CW9 Range Report (PICS TOO!)

[Tex78]

Got a new CW9 in Dallas on friday. Also got an extra mag, some Speer/CCI GoldDot 124gr. +P, and an UncleMike's Sidekick in size-1. Came back home fat dumb and happy! :)

The manual calls for a 200 round break-in, so i got two value-pack boxes of WWB, garabbed my stuff and headed out to the range on Saturday morning.

Had to shoot fast and go- seeing as how there was a little minor rainstorm coming in named "Reba" or something. "Rekka" maybe? Anyways, I didn't shoot for accuracy, but shot out to 20 yards rapid fire (200rnds ASAP remember) with no problems. Came home with one very dead and wet paper bad guy. Sight picture was different with the "dot and bar" than I am used to- but not really distracting. Got used to it in no time flat. Shots were landing the right of POA at first, but soon I had a nice fist-sized hole and generally centered bee-swarm in the middle of the sillohette. To be honest I think it was the odd stageless trigger pull that caused the off center shooting, not the sights themselves. On that note I do like the trigger of my G27 and G19c better, as that two-stage snap has long been burned into my muscle-memory.
Shot just 20 or so rounds of the +P Speers, and WOW! There's a BANG for ya! Lots of sparks and plenty of noise, but nothing you cant handle. I did notice that there was tha predictable SmallGunMuzzle-flip, but it was not excessive, just present. After 190 rounds in 30 minutes my hand began to get a little sensitive when I touched off a mag of those +P's. Nothing like the painful smack of shooting a PPKcopy mind you- just a little worn and weary. About like firing 190 rounds thru a Glock 27 with standard pressure ammo. Double-taps were predictably slower than with my G19C, but were still managable with some attention and focus. Got the gun plenty warm, but the polymer front sight stayed firmly staked in place despite my best efforts. Some don't like this feature as it procludes the use of tritium sights. I think tritium sights are far overated IMHO, and I will soon be having some replaced off one of the Glocks I have, so no love lost from me.

Gun had zero problems at the range- Ran like a fine American watch.

Only problem came at home, as I was that manually loading that first round out of the mag, I had to give her a little nudge to get the slide to force the JHP up that near-vertical feed ramp. Not an unseen problem in my experience, as I have had another 9mm rifle that would act like that when you were manually working the slide.

Seeing as how this thread would be useless without some gunporn, here are some pics. Sorry that there's nothing from the range. (I was in a hurry)

Tex78

http://myweb.cableone.net/noknsean/inhol4.jpg
http://myweb.cableone.net/noknsean/inhol3.jpg
http://myweb.cableone.net/noknsean/inhol1.jpg
http://myweb.cableone.net/noknsean/inhol2.jpg
http://myweb.cableone.net/noknsean/inhol5.jpg

[Michigun]

Good report & VERY nice pictures Tex78! ^c

Thanks especially for taking the time with this one sir. We don’t get to read too many range reports on the CW9 because of how new she is to the market.

I like the “ready for action” pictures… judging by the extractor that CW9 is obviously fully loaded to 7+1 & ready for a night out on the town. :)

[Schwa]

Well, now I am thinking maybe we got a bad one.

I just picked up a CW9 for my wife, and we took it out to shoot last week. She had numerous FTF, FTE, and just a general bad time with it. We are going to take it out again this week and try to get some mroe rounds through it. She could not go through a single mag without having at least 1 problem with it.

It really made her mad to have problems with her gun, but to have my new USP function flawlessly ;f

[Michigun]

Originally posted by Schwa
Well, now I am thinking maybe we got a bad one.

I just picked up a CW9 for my wife, and we took it out to shoot last week. She had numerous FTF, FTE, and just a general bad time with it. We are going to take it out again this week and try to get some mroe rounds through it. She could not go through a single mag without having at least 1 problem with it.

Did you have any problems with her CW9 while you were shooting it?

[Schwa]

Honestly, I only put 1 mag through it, at that was the last mag we shot. I didn't have any problems with it. Hopefully everything has cleared up with it. If she has anymore problems with it, I will shoot afew mags though it and see if it is the gun or just her.

[Michigun]

Originally posted by Schwa
If she has anymore problems with it, I will shoot afew mags though it and see if it is the gun or just her.

Gotta a good feeling that it isn't going to be the CW9... how's her grip look? (She needs to keep those wrists & elbows locked.)

[Schwa]

Although I agree that it probably isn't the gun, can you explain to me how her grip could cause failures like those?

She doesn't have a problem shooting our Beretta, H&K, Glock, or her Dad's Kahr K9. I hate to say it could be her; she and her dad taught me how to shoot a handgun about 8 years ago ;f

[Bruce Foreman]

Originally posted by Schwa
Although I agree that it probably isn't the gun, can you explain to me how her grip could cause failures like those?

She doesn't have a problem shooting our Beretta, H&K, Glock, or her Dad's Kahr K9. I hate to say it could be her; she and her dad taught me how to shoot a handgun about 8 years ago ;f

The combination of very light weight, a slight amount of muzzle flip, and extremely thin grip profile on the polymer frame Kahr can take some extra getting used to. If the grip loosens even just a tad the pistol doesn't find the firm resistance needed from the hands grip and you may see FTF and FTE happen.

Have her shoot it again with special attention to firm but not "death grip" and I think the problem may go away. I has nothing to do with shooting experience but is common when a person used to bigger guns shoots a polymer frame Kahr

Bruce Foreman
Defensive Handgun Instructor

[fjrllc]

My girlfriend was doing the same thing with my PM9 at first so that's almost certainly what you're experiencing. The gun is fine, she just needs to tighten up her grip.

[Schwa]

Well we are going to work on it this week. If the issue clears up, I will definately let y'all know. Thanks for the advice.

[Michigun]

Originally posted by Schwa
Although I agree that it probably isn't the gun, can you explain to me how her grip could cause failures like those?

Mr. Bruce Foreman said it better then I would have. ^c

Originally posted by Bruce Foreman
The combination of very light weight, a slight amount of muzzle flip, and extremely thin grip profile on the polymer frame Kahr can take some extra getting used to. If the grip loosens even just a tad the pistol doesn't find the firm resistance needed from the hands grip and you may see FTF and FTE happen.

Have her shoot it again with special attention to firm but not "death grip" and I think the problem may go away. I has nothing to do with shooting experience but is common when a person used to bigger guns shoots a polymer frame Kahr

[Dandapani]

Butch in another thread had some great pictures demonstrating proper grip and keeping everything inline to reduce "limp wristing".

("Limp wristing" is such a terrible term since it is only one small part of a potentially wider scoped problem that needs attention and the phrase seems to disparage one's sexual orientation! :))

[army_eod]

Tell me about the front sight. Is it replaceable?

[BackDraft]

Originally posted by army_eod
Tell me about the front sight. Is it replaceable?
EOD the front sight on the CW9 and E9 are plastic pinned in sights.The only replacement sight is the factory Kahr sight. I broke the one on my E9 the first month I used it and had a local guncrank mill a dove tail in its place and went to the K9 front sight. WIsh I could help you with more info.

[Dandapani]

What's with the "shoe" of a base plate on the mag? Why does it stick out so much. Not quite as bad as the 7 round mag that comes with PM9, but for a concealed pistol, I expect the mag to be flush with the grip.

[Michigun]

Originally posted by dmobrien2001
What's with the "shoe" of a base plate on the mag? Why does it stick out so much. Not quite as bad as the 7 round mag that comes with PM9, but for a concealed pistol, I expect the mag to be flush with the grip.

That's the standard base plate for most Kahr mags... you'll find them on T9, K9, TP9, P9 & etc., etc. mags.

[Debil]

Originally posted by dmobrien2001
Butch in another thread had some great pictures demonstrating proper grip and keeping everything inline to reduce "limp wristing".

("Limp wristing" is such a terrible term since it is only one small part of a potentially wider scoped problem that needs attention and the phrase seems to disparage one's sexual orientation! :))


I didn't find the term "limp Wristing" that disparaging, did you? You have to be able to let people accept you just the way you are dm.

[WOD]

Check her left hand thumb. With the gun being so small, and the mag release fairly good sized it is very easy for recoil to force the left hand thumb into the mag release causing all kinds of failures. I know, I have done it.;Q

[Schwa]

Well, it could have just been a matter of break in or grip or both, but the gun functions just fine in her hands now.

I did have her read this thread and pay attention to how she was gripping the gun, so I am sure that helped tremendously.