I finally pulled the trigger,

J

J. MacDonald

Joined
Jun 8, 2000
Messages
3,140
I stepped up this afternoon and finally ordered the Kahr P9 that I've been wanting for some time. It'll be a Christmas/Wedding Anniversary present from my wife. I ordered the polymer framed 9mm P9 with night sights.

I haven't been able to shoot one yet, but the gun feels comfortable in my hands in the stores and seems to be Glocklike in action design and functionality, but much slimmer than the little Glocks.

I haven't bought a new gun in some years, but the Kahr seems to present a full 9mm in a .380 sized package and allow me to add a NATO compatible 9mm to my small home arsenal. I know that Kahr also makes a similar sized model in .40 S&W (actually easier to find in stock) with more punch, and that there are several Glocks available in a small form factor, but I like the thinness of the Kahr and am concerned about the controlability of a 40 S&W in a package that size.

Besides, my step son brought home his first gun, a Glock 23, last week (he just turned 21 and is an E4 in the Navy) so we already have a new 40 S&W in the safe.

I already have a Trijicon equipped Glock 21 so don't give me flack about needing a pistol in a real caliber.

What do you think?

jmx
 
Good choice. You can't go wrong with those little Kahr pistols. I bought a K40 a couple of years ago because I wanted a super small carry piece for EDC that had nothing external to catch on clothing. I have also had a Glock 21. Just a little too thick for my tastes. I use a Sig220 and a SA 45 for my large carry needs nowadays. Sorry I digress. I think you will love your new Kahr. They are, in my opinion, one of the nicest "little" carry guns out there. Small package with a big punch. Let us know how you like it once you put it through its paces.
 
I already have a Trijicon equipped Glock 21 so don't give me flack about needing a pistol in a real caliber.
Click to expand...

Hahah...

I'm a .45 guy but 9mm certainly isn't anything to scoff at. What load do you intend to carry in it?

Congrats on the purchase, BTW. I have heard that Kahrs are great CCW pistols. I too have .40 and .45 in the arsenal, girlfriend has 9x18 (Makarov) but we lack the 9mm para. Looking at a P7M8 if I can save enough...
 
The Kahr's are an excellent line, I'm with Krept on this one; I shoot .40, .44 and .45 ACP. But welcome to the family of guys that like to make things go bang. It's a great hobby, and you'll meet the best class of people at the firing range.

Practice, practice, practice.
 
Hey Ichabod, thanks for the welcome, but I've been in the family for some time. I learned to shoot about the same time I started carrying a pocketknife, around seven of eight years old. I'm generally a .45 (Glock 21) or .357 (Ruger 4" stainless GP-100) but I thought I ought to have something that eats the NATO standard pistol cartridge in my litle collection.

I bought my Ruger 10/22 as soon as I had moved out of the parents house at nineteen years old. I've added a few pieces since, but don't have a very impressive collection, just enough to sleep well at night.

Krept: The Kahr does seem like it would be a perfect CCW gun. Unfortunately I live in Kalifornia and have a misdemeanor arrest (non-violent) from when I was young and dumb, so I'll probably never be worthy of a CCW permit in the states eyes. Who knows, maybe one day I'll get sensible and move to a shall issue state like AZ?

How do you like the Makarov? I wanted to get one in 9x18 and get the 9x17 conversion to make it into a cheap .380 but they're nearly impossible to find out here. Only the east German ones are on Kalifornia's legal list and no one seems to have any.

Unless something has changes since the last time I owned a 9mm (Taurus PT-92) 115 gr. JHP seemed to be preferred over the 147 gr. loads. I'll probably just play it safe and buy some Federal Hydra Shoks. I'll buy a couple extra boxes to ensure reliable functioning and accuracy, then find a FMJ with similar specs for target practice and training. Any other suggestions?

What I find really disturbing is how many of the gun shops that I've shopped at for years are all suddenly gone! It seems that CA is so gun unfriendly that many of the owners just threw in the towel. What a sad state of affairs.

jmx
 
115gr JHPs I have heard are good loads. As long as you use the more modern HP designs with lighter wt. bullets (due to the shorter bbl) it's pretty much a wash. My preference is the Speer Gold Dot, but would be happy with any of em. Main thing as you mention is reliability followed by point of impact.

The Mak is a nice pistol for the money... I think we bought it for @$105 or so, essentially new in box. It's a Bulgarian. The trigger is certainly not one of my favorites (long heavy DA, tolerable SA) but my GF can hit what she aims at, so I guess it's good enough. :D .

I don't know how much the gun owners out there have thrown in the towel vs. the legislation being secretly prepared then shoved down their throat in those "special sessions." I'm from SoCal and while I miss the weather and the waves, the screwed up policies coupled with the $tandard of living and overcrowding have me liking AZ even more... the shall issue policies and (in general) Class III tolerance are just icing on the cake.
 
Jymxcptr,

I know this question wasn't aimed at me, but rather than the Makarov, I liked the CZ-85. Mine was very ergonomic, easy to clean, never jammed and it was incredibly accurate. No trouble putting a whole clip into a poker chip, and clips in those days held 13 rounds. I have adopted a Colt .380 Government, but if I ever find another CZ-85, I would buy it without thinking.

Some people do not like the .380 and refer to it as a mouse-gun. If I can carry bigger, I do. But a .380 is a great gun for when "you can't carry a gun." If you go with the Makarov you will not be let down by the 9 x 18. I think Blazer still makes a great practice round.
 
The CZs look like well made guns from what I've seen of them. My interest in the Makarov was purely inspired by the thought of adding a .380 to the collection almost for free! I haven't seen CZs anywhere near as cheap as the Mak. I'm sure the ballistics of the 9x18 are every bit the equal of the 9x17, I would only do the conversion to make sure that I had access to a ready supply of pretty cheap ammo. That said, I must admit that I haven't checked on 8x18 ammo pricing.

jmx
 
Jmxcptr,

I agree about the cost vs. value of the Mak; my friend has one in the original 9x18, quite a gun. We both handload, so getting brass and the right size cast bullet mold means a life-time supply of ammo. I haven't checked with him, but I believe early shipments of 9x18 ammo had Berdan primers. They are a pain, but you can get primers and even that obnoxious primer puller.

Truth be told, I haven't seen the Blazer 9x18 in a few years. That doesn't mean that they don't make it anymore, it's just that I have no need to go looking for it. Madison, Wisconsin is not the greatest place to find obscure components. When I do find something, I load up. Or I hit Midway or Dillon.
 
I have a Kahr P9 and love it because it very light, compact, thin and accurate. It is my daily carry gun. The Makarov is an excellent gun for people with minimum funds.
 
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