I really wasn't gonna buy a CS9. And then...

[BMCM]

I've read with some interest 18DAI's several threads & commentaries praising the diminutive CS9 so I thought to myself... Self? 'maybe you need to get hold of one of those some day'. Well, I've been heavily invested in .45ACP for many decades and like the keep the number of differing calibers in the collection to a minimum. Another consideration is I have pretty large mitts and typically don't shoot consistently with little tiny guns. So I promptly filed that CS9 thought away for future reference.

Well about 10 days ago I took delivery of a Member's CS9 for some work. Upon handling the thing I was stunned. This little shooter just has a great hand feel. Solid, stable and points well & fast. Ugh! So I went right out and bought one.

So here's the new member of the family.

As is my wont to mess with things I changed the sights. The plastic backsight is rubbish so I took a 10-8 Performance 1911 sight and made some adjustments to the dovetail base to fit the S&W cut. Blackened the machining with some Caswell goop and stuck it on there.

That 10-8 sight mates perfectly with the angled rear on the slide.

I was going to stick a F/O front on there but screwed up and ordered the wrong part. Then I remembered I have a XS Big Dot in a drawer somewhere, so I dug that out and stuck it on there as a place holder.

Nary a blemish here indicative of very little mileage on this gun

It was bone dry and very clean, little evidence of firing but not much. I stuck a new recoil spring in there and lubed up what needs lubing. Now waiting on tomorrows case of ammo delivery and looking forward to Saturday at the range.

Ugh, need to order up some leather kit too

This is all your fault

Cheers
Bill

 

[Jeppo]

He worked that same trick on me. My checkbook's still reeling.

 

[18DAI]

Congrats BMCM!!!

It is a great little gun. I have used my stainless CS9 almost everyday since I got it. I have TercGen grips on both my stainless and black CS9s. The chopped Delrin grips that talented fellow makes really changes how the gun hides, feels and shoots. All for the better! I highly recommend you contact him and order a set.

I do put a rubber grip sleeve on mine. Simply to anchor the little gun during firing. I also run 147 grain Ranger RA9B through mine. Back in the day when Winchester was trying to sell their Ranger line to agencies in my area the rep told us that they had designed the 147 RA9T and RA9B to expand and penetrate when fired from sub 4 inch barrels.

I use a DeSantis Nemesis holster for a G27 for my CS9. A Don Hume JIT slide for a 3913 works well too. And Ken Null, who holds all the original Seven Trees holster patents is still making holsters too. Quality stuff - but not inexpensive.

I look forward to your range report and shooting impressions. Hopefully Jeppo will be posting a range report soon too. Wait till I introduce Jeppo to the 4516s and 4513s. He is going to need a second job. Regards 18DAI

 

[Jeppo]

My range report? Shooting the CS9, I range from barely on the paper to "where'd that one go?".

This is what he did to me just since June.

 

[18DAI]

I can't be blamed for that DAO CS9D! I never recommend DAO guns.

Hell, start buying DAO guns and the next thing you know you might be buying that ugly striker fired plastic junk. As for all the others.......you are welcome!

A very nice collection you are amassing Jeppo. Quickly too! Regards 18DAI

 

[Jeppo]

I bought the DAO because it was NIB and I wanted to preserve its virtue.

About buying plastic striker fired wonders, I'm doing that too but for an equally altruistic reason. I figure if I help them stay in business, they'll keep producing all those little bits and pieces to keep the wonderful metal guns running.

I promised myself I wouldn't stray from 22, 9 and 38 in order to keep my ammo inventory under control. Well, a 4513TSW changed all that and a 4516-1 and CS45 followed along quickly.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Before my fire last Spring I routinely carried my newly acquired (maybe a year or so, maybe two) CS-9. I used to always carry my CS-45 until I switched back to revolvers and 9mm. Those are GREAT guns!

 

[MidWesternBoy]

I second the Tercgen grips! He does great work. I gave my CS9 the internal fluff and buff and new sights and it has been my main carry gun for the past couple of months. Already showing a little holster wear but that's ok!

 

[BAM-BAM]

I swear you guys are trying to talk me into one!!!!!

Can Hogue wood grips be modified to work on the CS9???????

 

[cherrypointmarine]

You can't blame me . But if you need to , go ahead . You did such nice work on my CS10 , I had to send it to you , and after what you've had to do to it , boy am I glad I did ! I've got a CS45 coming , so you will get that too .

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

Congratulations on the new to you CS9. Soon you will go get a CS45 to go along with it.

 

[18DAI]

BAM-BAM If you get one and put the TercGen grips on it, I'd wager it will be the only gun you will carry. Its that good.

My 3914NL has not left the safe since I got my CS9s. Regards 18DAI

 

[BAM-BAM]

BAM-BAM If you get one and put the TercGen grips on it, I'd wager it will be the only gun you will carry. Its that good.

My 3914NL has not left the safe since I got my CS9s. Regards 18DAI

So is it for sale?

 

[Jeppo]

So is it for sale?

I second that...

with cash
face to face
in a New York minute!!!!

 

[Fastbolt]

Congrats on the CS9 BMCM!

Like you, I'd not really considered ever owning a CS9. I had a 3913 for my 9, and a CS45 and 4513TSW (old version) and thought I was well equipped.

Then, of course, one day I was bored and made the mistake of borrowing the CS9 that belonged to head instructor/armorer. It handled, balanced and pointed even better than my well-liked 3913. Well, damn. I wanted one.

I quickly ordered a CS9 from the factory. By that time the ones being shipped were the newer versions, with steel sights and ambi levers.

The CS9 quickly became a favorite. It's shortened, brisk cycling brought the sights back on-target quicker, and the shorter slide/muzzle seemed to provide what I can best describe as a faster, more "livelier handling" when addressing targets.

I like it better than the Shield 9, which is why I never got around to ordering a Shield.

(Of course, I later picked up a late production 3913TSW, but that was because it was my last issued 3rd gen duty weapon and I was offered the opportunity to buy it as they were being phased out. That's another story. )

 

[BMCM]

A question or two for fellows who carry their CS9 on occasion or often....

What's your preference in carry and training ammo?

I went with standard pressure Speer lawman 147 TMJ for the training role and the matching loading with Speer's 147 Gold Dot projectile for carry. This stuff was delivered today ahead of my Saturday trip to the range.

I was also looking at Winchester's RA9B and RA9BA but seemed out of stock about everywhere although I didn't search too hard.

I pretty much stick with either Speer or Winchester LE ammo for guns I carry frequently except for 10mm where I go with Underwood's 165gr loadings.

How's this little shooter hold up to +p loadings?

How about Federal's HST loadings?

I'm not remotely considering any +p+ loads for this little guy. If I need more horsepower for some reason I'll just go up a millimeter or so.

Cheers
Bill

 

[Jeppo]

I'm not remotely considering any +p+ loads for this little guy. If I need more horsepower for some reason I'll just go up a millimeter or so.

That barrel must be seriously worn if it'll run 10mm.

 

[Fastbolt]

A question or two for fellows who carry their CS9 on occasion or often....

What's your preference in carry and training ammo?

I went with standard pressure Speer lawman 147 TMJ for the training role and the matching loading with Speer's 147 Gold Dot projectile for carry. This stuff was delivered today ahead of my Saturday trip to the range.

I was also looking at Winchester's RA9B and RA9BA but seemed out of stock about everywhere although I didn't search too hard.

I pretty much stick with either Speer or Winchester LE ammo for guns I carry frequently except for 10mm where I go with Underwood's 165gr loadings.

How's this little shooter hold up to +p loadings?

How about Federal's HST loadings?

I'm not remotely considering any +p+ loads for this little guy. If I need more horsepower for some reason I'll just go up a millimeter or so.

Cheers
Bill

Personally, I just used whatever was being issued at the time. That included 147gr from a couple of the big names over the years, and then 127gr +P+ W-W RA9SXTP or RA9TA (depending on the time line), and then 124gr +P (Golden Sabre and T-Series for a while, but then some HST when the other brands became quite costly after dropping off the state contract).

I still carry one or another of the same loads, having worked to buy and acquire a supply of my own over time.

Whenever using the +P or +P+ loads for any consistent length of time for range training, quals and practice, I replace the recoil spring a little sooner than was normally suggested in armorer classes (regarding rounds fired). I usually bought the recoil springs 5-10 at a time, so I always some on hand for both my CS9 and CS45. I still try to keep my spare springs stocked in that manner.

Back when W-W had revised their SXT line to lower the velocity window, when they reportedly saw that LE was starting to favor some shorter barrel guns for off-duty and plainclothes, we hosted one of the W-W mobile gel events. The head instructor used his CS9 to test-fire a couple shots in the 4LD test, using the then-current 147gr RA9T & 127gr RA9TA.

I later pulled the recovered bullets and took pictures of them (which was handy, as the poster-board exhibit the W-W rep had made for us of that day's results eventually disappeared).

The velocities obtained in the short 3" barrel produced these amount of expansion. The 147gr RA9T is on the left, and the 127gr bullet is on the right.



This was an example of the results obtained shooting the same loads through a 4" 3rd gen S&W (it was either a 5903 or a 5906, but I can't remember anymore).



I stopped worrying about expansion when using any of the more modern good quality JHP's made by the big names who chased LE contracts. It's always going to be unpredictable, and virtually a coin toss. No guarantees.

Personally, I consider both the 147gr and the 124gr +P loads to be fine options. The 127gr +P+ is likely going to be harder on guns over time, so I've generally limited my use of it for training and practice to a few mag loads a year, and have instead used a lot more of the 147gr & 124gr loads (because the price was right ).

I slowly added some more SXT/T-Series loads to my own stash (it helped that the W-W LE distributor is in the SF East Bay Area, and stocked enough to sell at individual officer pricing), and surprisingly still have a mix of the earlier revisions of them. I think I may still even have a couple of boxes I picked up of the subsequent 147gr version with the Tan boxes labeled T-Series instead of SXT (but both used the symbol code of RA9T). I don't think I kept any of the black Ranger T-Series boxes, just dumped the rounds loose into something for range use, but by then they were the 124gr +P version.


I still have some of the older 90's vintage 127gr +P+ that was from that canceled NYPD contract (they went with 124gr GDHP, and there was a bit of an interesting back story offered at that time). They were sold as made, meaning a Q-load in plain white boxes. They were produced with nickeled cases and no black Lubalox coating. I got them on the wholesale market when W-W decided to just dump them on the market. Surprisingly, I found I still have what appears to be loose rounds from a few boxes of them (I was using them for range ammo back then).

The canceled NYPD 127gr +P+ is on the left in these pics.

 

[BMCM]

Thanks Fastbolt....Valuable info there...Much appreciated
I'm well stocked for now with the Speer 147gr loads.
I'm likely going to pick up some RA9T at some point

I usually avoid +p or +p+ except in all steel guns... My 4506 will happily digest buckets of RA45TP all day long. I think for a compact alloy frame I'll stay with standard pressure loads.

Thanks again.

Cheers
Bill

 

[MidWesternBoy]

Carry 147 HST. I would like to get ahold of some RA9T as well but it never seems available when I'm looking. Range ammo is usually a mixed bag of 115 RemBucket and 124 Fiocci. I have run a total of about 30 rounds of the HST through it as well. No major POI change. Feels good.