To each their own. I'll leave it at that since I agree with you on some points and very much disagree with you on others (carrying two spare 1911 mags has never been an issue for me at all, in terms of irritation, detectability, whatever).

No problem. Its all personal preference...;)

I own a Taurus 85 with a titanium frame, which is almost identical to the Smith you described. I'll agree with one thing, recoil is brutal. It definitely requires a good grip and shooting stance. I carry my Taurus while on duty as a back up gun. It is concealed under my uniform shirt and secured with a bulletproof vest holster. The gun is so light that the gun has fallen out of the holster and into my shirt without me realizing it. I also like to carry my Taurus off duty because it is so light and easy to conceal. There is no noticeable "lump" like you see with a bigger gun like a Glock or 1911. My other off duty gun is a Glock 27 in .40 caliber. It is bigger and heavier, but holds twice as much ammo. As always, its a trade off. The 9mm Kahr is certainly an adequate gun. The 9mm will do just fine, as long as you hit the target and have good shot placement. For plain clothes assignments I would recommend the Kahr, but if you need a back up gun or gun that can be easily carried and concealed in light clothing, I would recommend the Taurus or Smith without hesitation.

The 9mm(Kahr) will do just fine, as long as you hit the target and have good shot placement. For plain clothes assignments I would recommend the Kahr, but if you need a back up gun or gun that can be easily carried and concealed in light clothing, I would recommend the Taurus or Smith(340PD) without hesitation. That just about sums up my situation.

Gotta throw in my 2 Lincolns in also. I think that for most cops, off-duty carry would naturally include extra mags, along with a set of cuffs, etc. Citizens carrying a weapon are probably more concerned with how much extras to carry with the gun. I have a tendancy to agree with Horse Soldier about ammo supply. When I carried a Colt Double Eagle on duty, I had a mag in the gun, four in a pouch, and five more in a bag in the squad. To quote a John Wayne movie "I don't want to get killed for lack of shootin' back."

I've never been a huge fan of the Kahrs for several reasons. But, I am a huge fan of the J-frame S&Ws. I don't see either being really good primary carry sidearms for a couple of reasons. They'd both make exceptional back ups though. I would tend to classify both for that role. Although, the rubber grips on both would have to go if concealability a consideration. On the S&W 340 in particular: I'm not sold on the Scandium framed S&Ws yet. I had a S&W service rep tell me that the design parameters took into account that it would, in most cases, be carried alot and shot seldom. They give it about a 2,000 round service life before the frame is flame cut to the point of being out of spec. I examined one of the Scandium framed L-frames that suuposedly had about 800 rounds thru it that was already pitting the top strap pretty noticably. All things considered ... I'll stick with the 642s in the airwieghts. My all time personal favorite J-frames are the 940s. With the quick pressure curve of the 9mm it loses very little in the way of performance out of it's 2" barrel when compared to a 4" service type sidearm. It's all Stainless, so it wieghs a little more than the 642, and probably about 50% more than the 340s. It's hardly noticable even in an ankle holster or pocket carry though. I tend to think the fastest and least fumble prone reload is a second gun. That also gives a little insurance against a malfunction or stoppage taking you out of fight, before the other guy cries uncle. Currently, if I carry at all, I tend to carry a 2 1/2" S&W 66 in a strong side hip holster and a 642 in either a pocket holster or crossdraw IWB behind the left hip. A couple of Bianchi speed strips in my pocket with .38s for either revolver and I figure that's sufficient for most things short of Commie paratroopers. If a 642 is he primary for whatever reason, a Seecamp is easy to slip in a pocket for about the same effect. As far as carrying on duty, with a duty rig I have always stuck to two spare mags in a horizontal double pouch up front and one spare in a verticle open top pouch (in between my radio and PR-24 ring) for a speed reload if need be. I have always advocated back up guns though. So the bare minimum in addition to the service sidearm is a 642 in the left pants pocket and another in an ankle rig, which I've always found convenient for those walk up and talk to you in the cruiser types even if their next to impossible to draw cleanly from standing.

Kahr PM series has polymer grips.

Darth, I fondled (lovingly, mind you) both of these pieces at my local Turners Outdoorsman yesterday. I must say, I was markedly impressed by the Kahr. It is soooooooo small with absolutely no snags on the frame. My question for you is this: with the super small size of the grips, do you have control problems using overpresure ammo? I seemed that the pistol pointed well, but it almost seemed like a derringer. Neat little piece, though. You were correct about the S&W. The pistol was incredibly light. I couldn't imagine using full power .357 ammo, and expecting decent follow up time on repeat shots. I shoot .357 from a Python with a "4 bbl, and it still roars like a dragon. Go Kahr! Thanks, Cato

Cato, First off I have small hands so the little PM9 isnt too small for me. The Kahr PM9 requires a little adjustment compared to the K9 which I also own due to the size of the grips. But with practice its an easy adjustment even with the most powerful 9mm ammo. For me the accuracy is awesome at personal defence ranges and control in rapid fire is relatively easy. Keep in mind rapid fire doesnt last to long with 7 shots! One thing to note though is presentation. The small grips can be difficult to grasp firmly for a rapid draw. Another thing practice resolves. Also while the weapon is nearly snag free. The square 90 degree angle of the back of the slide can get caught coming out of a pocket or even sometimes from underneath a T-shirt if you arent careful. This is a problem for most autos or revolvers with hammers. The S&W 340PD has a clear advantage here as well. But overall the Kahr is the weapon of choice for most concealed carry personal defense situations IMO.

Just got back from the range. Just a FAMFIRE with .38 Special +P rounds instead of the .357 Mags. Amazing difference in recoil. Still not what I would call comfortable but in no way uncontrollable or "painful". Accuracy was great too in spite of the very heavy trigger pull. Its enough of a difference that .38 Special +p will be the primary ammunition until I can work out the recoil issues through more training.