Several months later I became the proud owner of a CS45, the .45 ACP model. It weighs 24 ounces empty, and 31 ounces when loaded. This is only seven ounces heavier than my Smith and Wesson 640, my current carry gun. The gun has the same internal and external features as the S&W value line. It has a decocker, manual safety, magazine safety, thumb magazine release, Novak style sights, dark blue finish, and Hogue rubber grips. The frame is alloy and the slide is steel. I am especially fond of the beveled magazine well.
For many years I had believed in Jeff Coopers dictum that the Traditional Double Action or "crunchenticker", had no place as a fighting handgun; that the transition from the long pull on the first shot to the short pull on all subsequent shots would make accuracy and speed impossible. I had little range experience to back this belief up, I merely took the Colonel's word for it. I was soon to find out how wrong I was.
I took the pistol and four boxes of full power ammunition to my gun club. I set up an official IPSC target at seven yards and readied my CS45. At the gun club, many shooters cock their pistols for the first shot, so they do not have to deal with the double action pull. This is different than in a gun fight where there will be no time to prepare yourself. With that in mind I decided to begin all my shot strings with the hammer down, just as I will in competition or on the street.
I began by shooting two shot groups to the center of the target. I soon discovered two things. The first was that it is easy to transition from double action to single action while shooting fast and accurately-as long as your eyes followed the front sight. The second was that this gun was a joy to shoot! I thought that the recoil would be heavy, but it was instead very easy on the shooter. Due to the pistol design and ergonomics of the grip I found that the gun was a pussycat. However, I did find the gun to be much louder than my other .45 and I needed to supplement my ear muffs with ear plugs.
After I proved to myself that the CS45 was a great shooter at close range I began to move the target out. I shot controlled pairs at ten and fifteen yards. I still kept my hits in the "A" zone of the IPSC target. Many folks will say that a small gun like the CS45 will not work at longer ranges. With that in mind I moved the target out to 20 yards. I fired three, five-shot groups, starting with the hammer down and all my hits were in the "A" zone. Twenty yards is the extreme range for shooting in IDPA competition and it was at this point that I realized that not only is the CS45 an ideal carry gun, it is a contender for use in organized pistol competition such as IDPA.
I closed out my range time with Bill Drills; six shots at a seven yard target shot as fast as possible. Again this little pistol performed like a full size gun.
I was very pleased with this little Smith and Wesson. It has become my primary carry pistol and a great conversation piece. After carrying this pistol a while I have found to like the traditional double action very much. I can see why the best scores at the IDPA S&W winternationals were made my shooters using the Traditional Double Action.
The Chief's Special Autos are available in 9mm, .40S&W, and .45ACP. Stop by a gunshop and check one out.