outstanding pm9

[Profiler]

Picked up a 9093N the other day after debating for a while between that or a SigP238.

Have to say I'm extremely happy. I put 220 rounds through it yesterday without any ftf"s and I used various brand rounds. It was extremely accurate and had less of a kick that what I would of expected for that size pistol.

I traded in a Glock26 that I feel is still a great gun but just a bit to chunky for myself when it came to everyday carry.

[Dietrich]

You`ll find a lot of kindred spirits here.I love my G19 but for concealability,it`s hard to beat a PM9.Just a sweetheart of a handgun.

[unclenunzie]

I came to the same conclusion - there are many good choices in double stack pistols, but you give up a good measure of concealability for the extra rounds. For me the PM9 conceals IWB near invisibly, and does well in a pocket too. I still love my LCP as it is my first CCW, and it's even more invisible, but now I have choices in small but powerful defensive arms.

The PM9 is a near perfect blend of size, power, concealability, reliability, and is just plain appealing like a fine gold watch.

best of luck

unclenunzie

[mx5fan]

Congratulations and welcome to the forum.

Yes, the PM9 is a gem, great shooter for it's size, easy to conceal and most of us find that they are perfect right out of the box :)

I have an M&P 9c which I still carry, often, primarily because it's winter and I can easily conceal it and it's also a excellent pistol, but come summertime my PM9 will be my constant companion.

[Vinikahr]

Welcome and Good Choice.

[Tackleberry]

Picked up my PM9 18 months ago as a light weight summer alternative to the Kimber Pro 2 I usually carry. After combining the PM9 with Kahrs excellent belly band I'm hooked. Still enjoy the Kimber at the range but it's joined my many other full size autos as another range queen. Reliability has been perfect and Speer Gold Dot JHP 115's print within 2" at 10 yards. Best blend of concealment and firepower I've ever owned, and it's just big enough to shoot quickly. No more feeling like Will Smith with the Noisy Cricket from MIB. Sorry .380 lovers...:)

[jwr]

I chose the P238 as my main carry/pocket gun and love it! But I recently picked up the slightly larger CW9 as a second carry gun and have really been enjoying it as well.

If the PM9 was just a little thinner through the slide I probably would have it in my pocket instead of the 238. It was just a little too thick for me. I realize that by choosing the 238 I made a big compromise in power when compared to the PM9 yet on the other hand I can accurately shoot followups with the P238 much faster than the CW9.

I think the PM9 definitely gets the nod in regards to reliability as well. There seem to be a lot more problem P238's reported than problem PM9's. I still might end up with a PM9--it's a very tempting little package, as is the P380! :) And my CW9 has been 100% reliable so far with close to 300 rounds through it.

[jocko]

I chose the P238 as my main carry/pocket gun and love it! But I recently picked up the slightly larger CW9 as a second carry gun and have really been enjoying it as well.

If the PM9 was just a little thinner through the slide I probably would have it in my pocket instead of the 238. It was just a little too thick for me. I realize that by choosing the 238 I made a big compromise in power when compared to the PM9 yet on the other hand I can accurately shoot follow ups with the P238 much faster than the CW9.

I think the PM9 definitely gets the nod in regards to reliability as well. There seem to be a lot more problem P238's reported than problem PM9's. I still might end up with a PM9--it's a very tempting little package, as is the P380! :) And my CW9 has been 100% reliable so far with close to 300 rounds through it.

you gave up alot going to the 380 over the 9mm. not alot of difference in size of the sig 380 and the PM9, some sure but both will ride in ones pocket with ease. I have carried my PM9 in jeans for the last 3.5 years and have zero issues with it. have a lcp and a kahr P380 sitting at home. Love um both, just can't seem to grab it when I can carry my PM9 99% of the places I go. the 380 is nice but they don't come up to the 9mm in any way. Follow ups with the P238 sig should be better for sure, as u are in single action mode, but for pocket carry it has to be carried in hammer down safety mode. Waist band is a different carry mode for sure, but to me if one is going to waste band carry then there are oddles of 9mm out there that will over ride any waist band carried 380, my 2 cents YMMV.

[jwr]

... but for pocket carry it has to be carried in hammer down safety mode.

Yeah, I did give up some things going with the 238 over the PM9 but speed was not one of them. I carry cocked & locked in a good pocket holster--just like the pistol was designed for. The holster covers the safety,

The 238 is *not* designed to safely carry with hammer down on a live round. There is no decocker so you have to disengage the safety and pull the trigger and ease the hammer down on that live round. Something most of us have learned to do but not something I'm wiliing to do in the house every evening when I check my gun.

Both are great pistols--I just chose the smaller of the two.

[jocko]

Yeah, I did give up some things going with the 238 over the PM9 but speed was not one of them. I carry cocked & locked in a good pocket holster--just like the pistol was designed for. The holster covers the safety,

The 238 is *not* designed to safely carry with hammer down on a live round. There is no decocker so you have to disengage the safety and pull the trigger and ease the hammer down on that live round. Something most of us have learned to do but not something I'm wiliing to do in the house every evening when I check my gun.

Both are great pistols--I just chose the smaller of the two.

cocked and locked in a pocket gun:75:

[jeepster09]

I had a Sig 238 and sold it because I was not comfortable carrying it cocked and locked in pocket. Great gun just not for me.:40:

[wyntrout]

I had a Sig 238 and sold it because I was not comfortable carrying it cocked and locked in pocket. Great gun just not for me.:40:

My thoughts exactly... and people got upset with me glancing down the barrel of my loaded pistol without a finger near the trigger!:w00t:
There's always the chance of your pocket becoming an accidental shooting site... too close to one of the more prized parts of my anatomy.:eek:
I already had a vasectomy over 20 years ago!
Wynn:D

[getsome]

Now you've done it....the 1911 gang will start coming out of the woodwork to flame you....Wonder what they are going to do next year on the 100th birthday???? I'm thinking a monument on the mall in Washington maybe!!!:cheer2:

[jwr]

I'm having deja vu. Checkout this thread starting at about post #12 or 13 http://kahrtalk.com/ccw-tactics-training/1124-some-unsolicited-thoughts-carrying-kahr-long.html

No flames, but with cocked and locked in pocket:


trigger is covered by holster
safety is covered by holster
to fire gun safety must be disengaged and
trigger must be pulled

PM9 in pocket


trigger is covered by holster
to fire gun pull trigger


I know SA is scary to some folks but so was the thought of carrying a double-action pistol with no manual safety back in the day. We seem to have gotten over that hurdle. ;)

If for some reason the safety on a SA gets disengaged the *covered* trigger still has to be pulled.

(And given the choice of looking down the barrel of a loaded pistol or carrying by the time-proven method of cocked & locked, I choose cocked and locked :D)

[alnitak]

I've looked at the 238 -- cute little pistol. However, I worried about the beaver-tail in a pocket and potential snags trying to draw. It's also not that much smaller than a PM9 (certainly no where near as small as a P3AT), so the PM9 was a better choice for me.

[jwr]

I've looked at the 238 -- cute little pistol. However, I worried about the beaver-tail in a pocket and potential snags trying to draw. It's also not that much smaller than a PM9 (certainly no where near as small as a P3AT), so the PM9 was a better choice for me.
I understand your concerns about the beavertail but haven't found it to be a problem--it's not very pronounced.

As for the P238 versus the P3AT, they're actually very close with the P238 being just a little longer as you can see from this pic borrowed from this thread: KTOG Forum - Comparison Of Sig P238 Vs. Kel-Tec P3AT (http://www.ktog.org/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1252028874)
http://heezy.com/images/238vsp3atallsmall.jpg

As I mentioned in another thread, the main reason I went with the P238 over the PM9 for pocket carry is the extra thickness of the PM9.
http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn69/jerrywrussell/238vKahr-101.jpg

Of course a Kahr P380 blows the P238 away when it comes to size, but there wasn't one in the case when I bought my P238 and the 238 was on sale.

I think if you have to have just one carry gun then the PM9 is the better all-around gun. Fortunately I can carry my P238 when I need a a pocket gun and my CW9 when I can carry IWB or OWB. :)

[wyntrout]

jwr: (And given the choice of looking down the barrel of a loaded pistol or carrying by the time-proven method of cocked & locked, I choose cocked and locked )

Hey! It just goes to show that Confucius was right when he said, "It is better to look foolish, than to open mouth and remove all doubt."
This hinders asking questions, though. How will we know they are stupid ones unless we ask them?:confused:
Wynn:D

[jwr]

Hey! It just goes to show that Confucius was right when he said, "It is better to look foolish, than to open mouth and remove all doubt."
This hinders asking questions, though. How will we know they are stupid ones unless we ask them?:confused:
Wynn:D
No offense intended Wynn--you mentioned it again in regards to cocked & locked so I thought it was fair game :)

Just goes to show we all choose our own poison--I guess mine is "cocked & locked", and yours is.. well... that other thing :D

Regards!

[wyntrout]

Hey, I carried my P12 cocked and locked, but I didn't try to shove it into my pocket -- not that it would fit! But, at least it had a grip safety... not that I like junk moving around on my grip!
Oh, and that other thing... did you know that you can tell if the chamber is loaded or not, well... loaded, by the extractor protruding when gripping a round in the chamber...BUT, you can't use that to tell that the chamber is empty?
How many times do you see them in the movies pulling the slide back to check if there's a round in the chamber, then letting the slide back closed gently? Or gently racking a round to be quiet? That doesn't always work with Kahrs and I don't want to disturb my little buddy who's all comfy in battery position.:D
Wynn:p

[jocko]

I had a Sig 238 and sold it because I was not comfortable carrying it cocked and locked in pocket. Great gun just not for me.:40:

not a pocket gun and if one is going to carry it waist band, he might as well get a 9mm or bigger. Ther Sig is a nice gun but wold not bemy choice for a 380 to CARRY. Own two 380's one lcp a nice gun one kahr P380 with xs big dot sights , a suepr nice gun. both tend to sit home about 99% of the time do to be ing out trumped by my PM9, which seems to go everywhere my P380 did with almost as much ease,but certainly more firepower...:cheer2:

[jwr]

One thing I find very interesting about this cocked & locked discussion is the number of people who are comfortable carrying IWB or OWB with their gun cocked and locked but not in pocket for fear of having the safety bumped off.

While carrying OWB/IWB there are a huge number of holsters which do not cover the safety leaving it free to rub against your side. Slides, paddles, whatever. I think having that gun rocking back and forth as you move around would be much more likely to bump the safety off than having it sit nicely in a pocket holster where it doesn't move. Think about it. Have any of you 1911-ish guys *ever* accidentally *bumped* your safety off while you weren't actually handling the gun? Be honest.

It's been my experience with my Colts and with the P238 that "bumping" the safety will not move it. There is a very positive snap each direction. You would have to smack it pretty good in which case I think you'd know to check it *and* the trigger is still covered.

Oh well, I will continue to carry cocked & locked both in pocket and at my side--in holsters that cover the trigger and the safety. :-)

Regards!

[jocko]

as long as you feel safe with it, that is all that matters. Just IMO not sure a cocked and locked gun was ever thought of being a pocket gun no matter what size it is. I just can't make myself grab my lcp or P380 which now both just sit and cry alot, when I can stick my PM9 in the same place.

[twodogs]

Thanks for the great info folks. I am a newbie here. I have been considering a few different cc pieces. I already have a LCP, LCR, and a Stoeger Cougar. I am trying to sell a Kel Tec P11. I am considering the PM9 & the sig p250.

If there is anyone that has first-hand experience with the pm9 vs the 250, I would love to hear it.

[jocko]

one will fit in your pocket easily, one will not... If our gonna waist band carry then it is a mute point. I would probably opt towards the sig then.