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| K40 and its components |
CUSTOMIZING YOUR KAHR
The grasp described works perfectly for me with the standard-size K9 and K40 Kahrs. This is because they come with soft Hogue grips, which give a great feel. In the smaller MK (micro-Kahr) series, the makers determined that flatter, harder grips would aid in maximum concealment - a prime requirement for buyers of sub-compact pistols. A small problem has evolved out of this, however. The lower-rear edge of the slide stop is sharp. This wasn't noticed with the larger Kahrs because the gentle swell of rubber in the Hogue grip shielded the thumb. With the smaller guns, however, once the thumb is lifted out of the way of the trigger finger, that corner slices mercilessly into the upraised right thumb. This, by the way, is not a problem for left-handed shooters.
The solution? Simply round off the corner with a Dremel Moto-Tool. It won't hurt anything and it will improve handling.
Sights? Standard models come with a decent size notched fixed-rear unit and a square post up front. The big white dot up front and a vertical white line in the rear align for a quick dot the i sight picture - the Von Stavenhagen concept popularized in this country on SIG-Sauer pistols.
The factory offers night sights as an option, which is a good way to go. Gunsmiths report they find installation of new sights tricky on Kahrs due to the design of the slide in the sight area. The factory can retrofit them for you. So can Miniature Machine Corp., and their protected, adjustable rear night sight with matching front may be the ideal combination for the shooter who wants to wring maximum precision-shot placement out of these little guns.
Gunsmith John Quintrall figured out that building up the front of the trigger face would extend the trigger reach on these little guns. In my hand, it made a wonderfully positive difference. Alas, he and gunsmith Rick Howard are temporarily on gunsmithing sabbatical, doing jobs that actually pay good money. However, Al Greco at Al's Custom is still trapped in pistolsmithing and he can do this job quite nicely. He's also one of the few people who can actually make the sweet, smooth, easy pull of the Kahr even nicer than when it comes off the showroom floor.
Another option is Kahr's own Elite series, introduced in January 1999. These guns have a slightly longer trigger reach, but with a shorter stroke of 3/8". The price is another pound or two of pull weight.
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 K40 |
KEEPING YOUR KAHR STRAIGHT
What has endeared these little pistols to serious handgunners is that they shoot!
The first K9 I tested delivered a memorable 1 3/8" group at 25 yards with Federal 9BP 115 gr. hollowpoint. I shot an MK9 (after the initial hassles with the first production run) that put five rounds of hot Cor-Bon 115 gr. +P into 2" at 25 yards. This is right on the edge of target-pistol accuracy and certainly within the bounds of the best full-size service pistols. The performance is more appreciated because it's delivered from a pocket-size handgun.
I frequently use a Kahr as a teaching pistol. At the end of a class, the rest of the staff and I shoot the qualification course to demonstrate it for the students. If I outshoot them, I don't collect anything, but if they beat me I give them an autographed $5 bill, inscribed "You beat me at my own game".
This means teaching with an inaccurate gun could get awfully expensive. I once shot a 299 out of possible 300 with my first K9. I've cleaned the course with a perfect 300 in all other demonstrations of the "pace-setter" course using a Kahr. The great trigger, good feel and superior inherent accuracy make it easy.
A lot of Kahrs, however fall prey to the "1+4" syndrome common to so many semi-automatic pistols. That is, the first round, chambered by hand, will shoot to one point and next four will group tightly a distance away. It won't ge a great distance but far enough to notice. It's safe to say that Kahrs will deal you four of a kind but not five. Apparently, the necessarily strong recoil spring cycles autoloaded rounds into a subtly different "firing battery" than the one chambered by hand. This isn't something I worry about in a defensive concealed-carry sidearm.
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