+p and +p+ OK in a Kahr PM9? - AR15.Com Archive

+p and +p+ OK in a Kahr PM9?

echo_5 [Team Member]

9/27/2011 3:47:39 PM

My first 9mm and my first Kahr.

I didn't see any information, good or bad, concerning hot ammo in Kahr handguns.

Is +p or +p+ OK to use?

lukef [Member]

9/27/2011 4:11:52 PM

i can't remember the source, but supposedly Kahr pistols are rated for +p, but not +p+

that said, I probably wouldn't feed a steady diet of either in that tiny, light polymer-framed pistol. too uncomfortable to shoot, and iirc Kahr pistols now have a 5 yr warranty instead of lifetime? occasional boxes of +p to ensure reliability (if that's your carry ammo) would be the most i personally would use. even better, use a modern cartridge with a bullet designed for reliable expansion with the velocities you get using standard 9mm ammo in that short barrel. i tend to favor 115 or 124 gr Gold Dots in small carry pistols, there may be better cartridges but the GDs have served me well for years.

Dynamo [Team Member]

9/27/2011 5:08:40 PM

Originally Posted By lukef:
i can't remember the source, but supposedly Kahr pistols are rated for +p, but not +p+
that said, I probably wouldn't feed a steady diet of either in that tiny, light polymer-framed pistol. too uncomfortable to shoot, and iirc Kahr pistols now have a 5 yr warranty instead of lifetime? occasional boxes of +p to ensure reliability (if that's your carry ammo) would be the most i personally would use. even better, use a modern cartridge with a bullet designed for reliable expansion with the velocities you get using standard 9mm ammo in that short barrel. i tend to favor 115 or 124 gr Gold Dots in small carry pistols, there may be better cartridges but the GDs have served me well for years.

On Kahr's website in the Q&A section it says "The Kahr pistol is rated to +P.".

echo_5 [Team Member]

9/27/2011 5:54:39 PM

Thanks, guys.

jgrider [Member]

11/19/2011 3:09:41 PM

Originally Posted By echo_5:
My first 9mm and my first Kahr.

I didn't see any information, good or bad, concerning hot ammo in Kahr handguns.

Is +p or +p+ OK to use?

The wife and I carry concealed all year long, PM9s each in the warm months and K9s when it gets cold. Several years ago I ran some wet pack tests using different brands and weights of ammo, including + P stuff into 18" - 20" wet packs with 4 layers of denim in front of it. First of all we felt the +P stuff to be too uncontrollable in the PM9 for accurate fast follow up shots. Also we found that some standard velocity stuff was just as good or better then the hot stuff. The heavier weight bullets was the way to go.

The best we found was either Fed. 147 HST or Win. 147 RA9T. In 5 round test results these had 100% expansion, and the penetration was close enough to the then 11" out of a longer barrel standard set by the FBI. The others tested that I remember were Hornady TAP, Speer Gold Dot, Fed. 124 HST, Fed Tactical Bonded, Fed Hydra Shoc. And the worst, old Win Black Talons these went all way though the wet packs as did some of the others.However when shot out of a 4 1/2" Glock they worked fine. I think the ones out of the Kahrs that didn't expand or went through needed more velocity to expand.

The wife and I aren't new to shooting, she practices double / triple taps 2- 3 times a week with either her PM9, K9, or Glock 17. And I shot practical pistol and steel plate matches. She prefers the Win. RA9T in her PM9 because she feels it has the least felt recoil of all the ammo tested, and I agree. When she carries her K9 she still uses the Win 147 RA9T, but I use the Fed. 147 HST. The heavier the bullet, the less felt recoil

Here's some test result pics for the PM9. I also have some for the K9 with little better results if interested

jason_fl [Member]

12/17/2011 5:23:09 PM

EDIT: Oops. Sorry, just now saw somebody else already responded the same, missed it when I first read the thread.

According to Kahr, +p is ok but not +p+

keninnavarre [Team Member]

12/31/2011 10:10:11 AM

Very informative post, thanks.

Originally Posted By jgrider:

Originally Posted By echo_5:
My first 9mm and my first Kahr.

I didn't see any information, good or bad, concerning hot ammo in Kahr handguns.

Is +p or +p+ OK to use?