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Thread: Early flat sided frame vs. later contoured frame K series.

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
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    Default Early flat sided frame vs. later contoured frame K series.

    I have an early K9 with flat sides of the frame above the trigger. Later K9's have an obvious (and rather attractive) contour there. How was that done? Was the frame of later models simply milled away to make the contour or were more dimensional changes made?

  2. #2
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    Here's something that ripley16 posted years ago:
    Quote Originally Posted by ripley16 View Post
    My first Kahr was this early K9, made soon after yours. It's serial number is AE18XX.


    Here's a new K9 that shows the different frame shape above the trigger. The whole front end of the frame is more narrow.


    I believe the recoil spring rate was higher in the early Kahr, Maybe 22# instead of 20#.
    The only other difference I'm aware of is the trigger travel was uniformly long on all K9s.
    Regards,
    Greg
    [<a href=http://i43.tinypic.com/2n7fnux.gif target=_blank>http://i43.tinypic.com/2n7fnux.gif</a>

  3. #3
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    Feb 2020
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    Well that's probably it then! Thanks a ton.

    I'd say then the earlier K9's are a bit heavier than the later ones?

    My K9's slide is quite heavy to pull back......my P9 Covert though....so easy to pull back!

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by I_Like_Turtles View Post
    I'd say then the earlier K9's are a bit heavier than the later ones?

    My K9's slide is quite heavy to pull back......my P9 Covert though....so easy to pull back!
    I have one old and one new here. The new one with trim frame is indeed a couple ounces lighter. Slide feels the same on both, but I have replaced the spring on the old one.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by FreeMe View Post
    I have one old and one new here. The new one with trim frame is indeed a couple ounces lighter. Slide feels the same on both, but I have replaced the spring on the old one.

    Thank you for that info. I like the looks of the newer frames but I like the extra ounces of the older ones. The goal of going back to the K/E series is to tamp down recoil so more steel is better.

  6. #6
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    Jun 2020
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    You're welcome. I can't say anything about any difference in felt recoil though, because all my attention has been on the difference between the old trigger and the Elite trigger.

  7. #7
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    Jun 2020
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    Interesting thing I just noticed is that the measurement of the grip, front to back in the concave area, is slightly shorter in the newer gun. I don't remember the exact measurements, but the difference was significant. I like the newer one better. I took a bunch of internal and external comparative photos, but I haven't figured out how to post them yet. There are a lot of minor differences.

  8. #8
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    Jun 2020
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    So, here's the later K9 frame (top) next to the early E-nickel (first or second year of production) K9. You can really see how they thinned it down by removing material from the outside. It is measurably lighter (~2 oz, IIRC).



    Might as well go over other differences...

    Notice the difference in the ejector and the back of the frame? (Old version on bottom)



    Another angle...(old version left) A much cleaner look on the new. I haven't noticed any difference in ejection yet. Guessing I better not ever break that old one though.



    The trigger blade and the opening it rides in are different. I assume that has something to do with the Elite trigger, which came after my early K9 (which is on the bottom). Notice that goobery surface just ahead of the mag well on the Elite? Not so pretty, Kahr, but of no consequence....



    Close up of dust covers. (Elite top, early E-nickel K9 bottom)



    How about the slides? Top, new. Bottom old. Pretty much the same. Notice the beveling on the outside of the rails on the new slide? Nice touch. I have no idea what the two little pock marks ahead of and behind the striker block are. Anybody know?



    The beauty shot. You can see some difference in the triggers. But more obvious are the thinning cuts in the frame and the cleaner "Kahr Arms, Worcester, MA" rollmark on the Elite. As an aside - the old E-nickel finish looks almost like stainless (after having hand-polished the whole thing with Flitz many years ago). That finish has held up really well and shows no signs of wear, other than really fine surface scratches.





    I took these photos before I cleaned the Elite after buying it used. Previous owner claimed it had about 400 rounds through it, and it does look pretty much pristine on the outside. No unusual wear marks, but it did have a lot of this gold flake looking fouling, which shows in some of the photos above, and here....



    I'm kind of baffled on that. Looks like gilding metal, but I found it in the oddest places. Anyway, it ran perfectly, even before cleaning it.

  9. #9
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    SE Michigan
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    I was told the “gilding” is primer smear from soft federal primers. Maybe a bunch more in the striker channel.

  10. #10

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    FreeMe, Thanks for posting the side by side pictures, it's great to see the differences in such detail!

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