I finally love my MK9

[photoman12001]

I had terrible accuracy issues with my MK9 when I got it. The thing would shoot ridiculously large groups that were too far to the right. I fired hundreds of rounds through it and sent it to Kahr but it didn't get any better. The gun was very reliable but I didn't trust myself to shoot it accurately. I feel I'm an above average handgun shooter and the MK9 is not cheap so this was very disappointing. Also, based on my experience Kahr's customer service isn't setting any standards for greatness.

As a last ditch effort I decided to get out my Dremel with a felt polishing wheel and I'm really glad I did. I just lightly polished the cams that move the striker and firing pin block as well as those parts. I saw immediate improvement at the firing range. Then I took it home and dry fired it A LOT. Kahr's website said it was OK to dry fire so I did it probably 50 times a night for about 2 weeks. Now I shoot the MK9 as well as my SIG P238, P238 and better than my Glock 26.

After I get my carry permit and a holster the MK9 and P238 will share concealed carry duty.

This was how the gun shot when I got it. The highlighted green area is from the rental range MK9 that inspired me to buy one. I shot the guns side-by-side when mine performed so poorly. The "group" outside the green was from my gun and it left a lot to be desired. I was going very slowly and really concentrating. Some of the rounds were so far to the right that they missed the target completely.
http://api.photoshop.com/v1.0/accounts/a8d156497d964fb2ae2aae25580fe4d5/assets/501767e3ef65401a85ad6763aa7fda12/renditions/1024.jpg?md=1300666535000

After the work I did my MK9 gets groups like the following which make me comfortable carrying the gun. Both these targets contain rounds fired with and without the Crimson Trace gips activated shown in the photos. Groups seem to be equally good with or without the CT grips.
http://api.photoshop.com/v1.0/accounts/a8d156497d964fb2ae2aae25580fe4d5/assets/c05b51933def4cbfb4d0be4b17f0ec13/renditions/1024.jpg?md=1300666536000

http://api.photoshop.com/v1.0/accounts/a8d156497d964fb2ae2aae25580fe4d5/assets/878632bd9bbe4b07945a6f65f4e71798/renditions/1024.jpg?md=1300666540000

This gun really has a lot to offer as a carry gun. The only pistol I own that is smaller and more comfortable to carry is my SIG P238. The MK9 is heavy but I don't mind the weight. I carry in-the-waistband (IWB) so thickness is my main enemy. The MK9's weight also works very well to tame recoil from the 9mm in such a small platform. I don't enjoy the recoil of small polymer-framed 9mm pistols like the Kel-Tec.

Some photos:
Factory grips
http://api.photoshop.com/v1.0/accounts/a8d156497d964fb2ae2aae25580fe4d5/assets/4b84284a77f64eb198d78f94bbe2d9b3/renditions/1024.jpg?md=1298838815000

Crimson Trace grips
http://api.photoshop.com/v1.0/accounts/a8d156497d964fb2ae2aae25580fe4d5/assets/5938a13010704ceb80542acf1481bc39/renditions/1024.jpg?md=1299037081000

http://api.photoshop.com/v1.0/accounts/a8d156497d964fb2ae2aae25580fe4d5/assets/c0b0d9452524452bbf3f8149b571ca3d/renditions/1024.jpg?md=1300393272000

Next to S&W J-frame and SIG P238
http://api.photoshop.com/v1.0/accounts/a8d156497d964fb2ae2aae25580fe4d5/assets/79a33d5b11d14ca289587380f92e9eb6/renditions/1024.jpg?md=1298854017000

Comparing thickness with SIG P238
P238 is thinner but the MK9 is still comfortable IWB
http://api.photoshop.com/v1.0/accounts/a8d156497d964fb2ae2aae25580fe4d5/assets/6630125eb4754ff3a2e042a371245911/renditions/1024.jpg?md=1298854016000

You can see other firearm photos here (http://www.photoshop.com/users/photoman12001/albums/beab67592dd64153bbf497c3d339b558). There are some for comparison showing the MK9 next to the following: Glock 26, SIG P238, SIG P238 HD, SIG P239, S&W J-frame.

[CarlCyrus]

Very nice shooting.

With pistols it is all about the trigger. The smoother and crisper the better.

Carl

[eastenn]

really nice pictures, and thanks for sharing the link to the rest of your collection, very nice photos there as well. I like your p238 and p239. My last purchase was narrowed down to a p239 or a K40 and the 239 just seemed a little too wide for a single stack, but your pics make me want one again. Maybe a non-rail 229 would work.

[photoman12001]

really nice pictures, and thanks for sharing the link to the rest of your collection, very nice photos there as well. I like your p238 and p239. My last purchase was narrowed down to a p239 or a K40 and the 239 just seemed a little too wide for a single stack, but your pics make me want one again. Maybe a non-rail 229 would work.

I love my Nitron/Rosewood P238 but not the HD model. The HD slide is thicker which makes the gun about as thick as the MK9. I'd rather carry the 9mm of equal thickness.

The P239 is an awesome gun. I can't even really justify owning it with the other guns I own but I just can't ever see myself getting rid of it. It's really big for only carrying 8 rounds but it's more comfortable to carry than my Glock 26. It's utterly reliable, accurate and very comfortable in the hand. It's also my wife's favorite pistol. I got a really good deal on it due to a pricing mistake at the store. $330 for it brand new in 2004.

If you want one I don't think you'd regret buying it. It may be easier to justify in .40 S&W or .357 SIG if you're into those rounds. I'm not so mine is 9mm. If nothing else it's a great gun for the range or home defense.

[Bill K]

Are you a professional photographer? If not you ought to be! Oh, and nice work on getting your group moved over. :)

Bill K.

[Bill K]

Oops, just noticed your member name - should have clued me in on the pics. Duh!

Bill K.

[bonjorno2]

yeah, i am glad to read that, and those pics are really clean!

[onegun]

photoman - you do your screen name justice. Beautiful photos! That P239 is a super gun and the wrap around grips make it very comfortable to me. I'm a long time SIG fan. My P239 was in direct competition with my K9 Elite. The K9 won out because it just fit my hand better and was somewhat smaller.


really nice pictures, and thanks for sharing the link to the rest of your collection, very nice photos there as well. I like your p238 and p239. My last purchase was narrowed down to a p239 or a K40 and the 239 just seemed a little too wide for a single stack, but your pics make me want one again. Maybe a non-rail 229 would work.

One of my favorites - I carried a .40 for many years on the job. I prefer either 9mm or .45 so no longer own a .40 caliber. of course, they are a significantly larger handgun, being a double stack. Here's mine - wish my photos were half as good as photomans. It's since been converted to DAK and the short trigger replaced by standard one.
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t201/IkenI_photo/IMG_0633.jpg

[eastenn]

I love my Nitron/Rosewood P238 but not the HD model. The HD slide is thicker which makes the gun about as thick as the MK9. I'd rather carry the 9mm of equal thickness.

The P239 is an awesome gun. I can't even really justify owning it with the other guns I own but I just can't ever see myself getting rid of it. It's really big for only carrying 8 rounds but it's more comfortable to carry than my Glock 26. It's utterly reliable, accurate and very comfortable in the hand. It's also my wife's favorite pistol. I got a really good deal on it due to a pricing mistake at the store. $330 for it brand new in 2004.

If you want one I don't think you'd regret buying it. It may be easier to justify in .40 S&W or .357 SIG if you're into those rounds. I'm not so mine is 9mm. If nothing else it's a great gun for the range or home defense.

I'm not familiar enough with the p238 models to realize there was an HD model, but that makes sense. WOW, $330?? Did you buy all they had? I like 9mm just fine, actually my K40 is my first .40 and I said I would never get one after shooting 2 different glock 22's. Now that I have it I can shoot it adequately well so no regrets about it since I don't consider the K40 a range gun anyway, but I think from now on I'll stick to the 9. I haven't handled a p239 with the Hogue wrap arounds, but I think they look perfect on that gun.

onegun, ^ that's a nice 229. That is exactly how I would want mine set up with dak, non-rail, sas and 9mm. Looks like yours has night sights too, not a necessity to me but I wouldn't let it deter me..

[photoman12001]

Thanks for the photo compliments guys. I enjoy photography a lot. A big part of it is having the right equipment and a lot of patience.


I'm not familiar enough with the p238 models to realize there was an HD model, but that makes sense.

The HD model has a stainless steel frame instead of aluminum. I was really excited about it so I bought one right when they came out. The early ones had an issue where the slide would become rounded off by the slide catch when it locked open on an empty magazine. It started within just a few magazines. SIG's fix for this was to add more mass to the slide by making it wider. This would have been fine except the P238's thin profile held its appeal for me. No one but SIG's engineers understands why this had to be done on only the HD model.


WOW, $330?? Did you buy all they had?

I got the P239 from Dicks Sporting Goods after they bought out Galyans in Indiana. Dicks didn't sell handguns so they were liquidating the inventory Galyans had. The P239 had a price placard that belonged to a Springfield XD. It should have been $550 but by the time they caught the mistake all the checks and paperwork had been done so they let me have it. I intended to sell it for profit but made the mistake of shooting it. We've been good friends ever since.

[Snak3]

Awesome gun album Photoman!

[jocko]

the sig 238 is nice but I just can't see myself putting a single action in my pocket "cocked and locked"

ur camera work is outstanding. concerning that K40----PORT IT and then enjoy such a really fine gun. Ask the great one, he ported his K40..

[Snak3]

I've had a P239 as well as a P238 up until very recently. I'm getting my first Kahr this week, a PM9. It's nice to see a real comparison between the firearms I used to have, with the one I'm getting. I know it's an MK9, but it's basically the same dimensionally as a PM9.

Thanks man. By the way, I'm glad you like your pistol! Nothing is more frustrating than paying good money for something that just pisses you off.

[eastenn]

hey photoman, I know you said you don't really pocket carry but do you have any opinion on the j-frame opposed to the mk9? I pocket carry a j-frame sometimes and with some pants it seems as the pockets just aren't hardly deep enough. Do you feel the mk9 would sit deeper or no noticable difference? Also, do you have any other comparison pics of the mk9 and smith besides what's in your album?

[photoman12001]

hey photoman, I know you said you don't really pocket carry but do you have any opinion on the j-frame opposed to the mk9? I pocket carry a j-frame sometimes and with some pants it seems as the pockets just aren't hardly deep enough. Do you feel the mk9 would sit deeper or no noticable difference? Also, do you have any other comparison pics of the mk9 and smith besides what's in your album?

I just slipped both into my pants pocket and dimensionally the Kahr is easier to carry. The Smith's handle is sticks down quite a bit more than the Kahr's. The 351's handle stuck out of my pocket where the MK9's did not. The Kahr is a lot heavier though so I would think the pants would need to be constructed of a heavy material to comfortably carry the MK9 and properly conceal it.

The S&W 351PD is a lot lighter than the MK9 so it wins in that department. But the 351 is lighter than a lot of other aluminum-framed J-frames because even its cylinder is aluminum. If your J-frame has a steel cylinder the MK9's extra weight probably won't be as noticeable or it may not even be heavier. I sold my S&W model 442 so I can't compare them. Of course you may have a Scandium or Titanium frame/cylinder that's closer to the 351's weight. The 351 is only .22WMR so that light weight doesn't mean harsh recoil.

I don't have any other comparison photos but I can take some if you let me know what you'd like to see.

[eastenn]

Hm, thank you for that information. That definitely helps. My 442 weights 15 oz, mk9 is 24 oz, pm9 16 oz with mag. I like the steel guns and the classy look of the mk but looks like the pm or cm will be much more practical for pocket carry at 2/3 the weight empty.

No need in taking more photos, your explanation was good enough for me. Thanks!

[aray]

You may modestly chalk it up to the right equipment but I know a lot more than that goes into it. It takes staging, knowing how to do the right lighting, and a sense of artistry. None of which I have, of course, but I can recognize and appreciate it in others.

Darned nice photos. You have the gift.

[photoman12001]

Hm, thank you for that information. That definitely helps. My 442 weights 15 oz, mk9 is 24 oz, pm9 16 oz with mag. I like the steel guns and the classy look of the mk but looks like the pm or cm will be much more practical for pocket carry at 2/3 the weight empty.

No need in taking more photos, your explanation was good enough for me. Thanks!

I'd agree with you. I prefer steel too but polymer is better for the pocket.




You may modestly chalk it up to the right equipment but I know a lot more than that goes into it. It takes staging, knowing how to do the right lighting, and a sense of artistry. None of which I have, of course, but I can recognize and appreciate it in others.

Darned nice photos. You have the gift.

Thank you, you're too kind. Lighting does have a lot to do with it but it takes a lot of trial and error for me. For every photo I post 6 don't make the cut.

[eastenn]

Last night when doing a search to find out the weight of the 351 pd I think I ran across your gun again in a review on digitalperspective. Just great, now I can add that to my want list...nice review by the way.

[photoman12001]

Last night when doing a search to find out the weight of the 351 pd I think I ran across your gun again in a review on digitalperspective. Just great, now I can add that to my want list...nice review by the way.

Yeah that's my website. If you can find a deal on a 351PD I'd recommend getting one. Mine has seen a lot of use and I've really enjoyed it.

[MP3Mogul]

I just got my new MK9 today, haven't got it to the range yet, but I will very soon.