The lovely Mrs. Texan gave me the green light to buy a new EDC. My current EDC is a Kahr CW-9 and I have carried her for 10 years. I have between 3k-4K rounds through her and I may give her to one of my sons some day. She's been a good, trouble free gun. I've narrowed it down to 2 for a replacement: 1. A new Kahr CW-9 Carbon Fiber. It is identical to what I already have except it has 3 dot sights and a carbon fiber rubbery texture to the frame. I want to upgrade to Truglo TFX sights. It's 15.8 oz, 7+1, no manual safety, and a smooth DAO trigger. Price is around $425 + the cost of buying night sights and having them installed. $600ish? 2. My second option is a Kimber Micro 9 Covert II. It's basically, a miniature 1911 in 9mm. It weighs 16.2 oz, 7+1 capacity, manual safety, single action trigger, tritium night sights, and CT grip laser. Just under $900. I'm having trouble finding the Kahr locally. The Kahr is cheaper, it fits all of my current holsters, and the stainless won't corrode when I sweat on it for EDC. The Kimber is more expensive, has a single action trigger, already has the tritium and laser sights, and is a much prettier gun. Which way should I go?
Check out Bud's gun shop, they sell guns at decent prices S&H included, and all told you are below local prices. Kimber Micro 9 Covert Pistol 9MM, 3.15 in Model Layaway Available $871.38 $846.00* *Cash discount price 3300187 Condition Factory New Bud's Item # 411558691 UPC 669278331874 Manufacturer: Kimber Quantity Remaining Less Than 10 Description Kimber Covert pistols are the perfect combination of lightweight and meaningful features, such as Crimson Trace Lasergrips, 30-lines-per-inch front strap checkering, and Carry Melt treatment. Other Features: 1:16" twist KimPro II gray slide finish Bobbed hammer, thumb safety, and magazine release SPECIFICATIONS Finish Charcoal gray Type Pistol Caliber 9mm Barrel Length 3.15" Capacity 7 Grips Urban camo/Crimson Trace Lasergrips Sights Tritium Night Sights Weight 15.6 oz Have you actually shot with the contenders at a range that rents guns ?
I would say you should put together a pros and cons list of what you like and dislike about your current gun based on any of the gun fights you've been in. That way you can hopefully narrow it down. Good luck!
How does the Kimber run. I have heard stories that that training place in Nevada called front sight either won’t train you with or highly discourages training with any sort of compact 1911 because they have too many hiccups. Not sure if this Kimber 9 falls into that or not. Muscle memory is something you already have developed with the Kahr. Sweeping down on the Kimber safety doesn’t sound like much until you forget to do it.
This may steer me towards a Kahr. I have a history with it. If dependability is an issue, I’d like to avoid it. I am scared about spending $900 for a gun that won’t work for me. I should rent a micro 9. I don’t see many Kimbers on the rental shelf of places I’ve been. I’ll have to try a bigger range in Dallas. I do like how my in law’s Kimber 1911 shoots. He’s a judge and carries it in court. I really like the grip texture of the Micro 9 and how it feels in my hand. I’m a little unsure about the need for the laser. I have a CT on my LCP, but that’s because the sights are crap. That would lower the cost. I can’t find a CW9 carbon fiber to actually hold. I did handle a Kahr .380 carbon fiber and like the texture. I don’t need to rent the Kahr as I already have one.
There are a lot of good CC guns available (I have several), but like shoes, you might want to try on a number of pairs before deciding what you will wear on a daily basis. For me, I am always looking for that next ‘girl with the curls’; and I have seen several interesting candidates that are emerging from this year’s Shot Show like the new Glock 43x and the G48 and the new Sig p320 and there are likely more I have’t seen. I, personally am looking forward to checking out the p320 (OTB with night sights and 10rd mag).
Not really that knowledgeable.. but what I think is lighter is better.. that's me. I'll actually carry my little 380; in my front shirt pocket at that. I'd probably go with what you are used to, the Kahr, because of familiarity.
Often overlooked, this is a game changer. The old S&W Mod 25 chambered for the .45 Colt (Long Colt) 4" barrel and it's a man stopper. 250 gr. of lead !!!!
I'm getting mine back!!! When my first marriage failed, a lot of my collection was sold off to help me survive the financial strains that resulted. A good friend of mine bought my Teddy-Jacobsen tuned 25-5 .45 Colt to help me through, knowing that it killed me to give it up. He just notified me that it's time for me to have my 25-5 back; ostensibly as a "birthday present"! I'm ricocheting off the walls waiting for her to come home, and am very grateful to be lucky enough to have such friends in my life! Another friend has a mold that makes full wadcutter bullets for the .45 Colt; 272-gr. cylinders of lead flying through the air. He's already promised to make me up a batch!
Nice choices for EDC (open carry) I'm assuming, unless your a big guy that doesn't tuck your shirts in, lol. I'm curious what Mrs. Texan uses. I rotate between my LCP 2 and my LC9 S but honestly the LCP 2 is kind of big still for every day CC. I hate carrying in my purse, liking to carry on my person, but it's just harder for us galls to conceal all round. IMHO the 'meritoriousness' of a pistol can be reduced down to the trigger; how much creep - the back wall - the crispness of the break & the reset excursion... It's nice to have decent sights & a barrel slung low inline with the web of thumb & index / force vector of the extended arm but these are secondary to the trigger, me thinks. Sig makes a nice DA P320 9mm in subcompact& Beretta PX4 subcompact 9mm DA/SA are possibly another couple options to explore (both w good triggers) I like both but even in subcompact I consider them my "full size" OC belt holster guns that exceed my full palm grasp. Good luck Tex!
I’m a big guy who doesn’t tuck my shirt in. I pocket carry an LCP when I tuck. Mrs Texan carries a Bersa Thunder.380, usually in her purse, but sometimes IWB. It’s a tack driver. She’s not a big girl. See my avatar. She just started carrying a Ruger Security 9 sometimes. She insists on a manual safety for her guns. I’ve always liked simplicity, but with some practice, I could get used to a safety. They do have some benefit.
Never owned a S&W Mod. 25 and they are hard to come by today. The .45 Colt revolvers are excellent law enforcement handguns. Back during the 70's and 80' I was surprised how many Sheriffs and deputy sheriffs in Texas were still packing revolvers chambered for the .45 Colt, some even carrying the single action Colt Peacemaker. I own a Ruger Black Hawk chambered for the .45 Colt with a 4 5/8" barrel. Would prefer a 5" barrel.
I use to have a Ruger GP 100 chambered for the .357 Mag. Back in the day for the price any Ruger was worth it. Bought my first Ruger Blackhawk .45 Colt for $124. It was back in 1971 when I turned 21 years of age being able to legally purchase a handgun in California. Back then you had to be 21 in California to buy a handgun, by a beer and to vote.
When I was a kid, my grandfather and his compatriots were all old-school southwestern lawmen, and they would get together regularly to sit around and talk about their salad days and discuss different aspects of guns, tactics, etc. They'd good-naturedly debate the merits of DA vs. SA revolver, revolver vs. autoloader, point shooting versus aimed, the merits of different calibers as fight stoppers, and on and on. They were a colorful lot, and great role models to grow up around.
I would definitely go with the kimber. I'm partial to 1911's though. My usual carry gun is an Ed Brown Special Forces.
The reasoning is a shortened 1911 in 45 caliber goes against the original design and is extremely finicky. I've shot the micro 9mm's from Kimber, as well as the Springfield version and they both operate quite smoothly. The Sig P238 and the P938 are also quite awesome and smooth shooting.
In truth they are in current production. https://www.smith-wesson.com/firearms/model-25-sw-classics-6-12-blue
I hate to say this so unequivocally, but the current production S&W revolvers are garbage, and bear little resemblance to the classic sixguns they used to make.
People are rediscovering the .45 long Colt. Most factory load .45 Colt ammunition is loaded at blackpowder specs.
