Kahr lost my biz to SA

Darn shame too because I really like my Kahr K40. I've been wanting a new carry gun, something with more than 6+1. I've emailed and asked several times over the last years to make a double stack polymer. Now Springfield Armory has come out with their new XDm 9mm Compact with 13+1 and 19+1 mags which I purchased last week.

Putting aside many of the design and technical innovations of the XDm, it looks nice, shoots nice and carries more rounds than a Kahr. Kahr, IMHO, is going to get left behind in the arms race that is handgun manufacturing and sales. Maybe they want to be a niche mfgr, but not being responsive to customer demands and ignoring industry trends can't be good for any company.

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A Kahr double stack would have a hard time competing with lower priced Glocks and XD's. Heavy competition coupled with design and tooling cost makes a high risk investment. Why risk when the selling is good?

you mean like Glock did?

It's a single stack and designed to make it small and easy to conceal. There is a huge market for that type of gun. The reason people end up carrying mouse guns is the small size. Kahr makes the same size pistol in 9mm. If some one wants a double stack they buy one from someone else. Comparing it to a double stack xd is comparing apples to oranges. Some people are very comfortable with 6+1.

IMO, Kahr would be foolish to try to enter that market. Their bread and butter is small, single-stack DAO pistols.

+1

They're good in that market.

+1

They'd get their lunch and dinner eaten in the double stack market.

I say that as a MK40 owner. If I wanted something bigger I'd have a G23 but not a babyglock., they're too fat compared to the MK. If I wanted smaller I might go down to .380 in a PPK or a seecamp. Although a PK9 would work nicely too.

Possibly, then again maybe not:
In a double stack, if they can maintain the current distance between front strap and rear strap, they would have a pretty comfortable pistol for people with smaller hands.
Ditto, their slide width: I believe their current slides are slimmer than most in all calibers.
I like their trigger as well: granted the reset is long, but I find it very smooth and I'm accurate with it.
Regards,
Greg

I have lots of Glocks and lots of Kahrs... They each have their own function and reason for being. Personally, the slim and small profile of the kahrs lets me dual carry both my custom CW9 and my PM9.

Im still going to buy every damn Kahr I can get my hands on. Again though, to each his own.

Unless you're going out to look for a gunfight, 6+1 would seem like enough. Of course if you're going out looking for a gunfight you'd better carry a long arm and have some friends with you. I have Glocks and an XD each has it's own use. The XD is going to my daughter. I never really liked the cocked and unlocked feature of this gun. Take a look at the striker when the gun sits in your holster. The striker is cocked, since there is no manual safety on this gun you are esentially carrying it cocked and unlocked. Thanks but no thanks. The Kahr is NOT cocked, but only at half cock. The same with the Glock only there is a nice, smooth, long trigger double action trigger pull before firing.

Not to mention that the double stack XDs are bulky as all hell.......

That's nice.
I'll keep carrying my PM40 for a long time to come.

pm45

I love my P9 and wouldn't have considered it if it were a double stack. Likewise, I wouldn't buy a Glock if it were a single stack.

Which is why Kahr doesn't make doubles and Glock doesn't make singles. They all must cater to my whim. Or to market appeal maybe ? Nah, probably my whim !

Not really. My K40 is similiar in every dimension to my new XDm Compact, that's what prompted my question. My XDm Compact is maybe 1/8" wider in the grip and the exact same grip length as the K40. Difference is SA crammed in 13 rounds vs. 7 for Kahr. My Kahr has excellent fit and finish and a trigger that is second to none! Just thinking that they could broaden their market if they put in more rounds. Everyone has their likes and dislikes in a carry pistol and Kahr is free to make and market whatever they wish. For me I wanted more round count and Kahr lost my business because someone else delivered what they can't (or won't).

Exactly , they found a niche and filled it . I really like my K9 elite . Small , skinny and solid that's not a .380

Kahr didn't lose your business. You changed the style of pistol you like to one made by another manufacturer. The very thing that made you go to SA is what sends most people, including myself, to Kahr.

That's retarded.




A compact, reliable, easily concealable gun isn't a different market. The guns are virtually identical in weight and size. There may be bonified reasons they don't offer higher capacity, but those reasons cost them a sale. Let's look at some numbers:

Kahr K40-
Length 6.1"
Height 4.55"
Slide width .94"
Weight 24.1oz
Capacity 6+1 (7+1 9mm)
MSRP $891

XDm Compact-
Length 7"
Height 4.6"
Slide width 1.07"
Weight 27oz
Capacity 13+1
MSRP $697

The XDm compact is clearly aimed at the compact carry market, as is the Kahr. We are comparing apples to apples here. SA aimed to take business away from their competitors, and they have. Can't argue that.

If you don't understand it, then you haven't been reading the other posts in this thread. Kahr literally owns the subcompact market and slimline compact market for full-power cartridges. You bought a physically bigger (read: less compact) gun. Kahr's only real competition is in the subcompact market with Kel-Tec, and if the Kel-Tec wasn't 1/3 the price of the Kahrs, the Kel-Tec owners would probably all buy Kahrs.

As others have already said, you decided on a pistol that Kahr has no reason or intent to compete with. Plain and simple, people buy Kahrs because they're the super-slim and subcompact models that Glock doesn't make.

Merry Christmas and good luck with your new gun.

What about the grip size? That is what makes the difference in ease of concealment.

Glock lost my business to Kahr since they don't make a single stack 9mm. Not really love both guns along with Steyr, Colt, FNH, Springfield. Thank god we have so many to choose from that if one doesn't make what your looking for another gun maker will. This keeps the gun world going round and round.

Personally speaking, Im purchasing a Kahr BECAUSE it is a single stack. I have a double stack 9mm compact. But its almost as bulky as my fullsize. The single stack 9 conceals so easily with summer wear that its a must. Kahr earned my business by offering something no one else does (for the most part). Why get into an over saturated market?

This guy sums it up and I concur !!

If I want a bigger carry gun I will go to my Smith but KAHR IS SMALL so it wins , if that is what you , ... or I want in a carry gun .

For me it is . Kahr wins .

Kahr lost me as a customer due to awful customer service. It took Kahr nearly two months to do a warranty repair on my less than year old CW9 and when I got it back it didn't work right. I couldn't stomach waiting another two months not to mention the lost of confidence in a carry piece. Sold the CW9 and bought a XD-40SC to compliment my other XD's. Now I carry a small version of what I compete with. In contrast when my early version XD-40 Tactical needed warranty work Springfield turned the repair around in 8 days door to door and covered shipping both ways.

I've had a few problems with my K40 in the 12 (twelve!) years I've owned it. Nothing major,but in a carry gun isn't any problem major? Just last month I sent my slide to them and they replaced my Trijicon sights for just $45. I always found Kahr's service and support to be excellent; too bad your experience was different.

You brought up a great point that I forgot to mention. I shoot USPSA with my XDm 9mm full size. Since I thought I wanted higher capacity in my carry gun and I liked the idea of carrying a gun similiar to what I compete with, the XDm compact was a natural choice.




The grip size is also nearly identical to the K40. That was yet another thing that sold me on my XDm compact. It feels the exact same in my hand as my K40.

Yes it was very frustrating. The trigger bar had broken after less then a year and ~900rds. Just contacting customer service took way to long. Between several phone calls and emails it took me nearly a week just to get and RMA number so I could ship the gun back. It is a shame I really like the thin factor of Kahr it made them very comfortable to carry. Had Kahr's customer service been more responsive I would have let them have a second try with the repair but at two months for the first go I just had to let it go.



Same here I shoot USPSA Limited-10 (and Limited on occasion) with my XD-40 Tactical and Production with my XD-45ACP (with bunny fart light loads) and so carrying and XD-40SC just made sense given all the controls are in the same place and the trigger has the same feel.

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