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| The Kahr P40 should prove popular for civilian concealed carry as well as for law enforcement. |
Some time ago, I was sitting in a hotel lounge discussing one of my favorite subjects with a group of cops. The subject was what makes a good concealed carry pistol for both law enforcement and legally armed citizens. After much discussion, one of our group members made the statement, "The best concealment gun ever would hold ten rounds of .45, have no felt recoil and would be the size and weight of a lipstick tube!" Nice thought, but certainly not possible with current technology.
Guns of major caliber can only be made so small and lightweight, and still be "shootable". A handgun can only be compact and still be capable of having an average sized hand wrapped around it. Don't underestimate the importance of getting all three lower fingers around the gun's grip; the pinky finger is important to recoil control.
What is really needed is a gun that is reasonably compact. A gun that will fill the entire hand, have a barrel length that will give the bullet a chance to build velocity, enhance accuracy and fire a cartridge with a decent level of power. The gun will also need to be simple to operate, have a smooth trigger action and be trim for added concealment.
It will also need to be made of materials that will resist moisture, primarily body sweat due to deep concealment. Finally, add a set of high visibility sights that won't snag on clothing. Sounds almost too good to be true, doesn't it? Well, it's not. Kahr Arms has recently introduced a gun that many knowledgeable pistoleros are saying may be the ultimate concealed carry pistol.
GUN DETAILS
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| The Kahr P40 is easily fieldstripped. |
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| Worked well with 155gr. Hornady XTP. |
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| The frame is thin, light and textured. |
The pistol I am referring to is the P40. The P stands for polymer frame while the 40 designates .40 caliber. I first saw the P40 at the 2001 New Orleans SHOT Show.
The P40 is best described as an incredibly lightweight .40 caliber pistol which features a textured black polymer frame and a matte finished stainless steel slide. I admit to liking two-tone guns, so the P40 is quite attractive to my eye. The polymer frame has special steel inserts that engage the slide rails for long term durability, reliability and accuracy.
The 3.5-inch barrel features 1-in-16-inch polygonal rifling. Such barrel construction has already become an industry standard with high quality firearms like GLOCK and Heckler & Koch. The P40 will literally fit in the palm of an average hand, being only slightly longer than six inches overall. To put this in perspective, the .38SPL S&W Chief's Special snubbie measures 6.5 inches.
With a height of 4.55 inches, the P40 is long enough to get all of an average hand on the grip. The magazine floorplate adds approximately a half inch of length to the gun, but they are nicely streamlined and are somewhat snag resistant. The "pinky hook" that comes on some compacts gives the perception of compactness, but in reality it adds an appendage that can hook on clothing at a critical time. It's better to lengthen the grip and add a round or two to the magazine capacity, which Kahr accomplishes with their flat floorplate design.
The magazine has a six round capacity. With one in the chamber, seven rounds should be enough to solve all but "Mission Impossible". However, it's still a good idea to carry a second magazine, which is a non-problem with the slim, single-column Kahr magazines.
The dovetailed front and rear sights feature a dot/bar configuration with the front sight dot being placed atop the rear sight bar for proper alignment. My middle-aged eyes have difficulty doing this these days as I end up with nothing but a black/white blur. No problem here, however. The P40 can be ordered with a set of three dot tritium sights and this would be the only alteration I'd make on the stock pistol.
The polymer frame is handsomely textured and contoured. The curved backstrap helps keep the shooting hand up behind the slide for greater recoil control. The front and backstraps are checkered to enhance the gripping surface, though I think a set of decal grips from Grupo Mercari be even more effective. As this gun becomes more popular, I am sure a set of decal sets will be offered.
PERFORMANCE: Kahr P40 .40S&W
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| Load |
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Velocity |
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Accuracy |
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| Federal 135 Personal Defense |
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1102 |
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3.0 |
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| Federal 155 Hydra-Shok HP |
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1060 |
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2.5 |
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| Winchester 155 Silvertip HP |
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1072 |
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2.5 |
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| Hornady 155 XTP HP |
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1051 |
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2.0 |
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| Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in feet per second (fps) by PACT Chronograph, accuracy in inches for 5-shots from 25 feet. |
HOW IT SHOOTS
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| Its single column magazine and thin frame make the P40 quite slim. |
Although the dot/bar sights are more than satisfactory, the author would install tritium sights on the Kahr P40 |
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| The P40 rides tight to the body in a FIST ultra thin Kydex IWB holster. |
Kydex holsters from FIST are molded and stitched much like leather. |
I went to the range with high hopes for the P40. As it's so light, I decided to avoid the heavier 180-grain loads and shoot loads in the 135- to 155-grain range. Using Ronin Coleman's excellent PACT Chronograph and a two hand, un-supported stance at 25 feet, I was able to chart the P40's performance.
Recoil wasn't as pronounced as I'd anticipated. While it was noticeable, my solid two-hand hold kept it on target. Against a standard Bianchi steel plate rack, shot to shot times averaged in the .27 to .31 second region.
The double-action-only trigger proved to be smooth and crisp. Breaking my trigger scale right at seven pounds, there were no glitches. The P40 went through 500 rounds with no malfunctions.
CARRY OPTIONS
With the P40 being so small, trim and light, it seemed to be an ideal companion for an inside the waistband (IWB) holster and I ordered one of Jim Murnak's (FIST Holsters) ultra thin Kydex rigs. Jim uses a thin Kydex that can be molded and stitched like leather. Since Kydex is a hard material, it will stay open in the waistband one the pistol is withdrawn, which allows easy one-hand reholstering. This FIST IWB rig uses front and back loops to keep the holster as thin as possible. The loops are also adjustable for elevation and degree of cant.
AND THEN
Were there any problems? Two, and they proved to be minor annoyances, really. The slide stop lever had some sharp edges, but nothing that would require a gunsmith. A little time with a stone or sandpaper would easily take care of this. The other was a broken magazine release button early during the test, when the metal embedded in the plastic button caused the magazine catch to fall out. A call to Kahr resulted in anew magazine catch being sent overnight. It was installed in less than a minute and functioned flawlessly.
I would buy this gun without reservation. Kahr Arms has a reputation of building quality compact pistols and the P40 is a welcome addition to the family.
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