Kahr prepping optics-ready Gen2 Premium pistols (VIDEO)

Kahr Arms is about to roll out a new kind of pistol — at least for Kahr — when it introduces the Gen2 Premium series in the first quarter of 2015. The Gen2 Premium series is pure racegun. Single-stack raceguns, but raceguns nevertheless.

Based on Kahr’s largest-framed TP models, the new series will first include a Gen2 TP 9 and a Gen2 TP 45, in 9mm and .45 ACP, respectively. It will have full-length 5-inch barrels standard, with compensated 6-inch barrels optional, along with a new slide design and a handful of new competition-oriented features.

The improvements to the already high-quality design are designed to maximize the gun, and the shooter’s, accuracy potential.

Kahr’s Gen2 Premium series will have stainless steel slides machined from bar stock and barrels manufactured for them by Lothar Walther, one of the best barrel manufacturers in the world. Barrel-to-slide fitment is key to the Gen2 design, which has stricter tolerances with less clearance for a tighter lock-up.

Gen2 Premium features. (Photo: Kahr)

Like many of Kahr’s pistols, the barrels will feature polygonal rifling, which improves accuracy by causing less bullet deformation. This rifling method also generates higher muzzle velocities because it forms a tighter gas seal around the walls of the projectile.

The new slides are about an inch longer than on the standard TP models but also sport forward slide serrations for press checks and other slide manipulation techniques and house a dual recoil spring assembly to keep the recoil impulse in check.

Of course the most noteworthy change to the slide is that it is optics-ready, designed to accept optional Leupold DeltaPoint mini red dot sights. While most optics-ready pistols use adapter plates to work with differing red dot standards, the Gen2 Premium series will have the mount machined directly into the slide, restricting it to Leupold red dots alone.

This could be due to the amount of material Kahr has to work with; the TP series has very slender, lightweight slides that may not work well with adapters. In the long run it doesn’t matter too much as the DeltaPoint is widely accepted as a durable and reliable red dot sight.

To clear the red dot sight the Gen2 Premium series will be offered with optional raised suppressor-style sights with tritium night sights by TruGlo as an option as well.

Shown here with suppressor sights, a DeltaPoint red dot sight and an extended, compensated 6-inch barrel. (Photo: Kahr)

The changes don’t stop with just the slide assembly as the Gen2 Premium series frames will see a lot of changes, too, starting with a railed dust cover for mounting accessories, making them more flexible, suitable for nightstand duty, concealed-carry and some types of competition.

The redesigned grip includes a reversible magazine release, a relocated serial number plate and most importantly, a completely new trigger system. The Gen2 Premium series uses a paddle-type trigger safety to help prevent unintentional discharges as the new trigger is 30 percent shorter than the standard DAO trigger.

The final product is unlike anything else, really. It’s a concealed-carry racegun. We can see this pistol has a limited market, people who want one gun to do it all, but it also has a second market, and that’s Kahr fans. This one’s for you.

Kahr Arms has some of the most loyal and dedicated customers who will be happy to own a competition-ready model of the large-framed TP series. The Gen2 Premium pistols will have no problems finding their way into loving homes.

Kahr hasn’t indicated what exact configurations will be available and for how much just yet, but when it does only one question will remain: which models will get the Gen2 Premium series’ treatment next?