fjc
05-10-2011, 07:42 AM
I’m a huge fan of smaller pistols, as in the summer months I prefer to wear shorts/t-shirt and have issues concealing my normal holstered weapons (Colt Agent, or a Nighthawk Custom Talon II). I’ve found that I’m often just slipping something small into a pocket. In my large-pocket cargo shorts I’ve even pocket carried a Glock 26 or my Colt Agent very successfully, but they ARE a bit heavy. Something lighter and thin would be nice.
With the new class of pocket 9mm’s, I decided it was time to start carrying something a little more powerful. .380 beats having nothing with you, but I’ve never felt like I’d really feel confident in a “gunfight” situation if all I had was my LCP. I researched many options (SIG P290, Kahr PM9 or CM9, Ruger LC9, Kimber Solo).
A laser that didn’t add to thickness was on my priority list – my aging eyes can’t focus on a front site any more unless I wear my reading glasses or my prescription shooting glasses (neither of which I wear when out-and-about, when I’d be likely to need to use my carry gun). The Kahr PM9 had that, and still had decent sights. So – I bought it.
Took it home and gave it a good cleaning (though I didn’t blast out the striker channel as I didn’t have any Gun Scrubber or other aerosol cleaner). Worked the slide about 200 times. Also disassembled and cleaned the two magazines. The laser seemed to be dialed-in pretty well already, just based on comparing where the dot landed to where the sights lined up (seemed to be dead on at around 7 to 10 yards).
I took it to the range yesterday and put the following rounds through it, all in one session with absolutely no cleaning or additional lube:
100 - Blazer aluminum 115gr FMJ
100 – S&B 115gr FMJ
70 – Reloads (124gr Montana Gold JHP over 4.3gr VV N340)
50 – Speer Gold Dot 124gr +P JHP
Total of 320 rounds. I used both the 6-round flush magazine and the 7-round extended magazine equally. Not a single failure of any kind with either magazine. I repeat – not a single failure. No nosedives, no failures to chamber the first round of a magazine, nothing.
Here we are, only 40 rounds in per my notes on my notepad
http://www.condron.com/pics/kahr/pm9_0144.jpg
http://www.condron.com/pics/kahr/PM9_0146.jpg
I really like how the laser doesn’t make it wider, like most of the Crimson Trace laser grips do.
http://www.condron.com/pics/kahr/pm9_0149.jpg
Targets were a mix of IDPA and steel poppers, and I shot from as far as 20 yards, and as close as 1 yard (no, didn’t shoot steel any closer than 12 or so yards). I found it to be very accurate, and surprisingly controllable in rapid fire.
http://www.condron.com/pics/kahr/range_0151.jpg
The laser was excellent. Even in that very bright sunlight I had no issue seeing that dot. Until I got to about the 120 round count, then I started to notice that the dot was getting dimmer and dimmer. It looked just like when my laser pointer’s batteries start to die, so I figured that was the case here – the PM9 I bought was a display model at the local gunstore, so who knows how many hours the laser already had on it when I bought it (manual says batteries are good for 4 hours of use). I finished my range sessions mostly using the sights. Got home, ordered new batteries (since it uses odd ones) – then realized I was just being stupid and hadn’t accounted for soot from the muzzle having coated the laser lens. A quick cleaning with a Q-tip and it was back to full brightness.
Picture of the PM9 at the end of the 320 rounds:
http://www.condron.com/pics/kahr/pm9dirty_0157.jpg
320 rounds was a lot in one session, and I have a nice blister in the web of my shooting hand, and a small little one on the pinky of that same hand. I think the extended magazine tended to pinch that pinky slightly. I’ve gotten worse blisters from other small pistols with far fewer rounds.
Conclusion: This is a fantastic little pistol that is small, packs a good 9mm +P punch, and seems to be completely reliable. It fits fine in my 5.11 cargo pants front pocket. I can see this becoming my main/only carry pistol. I’ve ordered both a DeSantis Superfly for pocket carry use, and a Crossbreed Mini-Tuck IWB (in stock at the Kahr shop!).
With the new class of pocket 9mm’s, I decided it was time to start carrying something a little more powerful. .380 beats having nothing with you, but I’ve never felt like I’d really feel confident in a “gunfight” situation if all I had was my LCP. I researched many options (SIG P290, Kahr PM9 or CM9, Ruger LC9, Kimber Solo).
A laser that didn’t add to thickness was on my priority list – my aging eyes can’t focus on a front site any more unless I wear my reading glasses or my prescription shooting glasses (neither of which I wear when out-and-about, when I’d be likely to need to use my carry gun). The Kahr PM9 had that, and still had decent sights. So – I bought it.
Took it home and gave it a good cleaning (though I didn’t blast out the striker channel as I didn’t have any Gun Scrubber or other aerosol cleaner). Worked the slide about 200 times. Also disassembled and cleaned the two magazines. The laser seemed to be dialed-in pretty well already, just based on comparing where the dot landed to where the sights lined up (seemed to be dead on at around 7 to 10 yards).
I took it to the range yesterday and put the following rounds through it, all in one session with absolutely no cleaning or additional lube:
100 - Blazer aluminum 115gr FMJ
100 – S&B 115gr FMJ
70 – Reloads (124gr Montana Gold JHP over 4.3gr VV N340)
50 – Speer Gold Dot 124gr +P JHP
Total of 320 rounds. I used both the 6-round flush magazine and the 7-round extended magazine equally. Not a single failure of any kind with either magazine. I repeat – not a single failure. No nosedives, no failures to chamber the first round of a magazine, nothing.
Here we are, only 40 rounds in per my notes on my notepad
http://www.condron.com/pics/kahr/pm9_0144.jpg
http://www.condron.com/pics/kahr/PM9_0146.jpg
I really like how the laser doesn’t make it wider, like most of the Crimson Trace laser grips do.
http://www.condron.com/pics/kahr/pm9_0149.jpg
Targets were a mix of IDPA and steel poppers, and I shot from as far as 20 yards, and as close as 1 yard (no, didn’t shoot steel any closer than 12 or so yards). I found it to be very accurate, and surprisingly controllable in rapid fire.
http://www.condron.com/pics/kahr/range_0151.jpg
The laser was excellent. Even in that very bright sunlight I had no issue seeing that dot. Until I got to about the 120 round count, then I started to notice that the dot was getting dimmer and dimmer. It looked just like when my laser pointer’s batteries start to die, so I figured that was the case here – the PM9 I bought was a display model at the local gunstore, so who knows how many hours the laser already had on it when I bought it (manual says batteries are good for 4 hours of use). I finished my range sessions mostly using the sights. Got home, ordered new batteries (since it uses odd ones) – then realized I was just being stupid and hadn’t accounted for soot from the muzzle having coated the laser lens. A quick cleaning with a Q-tip and it was back to full brightness.
Picture of the PM9 at the end of the 320 rounds:
http://www.condron.com/pics/kahr/pm9dirty_0157.jpg
320 rounds was a lot in one session, and I have a nice blister in the web of my shooting hand, and a small little one on the pinky of that same hand. I think the extended magazine tended to pinch that pinky slightly. I’ve gotten worse blisters from other small pistols with far fewer rounds.
Conclusion: This is a fantastic little pistol that is small, packs a good 9mm +P punch, and seems to be completely reliable. It fits fine in my 5.11 cargo pants front pocket. I can see this becoming my main/only carry pistol. I’ve ordered both a DeSantis Superfly for pocket carry use, and a Crossbreed Mini-Tuck IWB (in stock at the Kahr shop!).