Most reliable .45 Kahr?

[godan]

A few thousand rounds with CM40's have taught me to like and trust Kahrs, and I am now looking towards a .45. Reading though posts here, there are a number of fixes for .45's described clearly and convincingly, especially regarding magazines, but fixes are what I would prefer to avoid. I know enough about them from 1911's. My question for those with experience is simply to ask which .45 Kahr is most trouble free. Which works reliably out of the box? Thanks.

[josp]

I've had nothing but success with my P45.

[dcollins]

Just finished 400 rds with cw45 with no issues other one a light strike. This was due to striker channel being very dirty (I never cleaned it). I believe Kahr has fixed problems with magazine issues. I bought a flush mount seven round magazine designed for a 1911 and modified it to work in mine. I enjoy shooting it more than my cm9 but both are very recoil friendly.

[wyntrout]

The P45 is a nice size. I wouldn't mind having one... eventually. I chose the PM45 solely on being the most compact for CCW. I certainly don't regret that, but I wouldn't mind having both! My P40 is about the same size as my K9 and I think that's an ideal size... for a compact pistol... and about maximum for CCW.

JMHO. :)

My PM45 has had almost every problem ever heard of... been back to the factory 4 times... once to replace a replacement slide with almost invisible engraving. I still haven't heard of any other slide lock spring cleanly breaking in half, though!

I still see my PM45 as my favorite, but I like all 5 of mine and hope to get the extractor for my wife's P380 today, as well as the extractor for my usually problem-free PM9!

Wynn:)

[ripley16]

Unfortunately neither my P45 or TP45 were completely reliable. My 9mms all work well but my .45acp experience wasn't all that good. I had chronic feed and ejection stoppages.

[godan]

Many thanks to those who posted replies and to others who have contributed to earlier Kahr .45 threads here. Reading through everything is discouraging. My three .40 Kahrs have no issues, but the stories about .45 Kahr problems and necessary fixes are both convincing and discouraging. I think I'll keep looking. There is no hope from Glock. Direct experience with an early G36 introduced me to the only fault-prone Glock, and my absolutely reliable G30 and G21 are too big. My best carry .45 is a much modified Sig C3, and I guess it will continue to be for a while.

[CJB]

:cool:Mine are the most reliable!:p

[jocko]

Mine is totally reliabe, course I don't own one either. Just sayin

[JFootin]

Many thanks to those who posted replies and to others who have contributed to earlier Kahr .45 threads here. Reading through everything is discouraging. My three .40 Kahrs have no issues, but the stories about .45 Kahr problems and necessary fixes are both convincing and discouraging. I think I'll keep looking. There is no hope from Glock. Direct experience with an early G36 introduced me to the only fault-prone Glock, and my absolutely reliable G30 and G21 are too big. My best carry .45 is a much modified Sig C3, and I guess it will continue to be for a while.

If you want something as small as the Kahr 45s, have you looked at the Springfield XDs?

[gb6491]

Mine is totally reliabe, course I don't own one either. Just sayin
_VrFV5r8cs0
(http://youtu.be/_VrFV5r8cs0)

[godan]

If you want something as small as the Kahr 45s, have you looked at the Springfield XDs?

I have shot a couple and looked at what it takes to detail strip one and what more it takes to re-assemble. I guess I think of them (like so many similar handguns) as bad, complicated copies of a Glock. Yours is a sensible suggestion in the context of this thread, but the XD is not for me. That said, one of my favorite full-sized 1911's is a Springfield that was modified at the Gunsite Academy, according to their ideas, while I was attending the AT 500 course with a Glock.

[O'Dell]

Hey godan. Sorry you're discouraged about Kahr 45's. I can only report my experience, but I have had two CW45's and a PM45 w/o a problem. I traded the original CW on the PM four years ago, but the PM was stolen. I realized my error in December and bought another CW45. I have eleven 45's including HK's, SIG's, Kimber, S&W's 3rd gen, STI, Springfield, Deltonic, and the CW. The CW45 is still my carry gun about 80% of the time and I've never questioned it's reliability.

[Gandydancer]

My pm 45 is reliable no issues in failure to fire or eject in a little over 300 rounds only problem was the slide lock failed in the very beginning every once in a while. All ok after about first 125 rounds no issues now.

[jocko]

alot of that very early failure to lock back is the result of a very stout recoil spring, Once the spring takes its designed set, things normaly take careof themselves. Probalby anutter reason kahr recommends the 200 rounds before pissing in ones pants over an issue that more than likely will go away..

[Charlie98]

I bought a used P45 and experienced a few FTF (light primer strikes.) I resprung it and reliability went up to 100% with factory ammo, still working on it for my standard 230grn FMJ reloads.

I would have to agree, my CW9 has been 100% always and, as much as I don't like the 9mm compared to the .45, the CW9 is my daily carry. Once I get the reliability up on my P45 things may change, but the CW9 carries so well it'll be hard to make the swap.

[MC1911]

Mine has been excellent!

[sierrajb]

I don't own a .45 Kahr, but I want one....specifically the PM45. Seriously considered trading my newly acquired .45 1911 straight up for a PM45, but someone beat me to it. Knowing Kahr's fine service and helpful forum (here), I know I can work out any kinks with the PM45 and make it just as reliable and enjoyable as my PM9.

[Bawanna]

There's help here for that new 1911 too. Make a good combo running with a PM45. More is better is a pretty good concept except for most but not all parts of the anatomy.

[godan]

In the past six weeks, I have read and heard informed, thoughtful comments about Kahr .45's here and elsewhere. Also, another thousand rounds have gone downrange from the PM9, P40 and CW40, so I know a bit more about Kahrs in general. When I was offered a too-good-to-turn-down deal on an unfired, second generation, Sig P250 Compact in .45, my immediate impression was how similar the trigger was to the Kahrs - as similar, in a different way, as the trigger on a well-tuned double action revolver. Also, there is no safety or other clutter on the side of polymer frame. I had wanted to experiment with the modular 250 frame assembly and was undaunted by stories of cancelled orders for first-generation 250's. With only 200 rounds fired, my preliminary impression of the Sig P250 is that it is Kahr-like in shape, trigger pull and reliability. The higher bore axis does not seem to be an issue. Of course, had there been a too-good-to-turn-down deal on a Kahr .45, I would probably have bought it. I hope someone else with a Sig 250 posts a comment.

[JERRY]

my PM45 is a work in progress....hoping another 100 rounds proves the fruits of my labor werent in vain. but for now, 271 rounds and some "smithing" on my part hasnt gotten it done yet, but 50 rounds were the cheap steel case stuff so im holding the jury out on those.

[godan]

my PM45 is a work in progress....hoping another 100 rounds proves the fruits of my labor werent in vain. but for now, 271 rounds and some "smithing" on my part hasnt gotten it done yet, but 50 rounds were the cheap steel case stuff so im holding the jury out on those.

Jerry: Did the steel cased rounds cycle ok? I use them in Makarovs and AK's but have not had the courage to try them in anything else. Also, what problems with the PM45 persist? Thanks.

[JERRY]

Jerry: Did the steel cased rounds cycle ok? I use them in Makarovs and AK's but have not had the courage to try them in anything else. Also, what problems with the PM45 persist? Thanks.

out of 50 rounds with the stuff i had 2 failures to go into battery (i think it was 2) which required a hard smack on the back of the slide....3 times the slide locked back with a round in the magazine. this could have been my fault but im not quick to accept that as Tul ammo is noticibly loaded lighter than wwb i usually use and i didnt have this issue in the first 210 rounds.....

im not going to use the steel case stuff any more for "testing" of this gun.

the Tul works like a dream in my PM9 though.

[Feeby]

I love my P45 but it took a while to change from a non reliable gun into my daily CCW. Unfortunately is not a good gun out of the box, such as Sig, Beretta or Glock. This is how I did it:

1. Buy 500 rounds of tula ammo.
2. Buy a new recoil spring.
3. Buy a new extractor.
4. Buy 100 rounds of JHP defensive ammo. Hornady 185g works good and is my choice.

Once you have the items above, please perform the following steps:

a. Remove all, mean all lubrication to the gun.

b. Put 200 rounds as indicated by Kahr in the instruction manual.

c. Dissasemble the gun and replace the extractor. Instructions about how to dissasemble the gun are at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5h5iexfLzg, then reassemble the gun.

d. Take the new recoil spring and cut 2 loops with a plier or metal cutter. This will help to ease tension on the recoil.

e. Test your gun with the JHP ammo.

f. Lubricate the gun according to the user manual.

This fixed my problem. From having 1 stoppage (feeding problems, jams) every 20 rounds, I put 500 rounds without issues. I hope this helps.

[Feeby]

I forgot someting important...................Polish the entire barrel and of course the ramp. I used a Dremmel and Mother polisher. I spend several hours on this, I pretty much silver plated my barrel.

[jocko]

glad it did ok, personally I wol dnever recommend doing item #D. Just sayin

wy would anyone replace an extractor when the gun worked as designed????

sorry. I just don't buy it.

no offense intended..

[JFootin]

The Tula steel cased ammo wouldn't be my choice. Glad the gun is working you.

[JERRY]

Feeby, thats rediculous. id trade my gun away before i resorted to frankensteining it in hopes that it might work.

[godan]

After considering the helpful posts in this thread and worrying about problems with Kahr .45's, I traded for a Sig P250 Compact in .45. It is reliable and accurate, with a trigger pull very similar to a Kahr. Unfortunately, Sig does not competently support the P250 platform. An example of one problem among many is that extra magazine springs are not available. Entire magazines must be purchased, although Sig's official Armorer's DVD indicates otherwise. So, when a CW45 in the new-style cardboard box was offered in trade, I did the deal and hoped for the best. After stripping,cleaning and lubricating the pistol, I took it to the range this morning and fired 200 rounds of hardball from two six round mags without a single issue. A bonus is that the sights put my two favorite .45 rounds to POA at fifty yards. More mags are on order, and when I sort through the threads about adapting 1911 mags to find the simplest and most reliable of the many suggestions, I will certainly try that on some of the many 1911 mags I have acquired over the years. If anyone knows, I would be grateful for a link to the best idea in the twenty-some pages of that thread. Thanks again to all who contributed the very useful and sensible posts above.

[Charlie98]

Sweet! I'll be curious to see how it's going after some more rounds downrange.

How does the overall feel compare with the P250?

[yqtszhj]

Cool Godan. I'm glad to hear that you got a good one.

[O'Dell]

After considering the helpful posts in this thread and worrying about problems with Kahr .45's, I traded for a Sig P250 Compact in .45. It is reliable and accurate, with a trigger pull very similar to a Kahr. Unfortunately, Sig does not competently support the P250 platform. An example of one problem among many is that extra magazine springs are not available. Entire magazines must be purchased, although Sig's official Armorer's DVD indicates otherwise. So, when a CW45 in the new-style cardboard box was offered in trade, I did the deal and hoped for the best. After stripping,cleaning and lubricating the pistol, I took it to the range this morning and fired 200 rounds of hardball from two six round mags without a single issue. A bonus is that the sights put my two favorite .45 rounds to POA at fifty yards. More mags are on order, and when I sort through the threads about adapting 1911 mags to find the simplest and most reliable of the many suggestions, I will certainly try that on some of the many 1911 mags I have acquired over the years. If anyone knows, I would be grateful for a link to the best idea in the twenty-some pages of that thread. Thanks again to all who contributed the very useful and sensible posts above.

I've been a SIG fan since my first one in 1980. I tried very much to like the P250, and would have bought one in 45 if I could have handled the trigger. If it had been the normal SIG DA/SA I would have had one years ago. To me the trigger is not Kahr like, but I'm glad it works for you.

[godan]

Sweet! I'll be curious to see how it's going after some more rounds downrange.

How does the overall feel compare with the P250?

As we can see from O'Dell's post above, feeling is pretty subjective, and people come to Kahrs from different backgrounds. When I first fired the P250, I was immediately struck by how similar the trigger was to a Kahr, but my experience is mostly with revolvers, 1911's and Glocks. As for comparisons of feeling, I'll take a chance and say that all Kahrs feel lean and rectangular, while the P250 feels fat and round. I hope that makes sense. I enjoy shooting the P250, but Sig is not supporting it seriously. Kahr products and customer service, on the other hand, are competent and successful.