Defense Carry Pistol?
Which would be better a Kahr PM40 or a Kahr PM9?
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I would personally take the 9mm, it does not have the stopping power of the 40 s&w, but it also does not have the recoil of the 40, that lack of extra recoil will enable you to make faster follow up shots, along with that if your more comfortable shooting the pistol you will practice with it more often and you know what they say, practice makes better 0 -
This is a thinly veiled .40S&W vs. 9mm debate. That, I'm afraid, is a debate that has been raging for a while now.
There are good arguments to both sides of the stopping power debate, so here are some additional/other thoughts to consider:
price of ammo. 9mm is generally cheaper, and not insignificantly so.
availability of ammo. 40S&W was the only box of ammo on the shelf at any store I visited during the last ammo shortage. Both are generally widely available.
report. 40S&W has a generally louder/sharper report.
Magazine capacity. Generally 1-2 more rounds of 9mm in comparably size mags.
recoil. Slight edge on recoil (lower) to 9mm, which generally makes it easier to shoot.
weight. of both the gun and the ammo. For the kahr there is a slight edge to the PM9. The fully loaded PM40 will be heavier than a fully loaded PM9, and not necessarily insignificantly so considering this is for carry.
cost of pistol. the PM9 will generally be found cheaper.0 -
Shoot both calibers if possible. I personally would go with the 9 though. Light little plastic framed pistol like that in a .40 would be ugly and virtually uncontrollable in a panic situation.
I have a G 27 Glock in .40 that weighs about 6 ozs more then the Kahr, in rapid fire it's a handfull and hard to keep on COM unless your up close.
Keltec made a almost the same pistol, weight wise years ago. It was their .40 caliber version of the P 11. They dropped it because of functioning problems due to it's light weight, vis a vis the hard recoiling .40 S & W cartridge.0 -
For me this isn't a hard choice at all.
Itty bitty pistol is going to work better in 9mm, for all the reasons listed above: less recoil, lower cost of ammo, higher capacity. Smaller overall dimensions of the 9mm cartridge also tend to make it more reliable feeding/extracting in a small pistol with limited slide throw.
I've shot the Kahr in 9mm, and I'd say recoil is pretty brisk. Its not intolerable, but in that panic situation, I'd rather have a little less recoil and a few more rounds on tap.
Note that .40SW isn't THAT much more powerful than 9mm luger.
Also note that 9mm luger is a good bit MORE powerful than .38 special +P from a snubnose with similar weight bullets (124 grain 9mm vs 125 grain .38s). 9mm is nothing to sneeze at.
On the Kel-Tec P40, I've shot it, and I've found it to be literally the most unpleasant pistol I've ever fired. The severe recoil snap, combined with the boxy roughly-checkered two-finger grip just makes it exceptionally harsh on the hands when shooting. Plus, as mentioned, not only is the gun itself prone to jamming, but the super-stiff recoil spring also makes it fairly hard to clear a jam too!
I'd say the Kahr is a better gun than the P11/P40, though I won't buy one because of corporate ownership issues with the manufacturer.
On the other hand the Kel-Tec PF-9 is quite nice, plus you can't beat the price. If you're looking at micro-tiny 9mms its probably worthwhile to take a look at the Walther PPS too.0 -
The .40 0 -
I may be biased since I am a new and proud owner of a new Springfield Armory XD-40 but that is what I would recommend over the Kahr PM40 or PM9! The XD-40 gives you the convenience of shooting 9mm, .357Sig and .40S&W by just purchasing the 9mm and .357Sig barrels and installing them and the correct magazine when you are ready to shoot in that configuration (caliber)! Besides, the SA XD-40 will cost you $100 to $200 less than the PM40 or the PM9. 0 -
I have a pm 40, I really like it! 0 -
I notice you left out lightweight, 5-shot 38 Special+P snubbies...always a good consideration as there is so little to go wrong with them in comparison to an autoloader.
Having said that, I cannot argue with Huntsman on this one. I have been exhaustively researching a line of pistols to be used in a concealed carry class and the XD's are coming out on top. Caliber conversion is a large part of this as we want to outfit all calibers for each gun and train the people in the caliber of their choice. Lots to be said for the Croation Sensation.
If I had to stay with the two you listed, I would go the 40 route. Bigger holes. I am fairly big (6'2", 230) so the recoil does not bother me; make sure it doesn't bother you.0 -
I would go with neither. I would go with the 45 version. I have shot one, and while brisk, it is not unmanageable. It is a little bigger, but not that much for what you are going to gain. I would ultimately prefer you find someplace where you can shoot each of them, and get the one which you can shoot better, and are more comfortable with. Every person is different, and your tolerence to recoil could be, and probably is much different than mine.
Best0 -
I have the Kahr CW45 and really like the size, and the caliber. The recoil is not too bad either, having put a few hundred rounds through it. Would I recommend the Kahr? No, but it's personal reasons related to the ownership of Kahr. In fact, I have contemplated being rid of it for those same reasons. It's too bad, because there's not much I don't like about the pistol. I've actually stopped carrying it and have gone back to my Model 36 Smith.
All-in-all, Kahr has a very good design in their compact pistols. The problem I have with Kahr is the ownership.
Aaron0 -
quote:Originally posted by 1KYDSTR
I notice you left out lightweight, 5-shot 38 Special+P snubbies...always a good consideration as there is so little to go wrong with them in comparison to an autoloader.
Having said that, I cannot argue with Huntsman on this one. I have been exhaustively researching a line of pistols to be used in a concealed carry class and the XD's are coming out on top. Caliber conversion is a large part of this as we want to outfit all calibers for each gun and train the people in the caliber of their choice. Lots to be said for the Croation Sensation.
If I had to stay with the two you listed, I would go the 40 route. Bigger holes. I am fairly big (6'2", 230) so the recoil does not bother me; make sure it doesn't bother you.
1KYDSTR,
I like the name that you coined for the Pistol but doubt that SA would add it next to the XD-40 stamping![:D]
After considering the costs of the Kahr PM40 and PM9 versus the cost of the XD-40, if the OP got a really great deal on an XD-40, they would have enough funds left over to purchase the 9mm and .357Sig barrels and still may come in at less than the cost of either Kahr pistol and have three great calibers in one pistol. Just food for thought!
It may be awhile considering the newness and interest in the XD-40 but I believe that some of the extra barrels will eventually make it on the auction side as owners settle in with one or two calibers and decide to sell the barrels they do not want!0
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