Kahr PM45 [.45 ACP] - Tactical Tim

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Kahr PM45
These slide serrations
should go all the way to
the top of the slide.
Pre-Review Comments:
I am excited to really put this gun to the test. Why? Well,
it is a single-stack, .45 ACP pistol which is EXACTLY the
same style of gun I carry right now. Yep, I carry a Glock 36.
And I’ve got a sneaky suspicion that the Kahr PM45 was
designed specifically to compete against the G36.
The first thing I notice is that the PM45 is considerable
smaller than the G36. I mean a LOT smaller. Yes, it does
hold one less round than the G36... but man, I just can’t
believe how small this gun is.
I can’t wait to shoot this thing and see how it compares.
Nitty-Gritty Specs:
Caliber .45 ACP
Gun Type Double Action Only
Capactiy 5+1
Height 4.69 in.
Length 5.81 in.
Thickness 1.12 in.
Weight (Unloaded) 1.195 lbs.
Weight (Loaded) 1.471 lbs.
Concealability Factor 2.041
Barrel Length 3.14 in.
Sight Radius 4.741 in.
Sight Type notch + dot
1st Trigger Pull 7.0 lbs
2nd Trigger Pull n/a
MSRP $805
Street Price (New) $680
Used Price $590
Quality, Fit & Finish:
While the PM9 and the PM40 are nearly identical guns,
the PM45 is quite a bit different. For some reason, the rear
slide serrations stop about half way up on the slide. I can’t
figure out why the Kahr engineers did this. It just doesn’t
make sense.
Well other than the shortcomings of the rear slide
serrations, this gun is very nice. As I’ve mentioned in the
PM9 and PM40 reviews, the aluminum trigger is second
to none. I love the front and back strap, injection molded
stippling. I also like the giant slide release. This makes for
Nice finger relief
under trigger guard.
Yeah... this sight is not my favorite.
I prefer a more open notch on the
rear sight if I’ve got to dot the I!
Dot the I with this
sight.
The standard Kahr sights
leave a little to be desired.
Grip feels great with deep,
and somewhat sharp front
and back strap serrations.
I love this aluminum
trigger. Feels perfect.
The plastic mag plate
is PERFECT for this gun.
Perfect pink stop.
Awesome, giant slide
lock lever!

super-fast, tactical reloads. Some might complain that this
giant slide lock release could get caught on clothin and/or
holsters. But the Kahr engineers put some nice chamfering
on the edges of lever, so that shouldn’t be a problem.
The last thing I’ll say is that I love the fact that Kahr
includes two identical, 5-round magazines with this gun.
Furthermore, both of these magazines include a plastic,
injection-molded floor plate that acts as a great place to
stabilize your pinky finger when shooting. Also, these mags
dropped free everytime I actuated the mag release button.
Ergonomics & Shootability:
Well, I’ve gripped and held the PM45 about a hundred
times now and compared to my regular, every-day carry gun
(Glock 36), It is very difficult to say which one I like more.
I’m certainly more used to the G36, as this has been my
main carry gun for more than 5 years.
If a person had hands that were on the smaller side, I can
certainly see the Kahr PM45 being a more comfortable gun
to hold. The grip is considerably smaller, yet not too small.
The only think I really DON’T like about this PM45 is the
standard sights. Kahr uses a “Dot-the-I” setup but the rear
sight has a very narrow opening. This makes it a little more
difficult to adjust your sight picture if you’re too far off on
initial target acquisition. (But heck, it’s not too difficult to
put new sights on a gun!)
Reliability & Accuracy:
I was surprised how nice this gun was to shoot. I was a
little concerned since the Kahr PM45 is so small. As it turns
out the perceived recoil was no more than my Glock 36. As
you can see from the target, I managed to shoot a decent
group with this gun.
Concealability:
The concealability rating is determined by the formula below. The lower
the number the better! Cfactor = (LxWxTx(loaded weight))/(7*π)
This gun gets a concealability rating of 2.041 which
is fantastic for a gun that shoots the .45 ACP round. By
giving up one round of ammo, the Kahr PM45 reduces its
concealability rating by almost 30% when compared to the
Glock 36. That is VERY impressive. (Note: I just realized
that Kahr sells 6 round magazines for the PM45. Dang, now
this is even MORE impressive!)
Conclusion & Summary:
Well, I don’t think I’m going to replace the Glock 36 just
yet. Maybe after I fire a found thousand rounds through the
Kahr PM45, I’ll be more apt to start carrying it. I have to
admit though, the small size and weigth of this gun make
it a very tempting every-day carry gun for those of us who
prefer the .45 ACP round.
Excellent manual.
Trigger Lock.
Second 5-round
magazine.
Inside the manual is
a handy parts and
accessories list.
There is also a little
Kahr catalog in here
as well!
Padlock for trigger lock.
Things I LIKE:
¨ I love how thin, small and light this gun is. It’s amazing
how small this really is.
¨ The aluminum trigger is great.
¨ I love the big, bad slide-lock release lever.
Things I DONT Like:
¨ I don’t like the rear slide serrations on this gun. They
should go all the way to the top of the slide.
¨ I don’t like the standard Kahr sights on this gun. But, it’s
not too tough to fix this little problem!

If we throw out the one “wild
round” then I shot a 2.2” group
from 21 feet while sitting on the
ground.