Should I get a Kahr CM9 or a Shield?

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Looking for a pocket pistol for summer carry in shorts. There is a used CM9 for $350 or a shield brand new for $415. What should I go for?
 
I am a S&W fan...but I would recommend that you shoot both and pick the one that fits your hand better. The S&Ws that I own are quality pistols. I would vote S&W on that basis alone, but I haven't shot the Shield so that's not a fair recommendation...
 
I have 2 M&P's and they are an excellent platform. Shield is [censored] good gun...IF you get a good one. Check out the M&P forms and you will see they are going through some issues. I do have faith S&W will iron out all the bugs.

I carry a PM40 and love it, especially in warmer weather. Light weight and powerful. But most people can't shoot it very well. My wife carries PM9 and it is a handful for most.

Shoot them both before buying.
 
The CM9 can be bought new for $399. It is probably traded in for a reason (jams, stovepipes) I would avoid that used Kahr like the plague unless you want someone else's problems. A used Kahr pistol is almost guaranteed to be a problem performer in my observations. People tend to hold on to the good Kahr pistols and trade in the bad ones.

The Shield is a great pistol. It is rather large for a pocket pistol though.

A truly great pocket pistol is the Smith & Wesson 642 or 442. The Ruger LCP is also a good pocket pistol. As is the Glock 42 .380, although they are hard to find.
 
Also check out a Keltec PF9. Thinner/lighter than both the Kahr and the Smith, and very affordable. I have a Keltec P32 and really like it. I'm thinking of buying a PF9 as well.
 
Shield all the way! This is a high quality pistol. If it fits your hand and you like the way it feels I am sure that you will love it. I have shot them both and have to say there is a big difference between the 2 quality wise.

As a matter of fact, the guys over at m4carbine.net forum thinks it's the cats meow and these guys are very hard to please (mostly law enforcement and military types).

The bugs were worked out long ago on this model and there are no more standing issues.
 
I've shot the CM9's brother, the PM9. It's a nice little pistol, and more pleasant to shoot than those micro .380s.

IIRC, the Kahr is smaller than the Shield.
 
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
The CM9 can be bought new for $399. It is probably traded in for a reason (jams, stovepipes) I would avoid that used Kahr like the plague unless you want someone else's problems. A used Kahr pistol is almost guaranteed to be a problem performer in my observations. People tend to hold on to the good Kahr pistols and trade in the bad ones.

The Shield is a great pistol. It is rather large for a pocket pistol though.

A truly great pocket pistol is the Smith & Wesson 642 or 442. The Ruger LCP is also a good pocket pistol. As is the Glock 42 .380, although they are hard to find.

QFT. Even a good Kahr has to be broken in, The M&P is ready out of the box.I carry a Glock 26 with a profiled grip or a 442
 
Originally Posted By: donnyj08
Skip both and buy a Ruger SR9C!! I love mine! Out of those two I'd take a shield. They are nice guns.



Oh Yeah!!
 
Originally Posted By: HM12460
Originally Posted By: donnyj08
Skip both and buy a Ruger SR9C!! I love mine! Out of those two I'd take a shield. They are nice guns.

Oh Yeah!!


The SR9C is a brick compared to the CM9.
 
Originally Posted By: strat81
Originally Posted By: HM12460
Originally Posted By: donnyj08
Skip both and buy a Ruger SR9C!! I love mine! Out of those two I'd take a shield. They are nice guns.

Oh Yeah!!


The SR9C is a brick compared to the CM9.


Yeah I'm talking low profile here. I already have a PX4 Storm Compact which is similar in size to the SR9c and if I was going to that size I'd probably just get an m&p9c. I looked at both and they're both nice guns but the Shield seemed a notch above the KAhr.
 
Originally Posted By: BobsArmory
Shield all the way! This is a high quality pistol. If it fits your hand and you like the way it feels I am sure that you will love it. I have shot them both and have to say there is a big difference between the 2 quality wise.

As a matter of fact, the guys over at m4carbine.net forum thinks it's the cats meow and these guys are very hard to please (mostly law enforcement and military types).

The bugs were worked out long ago on this model and there are no more standing issues.


Might want to check into the highlighted comment. High number of 40S&W with late manufacture dates are experiencing issues.

Both Smith and Kahr have excellent customer service and they have good reputations for fixing the issues and getting a solid gun back to their customers. Now, Ruger on the other hand, roll those dice!
 
Originally Posted By: zerosoma
Originally Posted By: strat81
Originally Posted By: HM12460
Originally Posted By: donnyj08
Skip both and buy a Ruger SR9C!! I love mine! Out of those two I'd take a shield. They are nice guns.

Oh Yeah!!


The SR9C is a brick compared to the CM9.


Yeah I'm talking low profile here. I already have a PX4 Storm Compact which is similar in size to the SR9c and if I was going to that size I'd probably just get an m&p9c. I looked at both and they're both nice guns but the Shield seemed a notch above the KAhr.


I put my money where my mouth is and picked up a PM9 this weekend.

It's a runt compared to the M&Pc, SR9C, and Glock 26. Even a J-frame is noticeably larger.

Off the top of my head, the only common guns smaller than the PM9 are the LCP, P32, P3AT, and similar guns.

Remarkably, despite the larger caliber of the PM9, it has less felt recoil compared to the LCP. The LCP is downright brutal to shoot. The PM9 also wears real sights, not nubs like the LCP or J-frame.

The cons to the PM9 are racking it and the trigger. The slide is small so there's not much there to grab, and the recoil spring is stout. If you have hand problems, you may struggle to load a PM9.

The trigger pull is light and smooth but very long. Trigger reset is also very long. It's similar to a DAO revolver in that regard. However, the PM9 trigger pull is much lighter compared to a DAO revolver.



And for those who are curious, the primary differences between the CM9 and PM9 are:
-Barrel. CM9 uses conventional rifling, the PM9 uses polygonal.
-Slide stop. CM9 slide stop is metal injection molded. PM9 is machined.
-Front sight. CM9 front sight is pinned, the PM9 is dovetailed.
-Slide marking. CM9 is engraved, PM9 is roll marked.
-Magazines. CM9 includes 1, PM9 includes 2.
 
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