Which to Carry-K9 or PM9?

[Cartman]

Hello All, I am in the fortunate position of owning both these guns. I did an impulse buy on a K9 that I found at a "can't skip this" price. I didn't do any research or anything, I had owned a CW9 for a time before selling it, and I figured I couldn't lose going up the Kahr food chain. Fast forward a few weeks and I stumble into some unexpected funds...I go to the local Gun Show and find a NIB PM9 for $600. It was so light, and after I googled the price, I knew it was a great deal, so I bought it. Now I carry the PM9 due to the weight difference, but I hate looking at that sweet K9 languishing in the safe while I carry the PM9 - So I'm asking what I assume is a very biased group :D What is the argument for a heavier K-9 over a PM9?

[jlottmc]

Well let's see, there's the round advantage, not much there, but still. Then there is the fact that the K9 is easier to shoot fast (added weight, less felt recoil). The longer sight radius (easier to line shots, more accuracy). How about a more consistent trigger pull (lack of flex in the frame at the pivot point). Or maybe the K9 fits the hand better? Then again, the PM9 is small and light enough to make a dandy pocket gun. That's what I got, but then again, I like my calibers to start with a 4 (357 is the only exception). Try on a P45 and see if you don't just solve the problem right there.

[10Kahrs]

PM9 in the summer and K9 for the winter

[Cartman]

Thanks for the responses. I live in Fort Lauderdale, so summer lasts pretty much all year! That's why the PM9 keeps getting the nod since it hides so well in a t-shirt environment and sweating is such an issue...you're right about that grip on the K9 though, no gun has ever felt that good in my hand.

[Narkcop]

I'd pick the K-9 EXCEPT during summer months (June,July,August). Real hot weather I'd pick an LCP. Oops thats not one of the choices.

[bonjorno2]

k9 iwb pm9 front pocket! why reload when you can draw another gun?

[cmazzac]

I'd pick the K-9 EXCEPT during summer months (June,July,August). Real hot weather I'd pick an LCP. Oops thats not one of the choices.

Have to second that one.... I got a pm40 and an lcp and recently i havent carried the pm40 hardly at all, I feel bad for the little guy.

[wyntrout]

I have all of those and I just ordered Laser Grips for my K9 to complement its newly replaced Trijicons. I expect to play with it more and still carry the P380 most of the time. I thought I would be carrying the PM45 a lot, but that beautiful little P380 is just so tiny, and still powerful enough for "light duty." It's the gun I don't leave at home because it's too heavy.

Wynn:)

[Cartman]

Great...I have been focused on making a PM45 my next aquisition and now you get visions of the P380 dancing in my head...

[Bawanna]

Great...I have been focused on making a PM45 my next aquisition and now you get visions of the P380 dancing in my head...

I'd fight that urge. Why carry 12 extra mags or shoot 6 times when once from the PM45 will get the job done.

I wouldn't trade my PM45 for 6 P380's. No way, no how..........

If you want to go tiny, get one of them NAA mini revolvers maybe even 22 mag. Smaller and just as effective.

[jocko]

not that a PM45 is on the horizon for this 9mm shooter but no doubt I would not trade any kahr I owned for a P380.

damn, I just admitted to backing up what the great one just stated. Gages me to have to say that.

[kahrseye]

I second that emotion..... it's better to be over armed than under armed.

[onegun]

to me, it depends on how you carry it. My PM9s were great guns, and for pocket carry they were much better than the K9. I thought they were a little large for my pockets, but they worked. For any other way of carry I find the K9 superior. I mostly carry IWB or in a Kangaroo holster and the little K9 just disappears.

As far as the P380 goes, I scratched that itch.

[Mr.Kahr]

K9 all the way....:D

[mad1ben2]

...I thought I would be carrying the PM45 a lot, but that beautiful little P380 is just so tiny, and still powerful enough for "light duty." It's the gun I don't leave at home because it's too heavy.

Wynn:)

I'm with Wynn on this... as the weather finally turns hotter I find myself grabbing the P380 (w/ Buffalo Bore) for IWB or pocket carry. The PM9 and P40 covert aren't that much bigger (especially for IWB carry), but I still find the P380 with me more and more... now in the colder months it gets treated like the red-headed step child... :)

What's even more strange is that I find myself hardly ever carrying the PM9 over the P40C because they are basically the same size and I feel under-gunned with the 9mm when I could carry the 40 in the same size gun... but when I carry the 380 I don't feel under-gunned... I guess it's the size/caliber trade off that makes me comfortable with the 380 but uncomfortable with the 9mm. Told you it was strange (or maybe I'm just strange!)

[I_Like_Turtles]

I have all of those and I just ordered Laser Grips for my K9 to complement its newly replaced Trijicons. I expect to play with it more and still carry the P380 most of the time. I thought I would be carrying the PM45 a lot, but that beautiful little P380 is just so tiny, and still powerful enough for "light duty." It's the gun I don't leave at home because it's too heavy.

Wynn:)

Waking up an old thread here but why do you find the PM45 "too heavy?"

I have been carrying the CW45 with a load of 230 grainers plus spare 1911 8-shot mag on the belt and I don't really notice it. How do you carry your PM45?

[topgun1953]

Waking up an old thread here but why do you find the PM45 "too heavy?"

I have been carrying the CW45 with a load of 230 grainers plus spare 1911 8-shot mag on the belt and I don't really notice it. How do you carry your PM45?

I'll let wyntrout answer directly. I can relate though. That P380 is so thin and light. Its not that my other choices are too heavy, in some circumstances the 380 is the go to, while the "heavier" guns stay at home. I have a CM45 that I don't think I've ever carried. If I'm going out somewhere, the P365 comes with me. If I have gym shorts on, the p380 goes into my pocket nicely or inside the waistband without giving me the feeling its going to flop out. One of these days I'll carry the CM45 or K9, just because I'm getting bored with the P365, but I think 10+1 of HST is a potent package, even if the CM45 does, indeed makes big holes!

[I_Like_Turtles]

I'll let wyntrout answer directly. I can relate though. That P380 is so thin and light. Its not that my other choices are too heavy, in some circumstances the 380 is the go to, while the "heavier" guns stay at home. I have a CM45 that I don't think I've ever carried. If I'm going out somewhere, the P365 comes with me. If I have gym shorts on, the p380 goes into my pocket nicely or inside the waistband without giving me the feeling its going to flop out. One of these days I'll carry the CM45 or K9, just because I'm getting bored with the P365, but I think 10+1 of HST is a potent package, even if the CM45 does, indeed makes big holes!

Maybe that's it....I exclusively wear khaki pants, no shorts unless I am at the gym or swimming and I won't be armed at those times.

I used to want all the capacity I could get but not anymore.

[DavidR]

If you install a Magguts kit the K9 only gives up 2 rounds to the 365.

[5.56x24]

There doesn't see to be a lotta love for the P380 and that's not surprising considering its reputation for functional problems out the box, and that was my initial experience as well. Mine would not repeatedly chamber rounds nor cleanly eject. As for wasting 200 rounds to see if it improved, I don't have that much life left. The first thing to understand about Kahr pistols is the design is great and quality and dimensional accuracy of the parts is excellent. Kahr falls short in the quality control department. Since the P380 was my first Kahr I didn't know how the gun was supposed to "spec" in terms of how the parts interact, so I examined the feed problem and discovered the extractor spring was too long - so long that when compressed behind the slide cover it was a near solid column. Kahr's oversize extractor claw could not move laterally to allow the cartridge rims to feed. After clipping two coils the extractor suddenly had movement and the little gun chambers anything loaded without a hitch. That gun went from safe queen to reliable carry piece and had Kahr done their due diligence during assembly the problem would never have existed.

As to carry caliber....when it comes to a SD pistol doing the job of stopping an aggressor, the .380 has a good a track record as the 9mm and .45 auto. The goal is to first not fire a shot. Secondarily, once a shot is fired, the party breaks up REAL QUICK with the aggressor heading back to mommy's house, and third, whether someone goes down on the spot or 10 feet away is, or makes it out the door isn't the POINT of SD shooting...the fact that they broke off contact is. As far as lethality goes, a .380 size bullet to the aorta, head, eye socket, neck, etc has exactly the same effect as does a 9mm or .45 bullet. Put another way, a .45 slug to the abdomen of a "rotund" person has no greater effect than a .380 bullet in the same spot. Hollowpoint or FMJ - irrelevant, with an FMJ if the bullet goes clean through then one thing you KNOW for sure is it passed through everything it encountered along the way. An expanding bullet may be in there somewhere, stopped short of a vital strike...leading to another little corollary: A hit to a vital spot with a FMJ is no less effective than a hit with an expanding bullet, and, a hit to a NON-vital spot is no more effective with an expanding bullet than with an FMJ.

Concealment isn't just about dimensions, it's far more about weight. I can and have, carried my Five-seveN in the front pocket of a pair of cargo pants - the gun is so light it doesn't even drag down the pocket, and it's size makes it fit the pocket perfectly, like a purpose designed holster! A P380 weighs under 10 ounces empty compared to a PM45 at just under 20 ounce empty! Stoked with 6 rounds of much heavier ammo, the PM45 comes in around 26 ounces - several ounces heavier than a fully loaded FsN carrying 21 high-lethality missiles on tap! The P380 with seven rounds comes in around 13 ounces! Whereas the PM45 demands a sturdy carry solution, the P380 can be carried tucked in between belt and band in nothing more exotic than a few layers of folded paper! The P380 can also be carried clipped to suspenders worn beneath the outer shirt, or in a back pocket with wallet-fold.

Not to completely disrespect the PM45, but I carry a PM40 instead. It's smaller still, lighter, holds the same number of shots and nothing on planet earth can tell the difference between a hit from a .400" carrying 413 (chrono'd) lb-ft of energy versus a .451" bullet carrying 310 lb-ft of energy.

[oldjarhead]

Which do you shoot best? If no difference, and comfort is the only reason, you can carry either comfortably, as long you have a sturdy, stiff gun belt, and a high quality holster.

[Scott321]

...

Not to completely disrespect the PM45, but I carry a PM40 instead. It's smaller still, lighter, holds the same number of shots and nothing on planet earth can tell the difference between a hit from a .400" carrying 413 (chrono'd) lb-ft of energy versus a .451" bullet carrying 310 lb-ft of energy.

I sometimes carry a 40, but it's usually the 45. I shoot my CW45 and PM45 better than my CW40. Different strokes...

To the OP, I carry the CM9 when that's as big as I can conceal. However, the K9 feels better in hand, and for most occasions, I don't have an issue concealing/carrying it... although I usually grab the PM45 instead (it's about the same size as the K9).

[King Rat]

I tend to look at guns not as just EDC but also EDL. Every Day Carry or Every Day Lug. Do not get me wrong, I would love to own the K9. But not for carrying around all day long. I shoot the CM 9 proficiently so that would be my choice. That said, 95% of the time, I will be carrying a Pico or Kahr. Both of which I feel very confident in, for shooting skills, ballistics, reliability etc. I also carry a minimalist wallet. Weight matters. And I love good concealment.

[DavidR]

I tend to look at guns not as just EDC but also EDL.

Same here. With only a couple of exceptions (M&P FS9 4.25 inch and Ruger SP101 3 inch) all of my pistols can be carried either IWB at 1:00 or in the pocket).

That being said, I can carry my P9 at 1:00 and I’m not sure how much the extra weight of a K9 matters.

[O'Dell]

I agree Bawanna. I lost my PM45 in the burglary, but I bought a CM45 later, and carry it about 90% of the time. The PM9 is handy if I have to use a pocket carry and I really, really like the MK40, but it's hard to ignore that big 45 ACP.

[O'Dell]

Wow, I didn't realize this thread was that old. Sorry!!

[Bawanna]

It was resurrected so it's not that old. Nice shooting.

[I_Like_Turtles]

I ordered a Mitch Rosen Express Line Thumb Break from Kahr.com a couple weeks ago for my (new-2-me) K9. I'll let you guys know how it works out as a carry piece. I still have to test shoot and practice with it though before I'll carry it.

[Zeke38]

Enjoy your K9, good holster and a sturdy belt help. Don't forget the mag pouch as I had a dickens of a time finding one that the slim little 9mm mags fit in. Found it at G&G.

[Scott321]

A good belt and holster makes a big difference. Any change often takes some time to get used to. However, with a good setup, you can be comfortable with most firearms. My heaviest setup is with a S&W 66, and I don't even notice carrying it now. The K9 is a breeze to carry with a proper belt.