Kahr CW45 review
Kahr have posted a review of their lightweight Kahr CW45 .45 ACP pistol. The review appears in the upcoming Jab/Feb issue of Handgun magazine. Veteran gun reviewer Paul Scarlata writes:
I believe the CW45 would be an excellent choice for those fans of large caliber handguns who need–or just want–a lightweight, easily concealable, fine shooting pistol chambered for the most popular big bore pistol cartridge of all time.
Whether you are a police detective, armed professional, licensed civilian or homeowner, the CW45 should be capable of doing whatever you want or need a pistol to doóat an economical price.
Kahr CW45
Read the full review here.
I’ve posted in this thread before, but I have to report that after another hundred rounds, I have still had no, repeat NO, problems with my CW45. It handles every round that I put through it, from some very old, and not particularly clean, reloads to Winchester hardball, with a variety of leftover Black Talons, Golden Sabers, Supervels, and even some reload semiwadcutters that I have no clue as to where I got them.
One thing that I might include here is that I discovered very quickly after purchasing my CW45 that regular 1911 magazines can be modified quite easily in it, and even that the 6 shot Officer’s model fit without hanging out past the bottom of the grip frame, and with the added advantage of costing only about half what the Kahr magazines cost. Maybe a of the problems that people have been experiencing with the magazines dropping out could be solved by using the modified 1911′s. It’s a cheap fix if it does work, and well worth trying.
As an owner, I would discourage others from buying this pistol. Though the weight, trigger feel, accuracy, and handling are great – the most important thing for most of us in a weapon is reliability. I fired about two clips before the CW45 jammed with a round in the chamber. The gun shop I purchased it from was able to clear it with some heavy duty hand action. Ater that I fired about three mags and noticed the receiver pin coming out. I would push it back in and it would gradually work itself back out. Took it back to the dealer who’s exam seemed to indicate a broken or defective spring of some sort. The gun had to be sent back to Kahr for repair. Sorry guys, but a gun of this cost and reputation should not be sitting in your repair shop after 50 rounds or less. I read stories of this nature on line before I made the purchase, but chose to assume this were early versions. Mine wasn’t. I have a Kahr CM9 that I liked well enough to prompt me toward the CW45. My experience and the hassle factor make me wish I had stuck with the Glock brand that has performed flawlessly for me over so many years. Sorry Kahr, I understand that nobody’s perfect, but I’m hard pressed to imagine myself as a customer going forward. Reliability and perfect should come a lot closer than this.
I just finished cleaning my pistol and was doing a search for Hogue Grips for my cw45 and came across this forum. I am surprised at the people who have had problems. I have had my cw45 for over a year and never had a problem. I’ve put several hundred rounds through it and it’s been flawless. I wasn’t expecting H&K quality when I bought it but I did expect it to rival Glock and Springfield and feel that it absolutely does that. I would recommend it any day.
I bought my cw Kahr last week for $359.00 new in the box. I felt like it was too good of a deal to pass up. I allways read ahead about a gun I’m thinking about buying except for the Kahr. So when I came to this review I started thinking I would have to sell it. I went to the range waiting for the magazine to fall out or the slide stop to come out or just blow up in my hands but I was going to find out. I took 200 rounds of Remington 230 gr ball ammo. The first shot I fired at fifteen yards was in the ten ring of a twelve by twelve target. I kept reloading and firing untill the bullets were all gone with no problems at all. If I fire two hundred more rounds with no problems I will be satisified. I’m no macho man but the grips didn’t bother me but I was a brickmason for thirty years so that may have something to do with that. The triger was as sweet as could be. The size of the gun is allmost the same size as the Walther p22 except it’s just a little taller in the grips. Everybody these days are buying 380′s but untill I start having problems with the Kahr, I like the 45 better. I’ll bet Kahr has learned to work out the bugs before they ever sell another gun. I believe the camery is a good car but they got laxed in there quality controll and they had to do a lot of work to get back to where they were before the gas pedel problem. Kahr is going to have to do the same thing. I don’t doubt all the problems mentioned here but I think Kahr will fix them all. I love the way mine shoots and I really like the price. If I had any of the problems mentioned here I would be angry and sell the gun as soon as I could.
Well After the first trip back from Kahr, The pistol had a trigger bar issue and still had stove pipes. So I had to send it back for a second trip to Kahr. Now after 250 rounds of Flawless range FMJ Shooting. I can now call this a reliable pistol. I was just very disappointed that I had to send the pistol back 2 times for service right from purchase for a pistol that was born on March 2011.
I just purchased a Kahr CW45 last week and I love it. I was torn between the Kahr and a Glock 36. I shot 150 rounds without any malfunctions. This is a great self defense weapon and has become my gun of choice. The gun is accurate right of the case and well balanced. The sights make it easy to acquire your target quickly and I love the grip. I would definately recmomend this weapon.
I just love internet forum fights.
They make me giggle.
GB,
Gun was picked up today , hope the factory can make it right.
Erik,
Slide stop -Try tightening the slide stop spring screw a slight amount.
Kahr will send you a new magazine catch to fix the magazine drops.
…or contact Kahr (make sure to ask that they pick up the shipping costs).
On kahrtalk.com, members are reporting turnaround time considerably less than what you say your dealer advised.
Just bought a new CW45 and after 1st mag clean every shot after would jam, mag would drop & slide stop was coming apart from the gun , I even had an instructor look it over and said it’s not safe to keep shooting. Wow I’m so pissed, went str8 to dealer after range and they advised a month turnaround back from kahr! Wow all that for nothing… So sad
Love my new CW45 over 300 rounds through it without one manfuntion. In fact I shoot it better than my CW9. No trouble with the grip and great to carry. Can’t go wrong for $439.00 out the door. Gave up my brick like Glock’s for this great carry and shooting pistols. I now have three CW45, CW9 and PM9 all great shooters with 0 malfuntions.
Dude what are you talking about? Nobody I know that carries a weapon wants to get in a situation where they have to use it. It is a legal nightmare even if it is justified. As far as my experience I am four years USMC 0311 and five year LEO. I am also an experienced grappler who helps train Pro MMA fighters. You comments calling me a pussy are not justified and make me giggle. I don’t do much well except shoot and fight. But I can tell you that I am not anything close to a hothead looking for trouble. Fighting and shooting people also gets you into legal trouble whether justified or not. I believe in the old motto “The best fight is the one that was never fought.”
Now back to the subject. The Kahr CW45 I had was a piece o’ crap that the manufacturer admits to having a defect out of the box. That is a fact no “tough guy” or “pussy” can dispute.
Geoffrey…
you’re an obvious pussy and the sole purpose of you carry a gun is so that you can act like a hot head. but sure enough, if you act like a hot head with the wrong person, you’ll find out what a pistol is really worth when you can’t deploy it or you can’t hit your target because he’s moving to fast. before you know it, you’re on the ground and your gun is used against you; and there’s nothing bullshido about that, it happens all the time. there are plenty of people who bring a gun to hand fight and the gunfighter loses.
therefore Mr. Pistol Pussy, calm down. and learn some real hand skills before you start carrying a gun; it’ll make a real man out of you. no one was trying to be tough. someone was just making a comment on the mag and the gun. but leave it to a gun toting worm like yourself to take it the wrong way.
lastly, if you are the type of person that starts sweating bullets in a confrontational situation YOU SHOULD NOT BE CARRYING A GUN!! a well trained person will see and use it; it’s called butterflies in your stomach and you ain’t going to hit shit. trust me
Yeah! I would probably whine myself if the one I bought had caused me problems. My whine is the skinney grip but realize it would probably work fine for someone with smaller hands. As it is the Hogue grip will likely fix my problem. Failure to feeds and dropped mags would be unacceptable.
Calling someone’s review “whiney” (I think you meant whiny) makes it no less pertinent than a fanboy’s review. The CW45 is a good handgun, but some have had real issues with them on an individual gun basis.
I just bought a CW45 this past Thursday and then read all of the whiney reviews of some of the guys on here. I must say – this was a great purchase. I put 150 rounds through the pipe yesterday (without cleaning the gun). Not a single problem. No mag drop, no misfeed, no problems whatsoever. I’m looking forward to shooting it again soon.
As stated I like mine and if were the only pistol I had I would not hesitate to make it my primary carry. Still don’t have that Houge grip or spare mags yet so it sets home with my other non carrys. These are, in my opinion, good pistols.
I am glad you are happy with your purchase. For me it was an expensive mistake. I had mine about 3 weeks and could not jettison it quickly enough. Fortune smiled upon my, as I was able to fian a Glock 30 to replace it at the same gun show I sold this POS off. Maybe those of you with tiny hands don’t have a problem with a CW45, for me it torqued in my hand and was hard to hold on to. And as for the 200 rounds, Kendall…have you read the manual? It is a required break-in…I realize what this gun is for (and yes, extended range sessions aren’t it) but since I don’t have a range in my back yard, I decided to follow the manufacturer’s break-in session all at once. What a mistake. So don’t consider it whining, Kendall, consider it absolute insistence that the firearm I trust my life to be 100% reliable, be it 50 rounds at a time, or all 200, or just 1. Malfunctioning weapons are not tolerated by me, and the reason why is immaterial. If it doesn’t work, I make it someone else’s problam.
I bought a new CW45 yesterday. I read all the old-timey (2009) comments about falling mags, jams with different ammo, my hands hurt, etc.
I fired 50 rounds Remington 230 grain without a stoppage or the mag falling out. I dusted out the carbon with Q-tips and fired another 50 rounds with the same excellent results.
(As a CW I only expect to have to fire two rounds or at most one mag)
Several suggestions:
Quite whining.
Shooting 200-300 rounds at the range? You are using the wrong gun.
Mag falls out? Keep your thumb up and off the mag release button.
Kicks too much? – What did you expect? Get a .22
Grip hurts your hand? An economical solution is to send me a money order for $29.95 plus $6.95 S&H and I will send you a $7.00 golf glove.
This is a fine gun for its intended purpose.
Thanks Kahr!
Bought one of these used (looks like new) at a gunshow last Saturday kind of as a replacement for the Ultra Carry I got rid of in a moment of weakness. Federal hardball seems to work 100% as does WW 230 gr hollowpoints. Compared it side beside with my G 27 Glock. I have shot Glock pistols a lot during the past ten years and it is my favorite carry so far. The Kahr is just a hair thinner about the same same heigth with a G23 mag with spacer in place. 7 rounds of 45 against 14 rounds of 40 with the G23 mag or10 with the regular 27 mag. Not sure this is a good trade off since size and weight are comparable. Street results seem to indicate te 40 with good 155 to 165 gr bullets is just as effective as 45ACP of any weight. That being said yes I like the 45, just not sure I like it well enough to take half the rounds plus the tacticle advantage of using G 22 (15 rounders) as backup mags. I found the CW 45 reliable (so far) Accurate when I take the time to master the long but smooth trigger. The only down side for me is the shape of the grip, I have long fingers. May try the Houge Handel as some others have indicated here and see if that helps. All and all I like the GW 45. It is a good looking pistol with a smooth action in a fighting caliber. It may be a keeper if I get some extra mags.
Just thought id through my 2 cents out there… I bought the CW45 yesterday. I loved the price, size and caliber. The grip is not to rough unless you’re a little girl; I put 200 rounds through it in 30 mins without a problem. The first 150 were $15 Russian made bullets and the last 50 were Remington … and for a gun with a barrel no longer then my little finger it is as accurate as the shooter. So for me this is the weapon I’m going to carry…. and just fyi, I personally thought the recoil felt less then my full size 1911.
The sun finally came out here in Indiana last weekend and I went out on the back deck and fired off another 56 rounds. First time I have shot for several weeks. Gun again worked flawlessly. It is very accurate. I’ve almost destroyed an old rectangular tube for a basketball goal about 15 yards away.
Carry it on my ankle all the time, hardly know it’s there. It is a great gun for me.
I bought one of these to replace my Glock 36, which occasionally jams (usually only after the 3rd magazine through), but this thing jammed on every magazine, sometimes twice. Failure to go into battery, failure to eject, failure to feed (Remington and Winchester factory ammo). Not to mention the 200 round break-in period brutalized my hand, blisters on both palms and skin gouged away ast the thumb joint. I expected some hiccups during the first 200 rounds, but figured they would begin to clear up the more I fired. They actually got worse. Once I closed in on the 200 round mark, that’s when the stovepipes began. I am consigning it today, and gonna try to get my G36 back from consignment before it sells. Much more comfortable to shoot, and at least I can get through my first mag without a malfunction.
I just bought one of these brand new, I oiled well and cycled the slide at least 100 times in the past few days. Today I bought 3 boxes of ammo and went to the range. First impression, BOO BOO, it would not make it through one magazine without a failure. The trigger just didn’t catch, a little wiggle or tap on the side and it sometimes worked….. I made it through about 150 rounds before I decided to unload the P.O.S. and quit disrespecting the ammo. I bought this because I have a Taurus24/7 with a Mag Drop out issue, low and behold this one does too.
I then followed up with my Bersa .380 and put 200 rounds downrange NO problem, infact no problem for the last 800 or so rounds through the little sucker. No its not a Man Stopper, but I’ll unload at least 3, ON target, before anyone with a kahr45 ….
I was considering selling it but I’m not in the habbit of selling trash, why start now.
I am a police officer and purchased the CW 45 as a back-up weapon. Accuracy was great right out of the box. I do agree that the grips are somewhat uncomfortable in a bare palm, but worked well with my shooting gloves’ grip. There is also a problem with certain ACP rounds not chambering. I was using Remington .45 ACP ball ammunition and the rounds appeared to be too large for the chamber. My duty rounds which are Winchester Ranger .45 ACP cycled just fine though.
The weapon has pros and cons, like most weapons. Overall I like the gun and it is extremely affordable, but I wouldn’t carry it as a primary firearm.
I got my CCL last October and have been carrying my CW45 every day since. Recently purchased a new OWB holster, a Looper leather holster designed for the Kahr 9/40. It fits the CW45 great too.
Up until the Looper, I had been using a Blackhawk holster designed for a Sig. It was a pretty tight, but was about an inch too long, which hurt its concealment with some shirts.
Went to the range over the holiday and shot all my defensive rounds through it, Pow’RBall +P 165gr., Federal Personal Defense Low Recoil FMJ and JHP 165 gr. and Remington 185 gr. +P Golden Sabres. Shot 50 rounds of PMC Bronze 230 gr. FMJs as well. All fired perfectly with no FTF/FTE.
Happy to report the Kahr is breaking in nicely. Looking to acquire a Ruger LCR 357 as a BUG. That should be pretty snappy.
I haven’t heard many complaints about any of the CW line of Kahrs. I absolutely love my CW45 and have had no problems with it and have over 600 rounds down the pipe. In fact, I just put a PM9 in layaway today for my wife or to use as a BUG but I carry the .45 everyday. Try a Hogue Handell Jr grip sleeve and you will have no more problems with the grip,easy fix for about $10.
I guess I was one of the apparently very few lucky people who got an exceptional firearm in the cw45. I absolutely love this piece. I am an avid pistol shooter, enjoying a wide array of manufacturers and models, but the cw45 (as well as our kahr pm40) ranks among the top of the list for us. To date, never a magazine drop or single misfire. Grips admittingly have a bit to be desired, but if used for its intended personal defense purpose, hopefully it will not take the 75 to 100 rounds it takes to annoy your hand. I feel sorry for those who have received the apparent ‘duds’ but man am I sure happy to have these two guns among our stock. Thanks..
I put a Hogue Handell Jr grip sleeve on mine,made all the difference in the world.And at under $10?
I’ve carried mine for over a year. Sent back for failure to cycle when new. I had it back in a week and it has been excellent and accurate since. Love it. Fired several hundred rounds. Zero problems. Manly grips are not for girls.
Range update on my new Kahr CW45.300 rounds of various brands,including Golden Saber +P ammo with only 1 FTF.Accuracy is on the money. I am very impressed with this gun and I am starting to carry it as my EDC.
Richard,
If the spring that holds the slide stop in is not damaged, you probably need to tighten the screw that holds it in place. There are no specific instructions in the manual for this, but you need to tighten it enough that the portion of the spring that holds the stop in place does not move,but loose enough that the end that holds the lever down moves freely. (see post #5 from the link below)
In regards to magazine drops: although the replacement latch from Kahr will stop the magazine drops, I don’t believe that the mag latch is the problem.
The replacement latch is machined at a slight angle to prevent the latch from disengaging, but this is a band aide fix. I believe the real culprits are manufacturing tolerances in the mag well and, more importantly, the magazine follower design. My reasoning for this is a little detailed
and as I’ve already documented it elsewhere (along with some other issues and fixes for the Kahr 45s) I’ll just provide a link to the info:
http://kahrtalk.com/kahr-tech/1612-cw45-other-poly-45-issues-fixes.html
Regards,
Greg
Well bought my cw45 yesterday… I’m very familiar with shooting .45′s as I have 2 1911′s, full size and Officers model… 1st approx 100 rds was flawless to include excellent accuracy. 2nd 100 rds all went to heck. Failure to go into battery completely. Slide stop pin kept working its way out. The spring clip is way too weak and or pin detent is too shallow which holds the slide stop pin in place. I do believe the pin backing out into the underside of slide did cause most of the issues. Also magazine catch was intermittently not holding properly as eluded to by others. Heard nothing but rave reviews about Kahr’s for years. Can’t ever believe what you hear. It’s a shame as the trigger action for DA only is awesome as well again mentioned accuracy. Taking back to shop and if I can return / trade-up, I probably will…
Never had a problem with any of my Kahr auto’s 45′s and my 9mills. Shot them to kill, in my house or yard.
I pack the 9 for a CW and practice with it at least once a month 50 rounds.
If you a having a problem with the auto’s buy yourself a 38 special wheel gun. They all are belly gun’s under 5 yards at the most.
Good luck, I’ve been shooting for now on 60 years and close to a million rounds of amo down the tube.
Have fun and find what you need for the job.
Rick
I just picked up a new cw45 yesterday and I’m taking it to the range this weekend for it’s break-in session.I’m hoping I’ve found a new EDC:)
Oh yeah. Shoots very accurately with Hornady Critical Defense ammo; not so accurately with Winchester white box loads. Just my experience.
i purchased my cw45 a couple of months ago and so far love it. Iv’e taken it to the range twice and put 100 rounds through it each time with absolutely no problems. I thought that the size may effect the accuracy but even at 20 ft out it was dead on. For concealment this gun is perfect. The size and weight makes it easy to conceal for a great self defense weapon. The grips may hurt your hands after shooting off a hundred rounds at the range but for self defense, which this gun is made for, the grips are perfect and give u a nice firm grip. I recommend this gun for anybody who is looking for a nice concealable weapon. Hope this helps.
I received my replacement mag release button and had it installed by the gunsmith at the gun store I purchased the Kahr from. I took the CW to the range and the mag didn’t fall out like it used to. YEA!!! No problems at all. Very pleased. Now, to get a couple more hundred rounds through it. And put some night sights on it. I’m thinking Heinie or XS.
Has anybody put Crimson Trace on their CW45? I like the looks of that unit. I’m hoping they come out with a green laser option soon.
Just picked up the CW45 and put about 130 rounds through it yesterday, using 4 types of ammo. Worked like a charm. With a total of 4 different shooters putting at least on mag through it, it was very accurate and worked flawlessly. I’m impressed thus far, and plan to continue to shoot all types of ammo through it until I get it past the break in period – at which point I will continue to shoot all other types of ammo through it. At this time, this pistol is now tied with my All Time Favorite Glock G35. Totally different shooting purposes and calibers, but the Kahr is “that comfortable” in my opinion.
If you really read the comments…..you would realize it was a manufacturer’s defect for the mag release button…not anyone’s thumbs hitting the release. Consider running for Attorney General.
just purchased kahrcw45 and afterwards started to read comments. feeling that i had made a bad choice i took my cw45 to the range.put through 300 rounds of different 230gr 45.the gun performed like MAGIC.no jams no magazine falling out. and dead accurate. its a small gun. keep your thumb the hell away from the magazine release. i am DELIGHTED.
I purchased a CW45 about two months ago and it is a great single stack .45, really worth the money. I have put about 250 rounds through it so far and not a hiccup out of it, no mag drops, FTF, FTE or light strikes. Ive used PMC bronze, Remington UMC and Blazer ammuntion out it and I carry Speer 230 grain Gold Dots which all of functioned flawlessly in it.
I installed a Dawson Precision fiber optic front sight on this puppy and it sure is sweet now.
As for a holster I would recommend using a Tagua Leather IWB, the one I use is actually made for the PM45 but it fits it like a glove and VERY comfortable. I would also recommend using a Don Hume clip-on IWB, Mitch Rosen Clipper IWB or a Gould & Goulrich Small of the back holster they are all very nice rigs.
Great gun love the way it shoots and feels. Very tight out of the box even racking the slide was very tight. After cleaning it and shooting the first hundred rounds out of it started to loosen up. Extremely accurate from the first shot. have currently shot about 400 rounds through it since purchasing it last august with out any jams or mags falling out. Excellent gun would highly recommend it over any similar guns including the glock 36 and im am a big glock fan!
Snorpht, I use a Striker from UBG holsters and a Dual Carry from David Bullard. The original reason for purchasing the Striker was Nate had one in stock, no wait. I like the Striker very well, but it does tend to rub on my side if the jeans are to low cut. The Dual Carry, I purchased because it looked really comfortable and could be worn IWB or OWB. The Dual Carry is by far the most comfortable leather IWB I personally own. When I am not carrying the Kahr CW45, I am carrying a Glock 27 or 33 in a RM holster Lowrider. The Kydex is my absolute favorite for comfort. I can’t believe that kydex is more comfortable than leather, but I seem to forget I am carrying when wearing the Lowrider.
I have also tried numerous holster and found that the “Universal Cell Pal;” http://WWW.universalholsters.com works the best for me. I use the Cell Pal to carry both the CW45 and the XD45 Tactical, not at the same time, using this holster. Both firearms are easy to carry with this holster.
I’ve tried several holsters, from an Uncle Mike horizontal shoulder holster to a nylon holster that I was given at the SHOT show the year that it was in Atlanta. The one that I like the most for concealed carry is a simple leather strong side knock off of, bought on Ebay, actually designed for a 1911 Compact,
Follow up to previous post on Sept 23, 2009
By my count, I have put over 2,500 rounds through my CW45. These rounds include anything with .45ACP in the name. I cast my own bullets and do my own reloading. I have had nothing fail to load, fire, or eject. I have never had a magazine fall out or ANY other problem. All I do is load and shoot which is why I bought this pistol.
As I said in my earlier comment, the muzzle blast is awesome.
I am waiting to get my hands on the new Hornady Critical Defense .45ACP ammo and see how my CW45 handles it.
Just to follow up on my comments last August, I have put probably another 500 rounds through my CW45 with still not the first failure when using the factory magazine. As I said before, the regular 1911 magazines can be modified slightly to work in the Kahr as well, which is, to me, a real convenience when shooting both it and my Colt LW Commander, and I have found that the various 1911 magazines do occasionally fail to lock the slide back after the last round, but that is something that I can live with when shooting tin cans and paper targets. They don’t shoot back very often. Certainly, if I planned to use this piece as my primary weapon in a prolonged gun fight, I would invest in the proper magazines for it, but in the meantime, 6 rounds is enough for me when I carry it concealed.
I don’t why, if all of the people writing in here have seemed to have so many problems, but apparently I got one of the good ones, and that’s just fine with me. Up until now, I have only shot hardball through it, mainly because I got a bargain on a couple of thousand rounds of Winchester USA from an instructor a few years ago, so when I DO begin to fire hollowpoints, there may be some problems. Until then, I have no doubts that my money was well spent when I bought the Kahr, and based on my experience, I would recommend the gun to anyone.
Does anyone have any knowlege of other mags (extended, higher capacity, etc.) available for the CW-45? Yes, I know that would defeat the concealability, but that’s not why I’m looking. Thanks.
I sent my pistol back to the kahr factory I told them problem and they had my pistol back in 6 days, they repalced the extractor with a more heavy duty one, replaced my recoil spring, polished all needed parts oiled and lubbed all needed parts, now my pistol has shot perfect every time since no jams or failure to feed.
GL – It wouldn’t move with the mag in or out of the weapon!
Stephen – I put a Hogue Handall Jr. on my CW40 and it made a world of difference. Only problem is that it keeps creeping up the grip and exposes the bottom row of ‘nubs’; otherwise it was a great improvement and it also worked on my NAA Guardian 380!
Stephen,
I had the same problem and solution as did you. Since then I’ve had no problems with the mag coming loose before the last round is fired and no jams. I’ve put about 200 rounds through it since the mag release fix.
I purchased my CW45 new last summer. The first time at the range, I experienced the same mag drop failure issue many others have experienced.
On the last round, the mag partially dropped out. I’d have to tap the mag back in, rack the slide and shoot the last round. Extremely frustrating.
I purchased this weapon specifically for a warm-weather carry weapon. Here in Oklahoma, we have about eight months of summer and four months where swimwear is optional.
I contacted Kahr and they eventually sent me a new mag release button. No instructions, just the button in a small bag. Wow. Thanks, Mr. Kahr. I had no idea how to replace this piece.
I took it to the gun shop I purchased it from and luckily their gunsmith was in and made the switch within minutes.
I’m going to the range with tempered expectations that this “fix” will work. We’ll see. If not, it’s gone. I can’t bet my life on a weapon that does not function properly.
Concerning the grips (yes, they suck), I acquired a Hogue Handall Jr. yesterday and it feels MUCH better. Best $8 investment I ever made.
Try taking the clip out before extracting unspent shell. That works for me.
Bingo, Anthony! Only this time the slide wouldn’t move 1/8″ … it would just “jiggle” when I tried to pull back on the slide. I did get a solution when I went up to my shooting range earlier this afternoon.
One of the instructors (a 6′ red-headed female packing a .45 Wilson on her hip) showed me a method to clear the chamber of a ‘stuck’ cartridge. With the gun in your right hand, muzzle pointing to the left (I’m right-handed) you grab the slide at the rear on the top with your left hand, thumb pointing to the right. Then release your right hand and place the edge of the webbing of your open hand between your right thumb and right fore-finger against the top back of the grip keeping your open hand parallel to the floor. Then, keeping your hand flat, continuously and rapidly, strike the back of the gun with your right hand being sure to keep holding the slide very firm. Gradually increase the force of the right hand striking the gun until the chambered shell comes flying out! It worked after only 5 or 6 hits with my gun. (Damn, I was enjoying the ‘personal’ attention!)
I don’t know what causes this ‘hanging-up’, but I am going to try a solid FMJ for my next chambered carry load instead of the JHP and see what happens.
So ur saying that when u leave a bullet in the chamber for a week the live round in the chamber will not ejcect? I had my cw45 do that and I had to pull back the slide real hard, I was chambering Winchester hollow points, I think all my problem is when I have a bullet in the chamber and when I eject the live shell by hand I pull the slid back fast or slow it doesent matter how fast, the chambered bullet rubs so close to the next round in my magazine hitting lip around the bullet and the brim of the brass and stops it from ejecting smoothly, I don’t know why unless I have a bad mag.
Anthony, the only shell I chamber for concealed carry is Winchester Ranger 165 GR. RA40TA. Every shell that I have fired thru the gun works fine and I never had an operational error ever! The problem occurs when I want to extract a live shell that has been chambered for a period of time. I’ll go to the range this weekend and “shoot” it out like one other time!
No George thats not common, what shells are u useing? I was told by kahr
tech support not to chamber magtechs or horndays +P, the only +p rounds
kahr shoots in the factory are Speer gold dot, Winchester, Remington, and federals.
I’ve got a CW40, not a ’45, but I have a question regarding the general operation of the Kahr gun. Although I have never had the magazine drop out when shooting, and the feeding of the first round out of the magazine has gotten better with more rounds going thru it (300 so far), my problem is that about half the time the gun will not eject a live round from the chamber after being carried locked-and-loaded for a period of time. I carry my CW40 as a CCW in my car and weekly I like to remove the mag and chambered round from the gun. The chambered shell doesn’t like to be ejected, with or without the mag removed, even by a tech at my shooting range. The only solution is to got to the range and shoot it out and the spent casing is ejected just fine. Is this normal or do I have an issue with Kahr? BTW, the Hogue Jr. really helps!
Has anyone had experences where there cw45 can’t shoot +p loads out of there guns? When the bullet chambers the recoil rod sticks out about 4th of an inch and have to pull back really really hard to eject the bullet when chambered? Anyone have any ideas y? Iv checked for burrs but there’s none, iv tried magtech 185 grain +p and hornadys 185 grain +p neither will chamber!! But the service instructor at kahr says that the cw45 is +p ready to shoot but the kahr service instructor says I can’t shoot the +p+ types of bullets!
Is it possible that my spring in my magazines to tight makeing my cw45 to jam occasionaly and cut the shell? Has anyone had a simular problem or have any advice?
I was just wondering if any one has had a problem with the cw45 jamming with the blazer brass 230 grain cci rounds there the ones giveing me trouble out of the winchesters and federal all 230 grain, the blazers gives me trouble, maybe there just bad bullets??
I just bought my Kahr CW-45 yesterday and then got home and read this blog and was really thinking about taking it back. Woke up this morning and decided to shoot it and make my own judgement. I put put 300 rounds through it today without any problems at all. It feel great in my hand, the recoil isn’t as bad as my XD-40. It was extremely accurate to my supprise. No clip’s falling out, no jam’s. A+ on my report card. Can’t wait to shoot it again!
I just got the Kahr cw 45 this saturday and shot 50rd with no problem. I do have to say the I wish the gun was easyer to take apart for cleaningbut not a big deal I have not had the clip fall out but I do have to pop the bottom of the clip a little hard to for it to catch the spring to stay in it is tight fit. but iI realy Like my kahr cw45.
Good info by all, will decide on the cw45 this week…
I bought a CW45, shot about 120 rounds with constant problems that I thought was jamming. I took it back to where I bought it and they advised the trigger was not resetting. They advised me to send it back to the factory myself because it would get repaired and returned more quickly. I sent the gun back and had it back within a week. I also had them put on night sights while it was there. The gun works perfect now. It is very accurate, fits my hand well. I don’t notice any problem with sharp grips. I carry the gun in an ankle holster and it is great. I really like the size and weight. To me it is an extremely good value.
Anthony, I agree totally. I would not depend on any weapon, polymer or not, without shooting it enough to know it was going to work. 200 rounds for me is not near enough! I have had no failures mechanically with my CW45 450 rounds downrange.
TO THE BEST OF MY knowledge, Kahr was the first pistol manufacturer to take the bold step of saying—flat-out—that their guns needed a 200-round break-in. Most auto pistols do, but I appreciate Kahr’s corporate honesty in frankly telling the consumer up front. In about that many assorted rounds, the closest to a cycling failure was when one shooter unfamiliar with the CW45 “rode” the slide with the support hand while chambering a round. This can cause any autoloader to fail to go into battery, as it did with this one. It was human error and I can’t hold it against the gun. The one problem we did have surfaced three times. Twice on the bench and once in offhand shooting, the magazine spontaneously ejected with one live round remaining. A call to Kahr confirmed that some CW45s had gotten out with a magazine release that was off a couple of degrees, allowing this to happen. A quick trip back to the factory got this squared away with a corporate apology. This is yet another reason to listen to Kahr and actually do the 200-round break-in.
Thanks, Gary. Duh – figured the answer would make me look stupid. Anyway, the Kahr is not uncomfortable to shoot or wear, and not unreliable – despite earlier experiences. That being said, I’ll always be looking to add and upgrade.
Jeff, I would assume he meant SD= Self Defense. I now have 250 rounds down range with a new barrel and still not one malfunction. There was nothing wrong with the original barrel, it was the shooter. Monday afternoon two of us shot for fun and put 100 rounds in a 12×12 square from 10 yards and another 30 at bottles. We went through that 130 in about 30 minutes, no cleaning, no stopping, just shooting. This little gun conceals nicely, shoots very well and I will be carrying it all the time now.
Joe – What’s an “SD” gun?
I cleaned it and have fired over 200 rounds with no jams at all. It was simply due and I let it go too long. I’m confident in it’s reliability, as the postings of others validate.
I went back and ran another 50 rounds through mine and it performed flawlessly again. I figured out the accuracy problem and it was me! I really like the little gun now.
Sorry but just because it’s a SD gun doesn’t mean it has to be uncomfortable or unreliable. There are too many better choices out there.
I like the way my Kahr CW45 feels in my hand so much that I bought it after the used one I originally purchased had the magazine catch issues. I too had no problem with getting it replaced quickly, solving the problem. I also had the slide lock fall out of my first one as mentioned by another writer. Not noticing it, I fired a round through it which pretty much destroyed the inside of the slide. I shipped it back and they replaced everything but the polymer frame. Believing I had a “lemon”, I sold it on consignment (haven’t heard anything bad reported back since) and bought a new one. I find it quite accurate and not unpleasant to shoot at all for 100s of rounds. Then again, I’m used to an Airweight S&W .357.
I’m having trouble with ejection and it’s plenty broke in. But, I shoot so much (yes, it handles re-loads fine) that I may just be letting it get too dirty between cleanings. I cleaned the snot out of it tonight. If it still jams later this week, I’ll post another comment while I wait to get enough cash together to buy a Kimber Ultra Carry II. It feels pretty good in my hand, too. BTW – I had a Glock37 that functioned flawlessly while I had it. It just felt awkward. That’s why I went back to the Kahr.
I bought a cw45 about 2 weeks ago. I have had no function problems, but the accuracy is horrible. From 15 yards shooting at a target 18″ off the ground, the bullet is in the dirt 1 yard from the bottom of the target. Shot my officer model 1911 from the same distance, same ammo, same day and it shot 2″ groups. The barrel on the Kahr appears to have the riflings pulled. I ordered a new barrel from Kahr and if that fixes the problem the original will go back, if it doesn’t, both will go back.
I think something should be clarified.
From the manufacturer help line, they told me that the magazine drop was from a BAD MAGAZINE RELEASE…NOT limp wristing or anything else. They send you a replacement…..if you keep it after that and it works well great.
If you buy a weapon and out-of-the-box it has problems like that….GO AHEAD AND RISK YOUR OR YOUR FAMILY’SLIFE WITH IT………if they cannot get that right, what else have they screwed up that you will not find out until you really need it.
How many of you guys bought HK’s, Glocks, or Sig’s and had these things happen?
What makes me scratch my head is people reading that these things malfunction, and still buying them. Why not go out and buy a brand of tires known to have blowouts too? I wish I had read any review stating that there was a problem at the time.
My advice is to take the things back and demand your money back, not get on blogs and post somewhat positive things about the weapon hoping that your karma will somehow make the thing not malfunction when you need it most. It is documented by many, many people AND the manufacturer that this thing screws up…..for God’s sake just Google “Kahr CW45 magazine drop.” If the results do not sway you then let me borrow a million dollars…….because I will surely pay it back. Meanwhile the rest of us with common sense should buy something more reliable…. hell, a Keltec even.
I have a Glock 17 and 21 and couldn’t be happier with them. So when I planned on getting my concealed carry, I couldn’t wait to go looking for a Glock 27, 30 or 36. Before heading out to the gun shops, I decided to do some research into the major brands, read blogs and educate myself in buying a concealed carry weapon. The best piece of advice that I found said the best concealed carry weapon is the one you will carry with you. I wanted a gun that was comfortable and reliable and small enough to carry concealed. Unfortunately none of the smaller Glocks fit my hand well. I’m a big guy with big hands and just couldn’t make it work without making the gun bigger in size, which kind of defeats the purpose of concealed carry. I picked up 26 guns and really liked the way the Kahr CW45 fit my hand. It was the most comfortable size wise that I tried. I also noticed that the checking on the front and back of the grip was aggressive, but figured a Hogue Handall jr. grip would fix that. I wasn’t very familiar with Kahr, so I waited and went home to educate myself again. After reading several reviews, blogs, and talking with people, I still wasn’t sure. I found a smaller gun shop owned by a retired cop who said that Kahr was an excellent product and that he carried a Kahr and has for 15 years with no problems. I bought it and couldn’t wait to get to the range.
Took my Kahr to the range with 200 rounds of Remington 230gr FMJ for the break in period. I bought a Hogue grip and shot the first 36 rounds without it. That was the limit without the grip due to the aggresive checking. The next 164 rounds was a treat. This is one of the most comfortable guns I’ve shot next to my Glock 21. I had zero problems with this gun. The mag did not fall out, although I could see how someone’s hands could hit the release. The muzzle blast is about the same as my G-21 and it’s acurate out of the box with groupings of 3″ at 25 feet. I did clean the gun and cycled the slide a hundred or so times prior to shooting. Now it’s time to find some good defensive ammo and a CC holster that I’m comfortable with. I can’t wait to get back to the range!!!
I thought I would revisit the site here to follow up with my CW45. I think I have had every issue mentioned happen to me including the slide/ take down pin coming out. ( this was not during live fire). After several hundred rounds and some help from an ATK Armorer, here are my findings.
The mag falling out is a combination of both shooting grip and a weak spring. Lets face it, we all either shoot a Glock or a 1911 and this smaller gun’s location of the mag release is troublesome. Waiting on my replacemnt spring now and we’ll see how it works out. Next, the take down pin. I think my failure was just that, my habit of riding my trigger finger down the frame, even when racking a round aided in pushing this pin out. Last but not least, I wanted to address an issue that I haven’t read much about on this site. My gun, new in the box, aquired a “patina” before I could ever shoot the thing. I contacted Kahr about the rust issue and was told there was nothing they could do for me except charge me 165.00 to beadblast in back to orig. condition, and I had to pick up the shipping. They also said they would not coat it or even offer a coating for the CW.
I close with my recommendations IF you want to keep your gun after all these issues. 1st. Shoot the darn thing a lot. I seem to do very well running Gold Dot 230′s through it. 2nd, Invest in having the slide, barrel and anything else your going to sweat on coated. I sent mine off to Gander Mountain and am pleased with the results of their Teflon Coating. It was only 5$ more than Kahr to have it returned to stainless. finally, if you have never shot a quality handgun like a Glock or a Sig. DO SO. feel whats it’s like to pick it up and fire 15 rnds through it as fast as you can and know the mag is not going to fall out. money invested I know, but I seem to have remedied most of the issues.
Went to buy a Xd .45 compact today for my carry weapon…was surprised when the gun dealer (a very respectable, experienced dude) at the gun store remarked about the Kahr CW45. I also was also looking at the Kel Tec PM9- but I had issues with the magazine releasing as I fired the weapon!!! Although a great weapon, the P3AT will do the job for a front-pocket, local carry.
So, based on a lot of your comments I can summize that I need to pay attention to the date of manufacture of my soon-to-have Kahr as well as through a couple hundred rounds though it as well.
I like .45s and feel comfortable buying this as a personal CHL weapon. The XD .45 (not compact) will be in the dresser drawer…and I can always buy some .45 ammo to practice on both.
Thanks for all your words…I agree that most people only take the time to tell us what went wrong rather than what went right…so I will report right or wrong how my purchase went in a couple weeks.
A
Looked at two of the CW45 today, and they still had price tags from 2007 and they wanted $599 for them. I am wondering if I should by one? with a 50-50 arguments good and bad.
I think maybe they have fixed the problems in the later years. I think I will buy a box of fifty rounds and see if the range master will let me shoot it.
I have the CW9 KAHR and love it, never had a problem with it.
I am an open carry type guy, I always want the bad guy to know what is coming his way.
I pack My Colt AR15-9mm in my truck at all times, never know what will happen, since NAM.
Hope I make the right choice? Rick
Love my KAHR CW45. Cant miss with it. Won a steak dinner from buddy. Hit a 2X2 foot target at 100yrd 3 out of 5 times. Split a SINGLE playing card at 21 feet with it. It has never jammed for me. This is a weapon of choice for me to carry.
ok well I did trade my Kahr in on a Sig P220 compact and I have to tell I love the difference. Don’t get me wrong the Kahr was nice-light, accurate, and I did like the ergnoimcs but once the slide lock came out while one of the CSM’s from another battalion was shooting- like I said I was pretty embarresed. So, anyways I do like the sig more but then I think you get what you pay for. If I do buy a Kahr in the future it will be a P series.
Sorry my mistake, I meant to give props to Memphis Kahr’s post not Lee’s. Sorry for the error. Thanks, Mark
Im sorry I still think the HP’s only at the range is one of the most ignorant things I have ever heard of. Know your gun, practice a lot. These are obvious statements. Mark Tondee needs to read more. HP on a range only would get people killed. Practice with whatever folks. Shame on Lee and Mark.
Thanks, Lee for the most sensible and practical argument I’ve read. Couldn’t agree more.
One thing I’ve noted about internet reviews, people by nature seldom post reports when things go well. We seldom take time to comment when things work like they should. I have read many horror stories about glocks, but we all know, like them or not, they are proven. The Kahr owners I have talked with in person have been extreemly positive. If the majority of people had these problem, Kahr would be out of business in 6 months.
Lee,
I think that you aren’t taking in to account those of us that view this particular piece as both a great defensive weapon but also a good shooting pistol as well. If you aren’t suppose to use defensive weapons as range guns as well, you would propably shut down the firearms industry. LEO practice with reloads, gunsite, frontsite, and every other training facility I know of uses reloads, or FMJ. If you can afford nothing but Hollow points than I would imagine that you would want a Wilson combat or another high end piece. This gun is cheaper than a lot of other guns than it would replace…i.e. glocks, SA XD’s, even a Sig 220 Compact in my case. I doubt the average CW45 owner bought it because it was the absolute best that they could find. Its a bargain and it does what I want it to do. If I win the lottery it might get put in the safe, but until then its going to ride with me to the range with whatever ammo I have to shoot with it. I think shooting a round that might not group exactly the same as my carry loads will make little difference to the bad guy that I shot a 3″ group at center mass versus a 2″. I will listen to his gripe if he decides to make those his last words. I will even take head to the officer that might critique my one flier that hit 4″ to his lower intestine. But the point is my training will save my life with my reloads or my FMJ. I wouldn’t go as often if I was restricted to HP only. But to your other point. One must practice. Practicing with good cheap ammo is just as good as your carry load at the end of the day. I always buy a box of carry load to cycle through a new gun after that its reloads and WWB for me. As is the rest of the shooting world except Lee.
I am considering one of these for CCW, and thank everyone for their input. I am concerned about the mag dropping, but I am as concerned about some of the posters here, who supposedly bought this for CCW. Note one thing friends, a CCW gun is to protect you and your family, it is not a range toy. When you shoot this, or any CCW gun, use the ammo you will carry in it, i.e. high quality hollow point ammo, not reloads (unless you know what you are doing), not fmj range rounds. And spend time with it! It is expensive to shoot HP’s at a range, but my lord think about this gun, your reason for owning it, and what it means to you. The guys who get CCW and buy a gun, then don’t ever practice with it should probably leave your weapon at home, or just stay home. If you cannot afford to put in the time with your CCW weapon, using expensive, high quality ammo, then you should not carry. You have to be able to neutralize the threat to you, allowing you to escape unharmed. Think about this folks, you need to know exactly how the gun will react in these instances, God forbid they ever happen. Don’t mean to be on a soapbox, just think about it.
Happy shooting..
Lee
I got the mag release from Kahr and installed it. Took it to the range put 50 rounds through it without the mag dropping once. Marksmanship improved as I shot and probably is a mix of my getting used to the gun and the gun beginning to break in and function more smoothly. I like it. The folks at Kahr were very responsive and helpful. The person who I talked to called me to see if I had any trouble installing the part told me to contact him if anything souls come up in the future. All in all I’m quite happy with the CW45 and the service.
I bought a CW 45 after I was determined to buy a Taurus PT 145. I hadn’t done my homework on price, function, realiability, like i usually do. When I went to a buddies house to go shooting I couldn’ thit the braod side of a barn. And my comedian friend offered to paint a target on his barn. I handed the Kahr to him, he hit bullseye at 20ft. I tried again and got worse. I handed it to him with one round in it and told him to do it again. He did. When I sent to go reload with some Wolf, the gun stayed jammed on that round. i took it to Ed Mason in Memphis, he cleared it out for $10 bucks and gave me a lesson in safely getting live rounds out. I went home upset and read decided to read some articles by Mas Ayoob (sp?), and a few other online sources. I then went to a range for the first time with an former marine buddy. He gave me a few more pointers. I all the sudden became a crack shot. This pistol appreciates someone that can shoot well. When I got home I cleaned it and snagged the trigger bar spring on a swab square. I looked everywhere online to see if the spring is suppose to stick out a little or not. Its a $7 part from Kahr, but I hate to get one if I dont need it. I looked at another Kahr at a gun shop and it is exposed on that one as well. I have found that the Kahr is sensitive but will give you good results if you do your part. I’m having a buddy cycle 20 rounds through it to see if it is still working correctly. By the way at the range we used some 5 year old crappy reloads, and the sigs jammed but the kahr did not. I LOVE sigs by the way. But I am also starting to love the Kahr if I can keep from damaging it, through no fault of its own. It might be that I got a good one. I have been shooting about 300 rounds a month give or take for about two years. I just now can actually say I am a descent shooter. The Kahr unlocked the magic from within. Even if I tossed it in the garbage I would still not regret buying it. If it would not have demanded better shooting on my part I would still be just a punk that goes through some ammo. Even the Sig crazed marine said that he might look at one after shooting mine. I was going to buy a 220 compact, but decided to go for another gun since I now have a range/defense gun that I enjoy shooting. FWIW I have shot Kimbers, Glocks, Sigs, Para, SA, Taurus, and even a baby eagle in .45 prefer the Kahr. I also thought I was a SA/DA type of guy, the Kahr changed that as well. I would make sure that you get the same bad results from other shooters, especially good ones before you start thinking its the pistol. This gun is not a beginners gun. It is small and big bore, not a beginners combo. I just can’t believe that mine changed my shooting life and others are cussing it from the get go. Dry fire 90%, Live fire 10%. This will improve your skill beyond belief. And its a whole lot cheaper. I got this lesson from front site instructor. Happy shooting and sorry for the long post I hope it was worth the read.