having said all of that, I’ll note that the only two CCW guns we have that have similar triggers are the matched pair of Dan Wesson Guardians. I guess that makes it one of those do as I say, not what I do sort of things.



Yes, the mags shed their contents if carried loose. That includes carry in a flat-bottomed mag carrier. OTOH, I’ve had excellent success with a Comp-Tac mag carrier because it’s sloped to match that top round. I’ve used my K9 in IDPA a few times. It was a disaster when I carried the mags in a conventional rectangular carrier, but successful with the Comp-Tac. There are a few custom holster makers that make angled mag carriers.


Soft shooting guns do make for faster sight acquisition, but faster triggers with shorter resets also help. I can shoot my 40S&W Sig P226 with its DA/SA (7.4#/3.2#) trigger MUCH faster than I can my Kahr K9 with its 5.4# DAO trigger (average of 20 pulls on a Lyman trigger gauge). And I can shoot either of my 9mm S&W M&P 9 Pro (3.1#) or Nighthawk 1911 (3.3#) much faster yet.



But, I’ve yet to find a compact gun that does everything as well as the K9.

[tv_racin_fan]

IF you should decide you don't like that K9 we can make a deal.

I have two carbon versions and am looking to buy more. ALl of my daughters are in need of a nice handgun and they like the K9 very much. Course they seem to like the wifes CW9 also.

[OlympicFox]

Functionality? I guess that depends on how you define it. IMHO, functionality is the sum of factors that make it an effective defensive gun.

Firing comfort? Good for the light weight just isn't the same thing as good without qualifications.

Control? Good, but again, it's just not possible to have the same degree of control in a lighter gun of the same design.

Accuracy? Identical for the first shot. Follow-up shots will depend on your skill level and grip.

I chose the PM40 as the alternative to the K9 because it's significantly lighter for carry. My thinking was that the larger caliber gave it an advantage on the effectiveness of the first shot to make up for the slower follow-up shot. After shooting a PM9, I believe that my split times for the PM40 are only marginally slower than with the PM9. I guess I'll have to try it on the timer and see what the difference really is.

I have been wondering how a P9 stacks up against the K9. Almost the same dimensions, less weight.

I own a K9 now, but would indeed like a bit less weight - if functionality / firing comfort / control/ accuracy is "almost" the same.

Dan

[Bongo Boy]

Dressed in fine Texas leather courtesy of DM Bullard.

Oh my goodness...I thought that would be a nice combination when I looked at the holster when you first mentioned it, but this is just beautiful. While I'm not a huge fan of leather holsters, that doesn't mean I don't fully appreciate their beauty.

This makes me wonder if maybe I don't need a second K-gun like, in case the one I have doesn't work or something.

I really am beginning to feel the K9/K40 is the 'just about perfect' carry. I find it OWB concealable with nearly everything I wear in almost any weather, it is very manageable in terms of shootability, very accurate, and I find I don't even know I have it on most times. I find the weight to be just perfect and wouldn't want any less, personally. With my max-load 40s, things feel suitably cushy on recoil to make shooting a pleasure, not a pain. I like that.

Good choice, and an absolutely beautiful rig you got going there.

[jocko]

super looking rig. Leather just seems to go with steel guns to.

[Bongo Boy]

Honestly, from all the photos I've looked at, I just can't tell--how is the frame finished on the Elite?