Buying a used CW9. What to look for?

[bres]

Hi all

I'm planing on buying a used CW9 that's apparently like new condition. I haven't seen the gun in person yet. Since this is my first Kahr I am just wondering what are the things I should look for other then the obvious wear & tear stuff?

Thanks

[TucsonMTB]

Watch for "buyer's remorse". You may find a new gun for only a little more money and wish that you had the five year warranty honored by Kahr only for the first owner.

Otherwise, unless you can get a straight answer from the seller as to why the gun is on the market, there isn't much that you won't notice with a quick inspection.

The trigger should be smooth. The action of the slide when racked should also be smooth. The bore should look clean and shiny.

Depending on the number of rounds fired, figure the cost of a recoil spring into your value equation as well.

Otherwise, in my experience, they are durable little guns that shouldn't show appreciable wear in the first few thousand rounds.

Best of luck!

[bres]

Thank you for the reply.

I did not know that about loosing warranty after the first owner. That's definitively something to think about. The price is about the same as new one. But he does include extra magazine, some ammo and a holster. Used guns in state of Utah are actually more expensive then new, one of the reasons for that in my opinion is that bill of sale is not required by the law. I don't really care about that since I have CCW but not having warranty is definitely a concern.

[forestranger]

I've found a warranty a nice thing to have with little autos. Got a new one for $355+tax.

[CJB]

The CW9 is a lower cost pistol to start with... so be sure of your savings.

Here's what I'd check -

First, after checking to make sure the pistol is unloaded and safe, field strip the pistol.

Remove the recoil spring assembly. Check the forward and backward movement of the barrel in the slide. It should be close to zero. I mean a human hair thickness is about max. Take out the barrel. Check the top/forward part of the hood area, making sure there is no deformation of the locking surface (the square front shoulder). Check the same in the slide.

With the top end off the pistol reinsert the slide stop pin, checking for excessive slop (wiggle) in the frame. It should be a fairly snug fit.

Check the lock open notch on the slide. No wear allowed. Same on the locking shoulder of the slide stop.

Check the striker engagement "foot" that engages the cam. It should maybe have signs of minor hand fitting, but not show any wear or deformation.

Check the extractor - it should stay in place when manually moved with a small tool. The spring tension should be TIGHT.

Check the frame rails (metal) for wear. Check the slide rails for wear.

Check the chamber, crown and bore of the barrel for abnormalities.

Check that magazines are not deformed, and drop freely, and also lock the slide back if manually racked.

Closely inspect the frame for cracks or damage.

Check the disconnector tab on the trigger bar for excessive wear

Reassemble the pistol. Hand rack it while holding the trigger to the rear. Very gently, let the trigger slowly move forward until it resets. There should be a little overtravel on reset. Just a little. If there is none... you may have reset problems while firing.

Rack the slide again, let the trigger reset. Dry fire the pistol. It should be smooth as glass with no bumps or grit.

Check the sights for signs of being hit, dropped on, etc...

Check the slide for obvious dents and dings, signs of abuse, dropping, etc.

If the pistol checks out, and the savings are ok (or enough extra goodies are involved in the deal), then you've got a green light to move forward.

FWIW, I've gotten two used PM's here, a 45 and a 9, no issues on either. The used PM45 has been my daily carry... shoots every time I want it to, I have 100 percent confidence in the used Kahrs.

Buying a used Kahr can also have advantages that offset lack of warranty.

First, if the pistol has been shot much, it may be broken in for you, saving considerable expense in ammo just to break in the pistol

Secondly, if anything were to be amiss, it most likely would have shown up during break in and be corrected. Long term problems, down the road... are very rare for Kahr.

Hope that helps!~

[bres]

Thank you both for very useful information. The more I think about it, the more I'm leaning towards buying it new. This is going to be my CCW and I want something that I can trust my life to. So saving few bucks on holster or whatever, and buying a pistol I don't know previous history doesn't seem like its worth it to me. Especially when I'm not pinching pennies and I can afford a new one.

Now if I was buying it just to mess with it at the range then I wouldn't care so much. But the more I've been thinking about it the more I lean on buying it new.

[CJB]

Consider a CM9 too then.... not much more, easier to conceal, lighter.

[bres]

Cm9 is too small for me, I can't get all three fingers on it when I grip it. Cw9 seems like perfect size.

Sent from my Nexus 7

[bres]

I plan on carrying it in some slim holster IWB. Since I'm pretty skinny 31-32 W, I'm going to need to make sure it won't be visible with a normal shirt over it. I also dont want to wear oversized shirts and look like a thug. That's one of the main reasons I'm going with Kahr, how slim they are.

Sent from my Nexus 7

[jpshaw]

They are a lot slimmer then a Glock or Sig. I'm 34 in the waist and as long as I can cover the belt line I'm concealed. I've never had the need for the M series since I cannot pocket carry them and on the belt the P and CW9 are just as concealable and I like the full grip, the extra round, the extra sight radius and the extra 1/2" of barrel for more fps. BTW I carry my P9 (same size as CW9) in an OWB gutted Uncle Mikes. I'ts just two pieces of nylon, the thinnest holster I've ever seen.

[BucketBack]

I also decided to buy new for a Kahr, just because of the warranty. I've had better luck buying used pistols than new though. My G19 and LCP have been flawless and were bought secondhand, for a song.

Well the CZ was good to go new though.

[JFootin]

I plan on carrying it in some slim holster IWB. Since I'm pretty skinny 31-32 W, I'm going to need to make sure it won't be visible with a normal shirt over it. I also dont want to wear oversized shirts and look like a thug. That's one of the main reasons I'm going with Kahr, how slim they are.

Sent from my Nexus 7

Many of us here will tell you, you won't find a slimmer or more comfortable IWB holster than the PJ IWB Holster (http://pjholster.com/?page_id=37). Get it with some cant and wear it just behind your hip. So stable and comfortable that you can't feel it there! You have to reach back there and touch the gun to confirm it is still there! No kidding! And Paul, the owner, is an absolutely great person who will work with you to make the holster perfect for your needs. I recommend the Clip on Belt Loop for attachment.

[wyntrout]

I think that EVERYONE should go to kahr.com and watch the take down video for the particular pistol before doing any disassembly and putting the pistol back together. I think that a lot of problems are CREATED by improper assembly. There are several crucial areas and the biggest is reinsertion of the slide lock pin. This pin can be inserted outside the hole in the barrels lug and jam the pistol up... or incorrect insertion can damage the little spring that holds the pin in place or its free end which should rest on a ledge on the back of the slide lock to hold it down until the empty magazine follower pushes up the slide lock when the follower rises to the top as the magazine is emptied. The videos explain and highlight the proper procedure.

http://www.kahr.com/Videos.asp

There are many resources at Kahr.com to help you research... testing by gun and police magazines, and the F.A.Q.s are very helpful and will answer many of your questions:

http://www.kahr.com/faq.asp

There are a lot of links listed under Kahr-tech:

http://kahrtalk.com//showthread.php?t=210

Check these authoritative sources out and don't depend entirely on anecdotes and opinions here or any place else!

I would personally advise buying a new pistol unless you're "saving" at least $100 because one trip to the factory might cost you that much! You don't know if you're buying someone else's problem or getting a good deal. The "C" series pistols can be had new for about $350 plus tax. Overnight shipping to Kahr can cost $60 plus possible repair costs!

Wynn:)

[JFootin]

Very well said, Wynn. :yo:

[yqtszhj]

If it's used and $250 or less I'd get a used. If it's pushing $300 I'd get a new one for $350 for the warranty.

Either way it will likely work very well.

[bres]

This is probably not going to be a popular post here but I ended up going with Walther PPS instead of Kahr. The PPS felt better in hand, better finish and much nicer trigger and at the end its a Walther, in my opinion worth the extra $150.

Thank you all for the help on here and hopefully I made the right decision. :)

Sent from my Nexus 7

[BucketBack]

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/images/62176.jpg
Once you have taken it to the range, let us know how you like it.

Most of us are shooting enthusiasts first and Kahr fans second. ;)

I don't see the S&W logo on it.

[BucketBack]

I also decided to buy new for a Kahr, just because of the warranty. I've had better luck buying used pistols than new though. My G19 and LCP have been flawless and were bought secondhand, for a song.

Well the CZ was good to go new though.
Update, the LCP developed slide peening issues and had to go back for repair, it's gone now.

Now I'm looking at a used CW9 again and I just reread mt first post in this thread, which gives me cause to pause.:confused: