A few weeks ago I posted about buying a new Smith & Wesson Chief's Special 9mm CS9 of Auction Arms for $310 (from NWArmory, great guys to deal with). Well I am back to tell you that I couldn't be happier with it, impressed even. Much more compact than I expected, light weight, great pointability, the trigger is so smooth and clean that you would think it was tuned at the performance center, the controls are easy to use and reach, fit and finish is top notch and at the range it earned a solid place in my CCW line up.
I don't measure groups. Accuracy in my opinion is hitting multiple vital organs as quickly as possible under stressful conditions. But I drove her through a portion of my departments 50 round basic qualification and never even came close to putting a round outside the kill zone, including 5 rounds in the head from 25 yards. It shoots a tad low from my point-of-aim, but is consistent. The trijicon night sights that were installed aftermarket, may be the problem. However, without a doubt, the CS9 is one of the most accurate autos I own. And of course it's 100% reliable thus far. Oh and all my shooting with done with 124grain +P+ Federal HS.
Now in fairness, here's the downside to the CS9 in my opion: Hogue grips and nothing but hogue grips, not even the hard delrin S&W grips. And no one makes an after market grip of any kind. So the grip is a little chunky, but seems much thinner than my G26. And it does not feel chunky, it just looks chunky. Second is magazines, I was really worried at first. CS9 mags are like $40 ea and have the pinky extension (which makes a compact gun a mid-size gun). So I called S&W and they said I was out of look. But I took a chance and bought a 7 round S&W 3913TSW mag off eBay for $18. It has a flatish bottom and looks "identical" in every way to the CS9 mag. Fits flush and functions perfectly. I have also been told that any 39 series mags will work, so I may be picking up some 8 round 3913 mags as well.
Otherwise I love this gun and can see myself carrying it off duty, or as a back up, with some regularity. I am going to call it my poor-man's Sig P239. Political differences with the former management of Smith & Wesson or not, they are putting out a solid product that performs. Now I need a CS40 and/or a CS45.
mlk18
I don't measure groups. Accuracy in my opinion is hitting multiple vital organs as quickly as possible under stressful conditions. But I drove her through a portion of my departments 50 round basic qualification and never even came close to putting a round outside the kill zone, including 5 rounds in the head from 25 yards. It shoots a tad low from my point-of-aim, but is consistent. The trijicon night sights that were installed aftermarket, may be the problem. However, without a doubt, the CS9 is one of the most accurate autos I own. And of course it's 100% reliable thus far. Oh and all my shooting with done with 124grain +P+ Federal HS.
Now in fairness, here's the downside to the CS9 in my opion: Hogue grips and nothing but hogue grips, not even the hard delrin S&W grips. And no one makes an after market grip of any kind. So the grip is a little chunky, but seems much thinner than my G26. And it does not feel chunky, it just looks chunky. Second is magazines, I was really worried at first. CS9 mags are like $40 ea and have the pinky extension (which makes a compact gun a mid-size gun). So I called S&W and they said I was out of look. But I took a chance and bought a 7 round S&W 3913TSW mag off eBay for $18. It has a flatish bottom and looks "identical" in every way to the CS9 mag. Fits flush and functions perfectly. I have also been told that any 39 series mags will work, so I may be picking up some 8 round 3913 mags as well.
Otherwise I love this gun and can see myself carrying it off duty, or as a back up, with some regularity. I am going to call it my poor-man's Sig P239. Political differences with the former management of Smith & Wesson or not, they are putting out a solid product that performs. Now I need a CS40 and/or a CS45.
mlk18
