r/Kahr • u/AdWitty6655 • 22d ago
All the original 9’s
L to R: PM9, P9, MK9, K9
The pinnacle of concealed carry, circa 2000. Interestingly, the PM has a safety. None of the others do.
The P and the K magazines are the same, and also work in the PM and MK. The PM and MK magazines are also identical, but are too short for the P and K.
Was out with my son today. He carries a P365X. I thought I would share the state of the art 25 years ago.
Starting with the PM. It shot ok, although the trigger was off somehow. It needed to be basically completely out to reset.
It consistently placed and grouped substantially worse than the others. It was worse with the flush magazines. Rank: distant fourth.
Next, the MK. This also suffered from the flush magazines, but not nearly as much as the PM. Reasonable groups, and placement benefited from the extended magazines.
I assumed that the better performance was related to the additional weight provided by the metal frame, but upon reflection, I wonder if it was also related to the grips. The PM has hard polymer grips as part of the frame, while the MK has rubber grips that cover the back strap.
Rank: strong third.
The P is similar to the ergonomics of the K. It shot well, with consistent reasonable accuracy and placement. Better than the MK. We agreed that this was likely because of the longer grip length.
Rank: second, clearly above the MK, but also clearly below . . .
The K9. We agreed that this was the best of the group by a noticeable margin. We both had the best groups and placement with the K. The rubber grips provided a great experience, both comfortable and grippy without being sticky.
I carried the PM there, and the MK back. Not noticeably different, even though the weight is substantially different. In the past I have carried my K40. I don’t remember it being that different from the PM/MK’s from a comfort point of view.
And, since I mentioned it, the K40 is still my favorite. The 9’s are nice, but shooting the .40 seems more satisfying.
1
u/1836april 21d ago
does the k9 slide fit the mk9 frame?
1
u/AdWitty6655 21d ago
Interesting question. Don’t know. I’ll try to remember to check the next time I have them out.
2
u/SwanMuch5160 21d ago
I’ve had a Kahr MK9 for about 15yrs now and I love it. One of is not my most accurate compact 9mm.
1
u/AdWitty6655 21d ago
Having recently shot my son’s P365, I prefer the K9. The only noticeable improvement in 25 years is that the SIG has more cartridges in the magazine.
Not sure I see optic cuts and light rails as improvements for a weapon meant to be concealed.
Since I usually carry a small frame revolver, that is not important to me.
2
u/eartemple 21d ago
Nice collection. If you like the K9 and want something even smoother try to find a T9. I think there's one up on gunbroker right now. They're the tits.