EDC

Rumor and the patent office have it that SIG Sauer is working on a new type of ultra-portable suppressor for duty pistols.

Some days, however, you see a unique combination of design features, such as those found on this older Springfield Armory XD-S.

Successful firearm sequels balance “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” with real, value-adding improvements. If a manufacturer re-engineers a popular design like the XD-S, they risk losing those features that made the firearm successful in the first place. But if they don’t improve enough components, “new-and-improved” starts to look suspiciously like “the-same-and-more-expensive.” Those were my thoughts heading into this review, but I think Springfield balanced these two extremes well.

The Walther PPS M2 fits into the category known as “slim nines,” meaning it is a small, thin, easily concealed 9mm pistol. Its German roots are readily apparent in its design and manufacture.

Even if you are not in a last-ditch moment, a neck knife can serve other purposes, namely by just providing an extra blade to be available for whatever you need.

The pack is riddled with nice features. Inside, the back panel is set up for either Velcro- or MOLLE-compatible pouches. The side and rear panels have a foam insert to help it keeps its shape and protect your gear.

At any rate, I like the 19X so much that I bought the one that came in for review. And this week, I finally got around to the add-ons and mods I prefer.
First rattle out of the box, the sights that come as the only option on the 19X are weak sauce.

I will admit my biases up-front. I love these guns and always have. I think I always will. Depending on the day, I choose a J-frame over a slim nine, over a Glock 19 and over lots of other guns. I don’t always, but most of the time I do.

When it comes to defensive handguns, simple is not just good; simple is great. I just want to be able to draw the gun and squeeze the trigger in order to fire. I do not want a bunch of extra controls or features to fuss with.