Kahr PM9/CM9, what's your experience? Good or bad?

[lharrell79]

I've been trying to narrow down my search for a small pocket carry, and I keep coming back to the PM9/CM9. However, in my research I keep finding horror story after horror story. Cracked followers, broken floor plates, busted frame rails, etc. I really like the looks and size of the CM9, and on paper it fits the bill.

So, from the horses mouth, what has your personal experience with the CM9/PM9 been like? If your gun is flawless, let me know. If it's a ****, I'd like to here that too. Also, if you have a ****, how has Kahr treated you?

Thanks

[MarkCO]

I have two PM9s, both have been very good and I can't even bring myself to try a Shield because I like them so much.

I have a CW40 and CW45 as well, all 4 are very good with no trips back to the factory or any issues. I have a friend who had some issues with a CM9 (I think I have about 6 or 7 friends who have bought them) and the factory fixed it right up and he is very happy with it.

[ScotchMan]

We had one for about a year. Slide was very hard to rack, trigger is heavy but very smooth, and it doesn't lend itself to great accuracy. But its a pocket gun.

If you absolutely must have a 9mm pocket gun, I think it is probably the best option. If I were to own one and carry it more than once a month, I would shoot it a LOT to confirm reliability, probably 500-1000 rounds before I'd really rely on it.

Ours was reliable, but probably had less than 100 rounds through it in the time we owned it. I strongly prefer .38 revolvers for pocket guns, for a variety of reasons, but especially because I don't need to shoot it 1000 times to trust it like I would with micro-autos. I also find it prints a lot less in a pocket; the CM9 looked like a gun, a revolver looks like a cell phone or a wallet.

However, I find myself in extremely few situations in which I can't carry a more substantial gun. Even a Glock 26 is only a bit bigger and is an exponentially better tool to defend yourself with.

So I sort of think of the CM9 as a gun without a real purpose; full-size, compact, and subcompact 9s for everyday carry, and J-frames for the random time here and there where I need something pocketable.

[railroader]

I have a CM9. When it was new earlier this year the feed ramp would break followers. Kahr had me send it back it has been fine since. The gun runs like a top now and is easy to carry.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

PM 9 - never ran after several hundred rounds of various ammo. Traded for a G26.

[lharrell79]

Looks like we're 3 for 5 in this thread right now.

[Toney]

I carry a cm9, haven't had any problems.

[Cheapshooter]

My CM9 has been 100% reliable with a variety of ammo. While not as many rounds as some of my other guns, it's probably approaching the 700-800 number. Accuracy is acceptable for a short barreled pistol at SD distances. I can dump all 7 rounds in the center mass of a standard B27 target @ 10 yards.
I didn't really choose the KAHR after a lot of research, but rather on a whim when I won a silent auction for it at the NRA convention. Where it is capable of pocket carry in a DeSantis Nemesis in most pant pockets I carry it most often in a Theis IWB Hybrid holster. As it turns out it is my #2 most carried handgun behind my LCP which serves as a BUG as well as a quick grab, 'n go primary carry.
When new I ran 100 rounds of WWB, and about 50 Remington UMP fmj ammo as a shake down without any problems. Then in searching for a carry load another 20 rounds each of Winchester PDX-1, Federal HST, Hornady Critical Defense, Speer Gold Dot, and 25 rounds of Remington Goldeb Saber. All functioned perfectly, and none showed enough accuracy over tge others to make a difference. Finally, after researching a lot of ballistic gel tests, and doing some online searching I got a couple boxes of Speer Gold Dot 124 gr. +P Short Barrel. I shot one 20 round box to verify what I already knew, that it would run the KAHR flawlessly. The Speer +P Short Barrel is now my carry round.
I have also shot a couple hundred rounds of Winchester NATO 9MM in it, as well S&B and Privi. Nothing I have put In my CM9 caused any problems.

[lharrell79]

Toney, how many rounds do you have through yours?

[Fishbed77]

My CM9 has been 100% percent reliable with a wide variety of ammo. In my experience, it's been a great little pistol. It's well made and surprisingly easy to shoot and soft-recoiling for such a small and light 9mm pistol. It's also quite accurate. The trigger pull is long (as it should be for a DAO conceal carry pistol with no manual safety), but is very smooth and crisp.

The only advice I would offer it to stick to the 6-round magazines. The plastic baseplates of the 7-rounders are flimsy and prone to breakage.

[cohoskip]

The thing is that the majority of satisfied owners of Kahrs don't post their experience with these handguns. The dissatisfied owners are the ones that do most of the posts and they are the minority. A good percentage of the problems come from bad mags.

My two Kahrs, PM9 & MK9 run flawlessly...

[michael t]

I have a CW9 after around a 1000 rounds Front sight ready to fall off . Other wise been good pistol.

Bought a PF-9 for small carry9mm Its been a great pistol

[baddarryl]

My CM9 is great to carry, comfy to shoot, I personally love the trigger. It has been reliable through maybe 200 rounds. My only gripe is that is is designed to chamber from slide lock which isn't really natural to me. Iy will fail to feed if i rack the slide, but since it goes to slide lock on an empty mag I guess that is no biggie. Still bugs me a little, but not enough to switch. It is my back up/pocket gun.

[JDar]

I've had a PM9094 for several years and it's been flawless even during the first 100 rounds.

Testing its capability to feed a mix of ammo types was even successful. The only thing I do not like is if the magazine release is slightly pushed it will quit feeding but a proper grip prevents accidentally touching the release.

Although it's not my favorite pistol it's my favorite to carry concealed iwb due to the small size.

[JDar]

I've had a PM9094 for several years and it's been flawless even during the first 100 rounds.

Testing its capability to feed a mix of ammo types was even successful. The only thing I do not like is if the magazine release is slightly pushed it will quit feeding but a proper grip prevents accidentally touching the release.

Although it's not my favorite pistol it's my favorite to carry concealed due to the small size.

[Venom1956]

I loved the gun. all the ones i've used have run well. the occasional hiccup perhaps but nothing that I felt uncomfortable with.

[LockedBreech]

I just grabbed a PM9 for my brother since he has been wanting something smaller than his G27. After he has it for a few months I'll be interested to see what he says. I mostly find great reports with a smattering of really bad ones.

[ammo.crafter]

Mine is a Walther PK380 that can handle +P ammo very well and puts it in the 9mm power range.
To date it has never failed to work, whether shooting normal ammo or _P.

[Noreaster]

CM40 that's been great, accurate and dependable so far. About three hundred rounds through it. I did break the follower on a new mag (still waiting for Khar to make it right) but the flush mag it came with has been fine.

[orionengnr]

I bought mine in 05. Mine was within the s/n range that had the "barrel peening" issue, and mine suffered from that issue.

I contacted Kahr and they asked me to send it in. I asked if I could send just the top half; they said sure. I did, they replaced everything (complete slide with new night sights, barrel, recoil spring assy).

It has worked perfectly ever since. I have put thousands of rounds through it, many different types of JHPs in 115, 124/127, 147 gr, standard pressure, +p and +p+.

It is dead accurate, stone reliable and the best pocket carry pistol i have found (and I've tried quite a few). It is also the only 9mm I currently own, or care to own.

When I can conceal a .45, I do. When I can't, I carry the PM9 with 100% confidence in its reliability and my ability to shoot it well, as it has proven itself over the course of nine years.

[Auto5]

My brother has a CM9. He had the same problem cracking followers right out of the box. Sent it back to Kahr, no problems since and he loves it.

[sliponby]

I've had my PM9 since early 2008. Probably about 2000 rounds. I don't mind the long but smooth trigger. Mine came with factory night sights. I've carried it with confidence 90% of the time and I carry every day.

But, I just picked up a Ruger LC9S. It is less than 1 ounce heavier than the PM9, has a sweet trigger and , after a good cleaning and testing with a couple hundred rounds, I see it getting some serious carry time. I really like this pistol!

[focodude]

I've had my PM9 since 2011. I've shot around 900 rounds through it and it has been 100% reliable. I'm very impressed with this gun and would recommend it to anyone looking for a reliable concealed carry gun. It is very easy to conceal. I pocket carry the PM9 in a holster made by Alabama Holster company. I barely notice it in my jeans pocket. It's like carrying a wallet.

Note: I also have a Glock 27 that I like a lot also. The PM9 is a significantly smaller than the G27 and easier for me to conceal.

[Safestuffer]

out of the three Kahrs I have owned, CW40...PM9...PM40....none of them were even remotely reliable. No matter how rock solid the hold was, the PM's were finicky and loved FTF's. The CW had a failure of the magazine catch within a few hundred rounds and started dropping the mag every round fired.
Kahr...never again.

[smokehouse4444]

I have had my CM9 for quite awhile now. I sometimes carry one of two .45s, and occasionally a .380, but the CM is carried the most, by a long margin. Many times I have thought about trading it for something a little "cooler", but never finished that deal. I came to realize that the Kahr CM9 is about the perfect light carry handgun for me.

It stays very hot around here for extended periods, and light shirts and shorts are the norm for everyday wear. It virtually disappears with a Sticky-type IWB holster, and it is even light enough to pocket carry. It has a long but buttery smooth trigger pull that is very manageable, and I carry it with one down the chute with complete confidence. It hits pretty much where its aimed at, and the recoil is fairly mild for me. I have shot at least a couple of thousand rounds of all types through this handgun and have never, not once, had a problem whatsoever. I keep it loaded up with Winchester Ranger T 124gr +P, and I don't feel too under-gunned.

The crowning thing with the CM9 is its price. You can purchase them at ridiculously low prices. This is a pure utilitarian firearm that just begs to get sweated all over, grimy, and beat up...but you just clean it on up and keep carrying. There are many of my other handguns that I am way more fond of, but for its purpose, the CM is about as perfect built as anything out there.