Gap between base plate and grip

[PYROhafe]

LorenzoB did you ever get any of those machined pieces made up to sell? I had mentioned before ide be really interested in a couple, but never heard back on if you got some made up. Still interested though!

[Sgt.K]

Mine's never pinched and it doesn't bother me but I did take a magic marker and ran it around the mag right above the base plate.

[wagon]

The gun functions well the way it was designed, but I have no objection to anyone wasting his or her time and money to make a piece of deadly ordinance look prettier. It's just my opinion that function triumphs over form.

Form can improve function. as in this case no more finger pinching.

[LorenzoB]

LorenzoB did you ever get any of those machined pieces made up to sell? I had mentioned before ide be really interested in a couple, but never heard back on if you got some made up. Still interested though!

Yes I did. And it looks great (and functions great) on my CW9, but I am testing it on some other guns. There have been some fit issues due to some tolerance variations between mag tubes and also gun grips. I'll keep you posted, and I may need your help too.

[muggsy]

Form can improve function. as in this case no more finger pinching.

The mag on my CM9 has never pinched my finger. Could be you need a grip change rather than a mag modification. I don't object to anyone modifying their gun to suit their own tastes. What I object to is someone describing a design feature a fault, because it doesn't suit their aesthetic tastes. Thousands of 1911 shooters have glued a piece of rubber to the bottom of their mags to ensure positive seating and to protect them from damage when an empty mag is dropped free. I have them on my 1911 mags, but I didn't put them on to make the gun look pretty. Just sayin.

[wyntrout]

The magazines can't be individually hand-fitted to each pistol. There has to be a loose enough tolerance to fit all the pistols that it's designed for and takes into consideration the possible variations in dimensions possible with the polymer frames... length of magazine well, magazine catch seating, and so forth. There has to be just enough overtravel for the magazine to be latched properly. I like metal base plates for CC and use those on my P40, but I had to use a couple of different sized O-rings to get a fit that stopped the pinching AND allowed proper fit and operation of the magazines.

Yes, it can be a pain to find something that works, but worth the trouble to me. The metal base plates don't protrude and print so much. I don't like the regular "flush" fitting plastic bases. I would still like metal ones for my PM45. I can live without the "pinky rest"!

JMHO & YMMV.

Wynn

[CrabbyAzz]

I really don't have a problem with it. I originally put the pinky grip extenders on mine but have sinve taken them off. I also removed my Hogue grip. I'm now liking the gun exactly the way it came out of the box.

[JFootin]

My little finger curls up underneath the magazine when I grip my CM9. Are you guys who are getting pinched trying to squeeze your little fingers up there to aid in gripping the gun? The simple solution is to stop doing that and get comfortable with the 2 finger grip.

[jocko]

IMO if one complainsabout thePMor CM for lack of grip,hehas no oneto blame but himself.

They ain't as small as they are because they have a 7 or 8 round mag well. Ialways felt to put a pinky extension on a PM or CM then why not buy the cw series and get a nice extra round with a flush fit. Cou7rse I pocket carry 24/7 , so for me anything one puts on a PM or CM series that makes it bigger defeats what I bought it for. Small is great but it has its drawback, big is good but it has it drawbacks, somewhere in between thatis a gunout there that comes close to what u want..

[LorenzoB]

My little finger curls up underneath the magazine when I grip my CM9. Are you guys who are getting pinched trying to squeeze your little fingers up there to aid in gripping the gun?

That is a good question.

[LorenzoB]

The magazines can't be individually hand-fitted to each pistol. There has to be a loose enough tolerance to fit all the pistols that it's designed for......

I have thought about this a lot, and you hit the nail on the head in your second sentence. Kahr does not have to hand fit each mag to each pistol, but since 1 mag is made to fit so many pistol models, AND different versions manufactured at different years (for example the first PM9 frames were machined down P9's before they made a new mold I believe). So that gap between the grip and the baseplate has changed over time and between different guns, yet the mag has stayed the same, SO, there has to be an adequate gap to accommodate all combinations.

Can gun companies keep a consistent tight gap between the grip and mag base? Yes they can. Can gun companies hold tight manufacturing tolerances? Yes they do. I think the varing gap (some tight and some fat) is partly due to using the same mag on many models and also keeping it the same since the beginning.

I'm sure I could explain this better, but I'm tired of typing on my phone.

[wagon]

Can gun companies keep a consistent tight gap between the grip and mag base? Yes they can. Can gun companies hold tight manufacturing tolerances? Yes they do. I think the varing gap (some tight and some fat) is partly due to using the same mag on many models and also keeping it the same since the beginning.

Exactly! This is "BY DESIGN" to keep the cost down ... but calling it a "feature" is just AMUSING.

Gotta luv this site!

[340pd]

Look at it this way. If for some reason you had a mag release issue it may be of help to extract the mag using your fingernails.

On another note;

Has anyone tried a o-ring as a spacer?

[jocko]

probably always will be room for improvement on alot of things. I wish Audi would fix ktheir power window unit. On my 3rd passenger side power window unit. Factory replacments are exactly the same, no improvement. Ask audi and their comment is we really don't have any issues with our power window unit as it is the same in every model we make..

[LorenzoB]

Exactly! This is "BY DESIGN" to keep the cost down ... but calling it a "feature" is just AMUSING.

Gotta luv this site!

I don't think "this site" says it's a feature... just a few of the members. There are also other members who have come up with their own solutions and posted them, so it is not a "drink the kool-aid" mentality here. And I also know that most of us Kahr owners know these are great guns that are functional "tools", and that is what is most important. Modifying it to make it better "in ones opinion" is secondary.

Having said that, I don't believe for one minute that is is a feature. Kahr COULD have done a better job, but I still love my CW9, it is a well working functional tool that I trust my family's lives to. I also acknowledge that they were a startup manufacturer not that long ago in a niche market trying to balance price in the equation... so I try not to bash them for "fit" issues, when we all know function is the priority. Anyway, it leaves room for me to make aftermarket parts and have fun doing it.