Infantry: February 12, 2001

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Kahr Arms of New York has released a new version of the K9 compared automatic pistol it first released a decade ago. The new P9 uses a polymer frame to reduce the K9's weight from 25 ounces to just under 18 for the P9. Both pistols are double action only, but have a relatively light 7-ounce trigger pull, meaning that they can actually be fired accurately (within the limits of a pocket pistol's very short barrel). Both have a magazine with 7 rounds of 9x19 ammunition, giving more shots than a snub-nose revolver. While pocket pistols have short barrels, pocket automatics have longer barrels than snub-nose revolvers, and the manufacturers claim that the 9mm rounds from their weapon can approach the power of much larger .38-special rounds fired from a small revolver.--Stephen V Cole