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Break in?

3K views 14 replies 8 participants last post by  vernpriest 
#1 ·
I've been looking hard at the Kahr CW40. I'm a little confused by the break in deal. I've never had to break in a pistol before. I've had lots of pistols, and never found one that would not shoot well, pretty much right off the bat.

I guess when you buy a Kahr, you should consider the first brick of ammo as part of the cost.:smt102

No, I don't carry a pistol until I've shot lots of ammo through it, but that's just peace of mind. Reading, it seems like this is a requirement for Kahr.

I was comparing the CW 40 to an XD40SC, and liked how slim the CW was.

My XD 45 has maybe 400 or 500 rounds through it with zero failures. Maybe the XD would be a better choice...

Dunno, someone sell me on the Kahr, and this break in period.:smt022

I'd likely carry in a Thunderwear product, or similar. My J frame sits well like that, but I'd like a bit of an upgrade.
 
#2 ·
mess

FHBrumb: Sir; using my mess as a guide. I do not get to involved with how a new firearm is doing until about 4-500rds.

New part rubbing scraping, draggin, my fingers not adapted. Yes it probably is less; but like a new car?

My shooting partner was about to give up on his Khar. I encouraged him to give it time. We shot the last time out and he had a blast. Khar cleaned itself up. approx. 400rds
 
#3 ·
To make an analogy, if a car owners manual said to buckle and unbuckle the seatbelt 200 to 400 times before you trusted your life to it, would you buy that car? How good of a car would it have to be, for you to do so? Is the Kahr that good of a car? Urrr-uhhh pistol?:anim_lol:

I'm hearing the XD calling my name... But the slim frame of the Kahr is a big selling point.
 
#6 ·
To make an analogy, if a car owners manual said to buckle and unbuckle the seatbelt 200 to 400 times before you trusted your life to it, would you buy that car? How good of a car would it have to be, for you to do so? Is the Kahr that good of a car? Urrr-uhhh pistol?:anim_lol:

I'm hearing the XD calling my name... But the slim frame of the Kahr is a big selling point.
I think the XD is a wise choice!!!
 
#8 ·
Can't say anything bad about the XD... have 5 at the moment and couldn't be happier after thousands of rounds. Have there been failures? of course. Even knew one shooter in our local group who sent his XD45 in repeatedly to get the bugs out. Would that dissuade me from carrying my XDsc? Absolutely not. After thousands of rounds over the last 2 years I carry it with confidence. If that's what you want, I encourage you to get one.

I have however owned 3 Kahrs. A K9, CW9, and currently a PM9. Never had any problem with any that couldn't be traced to lousy reloads (the chamber on the K9 was match grade and more than a little finicky about reloaded ammo... but what it liked it shot well!) Accuracy and reliability has been exceptional in all 3 with factory ammo and quality reloads.

I recently took my new PM9 out the box and to the range. Went through about 200 rounds getting used to the pistol without any problem whatsoever. Is the break in necessary? Not in my opinion, but I wouldn't trust any pistol until it had both proved itself on the range AND I had gotten used to it. Any manufacturer can turn out a pistol with problems. The only way to be sure a pistol is reliable is to run a minimum number of rounds through it. Kahr's advisory is just that... "The pistol should not be considered fully reliable until after it has fired 200 rounds" That advisory should be included with every pistol, and in my opinion should be something more like 500 rounds. But, if you want to trust your skills with a new pistol that you haven't adequately familiarized yourself with, that's your choice.

In the end, if the Kahr appeals to you as a CCW, don't hesitate to pick one up just because Kahr urged you to shoot the d**m thing before trusting your life to it. If another pistol makes you feel more confident, then why would you hesitate to carry what works for you?
 
#9 ·
As far as you automobile analogy... go back and look at the owners manual of your vehicle. I'll bet there is an advisory about things you shouldn't do for the first 500-600 miles. I just looked at the manual for my 2007 Mazda and on page 4-6 under the heading "Break-In Period" there is an advisory against racing the engine, maintaining a constant speed for a long time, driving at high RPM's and towing trailers for the first 1,000 km. Would such an advisory keep you from buying that new car? Did you even notice it when you purchased the vehicle you're in now? Just something to think about.
 
#10 ·
Guess someone never saw ghost in the darkness!!!

In reguards to useing a weapon that hasen't been shot or even to see how it functions could and would be some person looking for a train wreck. Even if a persons life depends on that weapon to save a persons skin. I wouldn't dream of ccw or line of duty work without shooting the firearm first before carrying it. Another words be smart not as if someone dosen't have a brain up-stairs.
Dave Shooter:smt1099:smt1099
 
#11 ·
Well, you're going to shoot the gun anyway, right? So put up with the very short break-in period if the other features of the gun appeal to you. 200 rounds certainly isn't much. It's one range session for me. The Kahr is certainly slim, reliable in my experience (I carried a K9 for a while), and easy to shoot well.
 
#13 ·
To make an analogy, if a car owners manual said to buckle and unbuckle the seatbelt 200 to 400 times before you trusted your life to it, would you buy that car? How good of a car would it have to be, for you to do so? Is the Kahr that good of a car? Urrr-uhhh pistol?:anim_lol:

I'm hearing the XD calling my name... But the slim frame of the Kahr is a big selling point.
Well, I have seen in the manual of new cars not to drive them over certain MPH or more specifically above a certain number of RPMs for a "break-in" perod. New metal parts wearing down the edges and that kind of stuff.

I love my XDs but have been interested in a Khar myself for the size and the smooth trigger I have heard about. Just not sure it is worth the money.
 
#14 ·
Well, I have seen in the manual of new cars not to drive them over certain MPH or more specifically above a certain number of RPMs for a "break-in" perod. New metal parts wearing down the edges and that kind of stuff.

I love my XDs but have been interested in a Khar myself for the size and the smooth trigger I have heard about. Just not sure it is worth the money.
The little PM ones are high. The CW isn't bad. I've seen them for $429. The P series is about $600, and the PM ones are higher. I saw a USED PM9 for $629 yesterday.

I'm comparing the XD9sc, CW9, and the S&W M&P Compact 9.
 
#15 ·
All mechanical devices require some sort of breaking in. Especially devices made to tight tolerances, like quality guns. In fact, most reputable gun experts sugggest 200 rounds of the ammo your going to shoot before trusting your life to any gun. I have a CW9 that has performed flawlessly since day one. My father actually put away his Glock 26 and bought a Kahr for CCW purposes after shooting mine. Also, any mechanical device can fail. Recently my father took fragment to the face when his $800 SW scandium's frame cracked while shooting, so flukes do happen. Go to Kahr.com and read the reviews of the CW9 done by major reputable gun publications. Good Luck!
 
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