Friday, July 15, 2011

9mm "Mini-Nines..."

Worked all day yesterday filming a DRTV special on the current crop of Mini-9mm pistols, specifically the Kimber Solo, the Taurus Slim and the Ruger LC9. I'm going out to the range this AM before the daily thunderstorms ramp up to do the shooting part.

Unlike some on the Internet, I think the mini-9s are just nifty — if you can shoot 'em.

I would have liked to do a comprehensive overview and included the Kahrs (of which I've shot many), the Kel-Tec P11/PF9, the Walther PPS and the Rohrbaugh R9, but for some reason I wasn't able to lay my hands on them. The top-end Kahrs I've shot have been just super shooters, and they've been around a long time (mid-1990s). Sometimes companies get weird about T&E guns...I repeatedly wrote to one company asking to BUY one of their little 9mms, and I never got a reply. Strange. Sort of like Ithaca Shotguns...I've been trying to buy one of the new Ithaca pumps for 3 years, and either they don't have any for sale or there's some decoder ring that I apparently don't have. LOL!

More later...

24 comments:

F said...

Boberg?

Anonymous said...

Can't get your FFL to order thru thru distribution channels?

RSR

Michael Bane said...

Currently vaporware...handled the proto, though...

mb

Overload in Colorado said...

If you'd like to borrow my Kahr (P9 cut down to accept PM9 Magazines by SM&A), just drop me an email. I'm about 2 hours from you.

seeker_two said...

In your comparisons, would you throw in some of the double-stack sub-compacts like the Glock 26 or the XDsc to show the size differences b/t the "old" mini-9's and the "new" mini-9's?....that would be very informative....

Anonymous said...

The Walther PPS is nice, soo nice I bought two, a new one and found a deal on a used one.

Shoots very good and no hassles with +P in recoil.

AZDude

Anonymous said...

Since Ithaca is a direct to consumer sales outfit (they claim to have dealers but hardly anyone has seen a new Ithaca) how hard is it to call them up and order one?

Perhaps you are balking at the hefty retail price and want one at a steep discount?

If you are on friendly terms with Randy Wakeman maybe he can hook you up. He shills for Ithaca on Shotgunworld.

Anonymous said...

My favored pocket gun is a J frame. I occasionally stray. Lately I was carrying a Sig P238. Good little gun. Until one day when I took it out of my pocket and the mag had been released. Back to the J frame.

I flirt with other guns, but it seems I always come back to revolvers, Glock's, and AK's as being the most reliable self defense guns.

justbill said...

A shame the Kel Tec P-11 won't be included. It's the original Mini 9 and remains unique among the breed with a 13-round capacity. Not too shabby for a pistol with smaller dimensions than a J-frame.

SS said...

I have a factory PM9 that you could borrow. Just off of 36.

Michael Bane said...

Yes, I usually get a "media price," which is around dealer pricing. I buy a fairly large number of guns for the " pool," guns that we use in filming. I also have guns on both short and long-term loan (I pay the FFL transfer fees for the loaners, same as a sale), predominately from advertisers.

Occasionally, my price will be within a few dollars of what you can get the gun for on GunsAmerican or Gun Broker.

The guns get used in the shows, paid for or returned. Sometimes they get "used up" - you should see the poor beat up Ranch Hand from the zombie shoot!

"Project guns" are usually donated by the manufacturer, because the guns are going to get carved up for some project. Some of those we've given away on DRTV, but since we were acquired by OC that's a little trickier legally (I'm presently waiting for legal vetting for a big DRTV project I've proposed, for example).

Some guns get MSRP'ed, such as a Walther P-1 for a future DRTV project.

Whenever I sell a gun (rarely), I base my price on what I have in the gun rather than the current market. Sometimes this leads to awkward situations...a "friend" called me up and asked whether I had a 1911 I'd part with, and I sold him an old Gold Cup with the sights replaced for A VERY fair price. 2 days later that gun went for 4X what I sold it for on one of the auction sites...I know this because the new owner wrote me and asked for a "letter of authentication" that it had been my gun, that I spec'ed the modifications and so-and-so gunsmith did them. I gave him that letter because he was an innocent bystander, but I won't do it again.

And I haven't sold a gun in 3 years!

Promotional consideration is a very real thing...we have the numbers to prove it. I've been offered some deals that involved me carrying such-and-such a gun for a direct payment to me. My response is the same...advertise on my broadcast or Internet products, which is 100% above board and public. My advertisers always get preference in all that we do (even though we never freeze out a gun or a product because they don't advertise)...on the Mini-9s, Ruger is an advertiser, but Kimber, Taurus and Glock are not, but I still used the baby Glock 26 as the control.

I occasionally consult with gun companies for a fee, and when I do I disclose it on the blog. I currently have no consulting clients.

So yeah, if I wanted the Ithaca bad enough, I'd buy it MSRP.

mb

Michael Bane said...

PS:I'd rather save my pennies until I can afford a Connectict Shotgun A-10!

mb

Rob Drummond said...

I want a Kimber Solo preferably the stainless model!

Rob Drummond
Hillsboro, NH

Bob Gross said...

Michael I have had a Kahr CW9 now for about a year and love it. I have a lot of trigger time with it. Friday I was in Peoples Republic of Eugene and bought a CM9 that I have now fired over 200 times. All reloads with only a couple of FTF with the CW9 mags. The felt recoil is about the sames as the CW9. Ordered 2 Pearce grip extensions..The CM9 was $200 less than the PM9 even after I purchased a second mag..Please include a Kahr in your comparison..

B said...

I have had a rohrbaugh for years, which I have been very happy with - I'm sure if you asked on the Rohrbaugh forum, there's a member near you who would be happy to lend you a pup.

Anonymous said...

Buy an OLD Ithaca. I got one a couple of weeks ago at a gun show for $125, a little surface rust, but mechanically sound, and the wood was good. Made around 1958, near as I can figure. Unlike my other 5, this one has a round barrel, which lends itself to installation of a vented PolyChoke, which does wonders to negate the hideous recoil of a 6 pound 12 ga. Once I get that done, I will have come full circle, having sold one just like it in 1984 to buy a BPS.

Cheers, Medium Sized Jake

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