When would you buy the upcoming P45ACP?

[Climb14er]

I gather it's being introduced to the public at the Shot Show and probably released for sale in a few months or so. Would you wait two, six or twelve months to purchase or would you but it right after it's released for sale? I ask this as bugs usually need to get worked out with a pistol and I would gather the new .45ACP would be no exception. I waited about one year after the PM9 was released before I purchased the DLC version which was later than the original.

[dhoomonyou]

on your level of comfort, past experiences, etc etc

I would wait at least 6 months.

[thalo]

Personally, I'm waiting for a steel version.

But normally it takes to the second or third revision to work the bugs out. If they had based this gun on the K9, I think it would be great right off the blocks. The fact that it's polymer has me, um, gunshy that this debut isn't going to be a world-beater.

Here's what I predict the reviews are going to say: accurate enough for a personal defense weapon (meaning not that accurate)... nice and light for carry (thanks to polymer, which I don't believe in and would rather have the added weight for shootability and lower perceived recoil). And I think they're going to say the fit and finish isn't as good as the K's.

I hope I'm wrong. I hope the gun debuts with a, er, bang. I hope it knocks everyone's socks off. I'd be pleasantly surprised if it did. Wouldn't BUY one, but I'm rooting for Kahr.

[cpirtle]

I personally would/may buy one as soon as I see one in the shops.

My early/low serial K40 is bug free so I don't buy into the "new line" concern as much as some.

I also don't see why Kahr would release something that's not up to standards with the rest of their line from a fit/finish standpoint. They've been doing polymer long enough to have many of the bugs worked out and IMO it's not pushing the size envelope quite as much as the PM series.

At a bare minimum I would expect it to be more reliable than any comparably priced 1911 compact ;)

[thalo]

As I've said in other threads, I think the polymer .45 Kahr has to beat is that new Ruger. And the way they'll do it is by being more compact, and being DAO, and paying attention to quality... the devil is in the details. If there are no problems and the gun shoots well, I think the P45 will be a contender. But somehow based on that first picture, I'm fairly concerned that this offering isn't going to be spectacular. I saw a few design problems that didn't make much sense to me.

Like I said, if my first impression looking at the new .45 Kahr was "hey, it looks like the K9 and K40!" I think we'd be all set. We'd have something. Brother compman says the design has changed, and I'm eager to see a new picture.

[FreeMe]

I don't think the P45 will have to compete with the Ruger. The new Ruger is not as ugly as their other pistols, but any Kahr still looks much classier. Just the lack of the funky loaded chamber indicator is enough to set them apart, IMO. And Kahr's trigger smokes the Ruger's.

I see the P45 as aimed squarely at the Glock 36.

I don't see any reason to fear teething problems with the P45. It's not a mini, so it won't be so sensitive to possible feeding problems, and Kahr should have the polymer thing figured out by now. Besides, the .45 is a low-pressure round. If anything, it should be easier to deal with.

But - I probably won't be buying one, unless I can have it in steel.

Kahr, are you hearing me?:soap:

[thalo]

Brother FreeMe,
you might be right about them aiming for the Glock 36... Kahr's print ads seem to indicate that their always 'gunning' for Glock.

I think maybe the mistakes I'm seeing are a result of trying to cut down the weight. Rounding the slide like that, which gives the gun an ugly, puggy/bulldog look, is probably a way to remove material.

The thing that most doesn't make sense to me, is reducing the textured gripping surface on the slide. Mistake. Yeah, it's a low pressure round, but it's a heavier bullet. Maybe tougher to chamber, bigger, bulkier.

It's clear Kahr's strength, though, is steel, not polymer. When you look at their steel work, it seems to me they deserve the subtitle "Perfection" more than Glock ever did. And yet their polymer efforts appear to be a step down. Quality eased up a bit. The fit and finish isn't quite so nice. And the superb accuracy and shootability is diminished... the trade off being weight.

Kahr, please, stop screwing around: release a K45. In both elite stainless and blackened DLC. It's the gun every Kahr fanatic is dreaming about.

And while you're at it? I see no reason not to offer a blackened DLC MK9. That's another one I'd buy tomorrow if you made it.

[patman]

I won't but one unless they make an all steel version.

[mpholic]

Originally posted by thalo
Kahr, please, stop screwing around: release a K45. In both elite stainless and blackened DLC. It's the gun every Kahr fanatic is dreaming about.


Totally agree. I am happy with my polymer Glocks and XDs but am not interested in polymer Kahrs.

K45 with the elite trigger is what I am waiting for.

To answer the original question though...

When and if more than a handful of people have units that have exceeded 1000 rounds (break in excluded) without failure.

[chiz45]

I went to SHOT this Friday and got to play with it a bit. Their booth was tiny relative to other vendors, and had a representative amount of their pistols. The P45 feels GOOD. Without a G36 near (Glock was fairly far away) it was hard to make a size comparison, but obviously thinner. It seemed smaller than a 1911, and the weight (unloaded) was quite balanced.

[CIAHitman]

After my dealings with Kahr on my PM9, I wouldn't bother with a polymer version only an all metal one.

[Roger rodbolt]

Originally posted by chiz45
I went to SHOT this Friday and got to play with it a bit. The P45 feels GOOD. Without a G36 near (Glock was fairly far away) it was hard to make a size comparison, but obviously thinner. It seemed smaller than a 1911, and the weight (unloaded) was quite balanced.

Chiz45,

Can you compare the size and feel of the P45 to the P40? Thank you for any input. I'm not interested in a steel framed Kahr as I already have a Colt Officer and Star PD. I'm hoping for a simple, compact and lightweight 45 for CCW. Larry

[thalo]

Yeah, "seems smaller than a 1911" worries me :)

If that was brother Chiz's first impression, the gun must be bigger than what we were expecting.

Now that the P45 has been debuted, I think Kahr should spotlight it on their site. I know, don't hold our breaths.

[Biathlonman]

Personally I'm hoping for a T45. Should be able to get 6-7 in it...

I wouldn't worry to much about a polymer framed .45 having intial problems, as I think the problems we usually see stem from slide velocity. The .45 shouldn't have to contend with that issue as much...

Of course this is just my arm chair opinion. :)

[mini14jac]

Given the physics of the .45 cal. bullet..(big and fat),
I expect the P45 to be similar in size to a G36, though it could easily be thinner.

Glock doesn't really do thin. ;Q

[RepairMan]

I'll be buying one as soon as I can get my hands on one with a DLC slide and night sights.

[5x5]

When it's a K45..... -Ian

[engineer151515]

If it was slim.... slimmer than a G36 ... I'd buy it for carry right now.

[Gunmeister]

Ditto what 5X5 and THALO said. All steel for me, I've had (past tence--had) two PM9s and a PM40, sold all three as fast as I could find a buyer and I'll never have a 'nuther. All three were good guns but polymer Kahrs and I just don't mix. Glocks feel OK to me but that skinny little PM9 felt like a toy in my meat hooks. All steel with properly fitted wood grips is what's happening for this old duffer.

[Wicked96SS]

Anybody know when it will be available to the general public and if it is rated for +P .45 ACP stuff?

[kahrcarrier]

I'll look at it, and I can't promise I WON'T buy one, but; steel would really fan the sparks of my interest! :cool: