Kahr PM9

Penguin Shooting

Overall length: 5.3″
Overall height: 4.0″
Slide width: 0.9″
Overall width: 1.1″
Weight unloaded: 14 ounces + 1.9 ounce magazine
Magazine capacity: 6 rounds (7 rounds w/extension)

I recently purchased a Kahr CW9 for carrying to the gym. After testing the gun I was immediately bitten by the “Kahr bug.” I just had to run out and buy the Kahr I really wanted…the Kahr PM9.. I found one at my local dealer and bought it right away. I made it to the range with it yesterday with hope that it would impress me as much as it’s lower cost sibling.

FORM:

The first thing that strikes you about this gun is it’s size. the gun is extremely small. The only (mm pistol I have ever handles that is smaller is the Rohrbaugh R9s (which is twice the price). This gun can easily disappear under almost any form of dress. In fact it is almost small enough to be considered a 9mm pocket gun.

The gun has a black polymer frame and a stainless steel slide. This is a very streamline polymer framed gun designed for ease of carry. The polymer frame is very simple and sleek.

The gun is a simple DAO style pistol with a lock-breech design.

FEATURES:

The PM9 has several features that the CW9 did not…

? the barrel is a 1:10 right hand twist polygonal rifled barrel,
? both front and rear sights are dovetailed,
? the slide has a great level of detail and finish work,
? the MIM slide lock of the CW9 is replace with a two piece milled slide lock.

The PM9 is also considerably smaller than the CW9 and comes with two magazines instead of one (6 round flush mag and 7 round extended mag).

FIT & FINISH:

Like most Kahrs, the gun is very well put together. The tolerances are tight, all the parts fit together very well, and all seams and connections are uniformed and straight.

This gun is probably the most finished looking polymer firearm I have ever owned. The attention to detail really shows through. The gun looks every bit as good as it feels.

FUNCTION:

I must admit to being truly amazed at how this gun performed at the range. I am accustomed to shooting “micro” sized guns, I have quite a love for mouse guns, but this gun blew me away.

The thing I have to mention first is recoil. This gun was much easier to handle than I would have ever expected from a gun this size. It really was fun to shoot…and that is not something that can be said about many small gun. The gun was not abusive at all and always found it’s way back on target with ease. I could just not believe I was shooting such a small gun. I actually had to look and reassure myself I was not shooting the larger CW9 by mistake. In fact, I almost feel that the smaller PM9 is easier to handle than the larger CW9.

Reliability was also flawless. I have said before that the Kahr guns supposedly require a lengthy break-in period, but all three of mine have been perfect out of the box. I fired 100 rounds through this gun today without a single failure..

Accuracy was another category where this gun surprised me. It was very accurate. I did my tests at 10 yards since this is a close in defensive firearm and it was easy to get small group. The target below is six rounds fired off-hand at 10 yards. With the exception of one round I pulled, the gun was right on the mark. I even managed to hit about 40-50% when shooting at 6″ spinners at 25 yards. That is a real feat for a gun this size in the hands of a mediocre shot like myself. I have no problems saying that this gun will be able to accommodate the skill level of even the best shots and maybe even help improve the aim of the more “accuracy challenged” among us. 🙂

FLAWS:

Once again, the only real issue I have with the gun is the aggressive checkering on the grip. It is like holding onto a cheese grater. I had to put on a shooters glove after the first few mags. It did not seem as bad with the PM9 as it did with the CW9, but it still helps to use a glove at the range.

The mag does not sit complete flush with the bottom of the gun either. That is not a flaw, it is the way it is designed so that you can get a hold of it, but it could bother some perfectionists. 🙂

FINAL IMPRESSION:

After all is said and done, I am very impressed. I am very glad I paid the money for this gun. It is about $200 more expensive than the CW9 but you get a smaller gun and a lot of extra feature and details such as better sights, a better barrel, and a much more polished slide. You also get all milled parts instead of the MIM slide stop.

It is not quite as small as my Rohrbaugh R9s but I do believe it will indeed replace it as my preferred micro 9mm pistol. The Kahr can also handle +p ammo, which the Rohrbaugh cannot, but I will be sticking to Winchester Silvertips for self defense. I also think it is more accurate and points more natural for me than the Rohrbaugh.

This gun is easily one of the best micro guns I have ever shot…period. It is easily the best “polymer” micro gun I have ever owned or shot.

If you are looking for a super small gun to conceal and do not feel comfortable going under the 9mm caliber wise, you would be doing yourself a disservice by not trying out this firearm. If you have money to burn I would still recommend looking at the Rohrbaugh first, but if not, this gun might be just what you are looking for at half the price. 🙂