Kahr CM9 pistol
Next month Kahr will being shipping the 9mm Kahr CM9 subcompact pistol. The pistol is a smaller framed version of the relatively cheaper Kahr CW series. The CM9 has a 3" barrel, 0.6" shorter than the CW series barrels and the same size and the PM series.
Kahr describe the CM9 as "value priced". The cost savings have been achieved by using a conventional rifled barrel instead of the match grade polygonal barrel used by the PM series pistols, the slide stop lever is metal-injection-molded instead of machined, the slide has fewer machining operations and the slide has simpler engraved markings rather than roll markings.
The MSRP for the Kahr CM9 is just $565. The basic PM9 pistol has an MSRP of $837.
I don't think that the majority of customers will miss the premium features that the CM9 lacks. Kahr are having to complete with the cheaper offerings from companies like Ruger, whose Ruger LC9 has an MSRP of just $443, almost half the cost of the PM9.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Caliber | 9mm Luger/Parabellum |
| Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Finish | black polymer/stainless |
| Barrel | 3" conventional rifled barrel |
| Weight | 14 oz (excluding magazine) |
| MSRP (Price) | $565 |
| Availability | March |
Just bought the Kahr CM9. Cleaned and re-oiled before i went to the range, put about 100 rds. of Federal 115 gr. FMJ ( Wal- Mart $19.87 foR 100 rds.) No FTE-FTF, Consistent 3-4 inch groups at bull, 15 and 21 feet. Got it on sale at Cabela’s $404.99. No problems i can see, love it. I’m gonna use it for my EDC after the break in period. Like some suggest, i’ll try different HP ammo to get an idea of what i need to use for EDC.
Every time someone oils these guns before they shoot them for the first time they work perfectly.
I have no idea why KAHR ships them so dry……
I now have well over 1000 rounds and counting in mine and I use it for my summer carry. I love it and I hope that yours works just as well for you too.
Fred
We tested a Kahr CM9 and came away very pleased. Great EDC pistol.
Have the original all steel K9, never any failures at all and many rounds. Then the CW45 (cost $420) no failures after 400 plus rounds and one accurate gun with great trigger. Now the CM9, broke it in also after 300 plus rounds w/ 0 failures and it’s also very accurate especially for such a small and light gun. Can’t understand why Kahr has such a big price margin between these grades ($800/$400), but hell…love Kahr guns and I’m happy!
They had teething problems with their early polymer guns but they seem to have worked them out. Waited until the feedback was on the plus side, then bought the CW45 and the CM9. Great guns!
In response to Gary and a bit of advice to all, my CM9 came out of the box as dry as I have ever seen a firearm. I did open the book and lubricate the pistol before I took it out and shot it.
I have no idea why they send the weapons so unlubricated, but it seems that they do.
Gary, oil her as directed and I bet the slide problem goes away.
Fred, thank you. It is my hope that the full cleaning and oiling I have done following the recent time on range will resolve the issue. I do want to give this firearm every consideration since everything I have read about it has been great. I am hoping that the next 2-300 rds. will prove it to be dependable as a carry firearm. Thanks again.
700 rounds through mine so far. Great gun! This is a superb daily carry firearm and I now also carry a few extra mags in a mag holder without any crazy weight dragging me down! No complaints at all.
Just purchased the Kahr CM9. My first 200 rds (Remington 115 grain and Blazer 115 gr.)did not do well at all. The slide regularly locked fully to the rear (without the slidelock engaging) and rounds failed to load even partially. The slide would actually lock so far to the rear that it had absolutely NO additional travel to allow me to grip and snap it as if clearing a malfunction. I regularly had to tap the rear of the slide to get it to move forward and chamber a round. On numerous occasions the slide would hang up fully to the rear and, without warning, snap forward and load the round. Very FRUSTRATING.
I am going to try 200 more rds. One positive…the CM9 is accurate out of the box.
I now have 1000 rounds of various ammo through my CM9 and it has worked great. I had and only one time where the slide failed to lock open on the last round. I experienced that around round 300 of the 1000 and I was shooting the cheapest 9mm rounds I could find. (The discount stuff they sell at Wally Mart) Was it the gun? Was it the ammo??????
Other then that I am thrilled with the CM9 and often carry it as my primary summer CCW instead of a backup to my S&W MP45.
I will still carry my MP 45 as primary in the winter as I prefer the 45 ACP as a stopping round.
I purcharsed a CM9 last week and ran 250 rounds through it the same day. The first 100 rnds I had 3 FTF and 4 failures of the slide to lock open on the last round. The second 100 went without a hitch. On the last 50, I loaded 2 rounds in each mag and ‘slingshotted’ the slide to load. Not a problem. This is a Great weapon!
I also carry K40 and P9, Sold my heavy Sigs and chunky glock. My Kahrs out shoot them all, with shorter barrels., slimmer , lighter, better concealment, match grade! majority of firearms out there don’t fall into all of these catagories at all. This is no joke, at 25yds my groupings were tighter than people with their fancy high dollar 1911′s. The only pistol that could match my performance was a Glock 35 with it’s 5.32″ barrel. I would highly recommend Kahrs for concealed carry! I currently looking to buy P45 and K9 for wife. Kahr has hit the sweet spot when it comes to covert carry issues hands down. I bought my P9 from a former police officer, NIB never fired, for $ 425.00 ! Boy was I lucky. After taking it to the range and testing in the desert combat situation, I was really impressed! so much so that I’ve sold 2 other pistols just so I could buy more Kahrs. If you are debating to buy or not, I guarantee you wont regret it!
After carrying a CW40 and a K40 several years, I had to try a CM9. Put 200+ rounds through it with one glitch – a stovepipe caused by my letting it float in my grip (limp wristing) solely to test for that. My only criticism is the effort required to rack the slide. How did Justin ever get the recoil spring from a Barret .50BMG in that tiny pistol? I know it has plenty of recoil spring cause the brass is usually only 3 or 4 feet away in a neat little pile. I am hoping for Kahr releasing a CM40, as I am not a real fan of the 9mm for carry.
My new CM9 is great. My dealer has an indoor range and I took it from the sales counter to the range and qualified to add the CM9 to my CCW straight away. It shoots straight, has low felt recoil and handles like a dream.
The Reno Nevada Police Department has just approved the CM9 as an additional carry/backup piece.
So, what is the negativeve? The trigger pull is lonnnggggggggg, It takes a few rounds to get used to. It is all do to the internal safety and such, but a bit strange at first. The trigger IS a smooth as you could ask for, so, it is all good.
I hope that this info helps you decide.
Thanks Julio.
I have a new smart carry that I have been carrying my G26 in plus 2nd mag. Really comfortable but HOT. It’s not even summer yet and I am wondering if it is going to work for the hot weather. I think a pocket gun would be much better for those months.
Thanks for the info. That is just one more thing that makes me want a CM9.
Incidentally, my understanding is that most violent crimes happen in the warmer months. If this is true isn’t it interesting that “we” move to our 380′s and smaller in order to accomodate the heat? Just one more reason I am looking for a high quality 9mm like the CM9 that is smaller and lighter than my G26.
Pocket-ability… Ok
In dress clothes, it’ll weigh you down a tad and “bang” around your thigh. It feels fairly heavy in dress clothes, but it won’t “profile” or “show” especially in a good quality pocket holster.
In “street” clothes, you don’t even know it’s there…kinda… It’s certainly heavier than the lcp but it’s not outrageous. It is also “slide heavy” meaning you want it in a holster or you’ll realize gravity will flip the gun around a bit in your pocket.
IWB holsters are fantastic for this for jaunts to the store for a minute when you don’t want to go ahead and strap on a rig with gun belt and mag holders, etc…. Walking the dogs or whatever..It’s a.great option for IWB carry.
I’m liking it
So far the CM9 looks fantastic.
Julio, what do you think of it’s pocketability (is that even a word)? I have a Glock 26 that is awesome but is a chunk. When in a pocket holster it looks like i have a really really thick billfold and it feels heavy. My wife who has an LCR wants something flatter also and she has been pushing us getting LCPs. I am not a fan of .380′s though. So, I would love to find a 9mm that is a true pocket carry. What dya think?
Thanks.
2nd follow up.
Took this gun to the range for the first time.
I put 100 rounds of Winchester White Box 115 gr through it. I put 100 rounds of Winchester 148gr totally encased range ammo (flat nose) and I put 100 rounds of Winchester American Ranger through it.
In 300 rounds, I had absolutely no hiccups or jams on the weapon except for one. In one instance with the Winchester White Box, halfway through a magazine, the round “nose dived” into the magazine. I think it was my fault in that the round wasn’t fully seated against the back of the magazine.
After the one instance, it never happened again. It also didn’t happen throughout the course of any of the other rounds or boxes.
In addition, it did happen towards the end of the shooting day, after I had put about 250 rounds through the gun, … actually more like about 280 rounds.
Recoil is “snappy” but very manageable. I really like this gun and I’m very glad I went in this direction and not the direction of the Ruger LC9. I shot a guy’s LC9 at the range this weekend. It’s “snappier” and I don’t like the distractions on the top of the loaded chamber indicator and such. The safety wasn’t an issue as much as I thought it’d be but the trigger on the Kahr was nicer than the Ruger IMO.
Ruger has a better feel in the grip in my opinion though.
After 300 rounds, my 3rd finger was feeling a little “raw” from the grip checkering on the front strap of the grip of the firearm. I’m guessing it’s from the recoil as I was holding the gun rather tightly initially… concerned about flip with a small 9mm that’s grip doesn’t extend all the way down. It’s a curse you’d have to live with if you want a pocket-able 9mm. No Pearce extensions as they could snag on a pocket. IWB carry for this is a no brainer for weekend jaunts where you might not wish to carry a full size or even a compact. I’d take this over a snubby .38 in most cases.
The one other “slight issue that is a non issue” is the fact that there’s no “breaking point” of the trigger. It’s a smooth pull all the way through. I’m used to the Glock where it kind of builds up to the break point and you know when you’re there. This one is just a smooth pull all the way through. I don’t have a good or bad thing to say about that, it’s just different.
Overall, the Kahr is a superb little firearm. I won’t have a single issue carrying this one when discreet carry is needed.
If this is the way Kahr builds them, I may need to consider some of the other models in their lineup. Most notably, a .45 ACP.
Follow up. Picked it up today. It looks good. It points well. It has a nice, small size. It’s about a quarter inch larger than the LCP.
I paid $425 for it…so the price is good as a “just released” pistol. I’d expect Kahr to sell lots of these as they have the features for defensive carry firearms. In other words, when you pull the trigger, it will fire… Period.
This is the one I’m getting. I’ve been in the market for something a little more potent than the Ruger LCP, though I really like carrying that little gun.
The Ruger LC9 has far too many features, in my opinion, that prevent it from going “bang” for my taste and far too many “safeties” for a defensive pistol.
I have carried the LCP and had more than a few instances where the car seat belt or what not, actually pushed the mag release and unseated the magazine on me.
I now make a habit of checking to ensure that the mag is seated if the gun is in a pocket. Imagine the horror of needing your pistol and the mag is unseated and then there’s a magazine safety on your defensive pistol so even the round in the chamber you might have is now totally disabled. No thanks.
This Kahr fits the bill of a concealed carry, backup, or pocket-able 9mm pistol perfectly.
Jason – I have. I started back in the 1980s with a Dan Wesson .22 revolver shooting NRA 50ft competitions. I have shot or owned Glocks (17, 19, and 21), XDs, Colt revolvers, Sigs (P226, P250, and the Mosquito), M&Ps (pro 9mm), S&W revolvers, 1911s, Walther P99 & the PPS, and more.
Now I shoot IDPA on a fairly regular basis. If the Kahr P9 had a slightly higher magazine capacity, I would use it for competition. It shoots that well.
Turkish Biggest firearms manufacturer SARSILMAZ has a polymer pistol named ad CM9 since 5 years.
Kahr pistols are very good for conceal carry. It has the best double action trigger out of the box.
Thanks for the info, Crosswiredmind.
“Kahrs shoot better than any other handgun I have ever tried.”
Try some more.
Honestly I don’t get the point of these tiny 9s, it’s still not going to be pocketable, at least not to the point it’s comfortable. Even an LCP fills the pocket nicely. So if you’re going to have to be inside the waistband anyway, why not go with a more capable (higher cap), shootable (ergos) gun?
As for the others, I’ve heard the Sig is heavy and the LC9 trigger is as bad as the LCP. Diamondback also has a new 9 that is supposed to be the smallest yet but all DB’s jam on me.
Sigh… I’m still waiting for a single stack Glock 9 or 40.
Hubby and I both carry PM9′s and love them. I have heard the CM9′s are great but we both liked the PM9 and fortunately we were able to spend the extra. Someone mentioned they look cheap, I would have to disagree. They are well made guns and neither of us have had any issues.
I carry a pm9… it is extremely accurate, reliable, and nice looking, too… however if Glock made a single-stack 9 of the same basic dimensions, I would be all for that. I have a g27 but it is no where close to as concealable. PM9 goes into a front pocket holster with a non-printing flap and is forgotten about. G27 needs a galco shoulder holster (I’m a pretty small guy).
Personally, I don’t get the concept of cheap self defense guns. Fun guns, collectibles, hunting, target? Fine. Personal defense? Sorry, no. Me and my loved ones are worth a match grade barrel, night sights, and a crimson trace laser system. That’s just the way I look at it.
I’m still waiting for something pocket-sized in .45 ACP. I have a Para Ord Nite Hawg, but it’s heavy and unreliable; FTFs 10% of the time. Shoots great, handles really well, even though it does bark a bit, but you gotta slap the mag pretty much once in 10 shots to chamber the round; not good. I have a couple of pocket .40s, but I still want something with unquestioned oompf CQB. My Glock 30SF is still too big for a pocket, but it’s what I’d otherwise carry in holster – given I’d be allowed to…
From my trainers’ various personal real life stories, I just don’t trust a 9mm to do the job. Better than nothing, of course, and defensive rounds are an improvement, but I don’t wanna have to worry about unloading a mag and still facing a rampaging, ticked off bad guy. Also, I’d want a backup with the same caliber as my primary carry, and I’d carry a .45 ACP.
I’ve heard nothing but good from my buddies with Kahrs, but they just don’t seem to produce enough to be readily available where I’m at. Always wanted one; hard to find.
AnointedSword – Accuracy. My P9 shoots sub 2″ groups at 15 yards. My friends PM9 does the same at 10 yards. Kahrs shoot better than any other handgun I have ever tried.
It doesn’t appear to have a dovetail front sight cut, which would mean no Heinie night sights. If I were choosing between the CM9 and Ruger LC9 or something from Kel-Tec, I’d still go with the Kahr.
The problem is, the LC9 manages to be both better looking and more receptive to customization- for less $.
My major complaint about Kahrs is that they look very cheap- even when they aren’t.
This is a good move by Kahr. I’ve had my PM9 for a few yrs and love it- but they have gotten ridiculously expensive. If the street price on these is reasonable I will strongly consider getting it.
If Kahr follows their pattern, the CM9 will ship with 1 magazine, rather than 2 in the PM9. Another reason for the cost savings between the two models.
I believe the PM9 ships with a 6 round and a 7 round extended magazine. I expect the CM9 to only have the 6 rounder.
My daily carry is a Kahr CW9 and I am very pleased with it.
This is interesting.
May have to looksee it.
This isn’t a particularly exciting release, but I believe the CM9 is the best option of all the new pocket 9mm pistols coming out. Its a proven design with a long track record from a top tier company at a very competitive price. The sexy new stuff from Ruger and Sig and others could easily experience the recalls and other early problems we’ve come to expect from those companies. The Kahr may or may not be the best in the long run, but for right now they make the only pocket 9mm I’d be willing to bet my life on.
I heard these are nice guns, but so are my Glocks. Can anyone tell me why these guns are so expensive?