S&W CS9 or Glock 26?

[LH2]

Looking for a primary CCW subcompact 9mm.

These both feel good in my hand. I've fired Glocks in .45 and .40 and I like the G26's reputation for reliability. The Glock is also about $100 cheaper than the S&W.

I've never owned a SA/DA decocker action type like the CS9. On one hand I think the first shot DA is a good thing for SD situations. On the other hand a consistend first-to-last shot trigger pull is kinda nice too.

S&W has terrific customer service should I need it, with free shipping both ways. Made in USA is a good thing these days.

Glock wins on capacity, which is nice coming from a 5-shot J-frame.

S&W has better sights.

Glock's shorter backstrap seems like it would print less carried on the belt.

Either one is easy to get good holsters for.

What else should I consider about these two pistols? Thanks for the help!

[Ozzieman]

I hate Glocks,,, OK I did until we purchased my wife?s 26. It was her choice darn it!!
And it changed my mind about Glocks. It functions flawlessly, is easy to hide, and it shoots very well.
My only complaint was that there was no place for the little finger and with the small mag extensions it fits as well or better than any mid 9mm.
I am a Smith fan from WAY back and have 9 N frames in my collection but I do not care for Smiths quality over the past several years. I picked up a Smith built Walther PPKs and after 400 rounds and 5 mags gave up every trying get the piece of crap to empty more than 3 mags in a row. I have not shot the CS9 or handled one so I can't comment on them. I have handled the new plastic 9 that just came out (forgot the model) but I didn?t care for Smiths design and the way the plastic felt in the hand.
As much as it hurts to say this, the Glock is the one I would choose,,,, hands down.
PS, the Glock has over 1000 through it with NO failures.

[threegun]

My father and I went to the range one day. He was shooting his 39-13 and I was shooting my Glock17.......(long time ago). We switched lanes and fired each others gun. I commented that his 9mm's muzzle flipped up way worst than my Glock and my groups were much bigger with his gun. He remained quiet and we finished the range session. While his smith had performed flawlessly, my Glock won him over in one range session. He sold his smith and bought a G17. He now owns a G-27 and has commented that he would never again buy a smith. As for me..........I own 10 combat handguns, eight Glocks, a S&W 686, and a Kahr CW9. The Kahr is my 9 year olds gun but I would have no problem carrying it if need be.

[warwagon]

I personaly use a CS.45. Even in.45 I find it to be easily concealable, reliable, and very recoil friendly.

It realy depends on the operator. If you are used to TDA automatics, then the S&W would be my recomendation.

[BUCKMARK]

Of all the handguns I own, I carry the G26 the most. IMHO the G26 is the greatest carry gun ever made. That's a strong statement to make, but over the years I haven't changed my mind.

The G26 is very durable and reliable. Plus Glock's service dpt. is awesome if you would ever have any problems. I sent 2 different Glocks back to Ga. for work. A "E" series G19 and a G21 for the new style extractor. Glock doesn't ask questions, the just fix the problem and they do it quickly.

The G26 can handle the hottest +P+ carry loads, but can also fire the cheaper bulk rate ammo. And the 9x19 is the cheapest on the market. More ammo equals more range time.

My G26 hides like a dream under a simple T-shirt. You can carry a Glock in hot or cold weather and water don't hurt em' a bit. I never worry about getting my Glock wet when I'm wading in the river fishing. It will be just fine.

Most G26's will shoot as well or better than the bigger guns. My G26 will out shoot my G19 with the same loads across the board out to 25 yards.

The G26 doesn't require a lot of add-ons and fancy doodads. A set of factory installed night sights and a good Kydex holster is all the gun needs period.

The G26 holds 11+1 and that is plenty, but it will also take the 15 and 17 round mags from it's big brothers.

Add all this up and you will find that the G26 is hard to beat. If it fits your hand and you like the way it feels...you will love the G26 as much as I do.

[357 sig 229 sauer]

to me the cs9 carrys better

[mitchcoyote]

The CS9 is a safer gun.....

[LH2]

Thanks for the photos. I think the shorter grip height of the G26 would make it easier to carry.

What about the Kel-Tec P-11? Seems like a good value for around $249. It's thinner and lighter than the Glock or CS9 and there are factory 12-round mags available...

[threegun]

The P-11 is a great little gun but it is not in the same league as the Glock.

[Ozzieman]

The P11 isnt any where near the gun as the 26,,, no where

[Kevinch]

Are either of these guns suitable for pocket carry - say, in a light weight jacket or the pockets of loose fitting shorts?

(No thread hijack intended here - LH2, I hope you don't mind the question!)

[LH2]

Are either of these guns suitable for pocket carry - say, in a light weight jacket or the pockets of loose fitting shorts?

Kevinch, I think they're both on the big side for pocket carry (but do-able) and I've heard of both these pistols being carried that way. There are pocket holsters available for the G26 & P-11.

[fastbolt]

Well, I thought those CS9/G26 images looked familiar. Here are a couple more clickable images ...



G26 over a CS9


642 J-frame & CS9


Personally, owning both a CS9 & G26, I find the CS9 to offer a less distinctly visible profile from a 'printing' perspective, when carrying them in pocket holsters in various jackets. The grip height/length is a bit taller at the rear of the CS9, but the overall profile is a bit less. This is only an issue for me when pocket carry is considered in some jacket pockets, and both are fine when belt holsters are used.

My CS9 was the standard against which I measured the reliability and accuracy of my G26. The G26 has proven itself to be reliable and acceptably accurate, although I do favor the handling, balance and TDA trigger design characteristics of the CS9 over the G26, when all is said and done.

The G26 does seem to be a bit more sensitive to grip stability issues than my CS9, at least from the perspective that if I relax my grip & wrist in the slightest I can often experience empty cases ejected toward my face when shooting the G26, which hasn't ever been an issue when shooting my CS9 (or 3913, 6906 or SW99 Compact, for that matter). Using 147gr, 115gr +P/+P+, 124gr +P & 127gr +P+ ammunition in my G26 seems to reduce this potential compared to using standard pressure 115gr ammunition ... in my case, anyway. I can still sometimes more easily "unintentionally induce" an occasional empty case being ejected towards my face with the standard pressure 147gr JHP ammunition I generally use for training than with higher pressue loads, though.

I happen to think the diminutive G26 is Glock's best offering, although I'm admittedly biased in that I think the Glock design is at its best when chambered in 9mm, and I happen to prefer the smaller platforms for off-duty usage nowadays.

There are many threads spread across a couple or more forums about these subcompact Glock and S&W pistols, especially in the forums dedicated to their respective manufacturers. Lots of owner/user experiences and opinions.

I suspect that the difference in the trigger design would be an important consideration for many potential owners, especially since Glock's "Safe Action" (described by Glock as a constant double action mode) and S&W's Traditional Double Action (DA/SA, or double action initial mode and subsequent single action mode, unless decocked after initial double action shot) are very different. Some folks simply like one over another, and some folks find more training and experience is necessary in order to safely and properly master TDA compared to other designs, because of the transition from one trigger mode to the next. It can be both a training and a personal preference consideration.

I feel the S&W metal magazines, and the S&W followers, have a bit of an advantage over the Glock metal-lined polymer magazines, at least in some respects. For one thing, I think they're a bit more robust in some ways, and their 9mm followers are pretty much a proven design. The Glock magazine polymer bodies are more susceptible to some types of damage and wear, and metal-lined isn't exactly the same thing as metal-bodied. Also, Glock has been revising their followers in an ongoing attempt to make their pistols more tolerant of different shooter & ammunition-related issues. S&W magazines are more expensive than Glock magazines, though, so it's less expensive to replace them as needed. As long as reasonable care is exercised in the use and carrying of Glock magazines, and they're inspected for damage/wear in some periodic manner, they're generally fine for service use. I've seen more magazine lip wear & deformation in Glock magazines than in other manufacturers' metal-bodied magazines, though. But, like I said, they're fairly inexpensive to replace.

Personally, I don't feel the difference between 7 & 10 rounds available in magazines is enough to worry about ... but that's me. MY CS45 & original 4513TSW magazines only have 6-round capacity, as do my Officers ACP magazines. I've gone from carrying issued pistols with 14, 15 & then 12-round magazine capacities to a couple of newly issued pistols with only 8 & 9 round capacities.

I also carry a 5-shot 642-1 J-frame as my most commonly carried off-duty weapon, so I guess you could say that anything more than 5 rounds is an "improvement".

From an armorer's perspective, the Glock is easier to repair, in many respects, since none of the parts require hand-fitting. The S&W metal-framed TDA pistols still require that the extractors & sear release levers are fitted to each pistol.

What some folks tend to overlook about being a factory trained and certified armorer, though, is that being able to properly and accurately diagnose a 'problem' is often more difficult than 'repairing' it. Experience, especially with the available assistance of a more experienced armorer, can help prevent many frustrating experiences.

Also, one of the inherent potential issues with Glocks has less to do with the pistols and more to do with the owners ... and that is that some people tend to assume that since the Glock design is rather simple that they can 'work' on them, and even 'improve' & 'modify' them (or that they require improvement), without having to be trained or experienced.

I think both are quality subcompact pistols. I have no plans to ever get rid of either.

[fastbolt]

More images, because of the image limitation in individual postings ...



642 & CS9


3913 & CS9




CS45 over CS9




Different shot of similar CS9 & G26 top view from my other one