VAhuntr said:
I tried the Shield but wound with a Kahr CM9 when I want to pocket carry. Very surprised at how accurate the little pistol is.
I had the exact same thing happen... thought I wanted a Shield, got impatient in trying to find one(they just came out at the time), I wanted to try a CW9... well a CM9 was what was in stock, I figured it was for CCW and a smaller gun would be more likely to go with me anywhere... I got a 7rd extended magazine for it(I can't say I really recommend it though... more below) for a full grip if I felt the need.
It's silly accurate. The only upgrade I made was a Trijicon front tritium sight... it's an easy screw-in install and it is worth the $50 or whatever I paid.
I've found that my 7rd extended magazine in my CM9 is ammo sensitive, I'm not too keen on trusting it for self defense. It has a tendency to cause ammo nose-dives into the feed ramp. Some searching on Kahr Forums shows this to be a VERY common problem. 7rd mags are no problem in the CW9s near as I can tell. There are some issues with followers to check if you experience problems, but this is not the case with mine. The 6 rounders are 100% reliable in about 600 rounds between the two that I have. I've got maybe another 50 through the 7rd mag.
I also shoot a Commander size 1911, I was SO impressed with how well I shoot my little CM9(I shoot it just as well/better than my 1911) that I will probably be buying either a TP9 or CW9... or something similar in .40 or .45... not really sure but I REALLY like them now.
That said I've shot an XDS in .45 and it was super tame so I imagine it would be excellent in 9mm.
I have not had problems shooting my CM9 like some others have... I've put 200 rounds through it in about 45-60 min with no real problems, but I have some thick mechanic's hands so maybe that has something to do with it
Bonus is that it is relatively tolerable against bare skin if you must carry IWB without an undershirt. Gets uncomfortable sitting for a long period of time in some positions, but I can wear it all day without a problem if I'm up and about. 5'10" 215lbs for reference.
Hopefully some of that is helpful... good luck!