The mini-me 9mm wars are officially in full swing. You can bury that piss-ant little .380 of yours, throw down five Benjamins (more or less) and pocket a new Karh Arms CM9. Or a Ruger LC9. Or a new SIG nine. Or a Kimber Solo nine. Or wait until small .40s become all the rage. Or .45s. Smith and Wesson .500s. Yes the CCW world is its own little universe, complete with a Big Bang theory. And we all know how that turns out: what’s big becomes small again. Meanwhile, you gotta wonder about Kahr’s flirtation with cannibalism. Why spend the extra $230ish on a PM9 when most small gun shooters can’t hit squat beyond bad breath distances anyway? Here’s Kahr’s tune:
Kahr Arms is pleased to kick off their newest series of Kahr pistols, the CM series. The new line begins with the Kahr CM9093 which is based off of Kahr’s most popular 3″ barrel 9mm model the PM9093.
The CM Series takes the value priced features from Kahr’s CW series (3.6″ Barrel 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP models) and incorporates these features into a smaller 3″ barrel package. The CM9093 has the same external dimensions as the PM9093 which make it ideal for concealed carry by licensed civilians and law enforcement personnel.
The CM9093 is chambered in a 9×19 caliber, has a 3.0″ barrel and an overall length of 5.3″, with a height of 4.0″. The pistol weighs in at 14 ounces plus 1.9 ounces for the 6 round stainless steel magazine. Differences between the CM models and PM models are that the CM9093 has a conventional rifled barrel instead of the match grade polygonal barrel on Kahr’s PM series; the CM slide stop lever is MIM (metal-injection-molded) instead of machined; the CM series slide has fewer machining operations and uses simple engraved markings instead of roll marking and finally the CM series are shipped with one magazine instead of two.
Kahr’s seven patents are incorporated into the CM9093 resulting in benefits not available in other compact semiautomatics on the market today.
The black polymer frame features patented 4140 steel inserts molded into the frame in the front and back for added rigidity and strength which can withstand firing thousands of rounds. Kahr’s incomparable cocking cam trigger system employs a patented cam to both unlock the firing pin block (passive safety) and complete cocking and releasing of the firing pin.
The system provides a “safe-cam action” and unbelievably smooth double action only trigger stroke, fast to fire in critical defensive situations. Many lower cost compact semiautomatic handguns on the market today did not have firing pin blocks in their design.
Kahr’s two patents covering the offset recoil lug and the trigger bar attachment allow Kahr’s barrel to fit lower in the frame and since there is no hammer the shooter’s hand is further up the grip resulting in less felt recoil and quick follow-up shots. The CM9 boasts real sights which are drift adjustable in the rear and a pinned-in polymer front sight featuring a white bar-dot configuration. Finally the slide does lock back after firing the last round – another feature missing on a number of lower cost compact semiautomatic pistols.
The CM9 slide is only .90-inches wide and is machined from solid 416 stainless stel with a matte finish. Each gun is shipped with a single 6 round stainless steel magazine with a flush baseplate. Magazines are made in the USA, plasma welded, tumbled to remove burrs, and feature Wolff Gunsprings. The magazine catch in the polymer frame is all metal and will not wear out on the stainless steeel magazine after extended use.
Kahr offers the CM series at a great value price but did not compromise on the features, accuracy, or reliability found in all Kahr pistols.
Kahr CM9 Specifications
| Caliber | 9mm |
| Capacity | 6+1 |
| Action | Double action with Browning style recoil lug |
| Overall Length | 5.3″ |
| Overall Height | 4″ |
| Slide Width | 0.9″ |
| Overall Weight | 14 ounces (unloaded) |
| Finish | Black polymer frame, matte 416 stainless steel slide |
| Sights | Drift adjustable white bar-dot combat sights |
More concerning:
What’s this trend of shipping guns with only one magazine?
Roger that. I mean, Ruger that. LC9 came with one mag.
I’m sure that both Kahr and Ruger would be more than happy to charge you $40 for an extra.
That is one thing I do like about Glock, Beretta, plus 1911 and AR-15 clones.
All Glocks within the same caliber use the same mags (for the most part)
Beretta makes different models that use the same mag (92 and PX4, maybe others)
1911 and AR-15 goes without saying.
Generally magazines for these guns are less expensive too.
Has anyone shot one of these? Accurately? At greater than arm’s length? Or am I asking too much?
And oooo, lookit. I made me one of them avatar things.
I can’t say anything about the newest version but if it’s anything like my PM and MK 9’s, it is very accurate well beyond arms length. They were my off-duty/backup guns and I had to qualify with them just as I qualified with my regular uniform duty gun before I retired. I routinely shot a possible with both little guns which included 6 rounds from 25 yards in 15 seconds and 12 rounds with a reload at 15 yards in 30 seconds. Not exactly IPSC time constraints but the Kahrs are damned accurate!
You seem . . . conflicted.
Only about which one to grab if I can only take one! 🙂
As an extremely happy owner of a CW9, I would expect this is a wonderful gun as well. The major strengths of he CW are its trigger and its reliability. Given Kahr’s reputation, I’m sure the CM is no different.
As for the cannibalism factor, Kahr probably didn’t think they had much of a choice. With the proliferation of small 9s, the PM, as well-regarded as it is, is expensive at about $650. There are just too many good new competitors for two or three fewer bills.
As much much as I like the CW, I’m lusting for a CM. The only problem I’ve had with the CW is that it’s a ‘tweener. It’s not a full size 9 (larger, duty-type gun that holds 15 rounds or so) and it’s too large for a comfortable carry gun…at least for me. So while it goes against my upbringing to sell a gun, I may trade my trusty CW for a CM. Can’t wait to check one out in person.
I mostly see women shooting these lil toy guns, and their lucky if they hit the giant cardboard that holds the target. Most of the guys complain that these “toy guns” don’t fit their hands, so they have no interest in shooting them. I guess if the badguy is two feet in front of you and he stands still, you might have a chance if you empty the gun into him.
Wait a second, maybe you should go shooting with realy woman. Most of the woman I have gone shooting with can out shoot the men. My CM9 dows quite nice at 25 yards! Very happy with it!
You can bury that piss-ant little .308 of yours
A pistol chambered for .308? Where can I get one? 😉
(I make that kind of typo all the time….)
It’s .50 BMG for me or it’s nothin’ baby.
(Or dude, I guess, but “baby” sounds more snide.)
http://www.atlanticfirearms.com/storeproduct929.aspx
Here you go. Doesn’t seem that small though.
According to Wikipedia, the overall length of a .50 BMG cartridge is, at 5.45″, longer than the entire CM9 pistol.
Would you prefer domestic and very illegal
http://airbornecombatengineer.typepad.com/airborne_combat_engineer/2005/01/the_maadi_griff.html
Or imported (and I’m rather certain also very illegal)?
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2009/11/23/wts-50-bmg-pistol/
Neat!
And fun for the kids, no doubt!
Did you mean piss-ant little .380, or piss-ant little .308? I mean, there are certainly more powerful cartridges available than .308 Winchester, but I’ve never before heard an XP-100 described as a little piss-ant.
You guys crack me up. Vous me crackez.
Look at the bright side; if not for that typo, some of us might never have heard of the Maadi-Griffin .50 BMG pistol. 😉
Jeff O. provided the memory trigger. Always glad to share an odd bit of trivia with someone else.
“Puissant,” yes; “piss-ant,” not so much….
Is it just me or are Kahr’s crap? I fired a Kahr 9mm over the weekend and it had the sloppiest trigger I’ve ever experienced and did not have a reset point.
Terrible. I’m considering refusing to take students if they own a Kahr.
Are they crap? No, they’re not. They’re actually very well made, and in my experience, very reliable. I have never, ever had a non-ammo related malfunction with my MK or PM 9’s. I made it a point during qualification to shoot the guns just as I carried them, just to see what would have happened when I pulled the trigger for the first time had I really needed them. They fired first time, every time and continued to fire through the whole first magazine. I can’t say that about other pocket guns that would come to the line.
No reset point? Yes, it’s more akin to a double-action revolver action than a traditional semi-auto. Once you know how it works, it’s no problem whatsoever. I can still shoot quarter-second splits with ease.
Not sure how to address the “sloppiest” remark. Not sure what that means. My two are very smooth and once you get used to the revolver-type action, very quick.
What Ken said. Kahrs have one of the best DAO triggers you’ll find. They feel like a quality wheel gun trigger. Long, silky smooth take-up. It’s as good a DAO auto-pistol trigger as you’ll find.
Sorry, but this trigger is nothing like a traditional double action revolver. It is sloppy long and “squishy” to the break. Glock is a d/a trigger as well but really is silky smooth with a tight reset.
Maybe it comes down to preferences but this is a crap gun IMHO.
And the Kahr Wars continues. I would love to have a PM9 but they are a bit pricey for me and I lean toward the dark side of Kel-tec gray.. There is no way I want a .40 in these small rigs. The .40 is stout out of the G23/229 size guns, so I can imagine how it is in the small frames.
I can’t wait for the S&W 500 pocket pistol.
Any pistol sold in here in Massachusetts comes equipped with the famous “Massachusetts trigger” that requires a winch to operate. Couple that with a teeny-weeny pistol and you have a gun that is totally inaccurate. I’d love to have a subcompact nine, and I will — just as soon as I can get my ass out of the People’s Kommonwealth. Until then, park the Kahr and leave the engine running.
As to this mini guns smallness, and the ability to hit beyond arms length, here’s a pic of a Kahr K9 and a target.
Note the aiming aid on the side of the Kahr.
The Kahr K9 is 6″ long and the barrel is 3.5″, so it’s not very big.
When I shoot, I shoot as fast as I can point my index finger at a target and pull the trigger, point-n-pull, point-0n-pull….. (Yes I use my index finger to aim the gun, and pull the trigger with my middle finger. And I usually shoot 1 handed.)
Four of the five hits can be covered with a dollar bill, so the next time you have a dollar bill in your hand, put it up to you chest and imaging four 9 mm’s going through it.
http://www.pointshooting.com/kahr1.jpg
http://www.pointshooting.com/kahrtarg.jpg
When I go to the range I usually use a rental, so I usually am shooting a specific gun for the first time. My results are not always as good, but they certainly are OK.
The Kel Tec ships with only 1 magazine, but at least it’s a bit cheaper. Like $300 cheaper.
I am waiting for North American Arms to produce a .50 BMG Derringer…
BTW I found a couple more pics of .50BMG single shot pistols.
http://img436.imageshack.us/img436/2671/50bmghandgun21vr.jpg
http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/4097/50bmghandgun1hk.jpg
I’d never seen nor heard of the ‘Thunder’. Learn sumthin’ new everyday…
Thanks!
As usual, overpriced!
Any firearm costing more than $300 is always described by someone as “overpriced”. If you want inexpensive, go over to the Hi Point section at the gun store, or carry a rimfire handgun. The Kahr PM9 is pricy. The CM9 price is right in the mix with other, similar offerings.
I had been struggling with so many options for a pocket nine and think after reading tons of reviews and handling many offerings that the CM9 is my choice. Going back to the gun store tomorrow to pick one up.
In the heat of the moment, my associate gave me her Black Rose PM9 and I successfully made a head shot from approximately 30 feet. Once the drama was over, and while relaxing on holiday, I purchased a ‘manly’ PM9 and it’s younger brother, the CM9. Both have tested magnificently. I see no difference in the two. I now carry one in the shoulder holster and the other in a small-o-the-back rig.