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Mosin44az · March 8, 2012, 12:09 AM

I have a Kahr CM9, and have owned a PM9 and K9. Have also rented a P9 (equivalent to the CW9) a couple of times.

I don't find a huge amount of difference in recoil, accuracy or controllability among the polymer Kahr 9s. They all have nice triggers and are pretty comfortable to shoot. Probably a slight edge to the standard-size ones ( P9, CW9), but not so much a difference that you'd feel you made a terrible mistake by going smaller.

One key is how you want to carry. In a front pocket, the CM9/PM9 will work. Not as tiny as an LCP, but will work fine. Bellyband or IWB, the bigger ones will work well, very thin. But the bigger ones are not front pocket guns, and for comparison the Kel-tec PF9//Ruger LC9 would be very marginal for pocket carry as well.

Unlike some of the above posters, I have grown a bit leery of Kahrs. They don't work perfectly for me. My P380 has been a huge disappointment, and the Nines have not functioned perfectly either. The CM9 and PM9 especially are sensitive to how they are held. I can get an occasional stovepipe while shooting lefthanded. I know technique matters, but to me a gun that has any sensitivity to how it is held is not ideal for a panic defensive situation.

I find all of my Kahrs also sensitive to how long (OAL) their ammo is. Even FMJs will hang up in the feed ramp if they are longer rounds. And of course Kahr insists that you have to load the pistol from lockback using the slide release.

In terms of reliability, especially under pressure, I would go with the P9 or CW9, which is the original Kahr design envelope and probably the most debugged. But the CM9/PM9 will likely work OK too. I have had 7 malfs in 1000 rounds through my CM9, and 6 were either lefthanded or using long ammo.

I would trust a Glock 26 to be less finicky than any Kahr, but it is a bit thick.

The Kel-tec 9s offer excessive recoil and the P11 has a lousy long, heavy trigger. Kel-tec quality control historically not as good as Kahr either, and definitely a couple of notches below Glock.

March 8, 2012, 12:09 AM	#19
Mosin44az Senior Member Join Date: January 15, 2006 Posts: 2,585	I have a Kahr CM9, and have owned a PM9 and K9. Have also rented a P9 (equivalent to the CW9) a couple of times. I don't find a huge amount of difference in recoil, accuracy or controllability among the polymer Kahr 9s. They all have nice triggers and are pretty comfortable to shoot. Probably a slight edge to the standard-size ones ( P9, CW9), but not so much a difference that you'd feel you made a terrible mistake by going smaller. One key is how you want to carry. In a front pocket, the CM9/PM9 will work. Not as tiny as an LCP, but will work fine. Bellyband or IWB, the bigger ones will work well, very thin. But the bigger ones are not front pocket guns, and for comparison the Kel-tec PF9//Ruger LC9 would be very marginal for pocket carry as well. Unlike some of the above posters, I have grown a bit leery of Kahrs. They don't work perfectly for me. My P380 has been a huge disappointment, and the Nines have not functioned perfectly either. The CM9 and PM9 especially are sensitive to how they are held. I can get an occasional stovepipe while shooting lefthanded. I know technique matters, but to me a gun that has any sensitivity to how it is held is not ideal for a panic defensive situation. I find all of my Kahrs also sensitive to how long (OAL) their ammo is. Even FMJs will hang up in the feed ramp if they are longer rounds. And of course Kahr insists that you have to load the pistol from lockback using the slide release. In terms of reliability, especially under pressure, I would go with the P9 or CW9, which is the original Kahr design envelope and probably the most debugged. But the CM9/PM9 will likely work OK too. I have had 7 malfs in 1000 rounds through my CM9, and 6 were either lefthanded or using long ammo. I would trust a Glock 26 to be less finicky than any Kahr, but it is a bit thick. The Kel-tec 9s offer excessive recoil and the P11 has a lousy long, heavy trigger. Kel-tec quality control historically not as good as Kahr either, and definitely a couple of notches below Glock.