While primarily dealing with the Chiefs Special 9mm, this thread will also deal with other aspects of small 9mms in general or anything related that you may want to interject. I didnt want to clutter the other fine CS9 Mods thread that is currently going on.
I was very late to the Chiefs Special semi auto line of guns. I had a black CS9 several years ago when I was still on the job. But at the time, while it was a fine pistol in its own right, it didnt really do anything that my 39XX guns werent already doing, for me. So I sold it to a member here who needed it for his daughter.
Fast forward a few years and I aquired another black CS9 LNIB. Being retired from Investigations, but still employed in the criminal justice system and armed by statute, I needed a deep concealment pistol. One that could be carried under a judges robe or T-shirt. Or even pocket carried.
For me, 380 is not an option. I worked robbery homicide cases for almost 20 years in the District Attorneys Office. Very few of the GSW homicide cases I worked were done with a 380. I can only recall 2. And that is 2 out of over 200. Yes, shot placement trumps all. Put a 380 through their eye socket and they will not know that it wasnt a 45.
But for me, 9mm is as low as I go.
And a word about 9mms. The hype about 9mm rounds, lately, is that the FBI has gone to 9mm - so it must be a death ray. Correct me if Im wrong, but isnt that the same FBI who scorned the 9mm round after a famous unfortunate incident in Miami? The 9mm was not at fault in that famous debacle. The FBI tactics were. The reason the feds are going to the 9mm is primarily because it is cheap. And it is also easier to get a short weak handed recruit who has no gun experience to shoot a minimum qualifying score of 70.
Yes, the 9mm round has been improved over the last decade. But having spoken directly with some of the folks who improved them, they also improved all their other rounds too. At the same time.
But back to the CS9. While I carried 45s most of my career, I have no problem with a 9mm. But when choosing a 9mm, you must be selective about what round you stoke it with. Moreso than when using a 45. I chose Winchester Ranger 147 grain RA9B. Because I watched a Winchester rep demo some out of short barrel 9mm off duty guns. He told us that they designed the round with sub 4 inch barrel guns in mind. During the demo it averaged 15 to 16 inches penetration and .61 expansion. Good enough for government work. Federal HST is another good round that works out of short barrel 9mms. My CS9 shoots both the 124 and 147 standard pressure HST to POA.
I was always envious of those who carried the light weight J-frames and sub compact 380 guns. Envious of the small size and light weight NOT the caliber or capacity. I prefer 8 rounds of 9mm JHP to 5 rounds of.........anything.
In the CS9 I have my small light weight, flat, easily concealed and carried gun. A pistol for those rare times I "can't have a gun" like at Church or social functions with non gun folks. It is a 380 size pistol with 9mm ballistics.
And the CS9 points and handles exceptionally well. It is fast out of a holster and points right where you want it too. I have modified mine with the excellent TercGen grips. IMO the CS series guns should have come from the factory wearing these. With the TercGen grip and a flat baseplate on the mag, I can pocket carry my CS9. But that is something I rarely do, other than when I'm at the pool or the beach. I prefer IWB or on the belt carry.
I have a DeSantis Nemesis for IWB as well as a Cozy partner. For belt carry a Don Hume JIT slide for a S&W 3913 works very well. An 8-round 3913 mag is what I carry for a reload.
I have had a very good experience with the CS9 over the last couple of years. So much so that I bid on and won a stainless variant this past weekend. It has the metal Novak sights and an ambi safety. I am left handed, but I dont use the decocker safety as a safety. I carry in the holster safety off. So this new to me stainless CS9 may go to BMCM for conversion to a single sided safety.
Anyways, those are my current thoughts on what has rapidly become one of my favorite carry guns. I expect my stainless CS9 will be as good in all respects as my black carbon steel slided version and even better in the corrosion resistance category. I will post a range report here after I have a chance to run a few hundred rounds through it. Regards 18DAI
I was very late to the Chiefs Special semi auto line of guns. I had a black CS9 several years ago when I was still on the job. But at the time, while it was a fine pistol in its own right, it didnt really do anything that my 39XX guns werent already doing, for me. So I sold it to a member here who needed it for his daughter.
Fast forward a few years and I aquired another black CS9 LNIB. Being retired from Investigations, but still employed in the criminal justice system and armed by statute, I needed a deep concealment pistol. One that could be carried under a judges robe or T-shirt. Or even pocket carried.
For me, 380 is not an option. I worked robbery homicide cases for almost 20 years in the District Attorneys Office. Very few of the GSW homicide cases I worked were done with a 380. I can only recall 2. And that is 2 out of over 200. Yes, shot placement trumps all. Put a 380 through their eye socket and they will not know that it wasnt a 45.
But for me, 9mm is as low as I go.And a word about 9mms. The hype about 9mm rounds, lately, is that the FBI has gone to 9mm - so it must be a death ray. Correct me if Im wrong, but isnt that the same FBI who scorned the 9mm round after a famous unfortunate incident in Miami? The 9mm was not at fault in that famous debacle. The FBI tactics were. The reason the feds are going to the 9mm is primarily because it is cheap. And it is also easier to get a short weak handed recruit who has no gun experience to shoot a minimum qualifying score of 70.
Yes, the 9mm round has been improved over the last decade. But having spoken directly with some of the folks who improved them, they also improved all their other rounds too. At the same time.
But back to the CS9. While I carried 45s most of my career, I have no problem with a 9mm. But when choosing a 9mm, you must be selective about what round you stoke it with. Moreso than when using a 45. I chose Winchester Ranger 147 grain RA9B. Because I watched a Winchester rep demo some out of short barrel 9mm off duty guns. He told us that they designed the round with sub 4 inch barrel guns in mind. During the demo it averaged 15 to 16 inches penetration and .61 expansion. Good enough for government work. Federal HST is another good round that works out of short barrel 9mms. My CS9 shoots both the 124 and 147 standard pressure HST to POA.
I was always envious of those who carried the light weight J-frames and sub compact 380 guns. Envious of the small size and light weight NOT the caliber or capacity. I prefer 8 rounds of 9mm JHP to 5 rounds of.........anything.
In the CS9 I have my small light weight, flat, easily concealed and carried gun. A pistol for those rare times I "can't have a gun" like at Church or social functions with non gun folks. It is a 380 size pistol with 9mm ballistics.
And the CS9 points and handles exceptionally well. It is fast out of a holster and points right where you want it too. I have modified mine with the excellent TercGen grips. IMO the CS series guns should have come from the factory wearing these. With the TercGen grip and a flat baseplate on the mag, I can pocket carry my CS9. But that is something I rarely do, other than when I'm at the pool or the beach. I prefer IWB or on the belt carry.
I have a DeSantis Nemesis for IWB as well as a Cozy partner. For belt carry a Don Hume JIT slide for a S&W 3913 works very well. An 8-round 3913 mag is what I carry for a reload.
I have had a very good experience with the CS9 over the last couple of years. So much so that I bid on and won a stainless variant this past weekend. It has the metal Novak sights and an ambi safety. I am left handed, but I dont use the decocker safety as a safety. I carry in the holster safety off. So this new to me stainless CS9 may go to BMCM for conversion to a single sided safety.
Anyways, those are my current thoughts on what has rapidly become one of my favorite carry guns. I expect my stainless CS9 will be as good in all respects as my black carbon steel slided version and even better in the corrosion resistance category. I will post a range report here after I have a chance to run a few hundred rounds through it. Regards 18DAI
