IDPA with a Kahr . . .

[thinman]

Looks like this topic has been talked about before but it hasn't come up for a while, so I thought I'd express a thought or two about Kahr pistols and IDPA. The little Kahrs like a PM9 may be a good fit for a BUG gun but I wouldn't know for sure as there are typically no BUG matches in my area. Certainly not enough of them to provide a way to maintain, let alone improve, skills.
Regular IDPA matches permit 10 round magazines as maximum. Kahr website offers 10 round magazines that fit the K9/P9 size pistols. Playing field is level with regard to magazine capacity.
The K9 has a 3-1/2" barrel. That's means the sight radius is none too long but IDPA maximum permitted target distance is 18 yards, so accurate shots are doable with the Kahr.
K9 has a steel frame and weighs just over 23 ounces. Glock 19 weighs between 23 and 24 ounces. Heavier pistols, at least to a point, are easier to shoot fast as they handle recoil better than lighter pistols. Glock 19 works for IDPA, so K9 should work, too.
Lastly, trigger pull matters. Light, short pull and reset are good for shot-to-shot speed. Kahr's long, although smooth, trigger pull and long reset are not ideal for speed but I find the Kahr trigger is fine for accuracy.
On balance, the Kahr is obviously not the ideal choice for IDPA but not seeing a reason the Kahr can't be reasonably competitive. If one is a middle of the pack IDPA shooter using a Glock or something similar, would guess a Kahr K9 in the same hands could be middle of the pack, too, though maybe a couple places further down in the standings.
Has anyone tried a K9 with 10 round mags or some other Kahr combination? Would love to hear about it. I shoot a little IDPA and am tempted to try it in competition if I can come up with a steel frame Kahr.

[sorcerer]

I’ve shot both my CW9 and my K9 in IDPA. As they both use the same mags I purchased 3-8 round mags. I’m closer to the bottom than the middle of the pack shooter. I compete against my self. I just want to use the guns that I may carry. I’m still getting used to my MK9. I may reserve the MK for when me move inside for the winter as the stages are less distance. Then again l don’t mind being at the low end of the list and my OSW holster works for all 3 Kahr’s.

[thinman]

Hey sorcerer -- Thanks for sharing your experience. My thinking is as follows:
IDPA has maximum of 18 rounds built into the design of a stage. One may shoot more rounds but the stage design cannot require more than 18 rounds. If one is starting with 10 round mag in their pistol plus one in the chute then one reload of a 10 round magazine from their belt should get a competitor through the stage. Using 8 round magazines is pretty big disadvantage. Starting with an 8 round magazine plus one in the chute then one reload of an 8 round magazine gets a competitor through 17 rounds. At least where I shoot, stages are nearly always designed to require 18 rounds. For a competitor with 8 round magazines you'll have to do one more reload to finish the stage. Most of us when reloading from required concealment will need at least 2 -3 seconds to complete a slide lock reload. That's a lot of time to give away. For me, one has to be shooting with 10 round magazines to be at all competitive.
I have a 4" barrel TP9 but Kahr only makes 10 round magazines for 3.5" barrel K9/P9/CW9 pistols. If 10 round magazines were available for the TP9, I would try racing it.
With your CW9, even one 10 round magazine plus the one in the chute plus on 8 round magazine would get you to 19 rounds. Don't miss more than once but you might move up a couple slots in the standings with just avoiding the extra reload. Just saying.

[sorcerer]

I’d have to look but a 10 round mag would put me in SSP. I shoot the CW9 in CCP, the K9 and now the MK9 I can shoot in both ccp and bug. Our club is open to all classes. It’s a bit challenging on the long distances.

[thinman]

I’d have to look but a 10 round mag would put me in SSP. I shoot the CW9 in CCP, the K9 and now the MK9 I can shoot in both ccp and bug. Our club is open to all classes. It’s a bit challenging on the long distances.
10 round mag does put one in SSP. Shooting in CCP which is limited to 8 rounds in a magazine is an easy fit for a Kahr. Unfortunately, the two IDPA clubs close enough for me to easily shoot a match don't have any competitors in CCP. There are shooters in SSP and ESP and maybe a few in CDP. CCP and BUG just don't seem to draw any participants.