is an
American Small Arms manufacturer with headquarters in
Blauvelt, New York and a manufacturing facility in
Worcester, Massachusetts . The company specializes in compact and mid-size
Semi-automatic Pistol s chambered for popular cartridges including
9 Mm Luger Parabellum ,
.40 S&W and
.45 ACP . Kahr pistols feature polymer or stainless steel frames, single-stack
Magazines , and double-action striker firing actions.
The company was established by
Kook-Jin "Justin" Moon , son of
Unification Church founder
Sun Myung Moon .
Kahr has offered its line of compact pistols at a time that has seen a liberalisation of
Concealed Weapons Laws , in many U.S. states. Since the 1990s, many states passed "shall-issue" laws, promoted by the American
National Rifle Association and other
Gun Rights Organizations , that required state authorities to issue permits to
Carry Concealed Weapons to law-abiding citizens who met certain conditions set forth by state law. In 1994 the U.S. federal government banned manufacture and importation of pistol magazines with more than a 10-round capacity (so called "hi-capacity" magazines, which again became legal to manufacture and import in most states in September 2004 after the relevant federal law expired). This rendered popular full-size pistol models, some with 21-round magazines, obsolete in the American market. They were now overly large in light of their newly mandated 10-shot limit.
{Link without Title} Kahr was at the forefront at offering small well-made pistols that fire eight or fewer relatively large 9mm and .40-caliber bullets. Their single-stack magazines enable a slender compact pistol that has proved popular with the buying public.
The Kahr action is a
Browning locked-breech design and has a striker-operated firing pin with a passive firing pin safety. It is a true hammerless action. When the trigger is pulled, the double-action mechanism draws back and then releases the striker.
The Kahr trigger is similar to a double-action
Revolver , with a short 3/8 inch trigger travel. The Kahr slide travels on four steel inserts. Kahr pistols have their feed ramp offset to the left, which allows the trigger draw bar to lie flatter against the right side of the frame. This design feature helps the 9mm Kahr pistol line to achieve slide width of .90 of an inch, narrower than many popular pistols.
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Kahr currently manufactures and distributes the following firearms:
- K9 stainless steel frame double action only semiautomatic. Caliber: 9mm, length: 6.0", width: 0.90", height: 4.5", weight: 23.1oz, capacity: 7 rounds in magazine + 1 in chamber.
- P9 polymer-frame double action only semiautomatic. Caliber: 9mm, length: 5.8", width: 0.90", height: 4.5", weight: 15.8oz, capacity: 7 rounds in magazine + 1 in chamber.
- CW9 polymer frame double action only semiautomatic. Caliber: 9mm, length: 5.9", width: 0.90", height: 4.5", weight: 15.8oz, capacity: 7 rounds in magazine + 1 in chamber. The CW9 is essentially a cheaper version of the P9.
- MK9 stainless steel frame double action only semiautomatic. Caliber: 9mm, length: 5.3", height: 4.0", width: 0.90", weight: 22.1oz, capacity: 6 rounds in magazine + 1 in chamber (7 rounds magazine capacity with included extended magazine.)
- PM9 polymer frame double action only semiautomatic. Caliber: 9mm, length: 5.3", height: 4.0", width: 0.90", weight: 14oz, capacity: 6 rounds in magazine + 1 in chamber (7 rounds magazine capacity with included extended magazine.)
- T9 stainless steel frame double action only semiautomatic.
- TP9 polymer frame double action only semiautomatic.
Initially, all Kahr Pistols were sold with a Limited Lifetime Warranty to the original purchaser. Circa 2004, this was changed to a 5 Year Warranty to the original purchaser.
When asked as to why this reduction in warranty was done, a company representative stated that it was to bring the warranty to a level more in line with the Kahr pistol's competitors.
Research of the various Manufacturer's websites reveals that more than three quarters of companies that produce polymer framed handguns still offer Lifetime Warrantys on their product.
In 1999, Kahr Arms bought
Auto-Ordnance Corp. , the maker of
Thompson Submachine Gun s. Now Kahr manufactures Auto-Ordnance's line of semi-automatic weapons, including a long-barreled, semi-automatic version of the famous "Tommy Gun". The Auto-Ordnance Corporation that Kahr Arms purchased was not the original Auto Ordnance started by Col. Thompson and his investors.
Kahr Arms is owned by the Saeilo corporation, of which Kook Jin "Justin" Moon is CEO/President.
