While I was impressed with the original version of the Kahr K9, as with most new things there was room for improvement. First, the chamber tolerances were so tight the gun wouldn't feed reloaded practice ammo. While many guns have difficulty with reloads that lack quality standards, the K9 wouldn't work with quality remanufactured ammo such as Black Hills. Another problem I had with the original was the finish, or lack thereof, I should say. Make totally of high quality steel, the K9 contains no alloys or polymers. While the black oxide finish was very business-like in appearance, it was prone to rust. For a gun that's most certainly destined for deep concealment applications, a rust-resistant finish is almost a must. Nevertheless, these two concerns did not stop me from buying one of the original K9s.

While the Kahr K9 is quite small for a full-power 9mm, size is a matter of perception and which side of the gun you are on!

Fortunately, Kahr Arms was already aware of these minor problems. In the updated version, both of these concerns have been addressed. Regarding widening the chamber to accommodate reloads, engineers at Kahr expressed apprehension as to the possible loss of accuracy. Not only does the wider chamber of the updated K9 feed everything I could put through it, I'm quite happy to report the gun has suffered no loss of accuracy. The actual increase in chamber dimension is only 0.0015 of an inch.

While making the gun more rust-resistant was not much of a problem, Frank Harris advised that Kahr wanted just the right finish for the K9. After testing several different finishes, Kahr Arms opted for a combination of electroless nickel on the exterior together with an electroless nickel/teflon composite on the interior parts. This tough new Kahr finish measures 52 on the Rockwell C scale, which should prove extremely resistant to both scratching and corrosion. The addition of the teflon component to the internal parts serves to cut friction on working parts, which enhances autopistol reliability.

Other improvements on the K9 9mm include:

• Front and rear sight are now secure press fit.
• Now made of 400 series stainless steel the magazine tubes are tumbled to remove any burrs and then fitted with high impact polymer followers and magazine bases.
• The angle of the extractor claw has been increased to further enhance feed reliability. The extractor body design is now self-cleaning with relief cuts both at the top and bottom as well as a hole machined into the extractor body.
• Slide back cover fit has been tightened via use of an integral keyway to reduce movement of the cover.
• The trigger bar and trigger bar spring design have been improved for increased durability.
• The slide breech face is broached instead of milled for tighter corner radii, which results in a tighter barrel-to-slide lock-up.
• The barrel is now finished in nickel teflon inside and out for added corrosion resistance.

Don't let the above improvements lead you to believe the original Kahr K9 was not highly recommended. Features carried over from the original model include:

• An all-steel pistol that's machined from 4140 high carbon steel alloy (frame) and 4130 Chro-Moly steel (slide).
• A one-piece barrel, recoil lug and feed ramp machined from a single piece of steel.
• A smooth 8-pound double-action-only trigger with no external safety lever for increased simplicity of use.
• A patented off-set recoil lug design that makes room for placement of the trigger mechanism beside the lug instead of under it. This design raises the shooter's grip as close to the center line as possible, which results in less felt recoil and muzzle flip.
• Recoil absorbing grips made for Kahr Arms by Hogue. The grip is well designed with a nicely curved backstrap to help hold the shooting hand up behind the gun. For those who do not like rubber grips for concealment applications due to clothing "sticking" to the grip, optional wood grips from Hogue and available.

The use of carbon steel in the production of the K9 permits the use of +p 9mm ammunition. As a matter of fact, each K9 is tested with both +P and +P+ ammo at the factory. The original Kahr Arms K9 9mm was an excellent pistol that now has been made even better!

1) The Kahr K9 comes with a rubber grip from Hogue. Wood is also available and, for those who want the thinness of rubber but without the tacky feel, a polymer set is currently in development. 2 & 3) The K9 comes with dot/bar sights that the author finds hard to use. The sights are easy to see, however. Trijicon night sights are also available.

(Top) Each Kahr K9 comes supplied with two magazines in a plastic box. These fine firearms are 100% made in the USA! (Bottom) Holsters for the Kahr K9 are available from a number of manufacturers. This belt slide model is from Alessi.

How It Shoots

With these improvements, it didn't surprise that this newest Kahr K9 functioned flawlessly. I fired over 500 rounds of standard velocity, +P and remanufactured ammo through the gun without a single malfunction. For accuracy at a range of fifty feet, I fired six- and seven-round groups from an unsupported stance. Birchwood Casey supplied me with their new SHOOT-N-C targets, which change color upon bullet impact. These targets stick onto most any surface and are an excellent raining aid since they allow the shooter to verify his groups without having to walk downrange. This color change upon impact also allows the shooter to put a well-placed shop on the target and then use the colored hole as a front sight reference point.

I used a separate SHOOT-N-C stick-on target for each type of ammo and I quickly discovered that the Kahr K9 really did not have a preference for any style of ammo. It shot well with everything I put in it. The groups were measured at their widest point as follows:

Regardless of the ammo, I consistently shot high. In my opinion, this was not the fault of the gun, rather the fault of my eyes trying to adapt to the dot/bar sight. I've always had a problem trying to sit the round front sight dot on top of the square rear sight box. I do much better with either black or three-dot sights. If I decided to carry this gun for personal defense, I would black out the rear white dot or have the optional night sights installed. Kahr Arms offers night sights that are produced for them by Trijicon. I would strongly encourage their use by anyone who carries a handgun for defensive purpose.

When all's said and done, my enthusiasm for this new Kahr should come as no surprise. It appears to have all of the features one could want in a concealed carry defensive handgun. It's reliable, accurate, simple to use, easy to conceal and durable. There are those who demean the 9mm cartridge, claiming it's not up to the task of personal defense. However, I've researched enough actual shootings to have satisfied myself that the 9mm will do the job if the shooter does his. I have quit worrying about stopping power. However, for those who like a gun with a "4" in the caliber designation, keep an eye on Kahr Arms. You might just get your wish!