Is Kahr PM9 Junk, Sometimes Junk, Sometimes Great, or always great?

I have a used Kahr PM9 on its way. It is Serial Number IA22xy (left off last two numbers for confidentiality)
It was Purchased New on 02/17/09. I will be the second owner. First owner says he ran though about 500 rounds and has never had a problem.

I talked to two local Virginia Gun Dealers and here is what they said:

Dealer #1 said, "I am ex LE and had two Kahr 9mm pistols, one K9 and the other PM9 and I got rid of them. They couldn't reliably load Hollow Point Rounds and would get caught on the ramp. I don't trust them. He added that he had heard the .40calibers didn't seem to have the problem."

Dealer #2 said, "The Kahr's are junk. You may find some used guns that were made when the quality was good, but the new ones are cheaply manufactured, and are problematic and not worth the money. He added that the .40 calibers seemed to be better."

My Nephew: He owns more handguns than I should say here, but he said, "The Kahr PM9 is the best, most accurate 9mm you can get for concealed carry. It is lightweight, fits easily in my pocket, and is reliable and my favorite carry pistol."

I am getting a very good deal on the PM9, so I am okay with the deal.

Is there specific HP ammo I should avoid with the Kahr PM9?
Do I have a handgun with a serial number in the "reliable range?"
I have heard about the magazine issues....should I be worried about that?
(The serial number is current enough that is should not have the barrel issues.)

Please send comments and your experiences and recommendations, especially related to ammo.

Thanks,

My pm9 has a later serial number and it has been nothing but great. Very reliable with ball and hp ammo from 115gr to 147gr. The only issue I have with the pistol is with the 7 round mag, it does not load the first round properly unless you push up on the mag when releasing the slide. The 6 round mag works perfectly though.

I do not have a PM9.
I do own a MK9 and a P9.
Both have fed, fired and ejected both Ball and HP ammo 100%.
Due to their concealability these are my primary CCWs.
The size, weight and caliber are the best I've seen for this purpose.

Sounds like Dealers 1 and 2 were making more money selling something else.

300 rounds through mine, and it has been flawless. Very light, easy to conceal. Added a hogue grip for a nice feel. Going to add three dot night sites, like those better than in-line sights. Long double action trigger, needs practice, but is very accurate. The only issue with this gun is it is not simply to break down. Takes some practice. I chose this over Ruger LCP, S&W Bodyguard, Keltec, Sig 238, Sig 290, Kimber Solo and I am happy I did.

About 650 rounds thru my pm9 - nary a problem...

Your nephew is more informed and has a better opinion then the 2 dealers you talked too. I would not buy anything from any dealer who was as wrong as both the guys you talked too. The PM9 is a very good and reliable platform.

RCG

I've had and carried my PM9 for 8 or 9 YEARS. No problems yet but I've only put 3 or 4 thousand rounds through it.

my local dealer loves them and i am thinking about getting a CM9

This is very reassuring, as the PM9 is on its way. One of the dealers is the most respected gun dealer in the area.
So here's the next question: How do I practice dry-fire exercizes with the striker fire mechanism? All my other guns are DA/SA or full DAO.
Also, carrying in my pocket without a safety sounds risky....I saw one recommendation to use half of the plastic gun lock that comes with the PM9, and just pop it out if I need to pull the trigger.
Recommendations? Any accidental discharges?

Dont put your finger on the trigger, it will not go off. If you have to, practice taking it out of your pocket empty, until you are very comfortable doing it with your finger off the trigger. The gun doesn't accidentallly discharge .........the shooter accidentally fires it! Do not pull the trigger it will not go off. Do not put the plastic piece in there. That is not good advice in my opinion. Get a good pocket holster that covers the trigger and fits in your pocket. There are many good ones out there.

Dry fire......just like you would think, be sure the gun is empty and the mag is not in or is empty. make sure it is empty again. Point the gun at something not valuable, pull the trigger, rach the slide, repeat. As far as dry fire technique goes you claim to have other weapons so I assume you understand the proper technique for trigger control. Practice does not make perfect only perfect practice does that.

RCG

Actually, you can re-set the striker/trigger by retracting the slide about 1/2 inch, do not need to fully retract the slide: thus, if you use a snap-cap, you will not have to pick up the ones you ejected and reload the mag.

I think you'll love this gun...

I received the Kahr PM9 and shot my first 90 rounds at the range and verdict is in:
I LOVE THIS GUN!

I shot Winchester Whitebox, USAammo reloaded (mix of casing brands), old Remington UMC, USAammo HP, and Hydra-Shok 124gr +P, and not a single problem. Less recoil than I expected...in fact excellent control. And, the accuracy is amazing for a 3" barrel! The magazine locks in well, the barrel's finish is like I have never seen before. The trigger is smoooooottthhhh, and break is perfect. Racking the slide to do dry fire is easier than I thought it would be but it still annoys me. The inside of the gun doesn't get very dirty like my other auto's, making cleaning easier and less frequent. Love the Night Sights...great sighting. Excellent quality materials and workmanship/mfg.

Minor complaints:
- The slide release lever is really hard to push;
- The breakdown pin is really tight and requires something like a small screwdriver to get it started;
- Breakdown and re-assembly is more difficult than my other guns. (Getting slide release in and out is tough, and aligning the slide.)

Time will tell if it can't handle other types of ammo, but so far I am happy with this decision.
Pic shows my first 12 shots at 10 yards (30 feet)

Mine breaks down easily with no screwdriver. Yours may be easier with some breakin

i too love my PM9. After about 700 round i have NO problems or failures of any kind. What a great CCW piece. Good luck with ours.

I listed the problems I was having with my Kahr under the Kahr reliability thread. But, over 100 rounds of FMJ, and 100 rounds of a variety of different Hollow Points, I am very happy with the Kahr PM9. I am still not very happy about Kahr's stated inability to manually rack the slide, and the problem of loading a magazine when the slide is closed and a HP round will jam on the ramp when racked.

But I found an acceptable workaround: I load a HP round manually and rack the slide by releasing the slide release before I load the magazine. I then load the magazine loaded with HP rounds. Every time I do this procedure, I am able to empty the magazine reliably.

I still would like a safety, but I got a Desantis holster that protects the trigger and the trigger pull is long enough to keep it safe.

I am willing to overlook both of these issues because of the incredible accuracy and portability of this handgun. I can get 2" groupings at 10 yards! I can cut a hole through the 10 target at 6 yards! I can't believe how accurate this little gun is. And, recoil is manageable and double-taps are quick and accurate. With a 7 round mag + 1 in the chamber, it has enough rounds for me. Also, I am not going to use any +P+ ammo in the gun, and although I have tried a variety of +P, I probably won't use any +P ammo. The recoil is significantly more and I can do quicker double-taps on standard ammo. The 147gr standard pressure HP ammo seems perfect for the gun.

Unfortunately my Kahr is out of commission right now: I was at the range and on one shot a casing blew out near the rim and the resulting explosion blew my extractor right out of its socket! The front extractor pin went flying as well. I never did find them. So, I ordered the parts.

I saw a procedure on the web of how to detail-strip the PM9 slide assembly, but should I try to do this myself? Has anyone here detail-stripped it and reassembled successfully? Should I send it back to Kahr or take it to an armorer?
Thanks,

Tough call, I generally say if a gun is on the "iffy" side (i.e. some people talk bad some people talk good) then I usually stray away when you can purchase things you KNOW are of the top quality, but thats just how I spend my cash

I purchased one 1/11, so far about 600 trouble free rounds thru it. Love it!!!

This is now the second round that has exploded inside the chamber and blew out my extractor. The design of the Kahr exposes more of the casing near the rim than other 9mm guns and with reloaded ammo, sometimes causes the casings to break during the firing of the round. In the latest one it also blew out the small polymer cover and the gun needs repair again. This is the second time it has happened to me. I never have seen a problem with this ammo in any of my other two 9mm guns: FNX-9 and Cz 2075 RAMI.

I have NEVER had this problem with new ammo in the Kahr. I will never attempt the use of reloaded for the Kahr weapons.

Here is a picture of one of the rounds that exploded:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-r...0" width="640"

The guys at Kahrtalk dot com are very helpful and very knowlegeable on all subjects Kahr. They can be a gigantic help.

Talking to the experts is a good idea. It is always better to talk to those in the know then those just curious wnen there is a legitimate problem.

RCG

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cclaxton

This is now the second round that has exploded inside the chamber and blew out my extractor. The design of the Kahr exposes more of the casing near the rim than other 9mm guns and with reloaded ammo, sometimes causes the casings to break during the firing of the round. In the latest one it also blew out the small polymer cover and the gun needs repair again. This is the second time it has happened to me. I never have seen a problem with this ammo in any of my other two 9mm guns: FNX-9 and Cz 2075 RAMI.

I have NEVER had this problem with new ammo in the Kahr. I will never attempt the use of reloaded for the Kahr weapons.

Here is a picture of one of the rounds that exploded:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-r...0" width="640"

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That is from to much Gunpowder. Be lucky thats all it did.

Happened to this guy too: Kahr PM9 Kaboom | The Firearm Blog

I don't think it is too much gunpowder. This is a USAammo reload. When I put a bullet into the Kahr PM9 chamber, it exposes about 2mm more than the other barrel chambers I checked: FNX-9 and CZ 2075.

I truly think that the issue is that the brass casing is stressed during the initial firing, and would normally handle a reload firing as long as the chamber covers the casing up to the rim. But if just 2mm is exposed, it is enough to blow out the casing at the stress points near the rim.

But, checking with the Kahrtalk is a great idea.

The good news is that no one was injured and the gun survived. I field stripped the slide and reinserted the extractor. I will find out tonight if it works.

Thanks,

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cclaxton

I will never attempt the use of reloaded for the Kahr weapons.

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I think that is an excellent idea...for you.

I own or have owned 4 Kahrs in 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP, and shot them all regularly using my hand loads. The only problems a hand loader should encounter would be from using un-jacketed lead bullets in the models with polygonal rifling...the same problem some have had with Glocks.

A properly sized and charged hand load, with a correct bullet and primer should not be any more or less safe than factory ammo. I go to extra trouble to make mine identical to factory ammo, as far as size and shape, and I have always assumed everyone else did the same.

Still can't explain why I have had this happen twice in my Kahr PM9 and once in another guys' Kahr PM9, but I have had zero problems with this ammo in other guns. It may be that some rounds have been twice fired before they were reloaded. Or, maybe some of the brass USA used was hand-loaded hot without them knowing, thus stressing the casing before they got it.

But I keep coming back to the fact that the Kahr does this and neither my FNX-9 nor my Cz 2075 have any problems with this reloaded ammo.

using factory reloads, you would have to, to be fair and accurate in your theroy, have fired those same rounds in other guns. Seeing that that is impossible I for one tend to think it was those specific round casings, not the PM9. Many Many Many millions of rounds have gone through PM9's and this is not a common nor a reoccuring problem at all. To find 2 incidents on the internet, easy to believe. How many times has this type of thing happened in other weapons. I don't have time or the inclanation to persue that information but I bet more then 2 times. You have talk to exhausting lengths on more then one forum how you are trying to find the cheapest rounds to buy and use. With the rsults you are posting and this type of thing I would be more concerned with reliable, quality rounds at a decnt value then what fraction of a cent can be saved only to put up with duds, stovepiped and casings splitting.

I have shot hand guns for many rounds now, close to 10,000 per year. I have never bought cheap greasy ammo other then WWB which is too dirty, and smokey for my taste. and I have never experianced the cornucopia of problems you report. I have the much the same guns as you also. Buy good ammo see if it happens, my money says it does not!

RCG

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cclaxton

Happened to this guy too: Kahr PM9 Kaboom | The Firearm Blog

I don't think it is too much gunpowder. This is a USAammo reload. When I put a bullet into the Kahr PM9 chamber, it exposes about 2mm more than the other barrel chambers I checked: FNX-9 and CZ 2075.

I truly think that the issue is that the brass casing is stressed during the initial firing, and would normally handle a reload firing as long as the chamber covers the casing up to the rim. But if just 2mm is exposed, it is enough to blow out the casing at the stress points near the rim.

But, checking with the Kahrtalk is a great idea.

The good news is that no one was injured and the gun survived. I field stripped the slide and reinserted the extractor. I will find out tonight if it works.

Thanks,

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I have seen other reports of kabooms involving USA Ammo - on several other forums. I wouldn't use the stuff.