P40 Combat Pistol Pt 2

[knkali]

Last of this class series. I learned a lot about my gun. It likes to be run wet and it needs cleaning more often than some of the other guns out there. If you even think of limp wristing, it will not cycle. In approx 225 rnds I had 2 FTFs. A couple tapps and it fed the rnd. All in all, I think that this gun is as good as it is going to get as far as being broken in. The rest is shooter's ability to run the gun. After all, it is a compact polymer gun in a large caliber.

Things that surprised me:

I like the FO sights so much I did not realize how bad(for me) the original ones were

I bought all black. I did not like the look at first. Now its bad azzz

How much I respect that trigger pull for saftey and smoothness and have a love hate feeling of the pull length. I think Kahrs improved/advanced trigger system probably is a perfect balance now

If I had to do it over, I would have went P45. The snap of the .40 is hard for me.

Over all a great gun, and great company to do business with. I am a believer. Kahr knows how to build a small concealable package with some umph

[wyntrout]

My ported P40 still has plenty of "snap". My original idea was to get a K40 and have it ported but I saw the ported P40 here and decided to try that. I think my PM45 is a "softer" shoot.:)

I love my XD45 with 13+1 and I was thinking about an XDM40 with 16+1, but it might not be as controllable and I might wind up getting it ported. I really don't want another 9mm for a range gun, so I'm not thinking about that. I don't know. There's another gun show next month and I'll see how I feel then.

My son's coming to visit at the end of the month and we'll go to the range again. He didn't like the P40... loved the SA Champion 4" 1911, though, and didn't care for the PM45. I'll bet he likes the XD45 and will burn through some ammo. I'm glad I just a good deal on a case at Cabela's... S&B 230-gr FMJ at $14.99 a box delivered. I have to save money somewhere and two cases of ammo costs more than a gun!

A P45 WOULD be a great gun... put it on the list for sure. I have an all-SS, two DLC and the two bi-tones. I think that all black IS the sexiest, but the others look great, too.

Wynn:)

[knkali]

My ported P40 still has plenty of "snap". My original idea was to get a K40 and have it ported but I saw the ported P40 here and decided to try that. I think my PM45 is a "softer" shoot.:)

I love my XD45 with 13+1 and I was thinking about an XDM40 with 16+1, but it might not be as controllable and I might wind up getting it ported. I really don't want another 9mm for a range gun, so I'm not thinking about that. I don't know. There's another gun show next month and I'll see how I feel then.

My son's coming to visit at the end of the month and we'll go to the range again. He didn't like the P40... loved the SA Champion 4" 1911, though, and didn't care for the PM45. I'll bet he likes the XD45 and will burn through some ammo. I'm glad I just a good deal on a case at Cabela's... S&B 230-gr FMJ at $14.99 a box delivered. I have to save money somewhere and two cases of ammo costs more than a gun!

A P45 WOULD be a great gun... put it on the list for sure. I have an all-SS, two DLC and the two bi-tones. I think that all black IS the sexiest, but the others look great, too.

Wynn:)

Is your XD 4" or 5" or ?? I know nothing about the XD line up. Will change that soon though since I am starting to think an XD would be a nice addition to the family. Since I carry in a fanny pack most time, I could go a 4" barrel without too much trouble as long as it isnt a boat anchor in weight. Then I have the Kahr for hip carry and or fanny pack. Also if .45 is hard to find I can go to the .40.

Yeah ammo is $$ went through 600 rnds in 9 hours of class. Thinking of using one time reloads but worried of malfunctions and not knowing if it is the gun or the ammo. Wynn thats a decent price on .45 but prefer we all shot American stuff.

Going to the SA website now. :yo:

[Bill K]

I'm aware of the fine ballistics of the .40 S&W for a SD handgun but when I think about "upgrading" from my nines it is only .45 ACP that I think about.

[tmf21]

"If I had to do it over, I would have went P45. The snap of the .40 is hard for me".

I found that part interesting.

When I bought my P9 I also looked at the other Kahrs in .40 and 45 ACP. I was warned the .40 and 45 ACP could present a challenge. The 9mm would be easier on the hands if I planed to shoot it hard and often.

So in spite of my dislike of 9mm -whether justified or not I went with the P9 and I've not regretted it one bit. I did own a S&W Model 59 years ago and thought it was ok.

I have considered the P45. I owned a 1911 years ago too and should have never sold it, but needed the money at the time.

I'm fine with the .40 S&W in my Glock 22, but that's a big gun and others who shot it commented on the snap of the round. I guess I've shot it so much I don't notice it. Same with the 45ACP and 1911.

I've not dealt with smaller pocket guns in the past so this is new territory for me. Shooting a .40 or 45 ACP from a smaller framed gun like a Kahr is going to be different.

Ironically I'm not a big person and the P9 fits me very well. It's my favorite gun out of the 3 I currently own.

[wyntrout]

My XD is the XD45 Tactical 5". I think it was built in 2006. It's my favorite .45 for the range with the Trijicon HD NS in Yellow. IT has a LONG sight radius and its capacity is 13+1. I have 6 mags now and that's 78 rounds ready to fire when I go to the range. I can spend a lot of time shooting, not loading so much. The UPLULA really shines, too. The SA loader included seems a POS to me. The springs for the SA mags are about the length of the assembled mag, not real long like the Kahrs tend to be. Those 7-round Kahr .40 mags' springs are twice as long as the tubes and a b!tch to get back in.
I was checking around some on ranges and thinking about one to the north and over twice as far as the one I where have a membership. They want $360 a year vs. the $160 I'm paying now, but they take 20% off for military and police. They really want you to use their AAA reloads... total copper plated bullets. Their day rate is $15 and $3 more if you use your own ammo... too many "rules"... NO LOADED magazines can be brought in... use their ammo I guess.

Here's my XD post:

http://kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?t=10232&highlight=XD45+Tactical

It goes a bit with firing and flash stills from video and the Trijicon Hard Duty NS I got for it.

I really want those for my P40 but Triijcon isn't making them for the Kahrs. The HD NS are one more thing in favor of the XD... that and I wanted a "Battle Gun"... hicap .45. This one qualifies!

Wynn:D

[jocko]

the 40 cal in a 15 ounce kahr is just gonna punish the shooter. If I owned one which I don't and won't, I would magna port it to help tame it down soem but in a 15 ounce gun u can only tame so much. 40 cal is a hot caliber, always has been. If u love to shoot your kahrs for alot of range practice, I just wold think the 40 cal over all will punish the shooter far far mere than the same make in a 9mm caliber. We have seen more issues with the 40 caliber kahrs over thepaqst to and I chalk that up to more user error thanthe gun itself. A shooter gets alittle sloppy with the 40 calkahr andit will tellyou first hand. I know some of u guys willc omne back and say my 40 kahr is just as nice as my 9mm kahr, good for you, BUT IT IS NOT THE NORM and u know that to. Some people to are just good hard nosed 40 cal shooters and have shot the 40 cal somuch in other guns that they can take anything a 15 ounce kahr 40 can hand out to. Some just cannot.. Great gun if u can handle it..

[wyntrout]

I had a couple of those SS 639's... fit my hand... the 659 didn't. I sold one to my best friend while stationed in Germany and then sold the other about the time I got my K9 back in early '98.
I really started buying guns after joining this forum and waiting on my P380 over two years ago. I haven't bought anything expensive... the PM45 DLC with NS was $825 (Buy Now price at the dealer on GunBroker) which I had to pay 2.5% for CC use, but I did talk the dealer into paying for shipping instead of taking the CC fee off. My deal got me the usual cased pistol with two mags, but this included one of the 6-round extended grip mags as well, and he threw in a Kahr cap. I was a happy camper until I got to the range and couldn't chamber a round as Kahr advised... no bevel on the stripper bar of the slide. I managed to cram the first round in and it shot well, except for the chambering the first round problem. After only four trips back to the mothership on their dime and about 5 months time, it was perfect!:D

I love it and wear it sometimes, but often I'll fall back to the smaller PM9 or the P40. I need to get some better sights on the P40, but am stymied because I really want those HD NS on it! I might try the gold dot and widening the rear aperture. All of my other CCW's have 3-dot NS.

Wynn:)

[wyntrout]

Oh, the XD45 is pretty boring to shoot! I've put over 500 rounds through it on three trips to the range... no hiccups... and very accurate... just a super gun. It's my "Battle Gun" and definitely not for CCW, though some would argue.:D There are probably some guys who "pocket carry" one!

My little Kahr buddies surround me and one's always on my hip... IWB ~ 4 o'clock with the largest spare for it opposite side in a OWB carrier by Tactical kydex.

Wynn:)

[knkali]

the 40 cal in a 15 ounce kahr is just gonna punish the shooter. If I owned one which I don't and won't, I would magna port it to help tame it down soem but in a 15 ounce gun u can only tame so much. 40 cal is a hot caliber, always has been. If u love to shoot your kahrs for alot of range practice, I just wold think the 40 cal over all will punish the shooter far far mere than the same make in a 9mm caliber. We have seen more issues with the 40 caliber kahrs over thepaqst to and I chalk that up to more user error thanthe gun itself. A shooter gets alittle sloppy with the 40 calkahr andit will tellyou first hand. I know some of u guys willc omne back and say my 40 kahr is just as nice as my 9mm kahr, good for you, BUT IT IS NOT THE NORM and u know that to. Some people to are just good hard nosed 40 cal shooters and have shot the 40 cal somuch in other guns that they can take anything a 15 ounce kahr 40 can hand out to. Some just cannot.. Great gun if u can handle it..


You said it. After 600 rnds the web between my thumb and index finger split open. I have delicate hands( I said it) so many more manly men might not have that problem. However, I taped it up and bled over my gun for the rest of the instruction. Like you said, the couple FTF were most likely shooter. Get a little sloppy and there could be a problem with cycling. I would not Magnaport it. I like the porting idea if only a range gun but with the type of drills I was doing in this class, the porting could present a problem for the shooter.

I looked at the XD and no doubt more comfortable to shoot but I am also going to look at the other Kahr flavors. Since I like the .40 and the company, I think that would be logical.

[knkali]

Oh, the XD45 is pretty boring to shoot! I've put over 500 rounds through it on three trips to the range... no hiccups... and very accurate... just a super gun. It's my "Battle Gun" and definitely not for CCW, though some would argue.:D There are probably some guys who "pocket carry" one!

My little Kahr buddies surround me and one's always on my hip... IWB ~ 4 o'clock with the largest spare for it opposite side in a OWB carrier by Tactical kydex.

Wynn:)

boring is good.

[wyntrout]

Yes! As opposed to FTF, FTE, and all kinds of FT whatever... and returns to the mothership... at :eek: MY expense! Thankfully, all of that is behind me... oops... just had to say that! :rolleyes: And I returned mine at no expense to me.

Definitely love my Kahrs for CCW and the range, but It's hard to shoot everything as much as I'd like... and as often!

You should have sorted out what it takes to make your pistol not "bite" you. A piece of bike tube can do wonders... that and overlapping the thumbs as I do.

Wynn:)

[tmf21]

Some great advice here. I really don't think it necessarily has anything to do with being a manly man. I've seen some pretty big guys shooting some powerful small guns and complaining after 500 rounds. if you have any past medical issues with your hands that too can influence shooting.

Nothing against Kahr. Asking a small and light gun to make shooting a .40 or 45 ACP a mild experience is probably beyond what we can currently engineer.

I've bloodied my hands already numerous times so asking for more with a more powerful round in a smaller and lighter frame may just be too much.

I held a HK USP Compact today. I may end up going that route.

[knkali]

Dang it. The TP45 is NOT on the Kalifornia approved list for sale. I was really liking the stats on that gun. Anyone in the know if it will be soon?

[knkali]

Yes! As opposed to FTF, FTE, and all kinds of FT whatever... and returns to the mothership... at :eek: MY expense! Thankfully, all of that is behind me... oops... just had to say that! :rolleyes: And I returned mine at no expense to me.

Definitely love my Kahrs for CCW and the range, but It's hard to shoot everything as much as I'd like... and as often!

You should have sorted out what it takes to make your pistol not "bite" you. A piece of bike tube can do wonders... that and overlapping the thumbs as I do.

Wynn:)

It isnt a "bite" which I was always told is caused from the slide, its the compression of the skin against the bone at the joint from the frame being pushed back. Like a boxer who gets an eyebrow split open. I almost want to dull the edge of the frame a little more with some sandpaper but afraid it will weaken the polymer frame in that area and also look like sheet and might not solve the problem. I usually use gloves at the range but in my class, I felt that was not reality based enough. If I could get some foam that would stay put over the recurved area along the back strap, I would be a happy camper. Ideas? I do use the Houge JR with the Agrip grip cover over it. That helped a lot in controlling this snappy gun.

[jocko]

Port the fokker anbd really enjoy it alot more. I will surprise u--ALOT.

[knkali]

Port the fokker anbd really enjoy it alot more. I will surprise u--ALOT.

Jocko, we were doing a lot of close up drills. Stuff where you cannot extend and have to fire from the guard position and in different postures. Not sure ported would be a good thing in these circumstances.

[wyntrout]

I was trying to replicate some of the Top Shot shooting last year... trying to shoot from the waist... impossible at my range, with the shelf-thingy in the way. I wound up extending from just above the waist halfway extended... and I could feel the blast hit my face... glad it wasn't higher and closer! you have to be aware of the ports and take care when firing!

Wynn:)

[knkali]

impossible for me esp in a SD situation

[eltee]

It's interesting how different gun/ammo combos cause differing recoil impulses with different shooters. My first autopistol in 1990 was a 1911 in 45 acp, which was no problem. I later got my first 9mm, a S&W 3913 with a higher center of gravity and a smallish grip. I didn't like the feeling of torque and faster snap when shooting, but later improved it some with better grips. My first foray into glocks was with the sub-compact and compact 40 cal. I thought I would have the equiv of 185 gr. 45 acp in a lighter package. After about 200 rounds through the glocks I had a case of tendonitis that lasted for a year or longer. I traded the glocks off for equivelant glocks in 9mm, the G19 and G26. No problem shooting those. When the first Kahr came out I loved the way the gun responded when firing, very little muzzle flip or torque. I later added the all steel K40, and found it was a totally different animal than the Glock 40's. I now also have a K40 covert, and find little difference between those and the K9 or MK9. But I don't think I want to go polymer in 40 cal.

[wyntrout]

On two different occasions, I shot left handed and put my right thumb around the back and too high, getting it hit by the slide... glancing blow, fortunately... smarted, but didn't draw blood. I just didn't know what to do with it... not "natural". When I shoot normally, the left thumb holds down the right thumb to keep it away from the slide lock lever and the magazine release button... especially on the PM45... to prevent gouging me... I don't worry about actuating those things, just getting scraped. I haven't "trained" my right hand for left-handed shooting!:rolleyes:

Wynn:)