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| The excellent DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster and new Mag-Packer are shown here with the 9 mm Kahr PM9. |
Kahr Arms made a splash several years ago with the introduction of small, sturdy, no-nonsense double-action-only (DAO) pistols. The guns featured nested dual recoil springs and stainless steel construction, and they were solid little performers. However, while they were small dimensionally, they were noticeably heavy. That changed when the company began introducing polymer-frame models. The new guns retained all of the virtues of their heavier predecessors, but were lighter and required even less maintenance. Perhaps most notable in Kahr's now extensive line are the PM9 and PM40. The PM series guns - chambered in 9 mm Lugar and .40 S&W - are the company's smallest polymer-frame pistols. The latest version, 9 mm Lugar-cal. M9094A, features a blackened stainless steel slide matched to a black polymer frame.
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| Despite its small size, the PM9 handled well once broken in. Upon firing, there is considerable "snap" to the muzzle rise, but the gun can be quickly returned to target. |
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| The PM9 disassembles quickly, revealing excellent machining and sturdy construction. Dual recoil springs (arrows) are necessary for the short, recoil-operated design. Kahr includes an extended seven-round magazine that improves purchase on and handling of the PM9. |
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| The sight arrangement is a white dot on the front and a past at the rear. It seems as fast as the poplar three-dot set-up. Kahr Arms offers a host of accessories for its guns, including tritium night sights from most of the leading manufacturers. |
Blackened stainless steel is becoming more common on tactical pistols. For example, it is standard on those from SiGARMS. Blackening has both practical and aesthetic value. It makes the pistol more discreet in low-light environments, prevents reflective glare in bright environments and precludes the two-tone look that many traditionalist gun buyers don't care for. The PM9094A's slide is coated with Tungsten DLC (formerly known as Black Diamond), an extremely thin and super-hard treatment by Bodycote. It is intended to prevent scratches and corrosion and seemed to do so during our test.
At first blush, the PM9094A is a small, blockish chunk of black steel and plastic. It has a distinctly chopped look with an abruptly abbreviated barrel and short grip frame. During initial firing, the gun was tight and balky, with stiff springs and a certain harshness to the action. Moreover, the gun couldn't be loaded by manually pulling the slide back and releasing it. The top round in the magazine angles upward, but would fall back to parallel with the other cartridge in the magazine when the slide was pulled back prior to releasing it. This caused the first round to strike low on the feed ramp, jamming the gun. One therefore had to rely on the slide release lever during initial firing.
The manual provided by the folks at Kahr warns that the pistol requires a minimum of 200 rounds to break it in. They aren't kidding. After 200 rounds, the pistol is a completely different animal. What felt tight just feels precise. Jamming tapers off to nothing and the action smooths out considerably, as do the controls. Even the need to use the slide release lever magically vanishes. Rarely-if ever-have we seen a gun so transformed by use as this one.
The post-break-in pistol was everything we had hoped for. Despite its light weight, it was controllable. Though the grip frame is short and allows purchase by only two fingers, the stippled and (molded) checkered surface provides a good grip. There is a sharp pronounced "snap" to the muzzle rise, but the pistol snaps back down nearly as fast and returns to the target quickly.
The trigger broke at less than seven pounds and had the smooth, predictable feel desirable in a defensive firearm. We also liked the fact that Kahr didn't feel the need to relocate the magazine release from its proper place behind the trigger guard. It worked well, freely dropping the magazine, but would benefit from a bit more tension to prevent inadvertent release.
With a weight of just under a pound unloaded, the PM9 has few rivals as a small pistol with 9 mm Lugar power. In fact, given its DAO trigger and absence of protrusions, it may compete more with the small-frame, lightweight, snub-nosed revolver than any other gun. The PM9 is in the same ballpark, weightwise, and is slimmer, more capacious, easier to shoot and has better sights. It carries well in a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster in heavy- or even medium- weight pants, or in a jacket pocket. A concealed hammer revolver's ability to be fired from inside a jacket pocket and its "out-of-the-box" readiness may be the only advantages held by a wheelgun over a PM pistol.
The PM9 is a pocket powerhouse with a lot going for it, once it is broken in. It's small, light, concealable, snag-resistant, thoroughly shootable and packs a considerable punch for such a diminutive gun. Moreover, Kahr provides a limited lifetime warranty.
At the 9 mm Lugar power level, the PM9 is one of the few true pocket pistols, and one of the most practical carry guns available.
| SHOOTING RESULTS (7 YDS.) |
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Group Size In Inches |
| 9 mm Lugar Cartridge |
Vel. @ 15'
(f.p.s.) |
Energy
(ft.-lbs.) |
Smallest |
Largest |
Average |
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| Black Hills 124-gr. JHP |
1068 Avg.
14 Sd |
315 |
1.75 |
2.75 |
2.15 |
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| Federal No. P9HS2 147-gr. Hydra-Shok JHP |
845 Avg.
43 Sd |
233 |
1.38 |
2.25 |
1.85 |
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| Hornady No. 9025 115-gr. XPT JHP |
1030 Avg.
12 Sd |
272 |
1.88 |
2.63 |
2.08 |
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| Average Extreme Spread: |
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|
|
2.03 |
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Measured average velocity for 10 rounds from a 3" barrel. Range temperature: 55 degree F. Humidity 43%. Accuracy for five consecutive, five-shot groups at seven yds, fired from sandbags. Abbreviations: JHP (jacketed hollow-point), XTP (Extreme Terminal Performance). |
| SPECIFICATIONS: KAHR PM9094 |
| Caliber: |
9 mm Lugar |
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| Action type: |
recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol |
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| Construction: |
polymer frame, blackened stainless steel slide |
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| Finish: |
Tungsten DLC |
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| OA Length: |
5 3/8" |
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| OA Width: |
7/8" |
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| Height: |
4" |
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| Barrel: |
3" |
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| Rifling: |
six-sided polygonal; 1:10" RH twist |
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| Weight Empty: |
16ozs. |
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| Magazine: |
single-column, six-round, detachable box |
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| Sights: |
drift adjustable for windage; white dot front, white post rear |
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| Trigger Pull: |
double-action-only; 6lbs., 6ozs. |
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| Stocks: |
integral checkered polymer |
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| Accessories: |
lockable plastic case, extended seven-round magazine, trigger lock |
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The American Rifleman has used the phrase "Dope Bag" at least since 1921, when Col. Townsend Whelen first titled his column with it. Even then, it had been in use for years, referring to a sack used by target shooters to hold ammunition and accessories on the firing line. "Sight dope" also was a traditional marksman's term for sight adjustment information, while judging wind speed and direction was called "doping the wind." |
WARNING: Technical data and information contained herein are intended to provide information based on the limited experience of individuals under specific conditions and circumstances. They do not detail the comprehensive training procedures, techniques and safely precautions absolutely necessary to properly carry on similar activity. Read the notice and disclaimer on the contents page. Always consult comprehensive reference manuals and bulletins for details of proper training requirements, procedures, techniques and safely precautions before attempting any similar activity. |
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