guys,i want a single stack 9mm.just about bought a kahr cw 9.but then i got to thinking about all the sw options.
my question is if any of you ccw folks had a choice,would pick any of the singole stack 9mm guns over the kahr,taurus,etc.
i jst have a tough time thinking any gun gun is better than a 3rd gen sw
thanks for help folks

I too like S&W 3rd gen autos. But for an EDC, the Kahr CW9 is tough to beat. Definitely follows the KISS philosophy, the DAO trigger is superb, easy availability of night sights, smaller & lighter than any S&W, yet felt recoil is negligent. What's not to like? Guess I should mention, I consider the CW9 a great J-frame alternative, as it is closer in size & weight to a 642.

Don't really have much experience with S&W autos, just a Sigma 40VE. But I've got a couple of other compact autos in .45 for CCW.

Just added a Kahr CM9 to the collection. Not much bigger than a .380, but 6 shots of 9mm will make a decent pocket pistol. Thing shoots great and not bad on recoil.

Seems to me if you only get to choose one it becomes a personal preference issue.

If I could only choose one, it would probably be the Kahr CW45. Not a pocket gun, but easily concealed. 6 rounds of .45 should get the job done.

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Pete.

Go find a 3913. That will fill you with lust for more 3rd gens. This is one I think S&W beat everyone to but did it before the time was ready for the mass of CCW influx. Now 3rd gen is over and the reign of the plastic fantastic is here. So many won't know what they missed.

My 3913NL:


The only thing I might change is just to drop the slide safety lever all together. Just make it like a revolver. The double action trigger pull on a revovler needs no safety lever and yet Sig makes the only one that I can think of that does without one. And in my book it just isn't DA unless I can pull the trigger again for a restrike. Kahr makes a nice gun but no restrike = no likey in Bob's brain. I think the standard 3913 has the lever on both sides of the frame.

The 3953 and 3954 are both DAO and were nicknamed "Slick-Side 9's" because they do not have the decocker. And although I have not shot nor carried the CM9, I can't imagine it being any more comfortable than my 3954. I carry mine OWB at 9 O'Clock (3 for you righty's) and honestly can forget it is there so the extra 8 ounces of weight must not be an issue. According to spec's it is also 1-1/2" longer. With the right holster that makes no difference.

That photo's worth posting twice.

And if you care to swap, give me a shout!

I am glad in 2003 I bought my cs9 DAO, although with the right holster the cs45 I have is also hard to beat, although this model I have is not DAO, bad for me, great for others.

I may be wrong, but if you pick up a cs line, you will never lose money on it and really enjoy it.

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Fidelis Ad Mortem

Wish I could find a CS9 for a "reasonable" price. Had a CS45 but ditched it when I found a like new Ultra CDP in the classifieds. No regrets whatsoever.

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Sure you did

Considering the size of each gun, the Kahr is a no brainer.

3rd gen S&W guns are fine but I could never get past the triggers. Too long and hard for me. And IMHO, again considering the size of the Smith's, there may be better options even in a double stack 9MM.

I'm waiting for Kahr to build a CM45.

I love the cs line, but I would give up them up for a compact 1911 any day. To me a 1911 is like a Harley, beautiful and functional, not the latest and greatest, but has the "wow" factor.

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Fidelis Ad Mortem

I've been very happy with the CW9 I bought for my wife last year, (one benefit of buying your wife a gun is that you get to "play" with it too). She picked it out for herself, but only after a lot of careful research. Not only does it work well in her small hands, but it's substantial enough for me to get my big old meat hooks on it and actually fight with it. Besides that, it is point-and-shoot simple; no "on/off" buttons or switches, no mag disconnect, no decocker to ever deal with, and it eats ammunition as reliably as my Sigmas and M&P. I will caution you that spare mags for the Kahr are expensive!

I agree with those that mention the 3913. The 3rd generation TSW model is a good one, once the rail is removed.

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Hook686

I've carried a 3904 as a duty weapon and thought long and hard about a 3913 as an off-duty. Then I discovered the Kahr line. Bought and tried the CW40. I liked everything about it except the reliability. Got rid of the CW40 and bought a K40. The K40 has been great. Fits my hand like it should, reliable and the Kahr DA trigger is second to none.

If I wanted a 9mm I would give the CW9 a try. They seem to have far less problems than the CW40.

I was looking at the KAHR for CCW, and hefted a few at Shooter's they have 9, 40, and 45 they felt good and seemed kind of handy. I may still buy one eventually. I am looking for a 3913 or similar piece for a single 9. I have a 4566 but it is a heavy gun so I am thinking a 457 would be good too.

However the KAHR guns seem to be of decent quality and I have heard no complaints so far.

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Stan

I too was researching the Kahr P9/CW9 for a small carry gun. I really liked the Kahr. I was ready to buy it but finally took my S&W 3953tsw into the shop to compare side by side. After about 20 minutes of comparing and realizing there wasn't all that much difference (to me) I kept my Smith.

Here is a link to a thread with a pic of my little one.

Anxiously await the S&W single stack 9mm

Lad

I have both a Kahr PM9 and a Taurus 709 Slim. The PM9 is a 6 +1 and is well made but expensive (used it still cost $550 plus with night sights). The Slim is much cheaper and is a 7 +1. It also has a well-placed thumb safety. I got it when Taurus first introduced the model. There was a bug in many of the extractors in that first batch -- but once that was fixed it's a great concealable 9MM. The PM9 I use as a backup on my left side.

I have a Kahr P9 Covert that I have had about 4 years. I also have a very nice S&W 3913LS made in the early 90's. The "Lady Smith" marking doesn't bother me at all. I think the S&W is a much better looking pistol and is more accurate than the Kahr in my hands. But, I carry the Kahr a great deal and the S&W less. The Kahr is easy to use and is more compact and easier to conceal by a bit. The sights are very good and it can hold 7 rounds in the longer magazine. That's only one less than the bigger and heavier 3913.

There is also the fact that any scratches or dents on the perfect "Lady" would make me sad but the Kahr is more of a tool and easily replaced and so I am not too concerned about the wear and tear on it from daily carry. I think the fact that the Kahrs are still in production makes parts and accessories easier to get. My P9 has been 100% reliable with all the 9mm I have fired in it. I find that it makes a great concealed piece if you want a 9mm and I carry it or my 337 most days. The 3913 is more for dress-up times. The particular pistol is less important that what you can do with it. So, get something you will want to shoot and get lots of trigger time with...Good Luck

I have shot the CW9 (side by side with my K9), and it was a nice little gun. As far as choosing between a 3rd gen S&W and the CW9, I guess it depends upon which features you find more important (striker vs hammer, DAO vs DA/SA, size, weight, etc) and which S&W you are comparing it with.
I would be very hard pressed to choose between my K9 and 3913, as both are excellent guns in my opinion.

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Ban lunatics and criminals

I've never owned or shot one of the S&W auto's,but I have a PM9 that's been reworked by Cylinder&Slide and don't see how you could get a better carry gun for a small single stack 9,accuracy,ease of operation,light and hardly any felt recoil,XS big dot tritium sights,which I love- at 7 and 15 yards it is definately a tack driver-I can empty the 6 or 7 round clip into the head or chest of a silouette target consistantly at these yardages and that is just what I was looking for in this pistol-love Smith's and I have several revolvers they make,but I'm real happy with the PM9 by Kahr-heck get them both-you never need an excuse to buy a new gun.

I love my CW9. It was my first non-S&W pistol but it just felt so good in my hand. I've got 1,000+ trouble free rounds through mine (after the break-in period). It is one of my 3 CCW options and my go-to pistol in the hot summer Phoenix heat.

Good luck!!

guys,
thanks,i too love the single stack sw guns.but the cw9 or cm9 at my dealer are really nice,i can get the cw9 for 300.00 or the cm9 for 325.
thanks for the advice and reply gents.
what i really like was no one really complained about the kahr reliability,which is the biggest issue..will the gun go bang everytime the trigger is pulled.no matter where you carry it.
i just really like the cw9 or cm9 iwb when i carried them for a few hours.and with cooler weather coming the bigger pocket pants,jackets etc will be coming out,which always makes it easier to ccw

It sounds like you have decided. Congratulations and enjoy!

Also consider the Walther PPS 9mm (not to be confused with the PPK or PPK/S). S&W does the customer service.

I bought one a few months back and put about 350 rounds through it. I really like it. It is the closest thing to a single stack Glock 9mm out there (if that appeals to you).

I polished/smoothed out the trigger group similar to a Glock polish job and it turned out great. Buy a new one, as the early modles had some teething issues.

Entirely different trigger mechanisms between the Kahr and S&W 3rd gen semi autos and all other DA/SA types. The Kahr trigger reminds one of a smooth and light DA revolver.

Have the Mk40 and it is amazing just how much such a small full-power pistol is capable of.

My only problem with the gen 3 is the fact that the safety works opposite of the way a 1911 works. As a 1911 and a revolver fan, I do lean toward the Kahr. It has a long smooth trigger, sort of double action revo like, but that is just my opinion.

I have handled the CW45 and the CW9 in my LGS, and they feel good in the hand, and the triggers on both were very smooth. I have read mostly good reviews on them, and they seem to function well after the break-in period. I am really considering a CW9.

I have a Ruger LC9, which I really like. It is 7 + 1, and I can carry it in a pocket (some say they can't.) The LC9 has a long but smooth trigger pull, IMO. Why then am I considering a CW9? My wife has decided that the LC9 is hers. I could get a second LC9, and we could share magazines...so, I am still trying to decide between a second LC9 and another CCW option.

GKC,
I racked the slide of my new Kahr K9 a couple hundred times before taking it to the range. No malfunctions during the break-in period or the approx. 100 rounds since (only had the gun about 6 weeks and to the range twice).
That being said, if you like the LC9 why not stick with it? As you say, you and your wife can share mags, or if she's not carrying (like my wife sometimes doesn't) and you have the LC9 as a backup pistol, you have a gun she is familiar with to arm with her if needed. For a pocket gun, I would definitely prefer having the manual safety on the LC9, and from what I can see the magazines for the LC9 go for less than those of the Kahr.
Just some things to think about, YMMV.

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Ban lunatics and criminals

I have a kahr pm9, and I love the trigger on it... I compare it to a highly tweaked j-frame trigger(which I like aswell) maybe 8lbs but smooth as silk and no where near as long as the keltec pf9 I had. I loved my pf9 and it was lighter by several oz but the kahr is a very refined pistol in comparison. I am very pleased with the accuracy as well at 7-10yds. I remember a few ftrtb during the break in(200rds per kahr) but since then the gun has seen over 5000rds(would give u the exact number but I'm at work and my info is home)... Good luck with what ever you choose and if it is a kahr I hope it's as good of gun as mine has been

Well, I decided to buy the CW9 today. I thought about a second LC9, but I wanted to try something new, just for the heck of it. I haven't shot it yet...but I will say the slide is STIFF. I need to spend some time racking it.

As for the mags...on Midway, the LC9 mags are $29 (with the finger rest) and the CW9 mags are $33, so not that much difference. (I bought a H&K USP Compact 45 the other day, and THOSE magazines are expensive!!!)

I have a feeling that once she feels the trigger on the CW9, she may want to trade!

Edited to add: I was checking out the Kahr website, and they have a rebate program going right now for a free 8 round magazine for the CW9s (other models have magazine offers too.) I'm still going to pick up a couple of regular mags from Midway, but free is nice!

I have never seen the Kahr mags in stock at Midway, so I wound up paying $41 a pop at the local gun-pusher's store. Same price that Kahr had them for at the time, but no shipping charges.

Free is definitely good, especially since the CW pistols only come with one mag IIRC.

The CW9 is a nice pistol, but make sure your wife can rack the slide before you let her take it from you My wife can rack my K9, but it's more difficult than she likes, so she pilfers my 3913 instead

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Ban lunatics and criminals

My wife bought a CW9 not that long ago. Very nice carry piece. It really isn't that hard to rack the slide. Grip the slide over handed and instead of pulling back on the slide, push forward with the gun. Even though my wife has carpal tunnel in both wrists she has no problem working the slide, or shooting the gun for that matter.