Kahr Arms

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At age 18, Justin Moon obtained a license to carry a handgun, but he could not find an ultra-compact 9mm pistol with the features he desired, so he designed one himself in his junior year of college.{{cite journal|last=Ayoob|first= Massad| authorlink= Massad Ayoob|title=The Rise of the House of Kahr |journal=American Handgunner|number=6|volume=25|pages=58–67}}

In 1999, Kahr Arms bought Auto-Ordnance Company, not associated with the original AOC, maker of Thompson submachine guns, then owned and operated by Numrich Arms who had bought the crated assets of Auto-Ordnance started by General John T. Thompson and his investors. Now Kahr manufactures Auto-Ordnance's line of semi-automatic weapons, including a long-barreled rifle version of the famous "Tommy Gun".{{cite book|last=Lewis|first=Jack |authorlink=Jack Lewis (screenwriter)|title=Gun Digest Book of Assault Weapons 7th Edition|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HyF_GKQdPXgC&pg=PA195|access-date=July 31, 2013|edition=7|year=2007|publisher=Gun Digest Books|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-1-4402-2652-6|page=196|chapter=Revival of the Thompson}}

Kahr introduced its line of compact pistols at a time of significant liberalization of concealed weapons laws in many U.S. states. Since the 1990s, many states have passed "shall-issue" laws, as promoted by the National Rifle Association of America and other gun rights organizations.{{cite encyclopedia |last=Wilson |first=Harry L.|editor-last=Carter |editor-first=Gregg Lee|encyclopedia=Guns in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law |title=Concealed Weapons Laws |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QeGJH48PT0kC&pg=PT320|edition=Second |date=May 2012|publisher=ABC-CLIO|location=Santa Barbara, California|isbn=978-0-313-38671-8}} Such laws mandate that state authorities must issue permits to carry concealed weapons to all law-abiding applicants who met certain conditions set forth by state law, including passing a comprehensive background check.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

In 1994, the U.S. government banned manufacture and importation of pistol magazines with more than a 10-round capacity. These were the so-called "high-capacity" magazines, which again became legal to manufacture and import in most states in September 2004, after the relevant federal law expired. This change in federal law rendered many staggered-magazine pistol models (commonly with magazine capacities of 15 or more rounds) less popular in the American market. They were now overly large in light of their newly mandated 10-shot limit.{{cite news |first=John |last=Mintz |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=March 10, 1999 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/daily/march99/moon10.htm |title=Church's Pistol Firm Exploits a Niche |access-date=September 22, 2007 }}

Since late 2003 or very early in 2004, Kahr has changed from offering a Limited Lifetime Warranty on their pistols to one of only five years' duration.[https://web.archive.org/web/20031008043920/http://www.kahr.com/front.html October 2003 front page of Kahr.com]. Wayback Machine. In 2003 the New York Daily News reported that the Kahr K9 was popular as a back-up weapon with New York City police officers, who called it the "Moonie gun".{{cite news |title=Rev. Moon son made a gun |work=New York Daily News |date=July 27, 2003}}

In June 2010, Kahr bought Magnum Research, which markets the Desert Eagle.{{cite news |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2010/06/21/daily16.html |title=Owners unload gunmaker Magnum Research to Kahr Arms |date=June 22, 2010|work=Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal |last=Black|first= Sam}}

During the Shot Show in January 2015, the Kahr Arms company changed its name to the Kahr Firearms Group. Kahr Arms is currently under the Kahr Firearms Group as a private firearms manufacturer, alongside Magnum Research and Auto-Ordnance. The company's trademarks include: Kahr Arms, Thompson, Auto-Ordnance, Magnum Research, BFR, and Desert Eagle.[https://shopkahrfirearmsgroup.com/ Kahr Arms Group]

In September 2019, Kahr Firearms Group donated eight Thin Blue Line PM9's to the NRA Law Enforcement Division, two of which were used as special Firearm Awards at the National Police Shooting Championships.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ammoland.com/2019/09/kahr-firearms-group-donates-to-nra-law-enforcement-division/|title=Kahr Firearms Group Donates to NRA Law Enforcement Division|last=Arnold|first=Monica|date=2019-09-05|website=AmmoLand.com|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-06|archive-date=February 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206191246/https://www.ammoland.com/2019/09/kahr-firearms-group-donates-to-nra-law-enforcement-division/|url-status=dead}}

On July 1, 2013, the Kahr Arms company announced that it was leaving New York state because of New York's Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act (NY SAFE Act) of 2013. Kahr purchased {{convert|620|acre|ha}} in Pike County, Pennsylvania, and said it will move its corporate staff after building offices in 2014 with plans to build a new factory by 2019.{{cite press release |author= |title=Kahr Firearms Group Plans Major Expansion in Pennsylvania |url=http://www.kahr.com/kahr-news2013.asp |location=Pearl River, NY |publisher=Kahr Arms |date=July 1, 2013 |access-date=September 14, 2017 |archive-date=September 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915023857/http://www.kahr.com/kahr-news2013.asp |url-status=dead }} The firearms group ceremoniously cut the ribbon at the grand opening of their new {{convert|40,000|sqft|sqm|adj=on}} headquarters on August 11, 2015, in Blooming Grove Township, Pike County, Pennsylvania.[https://www.auto-ordnance.com/company-news/page/5/ Kahr Firearms Group® Opens the Doors in Pennsylvania][https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tommy+Gun+Warehouse%2FKahr+Arms+Group/@41.3874942,-75.0234609,626m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m19!1m13!4m12!1m3!2m2!1d-75.0231107!2d41.3895154!1m6!1m2!1s0x89c4a4248fcd8da3:0x40181f7aefa9b430!2sBlooming+Grove+Township,+Pennsylvania!2m2!1d-75.0844757!2d41.3588973!3e0!3m4!1s0x89c4a649bea415b7:0xec8021aa969fbe91!8m2!3d41.3883361!4d-75.021987 Tommy Gun Warehouse/ Kahr Arms Group - aerial view]

File:Kahrfs.jpg

The Kahr action is a Browning locked-breech design featuring a striker-operated firing pin with a passive firing pin safety, making it a true hammerless action.{{cite book|last=Ayoob|first=Massad|authorlink=Massad Ayoob|title=The Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8MNGOPcCDoYC&pg=PA202|date=September 28, 2007|publisher=Gun Digest Books|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-1-4402-2654-0|page=202}}{{cite book|last1=Hogg|first1=Ian|last2=Walter|first2=John|title=Pistols of the World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=okQH6zFgDtUC&pg=PA188|date=August 29, 2004|publisher=David & Charles|location=London|isbn=0-87349-460-1|page=188}}

Kahr's trigger is similar to a double-action revolver, with a short {{convert|3/8|inch|cm|adj=on}} trigger travel.{{cite book|last=Engel|first=Tara Dixon|title=Women and Guns|year=2002|publisher=Little River Press|location=New Jersey|isbn=978-0760348536|pages=38–39}} On polymer-framed models, the slide travels on steel inserts that are permanently set into the polymer frame. There are also polymer rails, which are not structurally functional, but aid in keeping out dirt, and with aligning the slide when reassembling the slide onto the polymer frame. In steel framed versions, the rail design is traditional and very similar to that of the M1911 pistol. Kahr pistols have their feed ramps offset to the left, which allows the trigger draw bar to lie flatter against the right side of the frame. This feature helps the Kahr pistol line to achieve a slide width of {{convert|.90|in|cm}} in 9mm and .40 S&W models, and {{convert|1.01|in|cm}} when chambered in .45 ACP, narrower than many popular pistols.{{cite web |url=http://www.kahr.com/PA-1B/review_cch2006.html |title=KAHR Perfect Pocket Pistols |access-date=September 22, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015224904/http://kahr.com/PA-1B/review_cch2006.html |archive-date=October 15, 2007 |url-status=dead }}

The initial Kahr offering, the K9, provided a full-power 9mm Parabellum pistol that was virtually the same size, and in some dimensions, smaller, as widely accepted "Pocket Pistol" .380 ACP and .32 ACP handguns such as the Walther PP and PPK/S, as well as the SIG Sauer P230/232, and the Beretta "80" Series.{{cite book|last1=Rementer|first1=Stephen R.|last2=Eimer|first2=Bruce N.|title=Essential Guide to Handguns: Firearm Instruction for Personal Defense and Protection|year=2005|publisher=Looseleaf Law Publications|isbn=978-1-889031-65-1|page=299}}

Kahr offers a line of "economy" pistols which are identical to the P series of pistols except that some luxury features are eliminated to cut costs. The polymer-frame CW economy models have fewer machining operations, pinned-in front sights rather than dovetail, traditional rifling rather than polygonal rifling, "rolled-on" lettering rather than engraved, and come with only one magazine. CW pistols generally retail for approximately 20–30% less than the full-featured P series. The E series is a discontinued line of Kahr economy pistols with stainless frame; the E series was discontinued in 2004.{{cite book|last=Lee|first=Jerry|title=Gun Digest 2016|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IVMyCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA399|date=August 12, 2015|publisher=F+W Media, Inc.|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-1-4402-4430-8|page=399}}

{{Update|section|date=April 2025|reason=undated and unreferenced table no longer matches the current model lineup}}

Kahr currently manufactures and distributes the following semi-automatic pistols:

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• [http://www.kahr.com/ Kahr Homepage]

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Category:Firearm manufacturers of the United States

Category:Companies based in Pike County, Pennsylvania

Category:American companies established in 1995

Category:Firearms manufacturers in Pennsylvania

Category:1995 establishments in New York (state)

Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1995

Category:Privately held companies based in Pennsylvania