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Practically Shooting

Kahr PM9?


RLH70

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Any of you guy's own one or can give a first hand account? I have the opportunity to buy a used one at a really good price. I inspected it last evening and will likely pick it up from the guy today. I have done some reading, but wanted to get some more opinions.

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I have a PM9 Covert, which is a PM9 grip frame with a P9 slide. I don't think Kahr makes that model anymore (their website gave conflicting info for a while).

My first Kahr experience was with an MK9- all-steel, short frame, and short slide. It was not a success. The slide would sometimes fail to close completely when firing. This was after the "break-in period". It came close to closing, and I could nudge it the rest of the way, but it's not something I wanted to happen at all with a self defense gun. I traded it back in.

I've always blamed the dual recoil springs for that problem. The shorter model Kahrs like that one used a dual recoil spring arrangement. I understand it is licensed off the Seecamp patent. The problem was that only one spring was exerting any force against the slide during the final fraction of an inch of travel. I could feel it when working the slide by hand if I did it slowly and carefully enough. I checked a couple of PM9s in the gun shop and they were the same way. I checked online and saw some similar experiences.

I also found that the standard size Kahrs (standard for Kahr being small for most everybody else) used a single recoil spring design.

Ordinarily, I might have written off the Kahrs after that first one, but a couple of things keep nagging at me. One was knowing other models used a single recoil spring. The other was that I really, liked the design and size of the one I had. It came so close, and the thing I felt that held it back was different in other models. I wanted to try one with a single recoil spring. I didn't want the grip to be any bigger either, because it wouldn't work in the pocket very well.

After a couple of years, I found a P9 Covert (or the PM9 Covert- I've seen it both ways) which had the short grip but full slide with single recoil spring. It looked like the ideal solution for me and I got it.

This one has been wonderful.

It quickly proved itself reliable and did the unthinkable- it knocked a J-frame out of my pocket. I've been carrying it for several years as Gun #2. It has never given me a problem.

It gets it's share of use too. When I practice, I will spend some time shooting my main gun (usually a Browning HiPower) and reloading it, and sometimes shooting it dry then drawing and shooting the Kahr. So the Kahr gets a few shots every time the BHP goes empty, in addition to practicing just with it, and use as a BUG in some classes. I've even used it in a couple of IDPA matches. I shoot a lot of cast bullets in the BHP when practicing, and load the same in the Kahr. No matter the bullet shape, it has fed them all.

Pretty good for a gun that sits in a pocket attracting lint all day.

Some complain about the Kahr trigger pull, but I like it. They say it feels longer than a DA revolver like a J-frame but I feel it's just the opposite- sort of a lighter, shorter J-frame pull. I know I can shoot it a lot better than any J-frame I've had, and I am a J-frame fan who has had several. That's a combination of trigger and sights, both of which pound the J in my opinion. That alone would make it worth carrying, but another two or three rounds of ammo and quicker reload don't hurt either.

So there you have my Kahr story. Kinda long, but I feel I have to explain depending on one after buying one that didn't work so well. It proved itself.

The truth is, I am impressed any guns that size work. It wasn't that long ago that a 9mm that size wouldn't have even been imagined. The standard P9/K9 holds only one round less than a S&W 39, which was considered standard size or even small. I well remember when the HK P7 came to the USA, and every article talked about how small it was. They were amazed at it's size, bit it too only holds one more than the K9/P9 and is a lot bigger.

So, while I might ordinarily look at my 50% Kahr success rate as terrible, I don't. I'm still impressed to find one 9mm that size which works.

I have heard, btw, that Kahr made some sort of change to the shorter dual spring guns since I had mine, and it solved that short-of-closing thing. But I don't know what they did and how it fixed it, or if they did anything at all.

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Thanks for the input guy's, Barry, I always enjoy reading your posts, I always pick up some good info. I picked up the gun this evening, not sure if it will be my carry gun or not, as I am a staunch revolver guy. The trigger is going to take some getting used to.

Here are some pics:

He even threw in a couple of holsters..

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Looks nice. I like the looks better than my half and half black/stainless. Is that a coated SS slide or some other finish/material? They didn't have that when I got mine.

Seeing your magazines reminds me- There appears to be variations in magazines for these. I can see little differences in mine that makes me think there are at least a couple of obvious variations of followers and maybe some smaller differences. No surprise, since everybody does it; just something to not be too surprised about if you buy more and they aren't identical.

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