Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
Sherman, set the Wayback machine to 1995. It’s the mid 1990’s and good quality 32 ACP & 380 Auto pocket pistols are widely available, many with double action triggers. Larger pistols chambered in 9mm, 40 S&W and 45 ACP are available. But in the early 1990’s there are few double action, locked breach, pocket pistols chambered in 9mm.
Then the Kahr K9 appeared circa 1995. It wasn’t revolutionary but it was the first step towards the even smaller MK9. The K9 did have a unique offset feed ramp that made room for the trigger bar. This helped to give the gun a low bore axis. The Kahr K9 was a locked breach pistol chambered in 9mm Luger with a DAO trigger and fed from a single stack magazine. There was nothing extraordinary about the K9 other than it filled a void in the market. Sure, you could find some small single action pistols chambered in 9mm and 45 ACP, but you couldn’t find a small DA 9mm in those days. About as close in terms of size was the H&K P7 if your wallet could handle it and you could find one. Even the single stack SIG P6 (P225) was larger than the K9.
The all steel MK9 and later polymer framed PM9 were truly pocket pistols and ahead of the competition. In today’s environment, pistols of this type are so common the topic seems boringly mundane. But just about 25 years ago, this was a new concept. Current sub-compact DA 9mm pistols such as the Glock 43, SIG 365, and others, are plentiful but this wasn’t the case just a generation ago.
I’ve owned a few Kahr pistols over the years, but I do not currently have one in the fleet. The K9 and MK9 are solid guns. The PM9 was my recommendation in that class until Glock Finally introduced the G43. I know of one MK9 that has provided yeoman like service and continues to function flawlessly despite years of use.
I don’t think the Kahr pistols are extraordinary, but I do think they represented an evolutionary step in pocket pistols.
Then the Kahr K9 appeared circa 1995. It wasn’t revolutionary but it was the first step towards the even smaller MK9. The K9 did have a unique offset feed ramp that made room for the trigger bar. This helped to give the gun a low bore axis. The Kahr K9 was a locked breach pistol chambered in 9mm Luger with a DAO trigger and fed from a single stack magazine. There was nothing extraordinary about the K9 other than it filled a void in the market. Sure, you could find some small single action pistols chambered in 9mm and 45 ACP, but you couldn’t find a small DA 9mm in those days. About as close in terms of size was the H&K P7 if your wallet could handle it and you could find one. Even the single stack SIG P6 (P225) was larger than the K9.
The all steel MK9 and later polymer framed PM9 were truly pocket pistols and ahead of the competition. In today’s environment, pistols of this type are so common the topic seems boringly mundane. But just about 25 years ago, this was a new concept. Current sub-compact DA 9mm pistols such as the Glock 43, SIG 365, and others, are plentiful but this wasn’t the case just a generation ago.
I’ve owned a few Kahr pistols over the years, but I do not currently have one in the fleet. The K9 and MK9 are solid guns. The PM9 was my recommendation in that class until Glock Finally introduced the G43. I know of one MK9 that has provided yeoman like service and continues to function flawlessly despite years of use.
I don’t think the Kahr pistols are extraordinary, but I do think they represented an evolutionary step in pocket pistols.
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