Classic Kahrs: The K9 & MK9

Kahrs On The Road

Kahr-MK9-09

Justin Moon designed his pistols for concealed carry. Edges are rounded where they need to be. These pistols are thin and flat, thanks to the patented off-set feed ramp. Takedown? Might want a rubber mallet handy when they’re new, but you’ll get the feel of it.
Car or Kahr, reliability is paramount. I’ve been shooting these guns since they came out, and they’re popular with my students, so over the years I’ve seen tens of thousands of rounds go downrange from Kahrs. The gun was designed for 9mm; that’s the caliber I recommend to Kahr buyers, and except for sloppily made reloaded ammo, they tend to run fine. Kahr was the first company honest enough to recommend publicly that their guns be broken in with 200 rounds before carry. I think that’s probably true of every other makers pistols, too. I had one that I thought I’d have to send back to Kahr because it jammed from the get-go, but somewhere around shot 170 or 180 we had our last malf, and it ran 100% from then on. I can count on my fingers the number of my students in all these years who’ve had problems with 9mm Kahrs, and virtually all of them were pleased with quick turnaround and a long-term fix by Kahr.Kahr-MK9-10
In this test for On Target, neither the K9 nor the MK9 ever malfunctioned, whether fired by a petite female or a male shooter.
Back in the late ‘90s, for a while I carried one K9 inside the waistband and another on an ankle, and the system worked fine. For this On Target test, I packed ‘em for a day in twin Galco shoulder holsters: comfortable, and well balanced. (Yes, I even shot with one in each hand for a bit. Tactically sound? Not usually. Fun? Oh, yeah!)
I appreciate the lighter weight of the polymer framed Kahrs, and the very high dollar-to-function ratio of their “value models.” That said, the classic, all-stainless-steel Kahrs appeal to us old farts. They do kick a little bit less. And some folks just still want an all-steel pistol. If you fit those categories, the K9 and MK9 “classic Kahrs” are absolutely worth their price. See them at your gun shop, or for more information contact Kahr Arms, Dept. OT; Tel.: (508) 795-3919; Web: www.kahr.com