Year to features?

[Bug Splat]

Is there anywhere that lists out what year models had all SS slide and frame and what had chrome plating? Also when were the older rubber grips stopped?

It took a long time but I finally found an older K40 with the rubber grips. Bought it and its in jail for another week. I'd like to know more about it. Serial begins with DF0xxx and from the serial list it looks like it was made in 98.

Thanks

[Bug Splat]

Wow, no one?

[Bawanna]

I wish I could help ya but I don't got a good answer for ya. I have a K40 about that vintage, don't recall my serial number. It originally was all black.

An email to Kahr might give some good answers and then you could be the smartest man alive and share it with the rest of us?

[Bug Splat]

:( I though you of all people would know too. Oh well, I just sent them an email. I'll post whatever info I get.

thanks

[Bug Splat]

No dice....


Good afternoon. Thank you for the question. Unfortunately we do not
have any such list of when things began and when things ended. I apologize
for any inconvenience.
sincerely,
Jay
Kahr Customer Service

[Bawanna]

Well I was feeling like pond scum for letting ya down but I feel a little better since they don't have an answer either.

I think the records and serialization have been a little unclear or out of sequence. I'm sure there's a time line of what improvements or changes were made in order if not by dates etc.

There's tons of stuff to remember in the gun world and I don't have 10% of the answers.

[Bug Splat]

HAHA no I don't feel letdown. I've been searching for a long time myself and found next to nothing. If Kahr does not have an idea then no one would. I'm sure it could all be tracked using internal emails by Kahr but I don't expect them to put that much work into something that will net them zero revenue. From what I have seen Kahr was not widely known until their P-series came out. Their sales of early K models was by a small niche market. Making a finish change was probably done after a quick meeting. When your market and inventory is low its easy to make quick right-hand turns on product changes.

I'll admit that I'm sad there are no replacement rubber grips. Took me a long time to track down a K40 with them on. People who own the older K40's don't seem to want to give them up. I was stupid to sell mine many years ago. Glad I have a K40 back. It has been missed more than any firearm I have sold.

[Bawanna]

Yeah I love the rubber grips, I almost got talked out of mine once but I'm glad I resisted. I'm surprised that Hogue who I believe made them originally isn't making them again since Kahr went to the harder plastic.
I could see them making them exclusively for Kahr as long as they were in production but once they changed it seems Hogue could sell themselves like all the other aftermarket grips.
I'm a wood guy but those old rubber grips were close to perfect.

[ripley16]

I don't recall ever hearing about a chrome Kahr. Black carbon steel, stainless, several black stainless and nickle are the only finishes I've read of and seen. Was there a chromed model? Would you post a photo of this one please?

I thought Hogue produced the grips from day one. Is that not so?

[Bawanna]

"I thought Hogue produced the grips from day one. Is that not so?"

I believe this to be true but I have no proof to back it up.

Not sure on the other. I thought my black K40 was carbon steel but it has stainless etched in the frame like with a vibro marker?
I had the slide replaced shortly after new since it was peening. They were waiting for another black slide, I asked about stainless and they had them and I had it the very next day. Free.

[Bug Splat]

I don't recall ever hearing about a chrome Kahr. Black carbon steel, stainless, several black stainless and nickle are the only finishes I've read of and seen. Was there a chromed model? Would you post a photo of this one please?

I thought Hogue produced the grips from day one. Is that not so?

See, I'm not sure about the whole Chrome slide either. I have never seen one but I have read a few account of the slide finish "chipping". Word is at some point the slides were chrome plated but no one knows the year. I don't want a chrome plated anything (although some small internal parts are). The SS is great and takes a polish very easily. I plan to polish my flats like I did with my first K40. My goal was to avoid these slides. Not having a serial number history list, I spent a lot of time looking VERY closely at the pistols online. The one thing that I did figure out was that the older Kahr with the rubber grips were most likely not plated. Thats why I spent so long searching for a K40 with rubber grips. The grips are super nice but they also weeded out the slide that might have been plated. Got a lot of dead air over the phone when I asked sellers if the grips were soft. Funny question to ask but it was the only way I could know which gun the guys were selling.

[ltxi]

I sorta remember Kahr dabbling in plating the carbon steel for a bit before deciding to go stainless. Maybe tomorrow I'll care enough to look into it further...or perhaps I'll just watch more football instead.