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.I included a picture of the CW9 alongside a Ruger LCR. Most of us have shot, owned, or at least handled 2" snubbies, so the size comparison should be familiar. Some may find themselves deciding between a small frame revolver and a semi automatic for their self defense needs.
Once again... most of us are familiar with 2" snub nosed revolvers, but few people actually enjoy shooting them. A lot of us own them, carry them, or keep them at hand for home defense. Based upon what I see at the range, I would say that the majority of gun owners don't shoot them a lot. This is largely because they're harder to use due to the short sighting radius, small grips and recoil. We all like fun guns and nice little groups, so these snubbies don't make it out to the range like their larger brethren. Most new gun owners will simply hate shooting 2" revolvers.
I don't think that will be a problem with the 9mm handgun pictured above. The CW9 is a lightweight small-medium sized pistol. Unlike a J frame (and I know the LCR isn't a J frame) revolver, the Kahr is a pleasure to shoot.
The grip reminds me a lot of a M1911's. 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 slightly longer.
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. Those that shoot revolvers will find it similar to their wheelgun's trigger.
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. As with the vast majority of shooters, most of my range time is with full sized handguns. Ammo is expensive, and they're what I enjoy the most. Regardless of that, I find this small-medium sized semi auto comfortable and fun to shoot. I would estimate that it gets shot at least every 4-6 weeks.
The recoil is not bad with this lightweight gun. Beginners are going to feel it, but I doubt that they'll be unable to deal with it. 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 bad in this gun. Follow up shots are reasonably fast, but I have to admit that I find myself able to shoot quicker with pistols that have shorter trigger pulls and resets. That's the price that you sometimes pay for the added safety of a long DAO trigger.
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 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.
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, or losing a mag. It could be luck, or maybe it's my choice in holsters. Perhaps it's a good gun design, or maybe it's the 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.
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 well, and is pretty good for defensive use. The sights line up quickly and are visible in most cases. So when are they not visible? How about when trying to get white dots to line up on white paper plates.
The target below was shot a couple of weeks later. Three mags with 5 rounds each were shot. 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.
The pistol comes in this rather unattractive and otherwise useless plastic case. A box is a box. If it saves me a few dollars, I don't care if it's this case that ends up unused at the top of my closet or if it's one of Springfield's truly outstanding gun boxes sitting up there.
The gun comes with the usual literature, one magazine (no ammo despite my pics) and a ridiculous 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 over 1,000 rnds through the weapon at this point. The majority has been 9mm 115gr in the usual flavors (WWB, Federal, Blazer, Blazer Brass and Remington). Most of it has been target loads, but as this is one of my carry guns I have also shot several boxes of Speer Gold Dot 124gr JHP +P.
I had two malfunctions in the first 100 rnds using my one 8 rnd magazine. There have been no issues with the other four 7 rnd mags.
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 $420-$480 at my LGS, and averaged $400-$440 at the gun shows. I purchased mine for $400, and felt like this was reasonable. They are currently running $369 at Bud's.
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. They are currently priced at $34 (8 rnd) and $30 (7 rnd). I've ordered from them a few times in the past and will definitely use them again.
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| 12yds |
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| 8rnd mag shown at bottom right |
Oct 2017, and I still have the same Kahr. I probably shoot this more than any other gun that I own, and would not part with this gun. While the grip texture is better than almost everything else that I've used (Springfield still has better texturing), 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 lot 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 80% of the carry time when I'm using a pistol.
It's fall of 2020, and I still own and carry this firearm on a regular basis. I still carry this gun a great deal in spite of owning 6 carry guns at this time. I've found that most people do not like the DAO trigger, and have a hard time using it. Most people seem to like the grip shape, and feel of the weapon.
I really don't have anything bad to say about this gun, and expect to keep using it for many years to come. I'd guess that it has close to 10,000 (?) rounds through it with a great deal of that being steel cased. The weapon is very reliable IMO.
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