HJHMD

Hello everyone,
I am searching for the best CCW for me. This is what I have learned so far regarding my own preferences. 9mm is the largest caliber I can shoot due to recoil sensitivity because of thumb and wrist arthritis, pocket carry is my preferred carry mode. I bought a glock 26 and while I enjoy shooting it, it is too big to pocket carry and be able to draw quickly. I bought a S&W M&P 340 which conceals very nicely but the recoil is brutal, so I am afraid I will not be able to practice with it much ( not good ) . I have a Kahr P380 which is an awesome pocket gun, but after 500 rounds and a trip back to Kahr it still has too many problems for me to trust it with my life. I held a Kahr PM9 at the gun shop today, and I thought it was ok for pocket carry in the cargo shorts I was wearing. So, I hope you can share your wisdom with me. Is the PM9 reliable ( I don't want to go through the same unpleasantness I experienced with the P380 ) ? Is the PM9 ok for pocket carry in shorts like cargo shorts, and can you draw quickly in that mode ? Is the recoil in the PM9 acceptable ? How does the recoil in the PM9 compare to the lightweight j frames, the glock 26 and the Kahr P380 if you have had experience with them or similar guns ?
Thank you for sharing your insight with me .

Jim

Sarge405

Jim,
No one here can give you the answer you are looking for. Guns are mechanical beasts made by man and some just don't behave right. Only you know what you can shoot effectively and reliably. If I were in your shoes, I would stick with what I use as my backup gun on duty and sometimes offduty. A S&W J frame Model442. You can't beat em.

Alabaster

Hard to argue with a J frame, for sure. Though I never had any issues with a Kahr, either. My brother did, but he had the guide rod assmbly in backwards(Doh!).

I've shot a pm9, and had no issues personally. I'm not recoil shy either. I think it's slightly more than a 26, but have no other way of measuring it than "seat of the pants", which is purely subjective. I didn't find the 26 to be an issue at all recoil-wise, but agree about it's application in "pocket carry".

one eye joe

Gotta agree with Sarge. I carry a 642-1 in a pocket holster. Same as a 442, but silver, not black. The 642-1 has NO ACCURSED LOCK ! ! They are still available. Put a set of CT Lasergrips, model LG405 on it. They have a cushion of air embeded in them over the backstrap that absorbs recoil. If you stick to standard pressure ammo like 125gr Nyclad or some of the new low recoil, short barrel ammos, you should be fine. I suffer from Arthritis, and I shoot mine without a problem. IMHO, this is a far better choice for a pocket carry CCW than a 9mm Kahr. Mas Ayoob turned me onto the J frame with Lasergrips. 'Nuff said................

Rainman48314

I just finished breaking-in my PM9. Bottom line, I like it. Was my like immediate? Not entirely.

My initial reaction was that it was a bit snappy and that the grip's front strap was similar to a cheese grater. I even shot 100 rds of the break-in wearing two golf gloves. I had multiple failures to feed from rounds that went nose down. The slide was very hard to work and it made clearing the malfunctions very difficult. This goes away by 175-250 rounds

My particular gun did not like Speer Lawman FMJ 115 gr but ran well with American Eagle 115 FMJ, it's iffy with 124 gr AE FMJ, but good with Remington 124s. I have decided to shoot Federal 9BP Hydro-Shok 115 gr HP for my carry load. I'll shoot a mix of 115 and 124 as range ammo. I am still getting familiar with that DAO trigger. My short history with guns is all semi-auto SA with thumb safety.(SR9C and P238)

This is a good SD gun for pocket carry. It may not be for everyone. I am still intent on seriously looking at a Kimber Solo when the supply chain fills up.

Don't forget that the identical internals are available in the CM9 at about $180less cost (but with one mag).

From what I read, and experienced with a Sig P238, the smaller .380 Autos are much more fussy about ammo, proper (firm) grip etc. The PM9 stands heads above the P380 in reliability.

The guy on YouTube with a bitch about the mag design wants to carry his gun WITHOUT a round in the chamber, thus, it is critical to him to be able to slingshoot that first cartridge. I was able to do this after my break-in , but not when new.

Be sure to look at a pocket holster. Check out the Recluse Holster and its unique trigger guard.

Lots and lots of good info on the Kahr forum.

Let us know what you decided.