Bad reviews outweigh good?

[wsgrady]

Hi guys and gals, I have not read every post here but it seems there are a little more posts expressing more negatives on Kahr than I would like to hear being a prospective buyer, what gives? I'm long time shooter ( and getting a little long in the tooth also) and picked up an cw45 and thought someone designed this gun just for my hand. After researching short barrel ballistics decided I could live with'em and started the online review of this pistol here and on the net and now wondering if I'm having second thoughts on the brand? I know some say more people will post negatives than positives when they are unhappy but please tell me Kahr has more satisfied buyer's than not. Thanks for your time and looking forward to hearing that new Kahrs are reliable and mostly trouble free. (Yes I did read the break in procedure on this forum and still read about many small problems.)

Hopefully a future Kahr owner...ws grady

[SGT5711]

Welcome to the forum. There are definitely many more satisfied Kahr owners than not. The more you research any firearm, the more complaints you will find. I have 2 Kahr pistols, and I plan to buy some more in the future. Like any other firearm, not all Kahr pistols are always perfect, but if not, Kahr will most assuredly make it perfect. If you purchase a Kahr, I doubt you will regret it.

[CJB]

A few things at play - first is that the internet has become a giant ***** zone. Generally it goes like this - I'm not happy, so I'm going online to share my grief with the world. Its possible to filter this sort of thing to a large degree, by examining the mode of story telling. Generally there are a few ways the stories get told. One is the newbie who has no clue, and may or may not be contributing to the issue at hand due to their preconceived ideas and lack of experience. Another is the more seasoned shooter who is having a genuine issue and is seeking a rememdy. A subset of that is the hard head who is seasoned, and just refuses to contact the factory or send his pistol for correction. And finally there is the person who is always right. They know best. Kahr has either mis-designed or mis-manufactured their pistol and they are going to teach Kahr a thing or two by way of internet bitching.

Having said all that......... I've got some experience. I bought my first Kahr almost on a whim. I went to a not local gun store, but in my state, on a whim to see if they had a PM9, they did, but the PM45 was small enough to fit my pocket, so I walked out with one loaded in my pocket.

It had a problem that showed up within the first 300 rounds, whereby the frame rails in the front were not right. Kahr made it right at no cost to me, and the pistol is still working as it should. Since then I bought another PM45 and a PM9 - both USED, both from forum members in my state. I had confidence in the way a Kahr pistol works so I felt ok buying and not being able to shoot them. I suppose it could be... that those shooters were having issues, but this shooter has had zero issues with either used pistol, even with the dread 7 round PM9 magazine. The little PM9 runs like an undocumented worker across the line of residentially native demarcation. Really, both PM45's do as well. Interesting note - the repaired PM45 needed break in again. Even though it had a frame rail issue, it never failed to fire after the first couple of boxes, and I discovered the problem during cleaning. After repair...wooops....brand new recoil spring assembly, and I had to run a few boxes through it again to limber up that spring. But, I knew this. The newbie or know it all would have bitched that the pistol just came back and it "still shoots like crap".

On the third hand.... I'm also convinced that there are some very small minority of shooters who can not shoot Kahr pistols for whatever reason. Call it shooting style, call it ergonomics, call it physique... whatever.... I'm convinced that some folks and Kahrs do not mix. I think this is true of every small pistol out there on the market... since very small pistols lack the design "margins of error" (those being heavy parts and longer travel on slides to name a few).

Welcome to the forum ol' chap!

[Gringo Pistolero]

Welcome to the forum. I think CJB pretty well covered it - for all those reasons it seems you will see more bad reviews than positive reviews of almost any firearm on the forums.

I have two Kahr pistols - a CW9 and a CW45 - and both have been completely trouble free. I've had the CW9 for about a year, probably 1500 rounds through it. Never a problem even in the first few hundred rounds. The CW45 is only a few months old, and I've put a little over 600 rounds through it already. Again, no problems at all. It is a very pleasant shooting .45, and has pretty much replaced the CW9 as my daily carry. Still love the 9 and have no intentions of getting rid of it - nice to have options, especially with the uncertainties with ammo availability.

As soon as they become generally available, I plan on picking up a CW380 for those times that pocket carry is the only choice. I have a Ruger LCP now that fills that role pretty well, but I really like the Kahr trigger...

So yes... count me as another positive review as you make your choice!

Chuck

[b4uqzme]

Your experiences will matter most. I'm confident that you will be satisfied. If you do encounter some hiccups, you'll get a lot of support here.

[xsailer]

And another thing.....Has to be thousands of Kahrs sold. Complaints on the forum are to many but few by comparison.
I've got two Kahr's and hope to get a 45 someday maybe even a .380 also if I'm around long enough.

[b4uqzme]

I just checked the Kahrtalk statistics: there have been over 19,000 threads and almost 275,000 posts and over 7000 members. The percentage of negatives aren't as high as many would perceive. Still any forum is a magnet for negative comments as some come for help and others just to complain. You can learn a lot from those posts. Sometimes what to do and other times what not to do. Buy with confidence.

[chrish]

What everyone has said. You figure, at best, you can probably find 100 or so pissing and moaning threads here. Some justified, some not, some just people that didn't do their part (either following the manual for cleaning and breakin, or following the age old 'prep' thread here). But, compared to how many Kahrs are out there, how many threads and members here that have never griped, praised, or whatever. Stats are on the side of quality, reliable firearms.


FWIW, 3 Kahrs and counting...never a single problem. Not 1. 1000s of rounds with only the occasional slide not locking back due to my own 'slide riding' habit early on from handling my first smallish semi-auto. Take that w/ an anecdotal grain of salt, but that's my experience.

[garyb]

It is like anything we purchase. There are things we like and don't like. Nothing is perfect...like a boat. I purchased my PM40 based on the size of the gun for concealment and it has been flawless...I shoot it a lot. A good friend of mine hates it, but he is a Glock man. Everyone is different.

If you have any concern, try shooting one that has been broken in before you buy one. I would not base a decision to not buy, solely on the negatives you read....nor to buy, solely on the positives you read. They are merely personal reviews of an individual(s) experience and you read them only to give you information that you need to sort out for yourself as a buyer.

My PM40 does not fit my hand as well as my S&W M&P, nor do I like the PM's trigger as well as the M&P's I own. That's at the range. However, for concealed carry there is no beating my PM. The trigger on it is smooth but long and it is safe for my carry purposes without an external safety. But it shoots very well and I have gotten used to the long, smooth trigger and compact grip. My point with this is to say that you need to decide what you plan to use it for and then hold it and shoot it to figure out if it meets the specific needs for which you are purchasing it. A gun is kind of like a boat, in that one gun does not satisfy every need. Before you get too wrapped up in what people are writing or saying, look at what you intend for that gun and then go out and shop it based on how it satisfies that intended application. That gun certainly won't satisfy all applications and will be stronger in some categories and weaker in others.

Finally, as far as Kahr's not being reliable. Hog wash. I trust my life on mine. It is what I carry almost every day. It is as reliable as my S&W's. Any manufacturer has the same problems and issues with their guns. Kahr stands behind them from everything I have heard or read. They are a good company. You can count on that. The folks on this forum are the most helpful people I have come across. Trust Kahr.
Validate your needs and then shop your gun.

[wsgrady]

Thanks for all the timely help, am going to bite the bullet on the cw45 and__ if__needed seek the help from the members on this forum. Thanks again for your input and best regards...
ws grady

[SGT5711]

Congrats, I really think you will love it.

[garyb]

With all the negative reviews you've read and only a handful of replies here, what is making you decide... Just curious. Thanks.

[laserfish]

I think you will love it. I have purchased a used E9, and then a used K9 for the reason you stated, it was made just for my hand. I purchased a T9 brand new and have had not one hiccup from the first trigger pull. I love the T the best but still carry the K as well. Gave the E to my son and he loves it as much as I did. Like all brands, keep them clean and shoot them and you will not regret your purchase. Obviously, I like steel but the next purchase will be a pm or cm 9.

[yqtszhj]

I have a CW45 and it's nice. Enjoy your's and let us know if you have any problems (which you probably won't)

[kwh]

No problems with my CW45. 185 gr and 230 gr. standard velocity and also +P.