by Daniel T. McElrath posted on December 9, 2024
While in a private group on social media, one member raised an intriguing though not uncommon question: If you could have only one handgun, what would it be? The question was likely intended to reveal members’ favorite pistols or wheelguns. The question did not require explanation of the choice, nor metrics for the selection. Such questions, whether raised about cars or firearms, typically result in a litany of aspirational choices, whether 700-horsepower sportscars that do 0 to 60 in 3 seconds or hand-honed actions and mammoth-ivory grips, respectively. However, while I greatly admire craftsmanship, especially when elevated to a point bordering on art, I nonetheless regard a firearm as a tool, plain and simple. More specifically, I regard a handgun as a personal protection tool. That immediately limits the metrics to just a few: a reliable firearm in an effective chambering that can be drawn and fired with adequate speed and accuracy, and which can be with you as much as possible. To even my surprise, my answer to the question was the 20-year-old Kahr Arms PM9.
Huh? When it first arrived at our editorial offices 20 years ago, it was something of a revelation. Oh, we’d long gotten over the idea of polymer frames and striker-fired actions. Moreover, though the debate over .45 ACP versus .40 S&W versus 9 mm still raged, the 9 was gaining ground thanks to new cartridge designs. What immediately distinguished the PM9 was its weight, or lack thereof, but it soon revealed unexpected virtues or, at least, a marked absence of deficiencies.
