rd:
Glad you weren't disappointed...
I'm NOT by nature a 45cal. person, as my hands simply aren't large enough to hold a 1911 comfortably, nor are they easily concealable for me... But I've always had a tremendous respect for the man-stopper reputation of the 45ACP round.
I had access to a 1911 in the military and later on owned a Bolister Molina 1911 but I was always put off by the sheer size of the sucker.
The only reason I wound up with the CS45 is because my favorite caliber for cc (or plinking) is the 9mm round, and I love my CS9. I bought the CS45 as a companion to the CS9 and really didn't expect too much out of it, but it has surprised the heck out of me.
The most pleasant surprise for me in the CS45 was it's accuracy. The first round is DA and truthfully while I can hit "close" to the center ring at self defense distance my first rounds in the CS45 didn't hit in the X ring (close, but no "weo"), but the next three rounds hit directly in the center of the X ring and could be covered by a nickle... The pistol is CAPABLE of very good accuracy if the shooter will do his/her part.
The CS45 is not so much larger than it's small caliber sibling the CS9 that most folks might just prefer it over the CS9 for the improved 45ACP round if for no other reason.
The old adage "bigger is better" is certainly alive and well when it comes to choosing a round that might be used in self defense, and I think the proverbial old 45ACP is about as good a choice as any, and better than most.
Here's my opinion on the 3rd generation S&W line of pistols in general, and the CS45 in particular.
First I think a cc firearm needs to be DA for the first round... I think that adds a safety factor against nd/ad's, especially in a time of crisis. My Glocks and Walther PPS did not offer that, and I didn't feel comfortable with them.. That's just personal opinion, as there are legions of Glock lovers out there. I'm just not one of them. The grips of the Glock 26 I had felt like a brick, and the ever-lite trigger pull was simply not to MY liking.
No offense to those who disagree... It's just my personal opinion.
I think there are other pistols that are absolutely inherently more accurate.. In my experience I've found the Walther P99 and the HK P7 to be good examples of this. But when it comes to RELIABILITY, and reliability is JOB1 for me in a self defense firearm, NO pistol I've ever owned is more reliable than the entire line of 3rd gen Smiths.
In fact, I own a 3913/3913LS/5906/6906/CS9 & CS45 and "so far" (knocking on wood here) I've NEVER had a misfire, or failure to fire of any kind in ANY of them. I can't say that about some of the other pistols I've owned, including some that might print smaller groups..
I think statistics show that in deadly confrontations the action is quick, few rounds are fired, and it happens very close up. So pin-point accuracy (while nice when seeking the tightest groups while target shooting) doesn't mean much, if anything, in a real life confrontation... I'm of the opinion that between the adrenalin rush and trying to keep your bladder and sphincter muscle from releasing all you will have time to do is "point and pull" and whatever weapon you have available will be more than accurate enough if you can point it in the right direction and pull the trigger.
So, for me reliability trumps all other aspects in a self defense firearm, and in reliability the 3rd gen Smith is hard to beat..
Here in SE Ga the heat and humidity of the summers make it impractical to reasonably cc a large, heavy firearm much of the time, so I generally will be found cc my LWS380 in a back pocket holster.. But when I CAN, and feel the need, the CS45 makes for a nice companion to my little mousegun..
I hope you can find a CS45, I think you'll enjoy one. IF the grips are too thick for your taste (they fit my hands perfectly) then a gentleman on this forum "Big Dog" makes custom grips for the CS series that are slim and of high quality and folks who have bought them have been well pleased with the change.
Sorry to ramble.. But I do it so well....
Best Wishes,
Jesse
P.S. please let me know if you get a CS45 and how you like it.
