Greetings,

Has anyone out there used Kahr's "Factory Tune-up Service?" If so, how was the overall experience? Was it worth the $175 (+ $25 s/h)? Could you tell a major difference between pre and post tune-up? How does this service compare and rate to the work of other Kahr specialists out there such as Cylinder and Slide?

A couple weeks ago, I purchased a "slightly used' Kahr PM9 (PM9094, bull-nose model) at my local gun shop. The sales clerk could not tell me anything about the history of the PM9, only that it was part of a trade-in that they received earlier that day.

The outside appearance was spectacular with just a little wear on the magazine release and one small blemish on the slide. I shot a couple 6-round magazine loads (115 gr FMJ) through it before purchasing and didn't experienced any issues and it was as accurate as I expected.

Once I got home, I took it apart and was surprised to find it completely filthy on the inside. I took my time cleaning the slide, barrel, spring, guide rod, polymer section, etc. I think I did a pretty good job cleaning it and getting it squared away. Due to how much soot and grime that was on the inside of the PM9, I imagine that either it had never been cleaned or had a lot of rounds put through it since its last cleaning.

I went to the range last night and I experienced several FTF issues. No FTE problems. Also, both the 6 and 7 round magazines seem to either not want to feed or would feed the top round at an odd angle. Some times the magazine will slide out with ease, other times it won't due to the top round sticking slightly out of the magazine. (I do not know how to disassemble and reassemble the magazines.)

Since I purchased the PM9 used, I have no clue how the previous owner treated and cared for the pistol. I also don't know if it has been through the entire "break-in" period or not. There is no way of knowing how many rounds have been put through it. It is entirely possible that it is still in the beginning stage of the break-in period or it has had 500 rounds fired through it. I plan to put at least a hundred plus rounds through it this weekend and see how it performs.

If I am still having issues, would my PM9 benefit from a "tune-up?" Should I send it to Kahr (or other Kahr specialist such as C&S) for a "tune-up or upgrade service?" Are there any known Kahr specialists in the Atlanta, GA region? Several gun shops in my area of Atlanta sell Kahrs and have gunsmiths on-site but they only offer general handgun "reliability packages." Is that similar to Kahr's "factory tune-up service?" I think I would rather a Kahr specialist work on my PM9.

Overall, I want what everyone else wants and that is to know that I can depend on my Kahr to be reliable and shoot every time. If a "tune-up" is required to get my "unknown-used" gun to that point, that is what I need to do.

One more thing to consider, as I have posted elsewhere on this site, I am looking into adding the XS Big Dot night sights. If I do decide to send the PM9 to Kahr for a tune-up, should I have them install the XS sights while they are performing the tune-up or does XS do a better job installing their sights?

I know I have thrown a lot out there and have asked a lot of questions. I hope I haven't been too long winded but I wanted to be as specific as I could to get my concerns across.

Thank you for your insight and assistance.

Kind Regards,
~WC~