A LOOK BACK AS THE COMPANY CELEBRATES ITS ANNIVERSARY WITH A SPECIAL K9 9MM PISTOL BY BOB CAMPBELL KAHR PHOTOS COURTESY OF KAHR TURNS 25 The 25th Anniversa- ry holster is a nice touch. 92 CONCEALED CARRY HANDGUNS • WINTER 2019 WINTER 2019 • CONCEALED CARRY HANDGUNS 93 as it really been 25 years? remained at the top of the heap for to the least expensive “CW” polymer features, easy shooting capabilities frame handguns. The double-ac- Kahr Arms is celebrating and, above all, quality. It arrived at a tion-only pistol features a smooth its 25th anniversary with time when most 9mm handguns were rolling action that is smooth from the Ha special commemorative K9 pistol. full-size, high-capacity handguns. The first press to the break. There are no The Limited Edition 25th Anniversary slimline 9mm is now the most popular rough spots, creep or backlash. The K9 pistol is a tastefully engraved and concealed carry handgun in America. proper means of managing the Kahr nicely outfitted handgun. So how did handgun is to press the trigger, control the company reach this milestone? THE HEART OF THE recoil and as the muzzle rises, allow ACTION the trigger to reset and fire again. This A LOOK BACK The Kahr K9 was a unique gun at the action is superior to most any DAO More than 25 years ago, a young man time and in many ways it still is. The self-loader. attending college began to design a pistol is a locked breech semi-auto- concealed carry handgun in his spare matic handgun that locks and unlocks I was among the first to test the K9 time. The young man was Justin via angled camming surfaces. The and found it a small gun that shot as Moon, a student with a keen interest feed ramp is offset to one side in well as a big gun. I was surprised to in firearms and modern design. He order to make for a more compact find that the early K9, a quality stain- decided his handgun would be well handgun. The double-action-only less steel compact, was completely suited to personal defense and con- trigger was a pace-setter and a model reliable with every load I fed it. cealed carry. of smoothness. The K9 provided a su- Sub-sonic 147-grain or 115-grain +P+ perior option to snubnose .38 Special were fed with equal reliability. The There really wasn’t anything like the revolvers and small .380 ACP pistols, pebbled rubber grips offered a good “I HAVE POSTED K9 at the time. There were full-size both common defensive handguns. balance of adhesion and abrasion. FIVE-SHOT 25-YARD service pistols and small caliber handguns suitable for concealed carry, The K9 also set a standard for reliabil- As I said at the time, the pistol was GROUPS OF 1.5 TO 2.0 but very few useful concealed carry ity. The main advantage of the pistol pure class and it still is. Despite handguns that were both light and compared to other small automatics weighing but 23 ounces, the K9 of- INCHES WITH THE K9, The K9 25th Anni- powerful. The Kahr K9 started a move is the trigger action. It must be felt to versary edition is fered reasonable recoil. The 3.46-inch a unique handgun by major makers toward compact be appreciated and the action is the well suited to col- barrel offers good velocity compared EXCEPTIONAL EVEN FOR lecting or concealed 9mm handguns. The K9, however, same in the more expensive handgun carry. to even the 5-inch-barrel 9mm. A SERVICE PISTOL.” At the time I was a peace officer The Kahr pistols are very accurate in and had chosen the duty loads for the absolute sense as well. I have two agencies that issued the 9mm posted five-shot 25-yard groups of 1.5 handgun. After rigorous testing, I had to 2.0 inches with the K9, exceptional Note the logo is chosen the 9mm Federal +P+ in both even for a service pistol. The K40 hits engraved into the forward cocking 115-grain JHP and 124-grain Hydra harder and suited my needs at the serrations. Shock +P+ configuration. These loads time, and would exhibit five-shot THE SPECS are as strong as it gets in the 9mm, groups of 2.0 to 2.5 inches with the Model: Kahr 25th Anniversary K9 with the 115-grain loading breaking Federal 165-grain Hydra Shock. Caliber: 9mm Luger over 1,300 fps even in the K9’s short Capacity: 7+1 (with standard magazine) barrel. The K9 fed and functioned I ordered the excellent Alessi ankle Barrel: 3.5 inches, polygonal rifling 1-in- perfectly with these loads. holster and replaced my long serving 10-inch right-hand rifling twist Smith & Wesson .38 snub as a backup. Overall Length: 6 inches This gave me a powerful backup that MY OWN K40 Width: 0.9 inch Not long afterward, I obtained one of was useful far past conversational Height: 4.5 inches the first K40 Kahr pistols in .40 S&W. I distance. This was among the finest practiced hard with Federal American setups I have ever used and one that Weight Unloaded: 25 ounces Eagle ammunition and my own han- rode with me many miles. No, I no Sights: Tru Glo Tritium dloads. I found the pistol as reliable longer have it, and my threat profile is Trigger Pull: 7.0 pounds as the K9 and practically as accurate. much lower. Kahr Arms followed the Finish: Sniper Grey Cerakote As for accuracy, combat accuracy is by K40 with a long list of improved hand- Warranty: Limited lifetime far the most important criteria. The guns and Kahrs in different calibers, MSRP: $1,649 (package with 1791 trigger action allows fast shots and including a neat little .380 ACP pistol. Gunleather holster) fast follow-ups. All feature Kahr quality and the same super smooth trigger action. 94 CONCEALED CARRY HANDGUNS • WINTER 2019 WINTER 2019 • CONCEALED CARRY HANDGUNS 95 THE MODERN KAHR is a useful and reliable 1911 handgun PISTOLS at a fair price. “THE K9 The Kahr was seen as innovative, even ground breaking, and it was among 25th ANNIVERSARY PROVIDED a very few new introductions that K9 achieved both critical acclaim and The special 25th Anniversary K9’s A SUPERIOR commercial success relatively quickly. engraving is well executed and unique This success was well deserved. Kahr to the Kahr pistol. This is a fully stain- succeeded in the original intention less-steel handgun made in the U.S. OPTION TO of providing savvy shooters with a The pistol features custom engraved highly accurate, reliable and powerful front and rear cocking serrations. The SNUBNOSE concealed carry handgun. These hand- slide is ported, an interesting feature, guns are used for concealed carry, and the pistol features a special “25 .38 SPECIAL have been approved for duty and off Years” logo. duty use by major agencies and over- REVOLVERS all gave an excellent accounting of The barrel and trigger are brightly themselves. There are offerings today polished. While the finish is bright, in .380 ACP, 9mm Luger, .40 S&W and the pistol is finished in Sniper Grey AND SMALL .45 ACP. The 9mm remains by far the Cerakote. This finish has proven most popular. durable in hard use on tactical rifles .380 ACP and handguns and is a good choice for SUCCESS AND this handgun. The pistol is fitted with PISTOLS…” CHANGES Hogue aluminum grips. The Hogue Recently the company has expanded grips are engraved with aggressive into a larger facility in Pennsylvania. stippling and the sharp new Kahr logo. Kahr now owns Magnum Research as The Kahr K9 special edition ships with a 1791 Gunleather holster and well. Some time ago, Kahr purchased The pistol also features Tru-Glo a total of three magazines: two seven-rounders and one extended Auto Ordnance. It now oversees some tritium sights. These are first class eight-rounder. of the better examples of the Thomp- personal defense sights with much to OPPOSITE: The K9 25th Anniversary package is certainly well son semi-auto carbine. The original recommend and a favorite of many thought out and complete. Auto Ordnance 1911 was among the concealed carry handgun devotees. rougher but affordable 1911 hand- Even though this K9 model is a special guns. Kahr has upgraded the quality of edition to commemorate Kahr’s 25th the Auto Ordnance 1911 and today it anniversary, the pistol is an excellent THE AFFORDABLE POLYMER-FRAME KAHRS Some time ago makers of steel frame and stainless-steel deploy a high-quality firearm. automatic pistols began to realize that the traditional method of manufacture could not compete with the economy of poly- The CW series features less machine work on the slide and less mer-frame striker-fired handguns such as the Glock. advanced sights, but the same super smooth action and com- pact grip frame. My CW40 is a trusted back-up and occasionally Kahr developed a polymer-frame version of the original K9. The a primary carry handgun. I load it with the modern Federal HST pistol operates in the same manner as any other Kahr and fea- loading. It will group five shots into 3.2 inches at 25 yards. The tures the same smooth action. The sights are first class combat pistol has never malfunctioned. That isn’t bad for an economy sights with a white insert. Other versions, the CW9 and CW40, handgun. are about the least expensive handguns you may own and still 96 CONCEALED CARRY HANDGUNS • WINTER 2019 WINTER 2019 • CONCEALED CARRY HANDGUNS 97 “THE KAHR K9 STARTED A MOVE BY MAJOR MAKERS TOWARD COMPACT 9MM HANDGUNS.” choice for personal defense.