Brand New CM9

[Blue150]

Picked up my new CM9 today and I am very impressed. There was just a little gunk on the siderails but I stripped the slide and did a little work before I shot it. There was a small burr on the slide at the lockup point of the ejection port so I cleaned it off and polished that portion of the slide that rides on top of the barrel block. I also polished the bottom of the stripper lug so it won't scratch the brass so much. Then I lubed up and went to the range.

100 rounds of 115 Ball and not the slightest indication of any trouble. I didn't rake the litter first at my range but since all the brass was falling three feet to my right perpendicular to the gun in a two foot circle it was easy to find. That was unlike my 1911 that scatters brass all over the place. Recoil was negligible which was surprising, I expected a bit more snap. Now I wish I had gotten the .40 but it will be cheaper to feed the 9MM.

Brought it back home, cleaned it and went to work on the slide flats. They now have a mirror finish after sanding for about an hour. I left the tapers and top matte, it looks pretty good if I say so myself and the slide grooves are almost dangerously sharp.

This tiny little gun shoots so well I might just give my 1911 to my youngest son when he turns 21. Crimson trace will be here in a few days and I expect to love it even more then.

Now I have to (twist my arm) run 100 rounds of my chosen defense ammo, Winchester PDX1 124 grain +P. It's not cheap but it's supposed to perform well from short barrels.

Nothin but grins...

[JFootin]

That's very cool, Blue!

Now you know why the symbol of our unorganized organization, the CM9 Owners Club, is !

Now, you need to know a club secret: the holster that is so small, so light, so thin and so comfortable that the gun and holster package becomes a part of your body and you cannot feel it there at all! I am talking about the PJ IWB Kydex Holster with the over the belt clip. Here are some pics of it on the maker's Walther PPS (he owns a CM9, so molding is perfect).

[Bill K]

Nice range report. Reading your post... though new to the CM9 it is easy to tell you're an experienced hand gunner. Looking forward to learning from your future contributions to KahrTalk.

[air8]

What? No pics of the new purchase? How dare you tease us like that. LoL. I'd like to learn more about the work you did? Did it help smooth the action of the CM9?

[Blue150]

You'll notice that the reflection of the fir trees in the slide is way out of focus but the camera is eight inches from gun and seventy five feet from tree tops. Sure is pretty though (wrenches shoulder patting self on back).

The pre-range work:
I have seen a lot of people posting questions about the nickle plating coming off the front edge of the barrel block; It's not a functional problem but cosmetic. I decided to take some preemptive action to minimize this so was looking for that burr on the slide and found it. A strip of 440 removed the burr and rounded that edge ever so slightly. I followed it up with some 1000 just because... I then wrapped some 220 around a pink pencil eraser and started working on the flat bearing surface inside the slide that contacts the barrel followed by 440 and 1000. Nobody will ever see that nice shine but it should significantly reduce the worn plating issue on the barrel.

Since I had plenty of grit left I did the same routine on the stripper lug. Ammo in a carry gun ends up getting cycled in and out of the chamber a lot before it's fired and the brass can get chewed up. Besides, although powdered brass in the action can't do much harm it certainly isn't doing you any good. It also reduces the drag on the slide.

Post range work:
After the successful range run I did the 220/440/1000 routine on the slide flats for cosmetics and to reduce friction in the draw. I laid a piece of wet/dry (in the wet condition) on a piece of Formica mounted on 1" plywood and worked the slide diagonally one direction for 220, diagonally the other direction for 440 and lengthwise for 1000. This way you can see when you have gotten all the scratches from the previous grit out. I left the slide assembled so the extractor would get polished at the same time, then disassembled it and washed it with water, then dried, oiled and reassembled. If you do this yourself, make sure your sandpaper stays flat. My 440 curled a bit at the edges and my lines on the left side aren't quite as crisp.
I had to take it back apart because the top edge of the extractor had a knife edge that protrudes slightly when the chamber is loaded and would shred a holster. A couple passes with a diamond stone chamfered that edge.

I also did some "tap" tuning on the magazine (using magic marker to locate tight spots, then checking for follower binding) and polished it , straight to 1000 this time. The magazine now pops out almost all the way when ejected from the "gangster" hold but with a proper grip and gravity's help the magazine falls free every time.

Sometime soon I plan to disassemble the lower and polish every contact point in the trigger linkage. This thing already has a very nice trigger but it can always be a little better; since I'll have it apart to polish the trigger flats it would be foolish not to polish everything while it's open. I'm also going to put a mirror finish on the breach face. It's not showing any indications of dragging but since I'll have the stuff out anyway. The way I see it every bit of friction reduced will increase the margin between optimum clean and failure to cycle.

[Blue150]

That's very cool, Blue!

Now you know why the symbol of our unorganized organization, the CM9 Owners Club, is !

Now, you need to know a club secret: the holster that is so small, so light, so thin and so comfortable that the gun and holster package becomes a part of your body and you cannot feel it there at all! I am talking about the PJ IWB Kydex Holster with the over the belt clip. Here are some pics of it on the maker's Walther PPS (he owns a CM9, so molding is perfect).

I've seen you espousing the merits of the JP holsters. I have some Kydex on the way and will be making my own holsters. I've been meaning to do that for my grandpa's Woodsman and Dad's Taurus anyway. Though I do like the JP concept I'll be building mine as a tuckable IWB. I'll post pictures when I've made one I'm happy with.

[jeepster09]

I am not a fan of kydex, I feel they are to rigid and are less concealable than leather. Leather will conform to your body as kydex pushs out and can become more visable when you are looking for maximum concealment.

[JFootin]

I've seen you espousing the merits of the JP holsters. I have some Kydex on the way and will be making my own holsters. I've been meaning to do that for my grandpa's Woodsman and Dad's Taurus anyway. Though I do like the JP concept I'll be building mine as a tuckable IWB. I'll post pictures when I've made one I'm happy with.

Well, I shoulda known you'd make your own! Paul makes them tuckable as an option. Uses a seperate piece of kydex that is screwed/glued at the bottom of the holster, with a thin gap back up to the top, where it is folded over to form the clip. The angle you fold it at determines the cant. I'd go for some cant so you can carry it in 'the sweet spot' just behind the hip. Club salute - !

[Blue150]

I went to the range again today and blew through 35 rounds of Winchester PDX1. Ye old hollow point/slide stop demon stopped by to watch. Here are some key points of my experience today.

Seven shot strings from 6 round magazine.

Lock back occurred consistently after third bang and seventh bang (only one was unexpected).

I ran one full load pulling the magazine and inspecting the top two rounds after every shot. Each time there was a scratch on the top round at the slide stop and none on the second round.

When I got home I pulled the slide and reinserted the slide stop in the frame. I then inserted a full magazine, and watched as the slide stop rode that top round for its full travel before the round popped around it. I had to file nearly an eighth inch off the slide stop to get clearance, how was it not locking back after every round?!?

Now cycling the slide feeds ammo through no problem and no scratched jackets. Slide locks back only when it’s supposed to. With the only malfunction identified and fixed, I now get to… I mean have to... go run another 65 rounds of PDX1 to call it good for carry.

[Blue150]

Well, I shoulda known you'd make your own! Paul makes them tuckable as an option. Uses a seperate piece of kydex that is screwed/glued at the bottom of the holster, with a thin gap back up to the top, where it is folded over to form the clip. The angle you fold it at determines the cant. I'd go for some cant so you can carry it in 'the sweet spot' just behind the hip. Club salute - !

I have what I think is a slick idea for the belt clip. I'm going to attach it to the back of the holster and bend it under the bottom with a slight gap. That should give me an extra inch of tuck space which will be appreciated with the short slide of the CM9. I have a couple other ideas I haven't seen anyone else selling that will be easier to show than explain but they will reduce the bulk and help hide the clips; if they work out I'll post pictures. Hell, I might even start selling them. If I actually started making money with guns my wife might not object to my hobby so vehemently.

[air8]

Blue....did you do the Kahr prep in the Kahr Tech section of this forum? There is some good pointers in there. The stickies are great information. There is a section in there about fitting the slide stop. But you've already taken care of that one. LoL.

[JFootin]

Won't that kydex folded under the holster close the bottom, not allowing lint and dirt to fall out?

I have a PJ Tuckable with velcro attachment. IMO, the 1.5" gap is plenty to tuck the shirt into. You want it to blouse there a bit to prevent printing. And you don't want it to be very hard to grab and pull out of the way.

[Blue150]

The plan is to attach at the adjustment screw and loop under the empty spot below the trigger guard. I'll get my Kydex soon and then can post pics.


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[JFootin]

That'll work! I hope Paul is reading this. Can he use this idea of yours?

[lowroad]

I'm going to try a Pj's, though I do think the kydex right on my skin might bug me, but maybe not. I have a supertuck knock off type holster that I trimmed down and still don't love. It's great at behind the hip carry, but I want to carry at almost 3 o'clock. I don't wear very long t shirts and get very aware that that my piece can poke out when wearing at 4 or 5 o'clock. Short of a galco in the pocket, where I'm not sure I like carrying either, I'm about out of options.