I will be getting my CCW in about a month, and I would like to buy a back up/light clothing gun to carry in a pocket holster.  I have pretty much decided on the Kahr PM series, but have not shot either the 9 or 40.  I have shot an MK9 and it was pretty nice.  Do any of you have any experience with these two models?  How is the recoil on the PM40?  I have found a bunch of info on the PM9, but not much on the PM40.  Right now I am leaning towards the PM40.  I have also been considering a 642 as a third option.   What would you recommend for a pocket holster?  Thanks!

I had a PM9 and didn't mind it.  My biggest problem with it was pain.  It just hit the web of my hand wrong when I shot it, so I didn't shoot it much.  I was much better with my Sig P232 so I kept it.  Just picked up a HK P2000SK this weekend in 9mm and it's a dream!  I can't miss with the darn thing and felt recoil is less than my USP9c SS.  The P2000SK is smaller than a G26 (not much) but it's still a little big for everyday pocket carry.  I do pocket carry the SK but gotta have the right pants on.

Quoted:  I will be getting my CCW in about a month, and I would like to buy a back up/light clothing gun to carry in a pocket holster.  I have pretty much decided on the Kahr PM series, but have not shot either the 9 or 40.  I have shot an MK9 and it was pretty nice.  Do any of you have any experience with these two models?  How is the recoil on the PM40?  I have found a bunch of info on the PM9, but not much on the PM40.  Right now I am leaning towards the PM40.  I have also been considering a 642 as a third option.   What would you recommend for a pocket holster?  Thanks!

My off-duty & backup gun is a PM9. I used to carry an MK9, but it was so heavy by the end of the day that when the PM9 came out, I gladly switched over. The reduced weight makes it a lot easier to carry, either in an ankle holster (when I'm in uniform, or it's too hot to wear a jacket or vest to hide the gun), or in my Milt Sparks Summer Special IWB. I have shot both the PM9 and the PM40, and I decided to go with the 9mm. The recoil is manageable in 9mm, even with 115 or 127 gr. +P+ duty loads. The recoil with the .40 with 180 gr. Gold Dots was much more noticeable, and slowed me down substantially on follow-up shots. YMMV, but I think the 9mm is much more controllable.

I have a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster for my PM9, but I find that the Kahr is just a little too big to work well for me in a pocket holster. I can carry it that way, but it really bulges the pocket, & is a little hard to draw. Depending on your size, it may work better for you. The DeSantis holster is great, I carry a Kel-Tec .380 all the time in mine, and the gun always is right where it's supposed to be when I reach for it. Plus the holster is only about $16-17 IIRC.

I LOVE to carry my PM9. I used to carry  a compact .1911 series but in warmer months it is much harder to hide on my thin frame. My PM9 just disappears visually and it's so much lighter you can almost forget you are carrying one. Mine is a GREAT shooter for such a small pistol and doesn't hurt my hand AT ALL. I've passed it around for friends to shoot when we all get together and once you get used to the smaller size everyone that has shot it likes it too.

I carry either a MK9 and a P9 in a "smartcarry" thunder-wear style holster, which works better than it sounds, typically with pleated slacks but works well with somewhat loose jeans.  Nobody has ever "made" my carry so far.  However, the P9 is a hair larger than the Mark 9 and will "print" the bottom of the grip if I'm not careful, so I usually carry the MK9.  One of these days I'll add a PM9 to the mix and have the best of all worlds.

Recoil-wise, my 15 year old daughter shoots both without batting an eye (124 gr. Hornaday XTP) and I suspect the slightly smaller PM9 would be entirely manageable by men.

ONE WARNING:  the Mk9 started "catching" in its cycling last week; traced to the recoil spring that was starting to grab a bit when compressed; gun had about 2500 rounds through it, so I will start changing out the recoil spring every 2 k rounds after this.