Pocket/Lightweight 9mm...thoughts, experience and opinions please!

[msp701]

Hello,

I am currently the owner of a 4" service model XD9.

I am looking for something both thinner and lighter for carry when wearing different clothing then usual (jeans/khakis and untucked shirt).

I would like something as light as possible, so it does not drag down a pair of basketball shorts or fleece/sweatpants when around the house (would like to use a clipdraw or similar).

I have looked at:

• Keltec PF-9
• Taurus 709S
• Kahr CW9

Price is a concern, but not the final say.

I know many of these (especially the Keltec) are a bit rougher to shoot then a standard pistol, but this is strictly to have as a carry/SD gun...not a range toy.

After doing some searching on here, I have found some info on the CW9 and the PF-9, but not so much on the 709S.

Let me hear your thoughts and/or experience with any of these pistols.

Thanks!

[ham385]

I have the P3AT, the little brother of the keltek. I love it, stick it in my uncle mike's pocket holster and off I go. It holds 6+1, and looks like a wallet. Not very heavy, in fact it seems like the ammo weighs alot more than it does.

It's a little painful to shoot, I need to get one of those rubber tubes to go over the grip (looks like a slice from a bike inner tube) and a pinky extension. I tried jogging with it in my pocket, but that didn't work so well, it flopped around, so I need a belt clip too.

.380 has been a little difficult to find, so I've only shot about 150 rounds out of it, but I haven't had a singe stoppage, even when it's covered in lint and been carried all week without a cleaning.

I know you asked about the 9mm's, but I thought I'd chime in and let you know how happy i've been with mine.

[bripro]

I dont have experience with the Taurus you mentioned but I currently carry a Kahr PM9 and had a KelTec PF9 as well. As far as accuracy the KelTec and Kahr are about the same. The Kahr is definately smoother and better built but for the KelTec being less than half the price of the Kahr it is a decent pistol. My PF9 quickly developed a problem with the mag catch but KelTec shipped me a new metal one to replace the plastic part it came with. Since that it never gave me any problems. I only sold it because I had no need for 2 pocket carry 9s so I decided the Kahr was the better gun and sold the KelTec. If price was not an issue I would recommend a Kahr. Since price is a concern it is my opinion that the KelTec is worth its price and is a very suitable pocket gun.

[ksig1869]

I heard the Kahrs are very nice. Haven't shot one but handled one and had good weight to it.

[swack]

I have a PF-9 and I love it. It is so light and thin that it conceals amazingly well. I use the Kel tec belt clip and with that I can conceal perfectly in a t-shirt and gym shorts (yes the draw string is enough to hold the weight of the gun). That said this is gun is not perfect.
1) This (and other lightweight 9's from what I hear) is very prone to limp-wristing. But, its nothing a few hundred rounds of practice cant fix.
2) Recoil is pretty sharp. This can be greatly reduced by the hogue jr. slip on grip.
3) Reliability out of the box is so-so. I would recommend a fluff and buff, after doing this I have not had a single problem. Instructions here http://goldenloki.com/gunsmith/keltec/fullrp.htm
4) As others have mentioned the trigger is not the greatest but with practice it is perfectly acceptable for self defense ranges.
Other than that it is a great inexpensive little gun and it is nice to always be armed, regardless of how you dress.

[msp701]

Very helpful posts guys, thank you.

I think the PF-9 is in the lead, if I could just find one locally

[falcn]

Thanks to the PAFOA group shoots at PMSC I got to shoot a Kel-Tec - and now own a CW9.

I really like my CW9 - recoil is not harsh, comes right back down on target. It's built really well, break-down is easy. Easy to hide on your person, etc.

[coat4gun]

I own a PM9 and have tried pocket carry and in my opinion it is a bit heavy for that... although I have heard some pocket carry a Glock 26 which is even heavier, so it may be ok for you. Some pockets do not work well because of the size of the gun also.

The PF9, which I have not owned is lighter than the PM9 by several ounces, so pocket carry should be better. It isn't really any smaller though.

I have shot both the PM9 and PF9 and the PM9 is a much better shooting gun. The trigger is the smoothest double action I have tried and it is very accurate. I did not like the PF9 trigger. It was not very smooth, kinda on the heavy side and has a sharp edge at the top front of the trigger where it connects to the frame that cut into my finger. I find the PM9 very pleasant to shoot, although my boys think it kicks too hard. They prefer my XD9 subcompact.

The sights on the PF9 are very cheap and I do not think there is any kind of replacement for them (no night sights). My PM9 came with trijjicon night sights.

I know nothing about the Taurus.

[65mustang]

I have the PF9 as well, it is a great gun for the money. I had it for about 6 months and not once did it not go bang when I pulled the trigger. I am suprisingly accurate with it despite the DAO trigger. The only thing I had to do was smooth off some sharp plastic edges on the grip and trigger with fine emory cloth. In my opinion the recoil is not too bad, I thought a Walther PPK in 380 was far worse than this lightweight 9mm. I use the belt clip and you do not hardly know it is there. I liked the PF9 so much I bought the P32 as well for when I want something smaller and lighter yet. I am hopeful that some new Kel-tec products come out soon as they have a good thing going.

[ChamberedRound]

I've had a Kahr MK9 for awhile now, and would recommend it to anyone:
http://forum.pafoa.org/gun-pictures-...-kahr-mk9.html




It's not the lightest of the small frame semi-autos, but it's a solid pistol that shoots great, and the extra weight helps with the recoil. It's also not the smallest, but I carry in it front pocket in a Blackbird holster made by Michael Meredith of Pocket Concealment Systems with no problem. The following Blackbird holster pic shows a PPK, but I've also provided a picture of another holster PCS offers, the Harpoon, with an MK9 in it.



While the trigger travel is a bit long, it has what I believe to be one of the best out-of-the-box triggers of any striker-fired DA pistol I've fired. Breaks clean and resets in the same place consistently. It's an all stainless steel gun, so it's great for carry, as one doesn't have to be paranoid about moisture, sweat, etc. Kahr's customer service is excellent; I've never had a problem with the gun, but I did make a mistake when I ordered grips. Even though it was my fault, when I called them they said "no problem", cross-shipped me the correct grips and sent me a prepaid mailer to send back the old ones.

The PM9 is the polymer frame version of the MK9, but I've heard mixed reports from it. Not so at all with the MK9 in my experience. It fires every time I've pulled the trigger, regardless of 9mm bullet type, weight, or brand. It's also rated to consistently shoot +P ammo, something other small-frame pistols can't do.

Hope the advice helps.