Considering a CM9

[gunnutz]

Hey guys I've been lurking and doing tons of google searches. I have been wanting a nice small edc piece. Right now my main carry is an all steel taurus snubbie. I love the thing shoots great and never a problem with it. I really want something smaller and lighter. This gun seems to be the one for me. I've handled a couple in the stores. Nice quality trigger etc... My only concern is the apparent hit and miss quality. I really like the gun but I want something reliable. Can I really trust this one? My autos are glocks, I love them cause they just plain work, dirty or clean. Sadly glock just isn't in the compact concealed carry market, or atleast for highly concealable single stacks. I know they have the 42 but it's not pocketable and it's not a 9mm. I'd prefer the 9mm over a .380 any day. I just trust it more for personal defense. Any advise or comments before I sink some money into one?

[Scarywoody]

I was searching for a small 9mm and for me it came down to the Kahr CM9, Shield or the Sig 290RS. My main carry is a Glock 19 and I liked that the CM9 was a striker fired. It has basically the same manual of arms as the Glock. The Kahr does conceal well in a cargo pocket, with jeans it's a bit tight, at least on me. So far, I have had no issues with function. It is taking a bit of getting used to the sights.

I would say with my limited Kahr experience, that the economy models require a bit of fluff and buff. I don't think these models get the same hand fitting that the PM series gets. I went through mine and polished up all moving and contact parts. I polished the magazines inside and out and made sure there were no burrs to hang up. I keep it lubed as outlined in the Tech section sticky. Over all, I'm comfortable and confident in carrying the CM9.

[Bill K]

Your concern is understandable but I hope it doesn't dissuade you from taking the plunge and getting a CM9. My PM9 which did have 2 issues that needed to be worked through wound up replacing my Glock 26. Good luck whatever you decide.

[Ikeo74]

It's not a hit and miss quality issue from the factory with the CM9. 99.9% of the problems you read about here is operator error or ammo problems. My CM9 is totally reliable when I use high quality ammo or my own reloads. If you follow the owners guide and lube the gun properly, you will never have a fail to load, fire or eject. Buy one, you will not regret it. Mine is 100% and I have no qualms about it being my self defense carry gun for deep concealment.

What is even more important to me is I have never read about any accidental discharges with any of my Kahrs, none at all. When carried with 1 in the chamber, you will not ever have to worry about "Glock Leg".

[gunnutz]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the responses. I still got a few bucks left to save and gotta get Santa out of the way but I think the cm9 will soon be a member of the family. I'll just do a good break in on it and make sure I give it a good bath afterwords. I know rounds down range will do the most for my confidence in it.

[DavidR]

The most frequent problem with the CM9 seems to be broken magazine followers. If yours has this issue, a quick all expense paid return trip to Kahr usually fixes the problem. Otherwise it seems that most CM9s are good to go from day 1.

My CM9 was good from day 1 although it did break a follower after about 700 rounds.

[gunnutz]

any idea why the follower broke?

[muggsy]

The feed ramp on the barrel was a bit too long and it hit the follower after the last round was fired. Kahr shortens the feed ramp to cure the problem.

[skiflydive]

any idea why the follower broke?

On some, but not all, the ramp tang on the barrel is too long. It can slam back into the front of the follower causing the follower to break. Most have reported that when the gun returned from Kahr the ramp was shortened. Some are comfortable doing their own "rampectomy" (I did) which does the same thing. That part of the ramp is way below where the nose of the bullet hits the ramp anyway so taking a little off solves the problem. Search on "rampectomy" and you'll find lots of info.

Other than that one issue which happened when I shot "hotter" loads, my CM9 has been flawless.

[Antarius]

Anytime you go to a super compact semi auto, you are risking having some reliability issues.

For me, the key is what are the known issues and fixes for them.

What makes the Cm9 nice is the known problems are few and far between, but when they do happen they are easily fixed either by yourself or by Kahr factory. That's why I went with one and ended up with a super reliable compact 9mm.

[Rob K]

I also did a ton of internet searches and talking to other shooters before buying my CM9 last April. I cleaned it up, lubed it according to Kahr recommendations and also polished up the feed ramp and magazine lips a bit. (probably didn't really need it;but that's just me). Gone through around 900 rounds of various brands of ammo, both jacketed and hollow point without a single glitch, none,zero,nada,zip,zilch. It's my everyday carry gun and I have full confidence that it won't let me down.I'm a die hard 1911 fan but ya can't carry the darn things concealed. A Cooks Kydex holster works fine for me;very thin with great retention. I keep it straight up in the appendix position and really forget I have it on.
Go for it and you'll never look back. Merry Christmas and safe shooting !!!

[gunnutz]

I can't wait to pick one up. I'm sure I'll ask a ton of questions. I'm not new to firearms just new to this brand. I've always heard kahr made a very good quality gun.

[deadeye]

I've carried my CM9 for over 2 years now. A little over 2500 rounds and going strong. You won't be sorry.

[gunnutz]

hey guys, i found a pm9 used with one 7 round mag only, no box or anything. The guy at the shop said he'd make me a good deal on it. I bit and he said $430. I know what they cost new but I still think that sounds kind of high. I can buy a new cw9 for 350.00+tax. What do you guys think? Also, the gun is dirty. I'm sure a good cleaning is all it needs but idk. Kinda thinking I should hold off and just buy a new cm9.

[Bill K]

hey guys, i found a pm9 used with one 7 round mag only, no box or anything. The guy at the shop said he'd make me a good deal on it. I bit and he said $430. I know what they cost new but I still think that sounds kind of high. I can buy a new cw9 for 350.00+tax. What do you guys think? Also, the gun is dirty. I'm sure a good cleaning is all it needs but idk. Kinda thinking I should hold off and just buy a new cm9.

It would be a tough decision for me if he offered it for less and said he'd take it back if the gun had issues. Otherwise, I'd have myself a new CM9. [BTW own, carry and love my PM9.]

[Redstate]

Here's a link to a factory blemished one for what appears to be a good price.

Deleted link.

[gunnutz]

looks like a good price, i wonder what the blemish is. i gotta save a few more bucks either way. i'll keep my eyes peeled. thanks for looking out.

[Ikeo74]

Make the guy an offer on the used PM9, you never know what he might take for it.

[gunnutz]

i may swing through after christmas, if he still has it i thought i'd offer 400 otd and see what he says.

[johnmik1]

I am new to the Kahr Forum but it has been a great place for gathering information.I have been looking for a 9mm semi to pocket carry and the CM or PM 9 seem to be getting the best reviews.I now carry either a S&W Bodyguard 380 or my Luger LCP.I also have a S&W 9mm Shield but it is just to heavy for pocket carry.I went to my local gunshop yesterday and put 50 rounds through a PM9,as they didn't have a CM9 available to rent,and it was flawless.I really like the price on the CM9 and was wondering if the shooting experience is dramatically different between the two.Any opinions from those of you who have fired both would be appreciated appreciated.

[Antarius]

I am new to the Kahr Forum but it has been a great place for gathering information.I have been looking for a 9mm semi to pocket carry and the CM or PM 9 seem to be getting the best reviews.I now carry either a S&W Bodyguard 380 or my Luger LCP.I also have a S&W 9mm Shield but it is just to heavy for pocket carry.I went to my local gunshop yesterday and put 50 rounds through a PM9,as they didn't have a CM9 available to rent,and it was flawless.I really like the price on the CM9 and was wondering if the shooting experience is dramatically different between the two.Any opinions from those of you who have fired both would be appreciated appreciated.

Shoots the same to me....

[Scarywoody]

Offer lower, you can always go up. He probably paid around $225-$250. Make sure you give it a good going over. There are many videos on how to check a semi auto. Reference any little thing you see and that it's super dirty. Lay three crisp hundreds on the counter. You can always go up. I bet you can walk out for $350 cash.

[gunnutz]

I may give it a run. Cash usually talks.

[pbagley]

Shoots the same to me....

I agree, in my very limited experience.

[Stingray]

I was in the same boat as you a few months ago. I ended up getting a new PM9 with Crimson Trace laser at Buds for $525 ( using the make an offer feature, it lists at $539, same as the non laser one). Once you factor in the $175 CT laser, I ended up getting the PM9 for about the same the price of a CM9. You can always sell the laser if you don't want it, although I like it now that I'm used to the button being there. I kept thinking the price was a mistake and I got lucky but it's still been there for a couple of months now. I may buy another one. The gun has been flawless so far after about 400 rounds. I didn't do any fluff and buff first, just cleaned and lubed it according to recommendations, and took apart the magazines and silicone sprayed the inside of the tube and the spring, wiping off any excess. I can carry it in my pocket with any shorts or jeans easily. I don't even bother using a pocket holster. I can actually carry a G26 or G19 in the front pocket of my cargo shorts too, the regular pocket not the cargo pocket ... they print a whole lot more, but they're legally concealed. The G19 is really easy to draw since the big grip is right there at the top of the pocket. But I almost always pocket carry the PM9 due to the light weight and comfort. Before this I usually carried a KelTec p32 with laser, which I really liked a lot for the tiny size and light weight, I hardly noticed it was there, but it proved to be unreliable despite multiple fluff and buffs and new springs and extractor. The PM9 was a big step up in size and weight from that, but I got used to it a lot faster than I thought I would. Knowing that I always have 9mm in my pocket now probably made that adjustment a lot easier. And not just any 9mm, but Federal HST 147s :).

Update: I checked last night and the $539 PM9s w/ CT laser are gone, it's back up to normal prices.

[gunnutz]

i'm glad to hear the positive stories. seems everyone on the internet just wants to bash whatever choice you make and tell you how bad your gun of choice sucks and how you would be a fool to stake your life on "your gun here". I've pretty well made up my mind that the cm9 is the way to go for me. I like the size and to me that's much more important in this case. I believe that as with any gun there is a chance to get a lemon but other than that I'll run it through it's paces and find out what it'll run good with and be done. Thanks for the replies, nice to have somewhere to go where the people actually have personal experience with the product discussed. Merry Christmas Ya'll !!!

[Scarywoody]

Many of the LGS and internet places had the CM9 for $299.95. I got mine from Palmetto State Armory with free shipping (saved $17). They are out of them now but they restock pretty quick.

[gunnutz]

the problem i have around here is finding someone to ship it to. nobody wants to transfer guns. i guess they get mad cause they don't get the sell. i mean i get that but it just sucks ya know.

[dirtengineer]

http://www.gunbroker.com/FFL/DealerNetwork.aspx This is where you can find a dealer that accepts transfers.

[Stingray]

When you buy at Budsgunshop, there is a page where you can locate all the dealers who do transfers in your area. And they even list which ones are "preferred" dealers with a copy of their FFL paperwork already on file with Buds, and a guaranteed price for the transfer (usually $25-30). It cost me $25 for my transfer, and the dealer/range (Nexus in Davie, FL) even gave me a free hour of range time like they do with their own sales of new guns. It was my first online gun purchase and was very easy and painless. I'm not trying to sell anyone on Buds, it was my first time buying there so your experience may vary. Their price was fantastic and unbeatable, the next closest one was $200 more for the same gun with laser. I will say that shipping was slow, it didn't ship for about 10 days, although they stayed in contact and were friendly and apologetic for the delay. They do charge extra for credit cards, so use your bank account to avoid 3%.

[AnthonyC]

Hey guys I've been lurking and doing tons of google searches. I have been wanting a nice small edc piece. Right now my main carry is an all steel taurus snubbie. I love the thing shoots great and never a problem with it. I really want something smaller and lighter. This gun seems to be the one for me. I've handled a couple in the stores. Nice quality trigger etc... My only concern is the apparent hit and miss quality. I really like the gun but I want something reliable. Can I really trust this one? My autos are glocks, I love them cause they just plain work, dirty or clean. Sadly glock just isn't in the compact concealed carry market, or atleast for highly concealable single stacks. I know they have the 42 but it's not pocketable and it's not a 9mm. I'd prefer the 9mm over a .380 any day. I just trust it more for personal defense. Any advise or comments before I sink some money into one?

I was hesitant also given some of what I read on the internet. However, I was looking for a 9mm pocket pistol and the Kahr CM9/PM9 was the only one that seemed to fit size/weight/caliber requirements. I came across a NIB CM9 that was a good price in my LGS and plunked the cash down. It's been a fine shooter and very reliable. It is my EDC in a Recluse holster and I don't see anything on the horizon that replace it given my particular needs.

[AH.74]

hey guys, i found a pm9 used with one 7 round mag only, no box or anything. The guy at the shop said he'd make me a good deal on it. I bit and he said $430. I know what they cost new but I still think that sounds kind of high. I can buy a new cw9 for 350.00+tax. What do you guys think? Also, the gun is dirty. I'm sure a good cleaning is all it needs but idk. Kinda thinking I should hold off and just buy a new cm9.

First of all, I'd question a shop that had a gun that was noticeably dirty out for sale. It doesn't take much time to clean up a gun and have it more presentable for sale.

Second of all, that's not a terrible price. If you can get it down to 400 I think you'd be doing well. Go in with 400, slap 375 down on the counter and see if they bite. Tell them they usually come with two mags and you'll have to buy another.

Third of all- just to mention, the ONLY time I have ever had any issue with my PM9 was trying to use the 7-rounder it came with. It just would not work and jammed the gun up bad- meaning the worst jams I've ever experienced with any gun. I got rid of it and will only use the 6-rounders.

[gunnutz]

Thanks for the info guys. I have contacted a local dealer that's on the list. That will save me 40 or 50 dollars on what I can buy one local for.

[TimtheRef]

I got a cm9 for Christmas. It feels great, and the trigger is butter smooth while dry firing. Haven't been able to take it to the range as we headed to NY to visit the in laws, so I had to leave it home in the great state of Ohio. Soon as I get home though...

[gunnutz]

dang merry christmas to you.... i've made up my mind, i'm just gonna wait it out for a new cm9. i just have a bad feeling about the used pm9. i also worry that if there was a problem as i understand it only the original owner can send the gun back for repair and have warranty work done. i have no intrest in taking that kind of risk.

[jocko]

dang merry christmas to you.... i've made up my mind, i'm just gonna wait it out for a new cm9. i just have a bad feeling about the used pm9. i also worry that if there was a problem as i understand it only the original owner can send the gun back for repair and have warranty work done. i have no intrest in taking that kind of risk.

if u can check the birth date on a used PM9, and it is within the warrantyh period of 4-5 years, then more than likely kahr will take care of any warranty work. IMO just wait on the cm9, u basicaly got the same gun and the warranty is nice,but if u buy new do read up on this forum of handy break in tips that will save uy head aches if you pore-oprep ur kahr before that first range session, Plus u get to know ur gun before that first bang thing every happens...Just sayin