[principal]

New to the forum and I have a few questions. I was all set to buy a Kahr P9 or PM9 when two things happened:

1. I was at a gun show and kept seeing the P22 (or whatever Walther calls it). I kept saying to myself, "why don't they make this in a 9mm"? Next thing you know I am standing at a table holding a PPS in my hand. Loved it. A bit heavier than the Kahr guns and a bit wider I believe, but I really liked the gun.

2. I was in a local gun store talking to one of the sales people. So far, all gun shop employees annoy me, too opinionated, not enough facts. This salesman explained that the Kahr is basically steel sliding on plastic (the slide on the frame) and will wear out in 9k rounds, etc. He took one apart and showed me - sure enough, there already seemed to be a lot of wear on just the display model. He took apart a Glock 26 and showed me how the Glock has installed steel rails so the steel frame is sliding on steel rails attached to a plastic frame.

My questions:

1. Does the PPS have the steel rails like the Glock or is it steel on plastic like the Kahr?

2. Does it matter?

Finally, there was someone on this forum talking about a PPS for $500 and that he could get them at that price for "anyone." If I decide on the PPS I am interested in the all black. What is the best price I can find it for, and where? Could someone provide contact info so I can call and order the thing? Preferably from someone listed in the phonebook or information. No offense, but I don't want to risk my hard earned money with someone I don't know and can't verify third party.

Your help is much appreciated.

 

[principal]

Also, I didn't like the feel of the all steel Kahrs, so no chance of going that direction.

 

[dmobrien2001]

The Kahr has steel rails. The plastic casting quality is poor and often the plastic oozes on the steel parts. This flakes off as it is broken in causing other problems during the break in period. After break in, my PM9 was a solid pistol. Should have kept it. Not sure where they are at these days. There was a run of barrel peaning after my serial number, for about a year. I think it was resolved with a new slide and barrel lockup design, IIRC. Other owners were just filing down the peaning. It prevented a return to battery. No, the Kahr slide runs on steel rails. But there are other issues with the plastic Kahrs making the PM9/40, a hit or miss.

 

[principal]

The Kahr has steel rails.

I will have to take another look, but the PM that was shown to me at the shop looked like all plastic in direct comparison to the Glock, which plainly had the steel rails. Is it possible that the display model was a very early serial number that did not have the steel rails?

Regardless, does the PPS have steel rails?

 

[banddr2]

I will have to take another look, but the PM that was shown to me at the shop looked like all plastic in direct comparison to the Glock, which plainly had the steel rails. Is it possible that the display model was a very early serial number that did not have the steel rails?

The PM9 has plastic and steel rails. The plastic ones (toward the rear i think) don't have any force on them except to guide the slide. The improtant ones up front have steel. 90% of sales guys are idiots. A PM9 will last longer than I will.

Hopefully someone has an answer to your question.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

Finally, there was someone on this forum talking about a PPS for $500 and that he could get them at that price for "anyone." If I decide on the PPS I am interested in the all black. What is the best price I can find it for, and where? Could someone provide contact info so I can call and order the thing? Preferably from someone listed in the phonebook or information. No offense, but I don't want to risk my hard earned money with someone I don't know and can't verify third party.

Your help is much appreciated.

Can't answer about the rails. I've handled a few of the plastic Kahrs and they just don't do anything for me. Tried to talk myself into a CW40 buy just couldn't do it.

As for the prices; This is an interesting time in the product release cycle. The First Edition guns have just about disappeared, and the first black ones are just trickling to market. Due to this the prices have gone up a bunch in the last month or so. Where I was seeing prices of $550 or so on GB, they're now much higher due to lack of supply. Dealers are raising prices on guns they don't even have in stock. This is a long way of saying, whoever was offering them for $500 even a few weeks ago probably cannot get them for that price today. No harm, no foul, things change.

If I'm wrong please let me know. I might consider a 9mm today instead of a .40S&W "sometime" later this year...

Lastly, in my gut I suspect the distribution channels will open up after the SHOT show, which starts this weekend (2/1). At least I hope that's what's holding things up. I really, really hope that Walther and S&W aren't having "turf wars", with S&W intentionally being slow to market so they can introduce their own "slim" pistol.

-- Sam

 

[chp2150]

one of the big reason for the price increases I would suspect is the continuous devaluation of the US dollar vs. the rest of the world's currency.

 

[jilverthor]

I will have to take another look, but the PM that was shown to me at the shop looked like all plastic in direct comparison to the Glock, which plainly had the steel rails. Is it possible that the display model was a very early serial number that did not have the steel rails?

Regardless, does the PPS have steel rails?

Yes, the PPS has all steel rails. On the righthand side it runs from the rear of the gun to in front of the trigger. On the left hand side it has two spots of rail to make room for the slide release and other parts of the gun.

Hope this helps.
Jeff

 

[DocLRRP]

It helped me. Thanks

 

[napolean dynamite]

The PM9 has plastic and steel rails. The plastic ones (toward the rear i think) don't have any force on them except to guide the slide. The improtant ones up front have steel. 90% of sales guys are idiots. A PM9 will last longer than I will.

+1

salesmen tend to have their own agenda. My PM9 has steel rails built into the frame and Kahrs actually have more steel surface area in their rails than the smaller ones on my Glock 19. Not a knock against Glock, just saying the Kahr has steel rails and salesmen are full of it.