The list of options for those seeking a good handgun for concealed carry is a long one. Friends suggest one gun, the guy at the gun shop another. Deciding for yourself really is just that: decide for yourself. Hammer or striker fired, external safety or not, single or double action and any combination of those you could imagine. This article isn’t meant to tell you which one is the best for you, just help you make a more informed decision.
The list of options for those seeking a good handgun for concealed carry is a long one. Friends suggest one gun, the guy at the gun shop another. Deciding for yourself really is just that: decide for yourself. Hammer or striker fired, external safety or not, single or double action and any combination of those you could imagine. This article isn’t meant to tell you which one is the best for you, just help you make a more informed decision.
Kahr Arms is an American company that makes two lines of handguns, one of which is their value line which is where the CM 45 can be found. These are affordable guns, not cheap ones. By reducing the amount of time spent machining prettiness into the slide, and using mim parts where stress isn’t a concern such as the slide stop, Kahr Arms is able to make guns like the CM 45 in the Unites States and still have them sell for around $350. The engineering is the same as their higher-end line, but the manufacturing has been simplified. One place that no sacrifice is made is the trigger. Personally I’m not a big fan of double-action only triggers, but Kahr has changed that. The trigger on these guns glides nicely through the shot with not appreciable stacking, grinding, or stages that one might expect from a double action.
The model tested was the CM 45, but they make other configurations as well. The specifications seen below are directly from the Kahr website.
| Model | TP45 | CW45 | P45 | PM45 | CM45 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caliber | .45 ACP | ||||
| Capacity | 7+1 | 6+1 | 6+1 | 5+1 | 5+1 |
| Operation | Trigger cocking DAO; lock breech; “Browning – type” recoil lug; passive striker block; no magazine disconnect | ||||
| Barrel | 4.04″, polygonal rifling, 1 – 16.38 right-hand twist | 3.64″, conventional rifling, 1 – 16.38 right-hand twist | 3.54″, polygonal rifling, 1 – 16.38 right-hand twist | 3.24″, polygonal rifling, 1 – 16.38 right-hand twist | 3.24″, conventional rifling; 1 – 16.38 right-hand twist |
| Length O/A | 6.57″ | 6.32″ | 6.07″ | 5.79″ | 5.79″ |
| Height | 5.25″ | 4.8″ | 4.8″ | 4.49″ | 4.49″ |
| Slide Width | 1.01″ | ||||
| Weight | Pistol 20.8 oz., Magazine 2.4 oz. | Pistol 19.7 oz., Magazine 2 oz. | Pistol 18.5 oz., Magazine 2 oz. | Pistol 17.3 oz., Magazine 2 oz. | Pistol 17.3 oz., Magazine 2 oz. |
| Grips | Textured polymer | ||||
| Sights | Drift adjustable, white bar-dot combat sights TP4543N: Rear low profile 2-dot tritium sight, front tritium sight |
Drift adjustable white bar-dot combat rear sight, pinned in polymer front sight | Drift adjustable, white bar-dot combat sights (tritium night sights optional) | Drift adjustable, white bar-dot combat sights (tritium night sights optional) | Drift adjustable white bar-dot combat rear sight, pinned in polymer front sight |
| Finish | Black polymer frame, matte stainless steel slide | Black polymer frame, matte stainless steel slide | Black polymer frame, matte stainless steel slide (KP4543), matte blackened stainless steel slide (KP4544) | Black polymer frame, matte stainless steel slide (PM4543) , Black polymer frame, matte blackened stainless steel slide (PM4544) | Black polymer frame, matte stainless steel slide |
| Magazines | 3 – 7 rd, Stainless | 1 – 6 rd, Stainless | 3 – 6 rd, Stainless | 3 – 5 rd, Stainless | 1 – 5 rd, Stainless |
To see the Kahr CM 45 in a table-top review format watch the video below:
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