Newbie Kahr owner

[Starfire]

Hello,

I am a newbie to the site and a newbie Mass compliant PM9 owner.

What a firearm it is! Looks like I have one of the first to be sold in Mass, I hope it isn't too soon but time will tell.

I am open to any suggestions, what not to do, ammo , holsters, etc.

Put 50 through it this morning without a hitch.

I already like it a lot, glad I found this site too!

Starfire

[jocko]

refer to the kahr tech threadon this forum for their handy lube chart. It is a dandy and should be used by allf or any semi, IMO.

READ THE KAHR MANUAL AND THEN WHEN DONE REREAD IT. there are handy tips in there, such as proper way to put on the outter recoil springs and the notation to use the slide lock lever release to load that first round. Hand racking can cause FTF until you get the hang of it. Yours is the first report we have seen on the mass model. give us some feed back about the changes etc and if they seem OK with you also. Some have siad they might not like the safety lever for the way it works etc, but again these are opinions of non owners also. Your feed back will be very important, FOR YOU ARE THE OWNER...

[Dietrich]

+1 on what Jocko said.Tthe manual has a lot of helpful hints and so do the members here.The PM9 is much loved and much discussed here.It will be very interesting to all of us how the Massachusettes model does.There are some other members from your state on this forum and they add a lot of good info but you are the first with the new model.Welcome and jump right in.:)

[Starfire]

Thanks guys its good to be part of the site.

First observations:
Stainless steel finish machining is real good. I did dremel polish the slide ramp that had a very minor (.125" scratch).
No sharp edges and uniform slide coloration.
Barrell feeding ramp brightly polished
Barrell finish uniform matte coloration
Night sights round and bright
Safety is not obtrusive at all but on and off is very tight and needs to wear in. When the safety is on, there is no tension on the trigger and you can pull it all the way back without it firing. The trigger does not lock up on safe!
Loaded indicator is hardly noticeable unless you are looking for it. It doesn't look stupid if you know what I mean
Trigger pull is long travel then breaks suddenly as I think it should. I will need a lot of practice to better time the break.the slide remained open after every last shot.
The magazine does not easily fall out when the release button is pressed. (Tight)
I shot 50 rounds FMJ during a walk in the woods (range was closed) all fed and ejected perfectly. No forehead hits and the primer hits were near center.
I took it apart to clean it after firing and found no real shiny metal spots nor any metal bits or slivers.
Thats about it for today.
Starfire

[zena]

Welcome! I'm also in Mass and haven't seen the compliant version yet. (In person.) Glad to hear it's all good so far. Keep us posted on your progress and impressions. Hoping it's just as great as all Kahr's other guns.:D

[wyntrout]

Starfire, congrats on your new Kahr, I don't know how you intend to carry that concealed, but I would probably leave that safety off for CCW if the gun is holstered and the trigger is protected. I understand that it safes differently than most guns -- up toward the slide, rather than away and might prove to slow you down because of that. I like the K.I.S.S. system Kahr uses on all the others not to Mass. spec's -- no safety and no magazine safety. For CCW I just want it to fire when I pull the trigger and there's a round in the chamber.

Just my opinion, of course.:)

Wynn

[jeep45238]

I'd practice drawing and flicking off the safety, but carry with teh safety off. IF it goes on and you odn't practice to remove it, you're screwed.

Or look into pinning it in place :)

[Starfire]

Good points. Today I carried it with the safety in the up position which is OFF. The lever itself is real hard to push down accidentily, but it could happen.
For CCW I intend to always carry it in the off position but feeling for it on the draw will have to be part of my normal draw technique.
I just have an Uncle Mikes inside the waistband holster but I am looking for something better. I like to carry with an inside the waistband holster and I find it more comfortable to carry it closer to the front. I seldom wear a belt (suspenders) and most often wear my shirt out (not a little or thin guy lol)...
Thanks for the responses.
Starfire

[wyntrout]

Good. I/we just wanted to give you something to think about. I'm just glad I don't live in Mass. I used to have to pass through there and New York City on the way back to Maine 1986-1991, and worried about getting stopped and searched! I always have guns when I travel and now I can legally CCW in 34 or so states. I never liked being a sheeple and so vulnerable when traveling. My daughter lives in Illinois, though, which really sucks. At least my son moved from Milwaukee to St. Louis, MO.
Enjoy your new gun and the forum. It's pretty much my new "hobby".:blah::typing:
Wynn:D

[hsart]

Good points. Today I carried it with the safety in the up position which is OFF. The lever itself is real hard to push down accidentily, but it could happen.
For CCW I intend to always carry it in the off position but feeling for it on the draw will have to be part of my normal draw technique.
I just have an Uncle Mikes inside the waistband holster but I am looking for something better. I like to carry with an inside the waistband holster and I find it more comfortable to carry it closer to the front. I seldom wear a belt (suspenders) and most often wear my shirt out (not a little or thin guy lol)...
Thanks for the responses.
Starfire
FYI, I wear mine on a belt slide holster with shirt out or a sweatshirt over during cooler days here in FL. At 4'oclock waist position it never prints and seems to blend into my body.

[Starfire]

Yes living in Mass is interesting. At least we replaced Kennedy with Scott Brown for US Senate. It was a happy day here for me and other gun owners in Mass. Now if we could elect a different Governor, things may get better....

[frank_drebin]

Is the lettering for the LCI printed on the slide or is it etched / roll marked like the other lettering?

[Starfire]

The word INDICATOR is etched into the little indicator piece and the words

Warnig ! Loaded
When Undicator is Up

is etched into the top of the slide just after the indicator piece.

The serial number is etched on the outside bottom of the barrell shroud on a metakic plaque inserted into the polymer.

Hope that helps.
Starfire

[frank_drebin]

I like the idea of the LCI but think it could have been a little less obtrusive. My favorite LCI is the one on my P64. It's a chrome pin that sticks out of the back of the slide when a round is chambered. Never have to worry about it getting snagged on anything and I can feel it with my thumb in low light.

[jocko]

Thanks guys its good to be part of the site.

First observations:
Stainless steel finish machining is real good. I did dremel polish the slide ramp that had a very minor (.125" scratch).
No sharp edges and uniform slide coloration.
Barrell feeding ramp brightly polished
Barrell finish uniform matte coloration
Night sights round and bright
Safety is not obtrusive at all but on and off is very tight and needs to wear in. When the safety is on, there is no tension on the trigger and you can pull it all the way back without it firing. The trigger does not lock up on safe!
Loaded indicator is hardly noticeable unless you are looking for it. It doesn't look stupid if you know what I mean
Trigger pull is long travel then breaks suddenly as I think it should. I will need a lot of practice to better time the break.the slide remained open after every last shot.
The magazine does not easily fall out when the release button is pressed. (Tight)
I shot 50 rounds FMJ during a walk in the woods (range was closed) all fed and ejected perfectly. No forehead hits and the primer hits were near center.
I took it apart to clean it after firing and found no real shiny metal spots nor any metal bits or slivers.
Thats about it for today.
Starfire

nice review. : question, does all that printingon the slide look as crappy as the pictures show or is it hardly noticeable also. glad about that LRI, not looking so obvious, as the photos don't do it justice. Ihave been told the safety will get better with useage to Probalby something tha tyou can do at home even while watching TV. just sit there and flick it on and off aobut a 1000 times, out to do it some real good.

Again nice report, I would not be surpirsed to see this same version offerd in the PM45 soon

[wyntrout]

The word INDICATOR is etched into the little indicator piece and the words

Warnig ! Loaded
When Undicator is Up

is etched into the top of the slide just after the indicator piece.

The serial number is etched on the outside bottom of the barrell shroud on a metakic plaque inserted into the polymer.

Hope that helps.
Starfire

Just wait, Mass. and a few other states will want warnings on guns like the cigarette packages about being hazardous to your health, etc.!:eek:
Wynn

[Starfire]

Thanks for the comments guys!

I just looked at the lettering you asked about and I can tell you the following:

The indicator bar itself is not as matte finished as the top of the slide and the lettering is blackened (contrasted) into the engraving itself. It is also single stroke lettering, not like the PM9 Kahr fat lettering on the side of the slide.
With a round in the chamber, the indicator bar pivots up a little more than an eighth of an inch. You cannot see it when sighting down the top but you can tell its there by touch.
I would prefer no lettering on top of the slide at all, but it really doesn't look awful or oversized. I am happy there is no additional lettering on the sides though.

The warning lettering is also single stroke and is not blackened in so it is not as noticeable.

I would have preferred the LCI be a pin as mentioned earlier sticking out the back of the slide but I am just happy to be able to own one in this state if you know what I mean!

Thanks,
Starfire

[Tackleberry]

Karh sells a great belly band that also holds your back up mag. I've carried full size guns for years, everything from 1911's to my SIG 226 and the PM 9 in a the belly band is by far the easiest to conceal, even under a tucked in shirt. And for those of us who carry every day, the mid day nature call is a whole lot easier in the office rest room when you don't have to worry about your un-holstered gun falling off the TP holder. Just hike up your belly band and your good to go!

[medezyner]

I just have an Uncle Mikes inside the waistband holster but I am looking for something better. I like to carry with an inside the waistband holster and I find it more comfortable to carry it closer to the front. I seldom wear a belt (suspenders) and most often wear my shirt out (not a little or thin guy lol)...
Thanks for the responses.
Starfire

Welcome aboard Starfire and thanks for the review. An ex-MA resident here that escaped to NH (and glad I did). Thankfully there's hope with Brown in there. FYI: I threw away my open top Unckle Mikes IWB holster. A few years ago I had the handgun launch out of its holster one day and after my heart rate slowed, I dumped that POS. Its just not secure enough, especially in the appendix position. Ya, I forgot that you get what you pay for...doh!:der:

[Starfire]

I hear ya on the Uncle Mikes...I am not a big fan either. I have been reading other forums and posts looking for the best IWB and OWB holsters.
As to the belly band, do you wear it below, even with or above the waistline for best comfort? I assume accessability would be best at the waistline but I never tried one.

[VBVAGUY]

Can you please post an actual picture of your Mass Compliant PM9 pistol. I have only seen pictures from Kahr's site and would like to see a real owners. Thanks !!!

[jocko]

I had asked kahr "why" all the verbage on the slide etc, and I was told that was also part of the MASS. Compliant requirements.

[Starfire]

Sure I can send pictures this weekend but HOW do you do it? I am not the most computer literate person out there! Directions anyone?
Thank you,
Starfire

[TheSorb]

Sure I can send pictures this weekend but HOW do you do it? I am not the most computer literate person out there! Directions anyone?
Thank you,
Starfire

The best way is to upload the pictures first to a free image-hosting site like:
Welcome to Flickr - Photo Sharing (http://www.flickr.com)
Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket (http://photobucket.com/)
ImageShack® - Online Media Hosting (http://www.imageshack.us/)

Then follow the directions on the site for posting the images to a forum. Usually each image has its own web address that you copy and paste into your forum post using the "Insert Image" button - it's the yellow one that looks like a picture of mountains and the sun. This way, the photos appear directly in your post rather than merely displaying a link to each photo that readers then must click in order to view. It's easy!;)