Kimber K6S DASA 4" Combat
Hello, All,
I'm attempting to steer clear of the politics for the time being in a vain attempt to regulate my blood pressure... when the Hillabeast is behind bars where she belongs I'll comment.
But, for now, this particular item caught my eye... the Kimber K6S DASA 4" Combat.
While some would bill this as the modern iteration of the storied Smith & Wesson K-frame, it's probably closer in size to the Colt D-frame.
Let's break the name down a minute - "K", who knows but I'd bet more than a sly reference to Smith's of old. "6S" - six shots. In this frame size, the biggest competitor is the Smith & Wesson J-frame with is five shots of .38 special/.357 magnum. "4"", is simply the barrel length, this offering originally offered as a 2" barreled snubnose. "Combat", a welcome return to using names for tools rather than alpha-numeric gobbledygook. Car manufacturers are doing the same thing. Hmm, those marketers of the 1950's may have been onto something.
Kimber has its detractors, but so far the review of their revolvers are solid.
The cool-guy factor goes to the 3" DA-only version:
But, here's why the 4" is the money gun for the Average Joe.
First, the barrel length doesn't make a whole lot of difference when carrying concealed and zero difference in home defense, yet it does make a difference in other areas. 4" is not a lot to hide, but it's a sweet spot for balancing packability and ballistics as a 5" barrel gets to be a bit much under an untucked t-shirt.
While one should always work a fighting double-action revolver by ignoring the hammer, a 4" DASA offers much more versatility - taking care of varmints around the homestead, teaching the uninitiated how to shoot at the local range, and winning bets on who pays for lunch when out with your buddies.
Sights are an option - fixed or target. Being primarily focused on a carry gun, I prefer fixed as they are going to get banged against door frames and car doors. If it's a home defense only option, then go with the target sights - easier to see and can be dialed into any particular chosen load.
So, what's the final line? Here, we have something sorely missing from the modern market: a reasonably sized service revolver that isn't designed to be carried on a police duty belt. Offerings from Ruger like the GP100 and Smith & Wesson 686 are bank vault solid. They're also too big to comfortably carry as a civilian/non-LEO on a daily basis. Even back in the wheel-gun days, cops didn't carry the mid-sized options so prevalent today, a result of building a gun to take a steady diet of .357 magnums, which no one ever does.
In the discussion with a want-to-be first time gun owner who just wants a gun for defense in the same way they want a fire extinguisher. A smallish six shot quality revolver is an excellent choice for reasons we'll get into in another post. But, the market for Smith K-frames and Ruger Speed/Service series revolvers is high, into collector territory.
The Kimber isn't cheap, but it's new, fits the bill, and is a breath of fresh air. Not every solution is answered with combat Tupperware and 15 rounds of 9mm. There are definite drawbacks for the new and/or uninterested person which are perfectly answered with a revolver.
Will I spend my own money on one? Let's just say that, to me, the Smith and Wesson Model 19 4" as handed down by Border Patrol Agent Bill Jordan originally passed through Asgard on its journey to the mortals. If I weren't so schooled and emotionally invested in the Smith, then, yes, the Kimber would be the first 6-shot wheel gun I would look at for defensive use. Still might, curiosity has been known to get the better of me.
So, why then, do I so often pack a Smith & Wesson 5 shot J-frame Pro Series 640? Another tale for another day.
I'm attempting to steer clear of the politics for the time being in a vain attempt to regulate my blood pressure... when the Hillabeast is behind bars where she belongs I'll comment.
But, for now, this particular item caught my eye... the Kimber K6S DASA 4" Combat.
While some would bill this as the modern iteration of the storied Smith & Wesson K-frame, it's probably closer in size to the Colt D-frame.
Let's break the name down a minute - "K", who knows but I'd bet more than a sly reference to Smith's of old. "6S" - six shots. In this frame size, the biggest competitor is the Smith & Wesson J-frame with is five shots of .38 special/.357 magnum. "4"", is simply the barrel length, this offering originally offered as a 2" barreled snubnose. "Combat", a welcome return to using names for tools rather than alpha-numeric gobbledygook. Car manufacturers are doing the same thing. Hmm, those marketers of the 1950's may have been onto something.
Kimber has its detractors, but so far the review of their revolvers are solid.
The cool-guy factor goes to the 3" DA-only version:
But, here's why the 4" is the money gun for the Average Joe.
First, the barrel length doesn't make a whole lot of difference when carrying concealed and zero difference in home defense, yet it does make a difference in other areas. 4" is not a lot to hide, but it's a sweet spot for balancing packability and ballistics as a 5" barrel gets to be a bit much under an untucked t-shirt.
While one should always work a fighting double-action revolver by ignoring the hammer, a 4" DASA offers much more versatility - taking care of varmints around the homestead, teaching the uninitiated how to shoot at the local range, and winning bets on who pays for lunch when out with your buddies.
Sights are an option - fixed or target. Being primarily focused on a carry gun, I prefer fixed as they are going to get banged against door frames and car doors. If it's a home defense only option, then go with the target sights - easier to see and can be dialed into any particular chosen load.
So, what's the final line? Here, we have something sorely missing from the modern market: a reasonably sized service revolver that isn't designed to be carried on a police duty belt. Offerings from Ruger like the GP100 and Smith & Wesson 686 are bank vault solid. They're also too big to comfortably carry as a civilian/non-LEO on a daily basis. Even back in the wheel-gun days, cops didn't carry the mid-sized options so prevalent today, a result of building a gun to take a steady diet of .357 magnums, which no one ever does.
In the discussion with a want-to-be first time gun owner who just wants a gun for defense in the same way they want a fire extinguisher. A smallish six shot quality revolver is an excellent choice for reasons we'll get into in another post. But, the market for Smith K-frames and Ruger Speed/Service series revolvers is high, into collector territory.
The Kimber isn't cheap, but it's new, fits the bill, and is a breath of fresh air. Not every solution is answered with combat Tupperware and 15 rounds of 9mm. There are definite drawbacks for the new and/or uninterested person which are perfectly answered with a revolver.
Will I spend my own money on one? Let's just say that, to me, the Smith and Wesson Model 19 4" as handed down by Border Patrol Agent Bill Jordan originally passed through Asgard on its journey to the mortals. If I weren't so schooled and emotionally invested in the Smith, then, yes, the Kimber would be the first 6-shot wheel gun I would look at for defensive use. Still might, curiosity has been known to get the better of me.
So, why then, do I so often pack a Smith & Wesson 5 shot J-frame Pro Series 640? Another tale for another day.
