The New York City Police Department recently authorized some new off duty guns for their officers. One 9mm pistol on the list was the Kahr K9. Officers in the Big Apple will be joining a lot of their fellow officers nationwide in choosing this handgun for carry on their own time. There are several good reasons.
In New York City as elsewhere, relatively few cops are gun enthusiasts. They carry guns off duty because they want to be safe, and because they know something may happen in front of them that activates their status as "24 hour a day cops."
They want the comfort and convenience of a small handgun. The Kahr is small. The biggest version is very much a compact handgun, and the Micro is a tiny "subcompact." Even the K9 and K40, the biggest in the line, are smaller than some .380 autos.
They want power. NYC officers may carry only .38 Special or 9mm weapons off duty. .32S and .380s need not apply. The smallest caliber Kahr is 9mm Luger, and the other is the potent .40 S&W, which while not approved yet in NYC is the most popular of police autopistol calibers in current sales.
They want controllability. NYPD qualifies with duty loads, and at this writing they've just announced that they're going to the hot + P + 9mm Remington hollowpoint like the Secret Service uses. This ca damage some guns, and render some too violent in recoil to be controlled in certain hands. The Kahr was expressly designed by its inventor Justin Moon to not only work with, but thrive on, the hot Cor-Bon round that duplicates these ballistics for civilian purchasers. With a low bore axis, recoil-absorbing spring system and extremely ergonomic grip design, the Kahr allows the shooter to handle the kick as easily as the hardware itself does. And, remember, you've got to qualify: These guns are extremely accurate and easy to shoot well, in either caliber. Night sights are available as a factory option, ordered new or by sending your own gun in.
 |
1) A fleet of Kahrs. Top to bottom: K9, MK9, K40, Covert .40.
2) Author's assistant Rachel Turk effortlessly operates the slide of the Kahr K9.
3) Power in your palm: Kahr's "Micro," the MK9. |
NYPD requires the civil liability advantage and accident resistance provided by a DAO (double action only) mechanism. So does Chicago. So do many other agencies. The Kahrs are all DAO, with remarkably smooth, shortstroke mechanisms that are easy to master in rapid combat shooting.
Exotic guns with exotic prices don't fly with cops. The Kahr is priced about like the GLOCK, in the low and affordable end of mainstream suggested retail for quality handguns. Remember, if it's for police work and you have the letter signed by a supervisor on department letterhead, an officer can buy it without having to pay the excise tax included in all handgun sales to private citizens.
Which Kahr?
The Kahr pistol is available in a number of flavors. I've had experience with them all and carried them all.
K9. This 9mm holds seven rounds in the magazine and an eighth in the chamber. It's the one NYPD approved. Available finishes are blue, electroless nickel and stainless. I recommend the latter. Very flat for comfortable and discreet concealed carry, they come with equally inconspicuous spare magazines. These are stunningly accurate pistols. I've seen them repeatedly shoot groups of an inch and a half or less at 25 yards under testing circumstances. These are the Kahrs that have been around the longest, and they have proven themselves utterly reliable.
K40. Almost unnoticeably thicker than the 9mm version, these guns hold six .40 S&W cartridges in the magazine and a seventh in the launch tube. The K40 is still only 94/100ths of an inch wide. With standard pressure .40 ammo the kick is surprisingly mild, and even with the hottest loads (try the Triton or Cor-Bon 135-grain in the 1300 foot-second range) these guns are still controllable. Finish options are electroless nickel and stainless. Reliability is at the same high, "total confidence" level as the K9. Again, I prefer the latter.
MK9. This is the K9 chopped and channeled at muzzle and butt. You can now get two fingers at most around the gripframe with an average size male hand. This format is much more amenable to pocket carry. I had problems with my first one (bad recoil spring, a problem since resolved according to the company) and with the second (if was 100% with the full length K9 mag, but not with the sixshot concealment mag). Kahr tells me they have that problem fixed now, too. While not as accurate as the K9, it's even more concealable. The "M" in its designation stands for "Micro," a most apt term for this little pistol.
Covert. The latest in the Kahr garage, this is the K40 with standard length slide and 3.5" barrel, but the shortened butt of the MK9. It takes five .40 rounds in its concealment mag, a sixth up the spout, and will take either the six-round mag from the standard K40 or one of that length that comes with the pistol, fitted with a pinkie finger extender. It works every bit as well as the standard K40 and lives up to the same good accuracy standard.
Downsides?
The K-9 weighs 25 ounces, the K-40 26. It feels solid in the hand but doesn't ride at all heavy on the hip. Its weight helps to reduce the recoil and enhance its rapid fire abilities. Some, however, find it heavy for its size.
The slimness of both gun and spare magazines come largely form the single stack magazines. If you perceive a need for lots of ammo ready to go, you probably want a different gun. Some find the Kahr's slide stiff to operate due to strong springs. With proper technique, it shouldn't be a problem for anyone, male or female, who can pass a police department entrance physical exam.
If you have truly huge hands, you may find the Kahr a bit short in the grip, especially the MK9. Try the Pearce grip extender.
Bottom Line
I've found that those who only shoot when they're assigned to go to the range like the Kahr for its slim concealability and ease of shooting well with minimum practice. Those who are serious shooters like it for its accuracy and smooth action.
One court I'm familiar with armed all its bailiffs with the K9 because they wanted something low profile and unobtrusive that was still powerful and accurate enough to do the job when called for.
Funny...that sounds like the job description of the off-duty pistol. |
