Kahr: CM9 or CW9?

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  • Hornett

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    15   0   0
    Sep 7, 2009
    2,579
    84
    Bedford, Indiana
    I have become interested in the Kahr 9mm's for Summertime concealed carry.

    The question is: Do I want a CM9 (smallest they make) or a CW9 (essentially 1/2" longer and 1/2" taller)?

    CM9 Pros http://www.kahr.com/Pistols/Kahr-CM9.asp
    Very small, It's only 1/4" longer than a P3AT which is amazing for a 9mm.
    Would probably fit in a back pocket.
    CM9 Cons
    You can only get 2 finger on the grip. probably not a big deal, just sayin'...
    the CM9 is $10 to $20 more than the CW9.
    6 round magazine

    CW9 Pros http://www.kahr.com/Pistols/Kahr-CW9.asp
    It's been out for a while and has been proven.
    Cheapest (by a tiny bit) of the two.
    You can get all 3 fingers on the grip, actually most of the 3rd finger ;)
    7 round magazine
    CW9 Cons
    Probably too big to fit in a pocket but still a tiny bit smaller than a Kel Tec PF9.

    What do you say?
    The CW9 seems to have more pros than cons but that CM9 is sooo tiny.

    I have my P3AT for a back pocket gun, but I think the CM would conceal almost anywhere.
    Help me out like you guys usually do.
    Who has one or the other?
     
    Rating - 100%
    61   0   0
    May 16, 2010
    2,146
    38
    Fort Wayne, IN
    If you want to pocket carry, get the CM9, if you want to IWB or OWB carry either will be fine. I have a CW40 and its too big for pocket carry imo.

    If they had the CM9 or better yet a CM40 at the time I bought mine I probably would have went that route.
     

    cosermann

    Grandmaster
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    14   0   0
    Aug 15, 2008
    8,371
    113
    Don't forget the barrel length. The CW9 has a 3.5" barrel while the CM9 has a 3" barrel.

    With the 3.5" barrel you can be fairly confident that most ammunition will perform similarly to the tests/performance information you find online. All you really have to do is function test.

    With the 3" barrel, you'll be in uncharted territory (unless you happen to find some short barrel tests around) and you may want to do your own testing to verify the terminal performance of your carry ammo. :twocents:
     

    Bflo

    Sharpshooter
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    4   0   0
    Aug 2, 2010
    312
    18
    I just picked up a CM9 and I pocket carry it in a Desantis Superfly. I don't carry it in my back pocket, but it does fit. I put 200 flawless rounds of federal through it on its first day at the range, and I was impressed by its accuracy. It's a little snappy, but not nearly as bad as I was anticipating. I didn't have any issues with only having 2 fingers on the grip. I've since function tested it with speer gold dots, and they ran without a hitch.
    I don't have any experience with the CW9, but if you want to pocket carry a 9mm, I would go with the CM9.
     

    SCriswell

    Plinker
    Rating - 60%
    3   2   0
    Dec 23, 2008
    71
    8
    Fort Wayne
    Spend the extra money and get the pm9. They are worth it. I have two of them as well as a p380 and a pm 45. In my humble opinion you cannot find a better concealment pistol on the market.
     

    booey50

    Expert
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    6   0   0
    May 27, 2009
    758
    18
    nw indiana
    Spend the extra money and get the pm9. They are worth it. I have two of them as well as a p380 and a pm 45. In my humble opinion you cannot find a better concealment pistol on the market.
    Is the pm9 really worth the two hundred dollars exrta? aren't the sights and the rifling the only difference? :dunno:
     

    grunt soldier

    Master
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    71   0   0
    May 20, 2009
    4,910
    48
    hamilton county
    its the sites, barrel, no mim parts and some other stuff. is it truly worth the extra coin that is something you have to decide for yourself. i own the pm9 and played with a cm9 the other day and it seemed rather nice and for 420 dollars i am sure you will be happy with it. i have the pm9 like i said and i think i am going to carry it as my main and then get a cm9 for pocket carry. then i will have 2 guns that are extremely small accurate and reliable and will be able to use the mags interchangeably.

    this is all debateable though because i may not be able to replace my glock 27 as i love her lol. so the pm9 may just stay and serve pocket duty, very expensive nice pocket duty lol
     
    Rating - 100%
    61   0   0
    May 16, 2010
    2,146
    38
    Fort Wayne, IN
    Is the pm9 really worth the two hundred dollars exrta? aren't the sights and the rifling the only difference? :dunno:

    No its not, Id rather have the standard barrel anyway. Cheaper to practice because you can run lead reloads.

    The milling on the slide of the PM is fancier, the front sight is milled on the PM which is certainly the biggest benefit. The PM has two mags too I believe. That is a benefit because Kahr mags are ridiculously expensive. The MIM parts have yet to fail me, if they do I am sure I can buy replacements from Kahr or aftermarket for well under $200.

    My guess is if someone shot both back to back they probably couldn't tell much of a difference.
     

    Hornett

    Master
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    15   0   0
    Sep 7, 2009
    2,579
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    Bedford, Indiana
    My guess is if someone shot both back to back they probably couldn't tell much of a difference.
    That was my thinking.
    I always liked the PM9 but it was too expensive for my taste.
    Then I found out that a CM9 was being introduced.
    Now that's more in line with my price range.
    Of course the CW9 is about the same price.
    I think for me, it's just about which size will carry and shoot the best.
    I have enough guns with polygonal rifling anyway. ;)
     

    jesse485

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    23   0   0
    Apr 21, 2008
    619
    18
    La Porte
    I've owned a K9 and a PM40, the K being the same size as the P/CW, and the PM, being just slightly bigger than the CM. If you are worried about the grip size, you can get mags with an extender that work pretty well on the CM. The sight radius on the CW is longer as is the barrel, but the 3" is plenty accurate. If you are looking for the most versatile, the CM is it. As far as the difference between the PM & the CM, I don't think the $200 extra is worth it. I don't recall hearing about any slide stop failures on the CWs which are manufactured the same as the CM. Also, the sights are plastic, but the front is pinned like a Glock, which is better to me, as you don't have to worry about centering the front in a dovetail, just the back. I would probably replace the plastic sights with night sights anyways. The CM will only come with one mag, but I've seen mags under $30 a pop; that's more than I can say for my PPS. The barrel wouldn't weigh on my decision at all; yes, the polygonal will be slightly more accurate, and give a slight bit more velocity, but the standard barrel will be more lead friendly. If polygonal was so much better, you'd see more manufacturers using one.
     

    grunt soldier

    Master
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    71   0   0
    May 20, 2009
    4,910
    48
    hamilton county
    just a heads up the pm is shorter than the cm by a tiny bit. not sure if the above poster was saying that vs the cw or not but the pm is slightly shorter than the cm.

    and yes mim parts are decent until they just break for no reason, if its a carry gun your not shooting constantly then i wouldn't worry about it. but if you putting decent amounts of ammo through it then i'm not a fan of them.

    to each his own. i played with both and still went with the pm but the cm appears to be a solid little pistol too and hopefully i will grab one in the future also for a head to head review.
     

    Gamez235

    Master
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    16   0   0
    Mar 24, 2009
    3,598
    48
    Upstate
    The CW mags will fit into the CM, so you can get a little extra capacity in the little guy. I'm hoping a used CM come in soon, I'd love to give one a try. Everyone raves about these guns, but I've only shot the CW40 and needed an icepack afterward.
     
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