Kahr CM9 vs Ruger LC9s Pro

[CUJOHUNTER]

So, I own a CM9, which I'm completely content with, and shot an LC9S Pro the other day and was kinda impressed with it....kinda. I do like both of them but none more than the other. It's sorta even between the two and I could live with either but I haven't owned the Kahr long enough to form a bias. I want to hear from anyone that has spent a significant amount of time with either gun or both. The catch is, I had an offer to trade my CM9 for an LC9sPro. I need the good, bad and the ugly for both if y'all can chime in on this. Thanks!

 

[JDLEATH]

I have owned a CW9, and an original LC-9. Obviously, the LC-9s Pro would have some desirable features over the original LC-9, and obviously, the CW9 is a slightly bigger gun than the CM9, so my opinion is only about the general quality of both guns.

The Kahr is a great gun. I had one for several years, and it was my daily carry gun for pretty much the best part of 3 years. I started carrying a Glock 19, so the CW9 got sold off as superfluous. The 200 round recommended break-in period is necessary for the Kahrs, and I would be sure that it liked your preferred carry ammo (I found 124 gr. Gold Dots liked to nosedive into the feedramp, but WWB 124gr. HPs worked great.) I never had any ammo related issues with the LC9.

The CM is smaller in grip size than the LC-9, which is a HUGE advantage if you want to pocket carry. I find the LC-9 just a bit too big for pocket carry, and I'm a big guy.

The Kahr sits a bit lower in my hand, it feels like, so recovery from recoil seemed a bit quicker, but with the slightly smaller CM (rather than the CW I had) that may not be as noticeable.

The trigger on the LC9s (my brother owns one) is GREAT compared to the original hammer fired one. The original LC9 trigger is pretty 'meh'. Personally, I LOVE the Kahr trigger. I am a long-time revolver shooter, and their trigger is much more akin to a revolver than a semi auto. It is long (with a long reset-pretty much all the way forward) and smooth, with no stacking or creep and a surprise break. It takes some getting used to if you have been primarily a striker fire shooter, but in my opinion, it is a great factory trigger.

The standouts for me between the two guns were the finish and the mag release. The kahr's slide is brushed stainless, where as the LC9 had a blued finish that was not very deep. The slide of my LC9 started rusting with daily carry. After removing the rust, there is some unsightly freckling in the finish on the slide, so I don't feel confident that it can take the abuse of regular carry. It has been pretty much relegated to a glove box gun. The Kahr's finish was never a problem.

And as to the mag release: the Kahr has a positive engagement that requires a deliberate push to disengage, although it was not difficult to do so. As a lefty, this is a HUGE bonus. I never accidentally dropped the mag on the Kahr. On the LC9, I routinely dropped the mag under recoil, due to placement of my (lefty) trigger finger.

All of this said, I have a strong bias for the Kahr over the LC9. If I were right handed, and the mag release was not an issue, I would still favor the Kahr, but only slightly. The smaller size of the CM-9 is a plus for deep concealment, but the upgrades of the LC9s-Pro over the regular LC9 might give it the advantage in a head to head if deep concealment are not as important to you.

Good luck with your decision, and either way, I think you will be happy with whatever you choose!