Kahr CW9 Review

 I originally reviewed this pistol about 7 years ago. For some reason the review was lost on this blog, and the link will not work anymore. This review is basically an update on the original. That's probably a good thing since I've put many thousands of rounds downrange with this gun over the last 7 years.

 There are a lot of polymer framed striker fired pistols on the market today, and it's hard to decide what to pick. Some obviously have a clear purpose, while others such as the Glock 19 can fill just about any need.
  The Kahr CW9 is a lot like that. It's small enough for CCW, and that is obviously the role for which it's intended. It is, however, large enough for home defense and with a 7+1 magazine capacity it should serve well in that role.

  The grip reminds me a lot of a M1911. The shape and feel is similar, although the frame is of course a bit shorter and more narrow. I have medium sized hands and have no problem getting all of my fingers on the gun, when the mag is inserted. As you see above, the magazines have an extension for your pinkie, and the pistol's grip fits small to medium sized hands pretty well. The 7 rnd mags are shown. An 8 rnd magazine is available, and is of course slightly longer.
 I have to say that I only own one 8 round magazine, and it doesn't seat when it's fully loaded and the slide is forward. While I have five 7 round magazines, I only own one 8 rounder so I have no idea if this is common.

  The trigger is double action only (DAO), with a long 7lb pull. I generally hate DAO triggers, but I don't mind it on this Kahr. It's very smooth, and consistent throughout the entire pull. It is a very decent DAO trigger IMO.
  I will say, however, that the trigger has a long reset. You'll have to let it almost all of the way back out after each shot. After the first box or two of ammo, I had no problems with the trigger reset when shooting fast.
  The controls are what you would expect. The trigger, slide lock, and magazine release are all where they should be. The ergonomics are very good on the CW9, and I feel that it's a very comfortable pistol to handle.  Most of my range time is with carry guns over the last couple of years.  I find this small-medium sized semi auto comfortable and fun to shoot. I would estimate that it gets shot at least every 4 weeks.
 It's not unusual for me to accidently depress the slide lock on some pistols when shooting with a thumbs forward grip. I have no issues with that happening with the Kahr.

  IMO, the recoil is not bad with this gun. Beginners are going to feel it, but the recoil is about average for a gun of this size. Those that shoot regularly won't even think about the recoil. I find that it kicks just enough to be interesting to shoot, but not hard enough to effect accuracy or enjoyability. +P's aren't even that bad in this gun.

  The magazine release was a worry when this gun was first purchased. The button was very stiff, and the magazines didn't drop free when the mag release was pressed. It loosened up within a few hundred rounds, and the mags now drop free without any problem. I have learned that others have had the same experience (at least that was true about 7 years ago).
   I've read that some people have had issues with the magazine release being accidentally pressed while shooting, or while carrying their CCW gun.  One gentleman wrote about his pistol losing it's mag when he was driving/putting on his seat belt. He later found himself walking around a store without his Glock's magazine. It was laying on his front seat.  I haven't had any issues with the CW9's magazine release being accidentally depressed. It could be luck, or maybe it's my choice in holsters. Perhaps it's a good gun design, or maybe it's my love handles locking the magazine in place. We'll never know. It's worth mentioning that none of the stories that I mentioned above delt with Kahrs.

  The CW9 weighs a little under 16oz and carries very well. I generally use a Crossbreed Supertuck, or Galco Classic Lite shoulder holster. Both work well. I also have a Galco Stow-In-Go IWB holster, but I find that I need to wear an extra layer unless I want the gun to print. Retention is very good with all of these holsters, but I will admit that I'm not doing a lot of running, jumping, climbing, etc. If you're carrying at work, and your job requires these motions, then you may want something different.
(Update:   After adding the laser grip, I only use an IWB or OWB Crossbreed holster now).

http://www.kahr.com/Pistols/Kahr-CW9.asp

Now for the factory specs:
Caliber:    9mm
Length:    5.9"
Height:    4.5"
Weight:   Pistol - 15.8oz    Magazine - 1.9oz
Capacity:    7+1 (8rnd mags are also available)
Trigger:    DOA (About 7lbs)
Barrel:    3.6"
Sights:    White bar dot combination. Rear sight is driftable
Grip:    Polymer
Slide:    Matte stainless

  Other than the CW9, I don't have a lot of experience with Kahr pistols. I've always liked their guns, but they were priced out of my range for what they are. The CW9 was designed for the more budget minded, and there are some cost saving steps in it's production. There's less milling on the slide, the model No. and name are laser engraved (instead of the roll mark on the other pistols), it ships with one magazine, there are MIM parts,  etc. I feel that this is still an attractive gun; the cost saving measures take nothing away from it.

 The sights consist of a pinned front sight with a white dot. The rear sight is driftable with a white bar in the center. I wasn't really crazy about this setup when I first bought the gun. I found over time that it does work OK, and is pretty good for defensive use. The sights line up well enough and seem average for factory sights.
  Night sights from Dawson Precision were added and they were definitely worth the money.
  Crimson Trace laser grips were added after a few years of using this gun.

   Three mags with 5 rounds each were shot at the target shown below. One round per second was fired, and the target was set at 8 yards.
  I generally prefer the 3" orange centers on paper plates as targets (not because I'm cheap). The contrast really helps these middle aged eyes. This target was shot using factory sights.






  The pistol comes in a rather unattractive and otherwise useless plastic case. A box is a box. If it saves me a few dollars, I don't care if the case ends up unused at the top of the closet.
 The gun comes with the usual literature, one magazine (no ammo despite my pics) and a locking device.

  I find the reliability of this pistol to be excellent.  Kahr has a recommended 200 rnd break in period for this gun. I don't consider this unreasonable.  My Kimber's break in period... ah... that's a discussion for another day.
  I have several thousand rounds through the weapon at this point. The majority has been 9mm 115gr in the usual flavors (WWB, Federal, Blazer, Blazer Brass and Remington). It handles Russian ammo just fine and quite a bit of Tulammo has been used over the years.  Several boxes of Speer Gold Dot 124gr  JHP +P have been put through this pistol as well.
  I had two malfunctions in the first 100 rnds using my one 8 rnd magazine. I can't remember any issues with the other five 7 rnd mags.
 I will say that in my opinion it's not unusual for carry guns to start choking after about 250 rounds without a cleaning. Unfortunately, I'm very lax on cleaning. There's no real excuse why. I tend to wipe down the feed ramp and put a couple of drops of oil on the rails and barrel after a trip to the range. This keeps my Kahr running just fine for several range trips. Bear in mind that I've been doing this for at least 7 years without any problems even though it is a poor substitute for cleaning.

  The slide serrations are very good. They work. That's usually all that needs to be said, but I've had pistols in the past (Browning Hi Power) that had really mediocre slide serrations. This usually isn't thought about in the gun store, but it's noticed when you're showing your wife and/or girlfriend the handgun, and she can't rack it.  Poorly designed slide serrations also become apparent when you have wet or oily hands.
  The Kahr CW9 was priced all over the map in my area. I am truly lucky to have so many gun stores so close to my home. The CW9 was priced from $330 to $430 at my LGS, but I haven't priced it lately. Prices are crazy right now and everyone's handgun inventory is low.

  I do feel that I should point out once again that the gun only comes with one magazine. That's just ridiculous with a semi automatic. Extra magazines for this gun are few and far between in my area. www.cdnninvestments.com had the best pricing when I ordered extras. I've ordered from them a few times in the past and will definitely use them again.

  Disassembly is easy enough. I won't go into it at this time since it should be a non issue for most people.

12yds

8rnd mag shown at bottom right

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UPDATE:   It's Aug 2020, and I still have the same Kahr. I probably shoot this more than any other gun that I own, and would not part with the gun. While the grip texture is very good, some Talon grips were a great upgrade.
I've added some night sights from Dawson Precision, and a Crimson Trace laser. My holsters come from Crossbreed.
Very few people that try this pistol are able to shoot it well without a bit of practice. DAO triggers are hard for most newbies to master.
This gun is ridiculously reliable. I generally wait until I've shot about 500 rounds before cleaning it. The feed ramp gets a wipe down, and a few drops of oil are put on the rails after each range trip. That's not a substitute for cleaning, or a good practice. 
Anyway, I have a LCR, Shield, and M&P9c. The LCR gets pocket carried when I'm in a lazy mood. The CW9 gets about 60% of the carry time when I'm using a pistol.

  I did a review about iron sights vs laser sights on this gun last month. Give it a look.

  More of my gun reviews can be found here.