The Kahr PM9 features a lower receiver of molded polymer and very good dimensional numbers for a 9mm: 4 by 5 1/2 inches.

As I write this column, there is a pistol on my desk. For a guy who fiddles with handguns daily, this is not an uncommon situation. The gun is Kahr Arms' latest model, the 9mm PM9. To the best of my knowledge, it's the first specimen to leave the Massachusetts factory.

Since I saw a prototype at the 2002 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, I've been eagerly awaiting a shooting example of the PM9. It's here, I have fired it, and I believe I am looking at a very significant pistol in the ongoing history of defensive handguns.

In a world full of high-capacity autos in powerful calibers, Kahrs have always been unabashed concessions to common sense. From the first models introduced less than 10 years ago, Kahrs were designed to be small. So small in fact, that they make excellent concealed-carry pistols.

Now any pistol designed for this role faces an uphill fight for acceptance. First of all, it needs to be sufficiently powerful to stop fights--quickly. And it needs to be simple and easy to deploy. Size is critical to concealment, so a proper concealed-carry gun has to be small enough that anyone can tuck it away on their person. The final criteria is arguably the most important of all: weight. The heavier the gun, the greater the likelihood you'll rationalize away the need to carry it "just this one time." And that's the one time you'll likely need it. Nothing is perfect, but the auto that comes closest in the concealed carry ideal has to be powerful, simple, small and light.

Kahr's first model was the all-steel K9. A single-column 9mm, it had a simple and safe DAO trigger system and weighed 25 ounces empty. The demand for a more powerful gun drove Kahr to build the K40, which was basically the same gun in .40 S&W. It required the use of a heavier slide, which raised the weight to 26 ounces. Beautifully made little guns with heavy, strong parts and great reliability, they were instantly popular.

Loaded weight (6+1 rounds) of the PM9 is 19.4 ounces.

The only knock on them was their weight, which was as much as many full-sized autos. Subsequent models addressed the problem by shortening the butt to make a so-called "Covert" pistol and using a polymer frame in both short and long versions. Polymer really created a light pistol--17.9 ounces as opposed to the original K9's 25 ounces. There was also a Micro Kahr which was all-steel, but came with a short barrel and butt. The obvious solution was to use the Micro format of short butt, short slide, then make the receiver a very light polymer. The resulting pistol would give up nothing in on-target performance or operational simplicity, but would be a bit smaller and a lot lighter.

Eureka! Enter the PM9, a concealed-carry pistol for the millennium. It fires any kind of 9mm Luger ammo, remains simple to operate, fits in a 5 1/2 x 4-inch box and weighs 16.9 ounces empty. Kahr's new pistol is smaller than any contemporary pocket auto of serious power. Some of the popular .25s and .32s are smaller than the PM9, but they're not adequately powerful for defensive applications. There are also plenty of comparable-sized .380 autos that are easily miniaturized because of their blowback systems. But in my view, .380s are not even marginally powerful for personal defense, as some contend. By virtue of its power and small size, the PM9 virtually obsoletes the pocket .380s.

Obviously, the new Kahr occupies a unique position in the comparative scheme of things, but just how strongly does it stand alone? First, it's obviously well-designed. Designer, Justin Moon, came up with an innovative way to minimize its side-to-side measurements, keeping it thinner than competitors. The trigger bar is key to the DAO trigger system and Moon wanted it inside the receiver. Since the bar would then have to run alongside the feed ramp, something had to move or a thick-bodied pistol would result. So Moon moved the feed ramp portion of the barrel farther to the left, off the centerline of the gun. This is non-traditional, but the design works and keeps the pistol slim.

The PM9 comes with two magazines: a flush-fitting six-shot and an extended seven-rounder.

The trigger system is a modern DAO, where slide movement is required to partially cock or load the internal striker. With a round in the chamber and the striker partially cocked, trigger pressure of about seven to eight pounds moves the trigger through its arc and fully compresses the striker and spring. When the sear releases the striker, it snaps forward and fires. This causes the slide to move rearward, whereupon the barrel unlocks from the slide to allow it to continue rearward for extraction and ejection. The trigger action is quite smooth and responds well to the attention of a good pistolsmith. I've seen several Kahrs that spent some time on the bench of Arizona pistolsmith Ted Yost. Their trigger pulls come out a little lighter and a lot smoother. The PM9 should be no exception. Kahr has always provided a pair of high-quality magazines with its pistols and the PM9 is no exception. You get a six-round unit with a flush steel floorplate and a seven-round one that extends below the butt. The latter comes with a finger rest extension.

Other notable features are dovetailed-in front and rear sights with dot highlights. The polymer receiver comes with panels of square checkering on both frontstrap and backstrap. PM9s have a square top slide and clean snag-free contours all around. It 's obviously a pistol designed for pockets, purses, fanny packs and minimal holsters.

The PM9's excellent, high-visibility sights are dovetailed into the top of the slide.

Even though the barrel is only three inches long, there's enough there to get serious velocity out of a variety of different 9mm loads. My shooting session was not extensive, but it did establish the gun as a reliable, controllable sidearm. If a .40 S&W version emerges, it would doubtless be a handful.

Kahrs enjoy a great reputation for reliability and shootability. I fully expect the same from this one. Among reliable guns of adequate stopping power, this is the smallest and lightest. I cannot think of any other pistol that presents the unique combination of features as does the PM9. In my book, that makes it the "Handgun of the Year." Finally, while the PM9 is unlikely to make me give up my S&W Scandium .357 Centennial revolver (which is both lighter and more powerful), I would not hesitate to carry the Kahr--and I will.