Posted: 12/11/2012 8:45:01 AM EDT
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Hi all! I have inherited a K40 from my dad, but have a question on Kahrs. I know he had this one a while, but now Kahr seems to be more in the polymer game than steel. Is there a reason behind that other than manufacturing cost & weight savings? I remember when my dad got this one it seemed pretty radical for being computer designed. I don't know what has happened with their production since then, but they always seemed like a fairly innovative company to me. Has my K40 fallen to the wayside with these newer polymers out? I honestly like the heft of the K40. Just really curious what has been produced since mine came out.
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When the K9 first came out, people loved it, but said that it was too heavy, because of its steel construction. Mine weighs 26.0 ozs, empty, 31.3 ozs loaded with 8 rounds or 124gr GD +P. Does not seem that heavy to me, but compared to the then new Glock 26, it was. Kahr tried to develop an alloy framed pistol, but they could not get one to last at least 10,000 rounds with +P+ ammo, so they went with a polymer frame w/ steel inserts. The P9/P40 are light, but I find the light weight 40 S&W pistols to have the worst of both worlds, muzzle blast and recoil. In addition to being lighter than a full steel frame pistol, polymer frame pistols are also easier (cheaper) to make. It is about giving the people what they think they want. |
| I own a K9, MK9 and a PM9. The steel frame guns are well built, excelletn fit and finish. I know they had a contract with the NYPD and made a K9 with NYPD trigger for them. I think Kahr stopped production of the NYPD version mid this year. I purchased the PM9 - polymer - when they were first introduced. My PM9 has approx 1600 round thru it with out failures. Most of the time I carry the K or MK, I lke the steel - no recoil, fast second shot on target. My second shot from the PM is a bit slower because of recoil, but I can muscle it and get to the same times as the MK. I'm not sure about the CW series, I see them in the LGS and I see a few used for sale. I don't remember seeing any used steel frame guns for sale for a long time. I've considered a K40 several times but have never purchased one. I suspect it would be a gret shooter. |
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A fellow K40 owner here. I fell in love with the gun at a local dealership. it felt good in the hand with just the right amount of heft. I paid cash for it and took it home. It was a used gun, but being from a troubled area, I thought the guy who owned it before needed the money. That was the good news. I got night sights and spare magazines for it. It was going to be my daily carry piece should it prove relable. I took the gun out for some shooting and a rather large problem occured.
THIS DAMN THING KICKS!!!! Yeah the gun weighs a lot because you'll need it for recoil reduction. I've shot .40 in just about every gun made and NO gun kicked harder than my K40. The gun recoiled straight back into the web of my hand and it used to leave my hand bloody it was that bad. I started to have all kinds of problems with it too, failure to feed, extract, etc. Then I noticed it was ME causing the problems. I just plain hated to shoot that gun and didn't know which would be worse, shooting the gun or getting shot by it. I went on the Kahr website to see if the offered some sort of compensator for it (they didn't) but I did get the next best thing. I coverted the gun from .40 to 9mm. It took a barrel, slide, ejector and extractor. By the time I was done I could have probably bought a new gun, but I am very happy with it now. It shoots X-rings all day at 7 yards and only jammed on me once. I attribute that to a .40 magazine I had in the gun at the time (and yes in an emergency .40 mags will work for a 9mm). If you want to keep the gun, my advice to you is to shoot the gun. If recoil is too much, switch out to a 9mm and don't look back. |