Monday, December 31, 2012

Facts of the Newtown Tragedy & Firearms Purchasing

Barnes Precision Machine
AR15 that my wife used
to fend off two burglers
Proposed to be banned
Facts of the Newtown Tragedy & Firearms Purchasing

I first want to start this article by saying how upset I am as an American that tragedies such as the recent Newtown, CT shooting occur and my prayers go out to the families affected by that disaster. 


As with any tragedy, there is much information circulating that is totally incorrect being driven by an emotional witch hunt. The pitchforks come out and the angry masses demand answers, retaliation, retribution, and heads on sticks. 


Like the Reagan assassination attempt committed with just a little innocuous 5-shot .22LR revolver, the event somehow was spun to create a assault weapons and high capacity magazine ban which thankfully timed out. The problem is that it is impossible to create a fairy tale  environment where there is no evil and where magically the unpredictable nature of crazy, insane, and evil people are constrained by yet another new law. I am unsure over the logic of banning a weapon wielded by the crazy. If you ban one weapon they will just find another.

Restored 1932 Mosin Nagant
Has an evil looking stock
Proposed to be banned

FACT - On the same day as the CT massacre, a Chinese man attacked and stabbed 22 children and elderly woman in front of an elementary school. 


I am not sure what fairy tale town gun banners live in, but in my very upscale golf course-ed division, I still needed to stick a gun in a guy's face to stop him from breaking in.  Perhaps in the magical land of politics, a police officer would have caught the guy as he was jamming a crowbar in my door, however in real life, my police have a 45 minute response time and my wife and I were forced to run the guy off instead.  

Henry Goldenboy .22LR
Over 10- Round Capacity
Proposed to be banned

How about the time two guys were attempting to break into our home and my wife was alone. My wife flipped the lights on in the house as she faced the attackers through a large 2nd story window.  The attackers saw my wife standing there wrapped in Kevlar with a holstered Glock 19 and an AR-15 pointed at the closest attackers chest... they obviously ran. We do not live in a bad area and far from a fairyland that politics would have you believe every neighborhood is perfect. The reality is things are bad and getting worse around the US and we DO need every available advantage to thwart those that want to do us harm including Glocks, AR15s, and high capacity magazines.

MLR22AT 10/22 Semi-Auto
.22LR Target Match
& Hunting Rifle
Proposed to be banned

FACT - Recent studies show that Concealed Carry Prevents More Crime than it Creates including studies conducted for concealed carry on school campuses


The ill informed media acts as if any black gun is scary, evil and a bad people killer and that full automatic guns are easy to obtain on any street corner. In fact they would have you believe it is easy to obtain any old gun to go on a bloody rampage.

FACT - Every state in the US requires full fingerprinting, a local, state, and federal criminal background check be performed to obtain a Firearm Purchase Permit or an instant BATF check for in store purchases without the Permit.  


The uninformed media would also have everyone believe that legally obtaining a firearms does not require a background check.

Ruger 10/22 Semi-Auto
.22LR Target Match
& Hunting Rifle (Wife's)
Proposed to be banned

FACT - It is impossible to LEGALLY obtain a firearm without full fingerprinting and a local, state, and federal criminal background check being performed. At minimum, this can be performed via the online or phone based criminal background check system in place by the BATF. Buyers must also complete Form 4473 . Any firearms dealer who fails to comply with this process will face fines, their license revoked, and potential jail time.


But don't gun shows and private firearm sales allow sales without a background check?


FACT - Firearms sales via private or gun shows still require buyers to present a current and valid purchase permits.  So jurisdictions and cities also require handguns and/or rifles to be registered as well. If you are found to have sold a firearm to someone who does not have a firearms purchase permit, you can face jail time and hefty fines


I am sure that all the the criminals are legally doing all this to obtain firearms to commit crimes.  You wouldn’t think that criminals would just steal guns and use those would you... no of course not, I am sure they all buy them legally including answering 11 A-L on Form 4473 truthfully.


FACT - Just because something is black, does not mean it should be banned, shunned, or singled out; that is racist. Perhaps if the guns were white, the politicians would call them pure and good guns.

American Spirit Arms
 AR15 Precision
Predator Hunting Rifle
Proposed to be banned

FACT - Thanks to the June 26, 1934 NFA  - National Firearms Act and Gun Control Act of 1968, Firearm Owner Protection Act of 1986 fully automatic guns (guns which can fire more than one bullet per trigger pull) are legal in some free states with tons and tons of paperwork, $200 BATF tax stamp fee, fingerprints, intensive background checks, 8-12 months of waiting for approval from the government to purchase the gun, and then pay about a $10,000 more than the actual gun is worth. Oh yeah the crazy evil doers are doing all this very expensive and time consuming paperwork vs just filing the sear on any gun they want to make full auto.


Politicians want even more gun control and in fact one politician wants almost every semi-automatic firearms to NFA controlled.

Mega Arms
Custom One of a Kind
3-Gun Competition
AR15 Match Rifle
Proposed to be banned

FACT - If you hear politicians saying these guns will be NFA or National Firearms Act controlled, they mean they want you to fill out 8-12 months of paperwork..and wait for approval, pay $200 just to reapply for the firearm you already own legally, and re-complete background checks at the local, state, and federal level. For the majority of gun owners this mean that the politicians want us, the law abiding gun owner, to go through all this on guns we already own legally and it could cost use $1000s of dollars depending on how many firearms you own as well as putting all of us gun owners in legal limbo in the process.


Lets look at the real facts of the Newtown incident without the media spin.


FACT - The firearms used during the CT massacre were used, transported and possessed illegally. 

FACT - The firearms were originally legally purchased by the mother, however as the insane son was not 21, and therefor he was not legally able to purchase, carry, transport, or transfer his mothers handguns which he used during the shooting and therefore his possession of the firearms in any circumstance outside of the direct supervision of his mother was illegal. 

DoubleStar
Custom One of a Kind
AR15 Lower receiver
 I use in competition
Proposed to be banned

FACT - Just because you are related, does not mean you can legally transfer ownership or use of a firearm.  Any individual (relative or otherwise) must be legally compliant with gun purchasing laws which means that in most cases, at the very least, a relative receiving the firearm must have obtained a State Firearms Purchase permit before the transfer. 

FACT - The son did attempt to purchase a rifle legally and was denied - the existing gun restrictions worked. This would indicate a firearms purchase permit would not have been issued due to his existing mental condition. 


FACT - It was the mother’s fault she did not secure the firearms in a house with a permanently mentally disturbed individual.  Instead she provided open access to the firearms. These firearms should have been secured in some way.


FACT - An AR15 was not used in the shooting at the school, it was left behind, so let’s stop focusing on banning a gun that was never used in the massacre.
Ruger 10/22 Semi-Auto
.22LR Target Match
& Hunting Rifle
with a "black stock"
Proposed to be banned

FACT - Killing innocent people is already a serious crime, punishable by life in prison or death in some states. This law as old as the country has not stopped senseless killings. Only insane people kill innocent children, so we can assume that this was a seriously disturbed person who would have used any means legally or illegally to kill those victims.  Look at the above China incident to prove that statement.


FACT - No new weapon law or new ban would have prevented this incident with the exception of requiring all schools to have armed guards proportional to the school's size and secured single entry points. This would have prevented the Newtown massacre. 

Houlding Precision
Custom One of a Kind
Competition AR15 Match Rifle
Proposed to be banned

FACT - Armed security in the school or one or two teachers with concealed carry firearms would have been two options which would have prevented the Newtown CT situation.


FACT - Mrs Pandemic (my wife) was a teacher in an underprivileged area and actually resigned do to numerous security issues which threatened both her and her students lives. The school would not allow concealed carry by the teachers and she resigned because of the constant security issues which put her and her students in danger.

Ruger 10/22 Semi-Auto
.22LR Target Match
& Hunting Rifle
Proposed to be banned

DEFINITIONS FOR THE FIREARMS UNEDUCATED

I feel compelled to clear up a few additional misconceptions and provide a firearms definitions for the media folks that need a firearms education. 

What is a Machine Machine Gun or Fully Automatic Firearm - This type of firearms action allows the shooter to shoot more than one “round” at a time. Although it looks cool in movies, even the military infantry rarely use fully auto fire.  Note that MANY hunting and sporting guns look just like the military guns, but that does NOT mean they are fully automatic.  AR15s, for example are by their design NOT fully automatic weapons but look like an M16 or M4 military firearm. 

Remington 870 Turkey Predator Shotgun
Pistol Type Grip
Proposed to be banned
Image provided by Remington Arms

In all situations of “personal ownership” of automatic firearms, they must be manufactured on or before 1986. Cost to own own one of these pre-ban machine guns, the politicians are parading around, is about $10,000-$15,000. Limited ownership is possible in some states, however as noted above, these are already HEAVILY restricted, extremely expensive, and excruciatingly slow to procure. Generally only extremely wealthy collectors can afford their purchase... and oh by the way the politicians want every gun to be this hard to get.  

MODEL R-15 VTR PREDATOR CARBINE
Predator Hunting Rifle
Pistol Type Grip, AR15 Style,
CDetachable Magazine
Proposed to be banned
Image provided by Remington Arms

What is a Semi-Automatic Firearm - Semi-Automatic firearms allows a round to be shot with each trigger pull. This has become by far the most popular type of firearm action in the US spanning from general purpose Semi-Auto goose, duck, and turkey shotguns, to handguns, to hunting rifles, to competition rifles including government sponsored matches and even the US Government sponsored Civilian Marksmanship Program. Of course, AR15s, Glocks, and other firearms feature this type of semi-automatic action.  It is not a killing machine firearm, it is just another way a gun can fire a round and in some cases more slowly than other type of actions.  


This is a 6-cyclinder engine vs 8-cyclinder engine argument, they just feed bullets differently and have advantages and disadvantages such as being potentially more complicated and less reliable.
High Performance
3-Gun Competion Match
AR15 Upper reciever
Proposed to be banned

Why A Detachable Magazine? - Some of these hunting, sporting, and defensive firearms have detachable magazines and some do not.  Some of the most popular semi-automatic firearms in history did not have detachable magazines and could be reloaded in some cases faster than current firearms with detachable magazines.  With my training and from decades of experience I would much rather have a firearms with a detachable magazine than one without, simply because they are safer to “clear” of ammo.  Most tubular and internal box magazines require you to cycle the extra live rounds though the firearm to make them “clear” and safe. You can see this could (and has) created more than a few unsafe situations when unloading a firearm.  Detachable magazines on the other hand allow you to drop the magazine free, remove the one live round from the chamber and the firearm is safe. A detachable magazine is the safest firearm ammo feeding device on the market.


High Capacity Magazines - Many hunting and firearm sports allow or in some cases require high capacity magazines, plus they are really fun.  One of the more pressing reasons to have high capacity magazines is for personal defense.  Under stressful situations, documented hit ratios of rounds actually hitting the target is about 7% for the less trained and 20% for the well trained which means that in a life or death situation your 15-round Glock magazine may only deliver 1-3 life saving hits to stop your attacker.  This seems reason enough to have high capacity magazines. Specifically for defense I want to know that I have more than enough ammunition available to take care of a threat attempting harm to me or my family.


How Much Ammo Should You Have On Hand, What is a Reasonable Amount? - Any legal firearm owner should be allowed to have as much ammo as they want. On almost any trip to the range I will routinely shoot over 1000 rounds which means a 15,000 round ammo pile, might only last me a month.  

Mossberg Take-Down Survival
12Gauge Shotgun
Proposed to be banned

How would you feel if I regulated how many golf balls you could own, or gas you could use for your sportscar, or whatever you need that is critical to the enjoyment of your hobby.  Most of the uninitiated do not know that match and target shooters like myself routinely buy 5000-10,000 rounds at a time of certain “production lot #s” of ammo that we find shoots more accurately than others. The consistency varies from lot # to lot # when the ammo is produced, so when you find a particular ammo you like you want to buy as much as possible.  This is one of a limitless number of reasons there should be no limits on the amount of ammo personally owned.



SVI Semi-Auto Very High Capacity $4700 Custom Match pistol 
One of a kind!   Proposed to be banned
What You Should Require from your Politicians
I have the right to defend myself with “stand your ground laws” and “castle doctrines” which prevent secondary civil lawsuits from the attacker, family, or other party claiming damages.


I have the right to own possess, carry, and use any firearm which is available to my National Guard with the proper background checks in order to defend myself, my family, my property, and my statehood if required from threats foreign or domestic. Yes, I do mean we should lift the automatic machine gun restriction to allow the purchase of any new product select-fire or fully-automatic firearm, but maintain the NFA restriction on these firearms. This would allow legal and licensed citizens to own the same firearms as possessed by its own National Guard.
I have the right to procure and hold any quantity and type of firearms, ammunition, and magazines of any capacity.
Semi-Auto AK-47
Often used for deer hunting
and villainized in movies, oh and
it's black
Proposed to be banned

Demand that any politician who supports any gun restrictions or laws surrenders all of his/her own guns to local or state police and that they be ineligible to purchase firearms in the future.
If you politically take away my right to defend myself, you as the politician who banned my ability to defend myself, family, property, and statehood will unequivocally guarantee my safety and if you fail in any aspect, you will be tried as an accomplice to the criminal who committed the crime with the same charges as he.


FINAL THOUGHTS

As I was talking about this to a fellow hunter, I could see his eyes glaze over during the discussion and said, "well I only have shotguns and not assault weapons... it will not impact me". He is dead wrong.

What is being proposed is yet another witch hunt to ban and limit more firearm freedoms. Make not mistake this time folks, your trusty double barrel trap shotgun may not be on the list, but you can bet if we let them get away with this, even those guns will be next. This next firearm freedom battle will be a watershed event for gun rights and it is up to you to become an activist and badger your representatives beyond the point of being annoying to assure they will not "compromise" on any point.

Only bad laws and great limitations of of freedom will come from of attempting to solve statistically insignificant and highly unusual and complex crimes. The Newtown CT incident is a horrific crime, however fists, knives, and blunt instruments are almost  ten times more likely than firearms to be used in a homicide. The reality is, new legislation has nothing to do with protecting people, it only has everything to do with banning guns.
Handguns - All considered evil and the 
semi-autos are all potentially able to 
accept high capacity magazines. 
Proposed to be banned

CALL TO ACTION
Write your Reps - It seems simple, however this is singly one of the most powerful things you can do and shows your reps that there are passionate voters who have strong opinions about further gun control. Do this right now, do not wait.
http://www.nraila.org/get-involved-locally/grassroots/write-your-reps.aspx


Join the NRA - Your support help the NRA fight the fight which has seemed to be relentless this past few year.
https://membership.nrahq.org/forms/signup.asp


Get Involved Locally - The NRA of course provides access to many programs, however you likely have a privately run group or forum at the state level which sponsors everything from Appleseed shoots to working with local politicians. Most of these groups also have a listing of upcoming events, gun shows, and gun ranges which is all good information to have.
http://www.nraila.org/get-involved-locally.aspx


Grass Roots Activism - This is not carrying around signs and shouting at people, this can be just a couple hours here and there volunteered to write letters, help with local NRA sponsored workshops and educational seminars. These events and correspondence can pay huge dividends.http://www.nraila.org/get-involved-locally/grassroots.aspx


Stay Informed - NRA has a great newsletter that keeps you informed of current legislative actions at at federal, state, and local level.  Sign up it is free.https://www.nraila.org/get-involved-locally/secure/stay-informed.aspx

Friday, December 28, 2012

1911 VZ Grips Review

1911 VZ Grips Review

1911s are the guys version of playing barbies. We take a perfectly normal 1911 and then we start swapping out and upgrading parts. I had actually spent the better part of a night swapping between various sets of VZ Grips on my Ruger SR1911 and Springfield Range Officer when my wife asked if I enjoyed playing gun barbies... sadly yes at least if that means with guns.

So far my Ruger SR1911 and Springfield Range Officer 1911s have been a blast to shoot, however even more fun to customize.  The Smith & Alexander Mag Funnel replaced my stock back strap on my SR1911, but I moved it over to my Range Officer to make sure I liked it before picking up another.  The S&A magwell funnel greatly improved reload speeds and dressed up the 1911, however although an easy upgrade, a magwell funnel can be a bit intimidating.  




Grips on the other hand are an easy custom touch for any 1911 owner that can give it a huge grip, comfort, and look improvement all with just removing and replacing four screws. When it comes to mild to wild 1911 grips, no other company offers the variety of 1911 grips like VZ Grips and the kicker is that they are some of the most reasonably priced grips on the market.



ABOUT VZ GRIPS
VZ Grips was founded in 2003 with the goal to produce the finest and most precise laminate grips available for the 1911 anywhere.  The precision is accomplished by complete CNC machining of their single and multi-color G10 or Micarta laminates. 


Currently the company has seventeen 1911 grip styles with four different base/butt profiles, two additional mag release indents as well as three different grip widths from standard to slim, and numerous materials; literally thousands of combinations to create your own custom 1911.  One of the most popular questions is why the name VZ? The founder’s name is John VanZyck, so you can understand where the VZ Grips name originated from. Just know that the company is commited to the finest production 1911 grips and I certainly saw that in the grips from 

my order.

FIT, FEEL, & FINISH
I ordered a set of slim Black Frag Grips, Operator II in Predator Green, and Black and Grey Aliens from VZ Grips with the intent of playing around to figure out which one I liked best on my 1911s. Sadly, I will also probably swap them around more than you would think. Each grip fit perfectly, was gap free and dramatically increased the grip and comfort over the standard stock grips on the Ruger and Springfield.  I do not have large monkey paws so the slim grips made both my 1911s worlds more comfortable for me and greatly improved handling.







All the grips I selected were slim profile however the Frag grips were considerably slimmer than any of the others and seemed to find a home on my SR1911.  The VZ Grips Operator II and Aliens definitely have a much more aggressive biting texture and locked onto my hand.. perfect for a competition focused 1911 like the the Springfield Range Officer.

VZ Grips has a near limitless number of solid and layered colored micarta and G10 to choose from.  As you can see the solid colored black Frag grips take on VZ’s grip design, but the layered colors on the Aliens and Operator II show the color variation like you would see on any laminated stock.  It is an incredible look.

Comparing standard width
grips to VZ Slim Grips

FEATURES & FUNCTIONS
The VZ Grips 1911 Aliens were originally designed for the Precision Weapons Section of the U.S. Marine Corps. These grips provide a lot of grip with just the right amount of bite.

The Frag grips are a collaboration between Ned Christiansen of Michiguns and VZ Grips.  This pineapple grenade pattern offers a classic look and positive grip and happens to match up to Ned’s custom 1911 frontstrap treatment.

The Operators are actually one of VZ Grips most popular styles so VZ expanded the line with the Operator II with thumbs reliefs for the magazine. As noted on VZ Grips site, I did need to knock down some of the grip bite with an emery board, however they still have plenty of bite.

VZ Grips also has a full line of bushings and simple to intricate grip screws to complete your very own look.  Don’t forget that if you are installing sllim grips that you will also need short grips screws and short grips screw bushings as well otherwise your grips may not mount correctly.  I picked up their DPL and SLEX and a couple sets of VZ’s universal bushings to make the build simple and add the extra custom touch.

FINAL THOUGHTS
The wife may say I am playing barbies with my 1911s, however it was a blast to see the transformation from stock to a custom looking 1911 just with a grip and grip screw swap.  For those with hands smaller than your average ape, a set of slim grips greatly improves handling and comfort.  VZ Grips adds the custom touch and improves shootability all while looking un-freaking-believable cool all for well under $100.  Indeed one of the best upgrades I have made to my 1911s.


SPECS
Slim Black Frag Grips - $65
Slim Operator II in Predator Green - $65
Slim Black and Grey Aliens - $65
1911 Universal Bushing and Hex Screw Kit - $16.00
1911 Slex Screws - $12
1911 DPL Stainless Screws - $19

SOURCES

Shop the complete selection of grips now at Brownells.com 

VZ Grips
http://www.vzgrips.com


Springfield Armory
http://www.springfield-armory.com

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Kahr CM9 9mm Carry Gun Review

Kahr CM9 9mm Carry Gun Review

I have a few guns; guns for home defense, concealed carry, for fun, for sporting competition, and for hunting. The Kahr CM9 definitely fits right into the concealed carry profile, however it does it in a size and caliber which is a little unusual.  


For my concealed carry guns, I have three main carry guns which include my Glock 19 in a Crossbreed Supertuck Deluxe holster as my primary carry gun, my Ruger LCR 357 with a Clip Draw attached to just tuck in my pant or shorts when needed, and my Ruger LCP .380 when I want something small and light or as a backup.  That noted my Kahr CM9 has juggled that mix of carry guns a bit and has all but displaced the LCR and LCP quite often because it is nearly the same size as the LCP and just a bit more compact than the LCR. With more rounds of hotter ammo in about the same size, it is a quick decision on which I would gravitate toward.

ABOUT KAHR ARMS
Until about six months ago, I had written off Kahr arms as a brand I would consider. As a marketing professional, I generally steer clear of brands that use hot babes to sell products when it really is not required. Generally sex sells, however this type of advertising sends me the message that I need to be seduced into buying your product because the product cannot stand on its own.  


Unfortunately Kahr featured a disproportionate babe to gun ratio in their ads, so I though they were all marketing hype until about six months ago when my FFL dealer handed me a Kahr pistol. Racking the slide and feeling the tight tolerances and crisp trigger pull changed my mind forever on Kahr pistols, however I still think there should be more gun and less chick in the ads. My wife loved the pistol but loathed the ads... something to consider as a huge group of female shooters enter the market.

Kahr Arms is now part of the Magnum Research, Thompson, and Auto Ordnance firearm family.  Justin Moon is the lead designer and a principle of Kahr Arms. I have always noted that elegant simplicity it hard and Kahr pistols are an example of that elegant simplicity in action. The saying of "If it was easy, everyone would do it" is reflected in the six patents held for the Kahr pistol design. 



Where Kahr is different than many firearms manufacturers is that they do full 3D design and modeling before beginning prototyping and manufacturing on high tolerance CNC machines.  It is clear to me after handling this CM9 that Kahr is making extremely fine quality firearms beyond what we see in many gun cases.

FIT, FEEL, & FINISH
The first thing I must note is the lineage of the CM9 versus its parent PM9.  The PM9 was a huge hit for Kahr and provided a higher power 9mm pistol in a small 380ACP sized format.  The challenge was that not everyone wanted to pay for the extra slide milling, surface finishing, extra magazine, polygonal rifling, or metal sights; thus the CM9 was created.  The “economy” CM9 is functionally identical to the PM9 and shares the same magazines, but drops the superfluous extras to create a $517 MSRP ($470 Street) pistol that is $200 less expensive. Personally I do not think the looks suffer at all.


The fit is still exceptional and in fact better than any Glock, S&W, or Ruger I have handled and may even be a notch or two above some Sig Sauers I have shot. I like my Glocks and Rugers, however there is no comparison in fit and finish to the Kahr pistols even on this “less expensive” Kahr CM9.

From a finish perspective, the CM9 has a beautiful bead blast stainless slide and barrel and perfectly detailed polymer lower receiver. Many a big name brand pistol has been placed in my hand that still has sharp flashing casting marks, but the CM9 receiver was very nicely molded and finished. In the case of Kahr, it is the little things that add up to a much nicer finished pistol.


You should never buy a defensive carry gun such as this CM9 based on how comfortable it is in your hand.  The most important issues are ergonomics of operation and how comfortable it will be in your waistband or other concealed carry location. If you are holding a tiny little concealed carry gun long enough to think about how comfortable it is, then you are in a different fight that requires far more armament than a little 6+1 shot 9mm pistol. That said the Kahr CM9 is one of the most most comfortable tiny pistols to hold the exception of my pinky dangling in the air from a short grip. 



Ruger LCP on to of Kahr CM9
The Kahr CM9 is almost as skinny as my Ruger LCP and almost as small, but far more comfortable to shoot. It is smaller than my Ruger LCR 357, thinner, almost the same weight, and holds more ammo. The best way I can describe the CM9 it is as a "densely packed little 9mm". Overall I love the way this gun feels in my hand and disappears in my waistband. In addition to the size the CM9 is also pretty light at 14 oz equal to my LCR and only 4 oz heavier than my diminutive LCP.


Kahr CM9 on top of Ruger LCR
FEATURES
Kahr has a number of pistol configurations and all exclusively use a single stack magazine configuration. Kahr could certainly compete in the “my gun holds more ammo” contest, however I think they are competing with firearm designs which are uniquely slim in the market. My Glock 19 for example is significantly wider than the CM9.  The compact 380 size of this 9mm is a huge selling point for me and probably will be for any buyer as well as the lack of a safety or magazine safety are big features for me as well.


Kahr CM9 on top of Ruger LC9
The CM9 is a 6+1 capacity 9mm pistol with a 3.0" barrel with standard rifling.  The frame is meticulously formed black polymer and is matted to a stainless bead blast finished slide. The CM9 loses the polygonal rifling, a spare magazine, attractive slide milling and surface finishing, metal sights, a rolled versus milled slide markings, and a formed vs milled slide release. With the exception of picking up a couple extra magazines, will you miss all those extra features if you have to fend off an attacker attempting to do you harm at a typical 7’ or less? Not likely and you you saved $200 in the process with no loss in reliability.

Size comparison
The CM9 is a trigger cocking DAO lock breech "Browning - type" recoil lug action with a passive striker block.  All this means that by pulling the trigger on the CM9 unlocks the passive firing pin block, cocks the pistol and fires the gun. The mechanism is a stunningly simply cam which both unlock the firing pin and cocks and fires the firing pin. Essentially the gun is safe without a safety until the trigger is pulled and greatly simplifies required operations in times of stress. The gun's feed ramp has been mirror polished to assure feeding which is not something you see on pistols of this price range.

I picked up an extra standard magazine and an extended 7-round magazine.  The 7- round magazine completes the grip profile, gives your pinky finger something to grab onto, and adds a little more control.


Sights are drift adjustable white bar-dot combat sights.  This is my first experience with a bar-dot sight, however it seemed to be really fast on target and provided a clear picture of the the target. Some will say that the front plastic sight is inferior to metal, however there are plenty Glock and Magpul AR owners who seem to be doing just fine with them.  The sights are plenty durable and the rear metal sight handled me using it over and over as a catch to rack the slide on my belt for a single handed tap and rack maneuver. For the intended purpose these sights are just fine and could be swapped out for something different if the shooter desired.

FUNCTIONS
Functionally this is a slim concealed carry pistol without the extra junk you don’t need that will just get you hung up.  No magazine safety - yes! No safety  - yes! This two moronic safety devices can get you killed if you ever need to really use your gun. I will never carry a gun which will not operate just like a revolver; pull trigger and the gun goes bang.  


This point was exhibited during my in state concealed carry class a few months ago during a stress induced drill where the instructor was yelling at the student. Take One - The guy next to me pulls his gun and jerks the trigger but nothing happens; he had accidentally hit the magazine release during the previous re-holster so the magazine “ safety” had prevented the one potentially life saving round from exiting the gun. Take Two - Same guy pulls his previously decocked gun to fire and pulls the trigger to find nothing happens again; safety was on and the fictitious training attacker kills him. If you are that concerned with having a safe gun, carry it with a chamber empty and practice draw charge shoot drills. This CM9 is a perfectly designed firearm from my perspective

These examples are why I love, love, love, the little Kahr CM9. If there is something in the chamber when I pull the trigger it will go bang even if the magazine is ajar. Operations is as simple as any Glock but in a far smaller more concealable package.  




My preferred carry method has either been in my jacket pocket or via a ClipDraw adapter.  I shortened and added a Universal ClipDraw adapter to the right side of the frame as I have featured previously on my my LCR and LCP.  The ClipDraw transforms the versatility of a small light weight gun into something you end up carrying constantly; just clip the gun right into my pants for simple, fast, easy and secure carry. The CM9 now goes with me everywhere. My Ruger LCR 357 has been carried this way for some time, however due to the more narrow profile, the CM9 has been far more comfortable to carry with two extra rounds on tap and the ability for a quick reload.

The trigger on the Kahr will sell you in the store and on the range.  It has about a ¼” longer trigger pull than a Glock, but no where near as long trigger pull of a double action only revolver or the mile long trigger pulls of the Ruger LCP and LC9 pistols.  The CM9’s crisp trigger is quite impressive and delivers excellent accuracy from this tiny little carry gun.

ACCURACY & RELIABILITY
As this is a concealed carry gun, I tested accuracy at reasonable defensive distances from point blank to 7-yards (21 feet) and found the Kahr CM9 quite accurate.  At the longer 7 yard distances I was able to deliver standing two hand supported 12-round 1.3” group with Hornady 115gr Critical Defense ammo which is excellent for this size pistol. Heck I could rabbit hunt with this thing.


The gun is tight and should have at least 200 rounds run through the gun to smooth everything out. I had one stovepipe with some target reloads. Since then I have put several hundred rounds though the gun with no functional issues what-so-ever and would consider the CM9 as reliable as any other quality gun you would stake your life on.

My preference for this gun is a 115gr round not necessarily in the +P range. The 124gr+ rounds in hot +P velocities can become a little snappy for some more sensitive shooters, however in a defensive situation, I am sure the extra power would be not be noticed. With a 115gr round, it is fun to shoot for the first 100 rounds and then the light weight and small size remind you that it is not a target pistol.

FINAL THOUGHTS
The Kahr CM9 is a little less expensive than your standard sub-compact Glock, Ruger, or S&W, however I think it is a better carry gun that any gun I have seen yet from those manufactures. Obviously it does not compete with the full capacity 15+round pistols, however it is a size which whill find a home in your waistband more than those larger firearms. 


The CM9 has exceptional quality, fit and finish, and functioned perfectly after break-in.  Most importantly this is a small accurate and reliable little gun that is easy to carry and will be with you when you need it vs back home in the safe. A gun is only good protection if you are carrying it and seems to be displacing several of my go to standards because of its size, weight and features. For those that want an in between size without sacrificing power, the CM9 is great compact concealed carry gun that will find a home in your front or back pockets, a purse or a waistband.

SPECS
CM9
CM9093 (3.0" Barrel)
Black polymer frame, matte stainless slide
MSRP: $517.00
Ships with one magazine only
Caliber: 9mm
Capacity: 6+1
Operation: Trigger cocking DAO; lock breech; "Browning - type" recoil lug; passive striker block; no magazine disconnect
Barrel: 3.0", conventional rifling; 1 - 10 right-hand twist
Length O/A: 5.42"
Height: 4.0"
Slide Width: .90"
Weight: Pistol 14 ounces, Magazine 1.9 ounces
Grips: Textured polymer
Sights: Drift adjustable, white bar-dot combat sights
Finish: Black polymer frame, matte stainless steel slide
Magazine: 1 - 6 rd flush floorplate

SOURCES

Shop the complete selection of Kahr Handguns at Brownells.com 

Kahr Arms
http://www.kahr.com/