Well, I was between the Kahr PM9 and the Sig P938, and couldn't decide. I had shot a few rounds out of both, and, one time I shot them back-to-back (I have a great LGS - Guns & Leather).
I was hitting about the same with both pistols when I shot them. Of course, the pistols are very different.
Many people consider the Kahr to be the standard in the pocket pistol category. It's like a little Glock - polymer frame, and striker-fired. It is double-action only, with no external safety, and has a long trigger pull. But the trigger pull is known for being very smooth. Available magazines include a 6-round, the baseplate of which sits semi-flush with the butt, and a 7-round, which is extended. Barrel is 3.1", and sights are dovetail-mounted. Kahr's MSRP is $786, but street prices are quite a bit less.
The Sig, on the other hand, is like a little 1911. It's single-action only, but the trigger pull is a little heavy for a SAO pistol, at 7-8 lbs. It's not bad though. Frame is aluminum alloy, slide is stainless steel. It has an external, ambidextrous safety, which is very positive in operation, compared to, say, my Browning Hi-Power. I think all the 938s come with the SIGLITE night sights. Comes with one 6-round magazine, the baseplate of which is flush with the butt of the gun. An extended 7-round mag is also available. Barrel is 3". Sig's MSRP is $805, but, again, you can get them for significantly less.
Both pistols are about the same size. The Kahr is 5.4" overall length, while the Sig-Sauer comes in about .5" longer. They're both about 4" tall, and about 1" wide. They're also the same weight - about 14 oz. without magazine, and about a pound with mag installed.
After looking at both pistols, I decided that I didn't want to go larger in dimensions than these, which limited my choices to, pretty much, these 2, plus the Kimber Solo, which is also about the same size as these.
I looked at the Kimber and really liked it, but ended up dismissing it from consideration because of poor reliability reviews, finicky ammo requirements, and reports of really snappy recoil. I will say, there are also many people out there who own the Solo and have NOT had problems, and love it.
I briefly considered a Kel-Tec, but reliability reviews are spotty, and it's a little bit longer than the previous 3 I mentioned. It is, however, thinner than any of the above. And a lot of people really like them. It's also ugly and cheap-looking, and aesthetics are important to me.
Both the Sig and the Kahr are really sweet shooters with regular range ammunition (I have not fired any hotter loads from either). They both do a good job of damping recoil.
Ultimately, I couldn't decide, and when I noticed a brand-new P938 "SAS" on Gun Broker for $589, I went ahead and ordered it. The SAS is the Sig Custom Shop version, and is the only sub-model that goes through their de-horning process to remove edges from the slide and frame. It also has Goncalo wood grips and SIGLITE night sights.
Pistol got here yesterday, and I disassembled it for inspection. Had some fresh grease in all the right areas (pistol was built last month), and wasn't too dirty from the factory test-firing, so I didn't clean or lube it much except for just wiping down with a light coating of oil, and a couple of drops in the frame rails. I'm told that disassembly and re-assembly is 1911-ish. I don't know, as I've never owned a 1911. It's pretty simple, though not as simple as my Browning Hi-Power. The recoil spring is not captured, and it can be a booger to get back in.
Took to the range today and shot about 60 rounds of WWB 115 with no malfunctions or problems. Every time I would load a magazine, I would chamber a round, eject the mag, and top off the magazine, because this is how I'll be carrying the pistol, and I wanted to be sure it would not have a problem cycling when topped off. I have read that some small pistols have a problem with this...though I forget which ones right now.
I seemed to have been hitting a bit to the right... Whether the sights are off or I am pulling to the right, I don't know... It's going to take more evaluation.
I'm looking forward to going back to the range tomorrow and practicing some more.
The pistol came with a plastic holster for belt carry, but I'll mostly be using it with the DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster.
Here are some pics:
Size comparison with 9mm Browning Hi-Power:
Size comparison with some of my other pistols - clockwise, from left, Model 20, 938, Model 36, Model 686+ (5"), Browning Hi-Power
