In our latest “I Carry” segment above, we’re taking a closer look at the Daniel Defense H9, a unique, striker-fired design that borrows popular features from several different handguns. We’re carrying the H9 inside of an ANR Designs holster and pairing it with a CRKT pocket knife. Check out the full episode above to see the details of each.
“We’ve got a very interesting gun for I Carry, and this is kind of for those who like the more esoteric things,” American Rifleman Executive Editor Jay Grazio said. “This is the Daniel Defense H9, which has a long, long history going back quite a few decades. It’s the culmination of a project to merge the striker-fired 9 mm and the single-action 1911.”
This concept first emerged in the late 1990s with the Alchemy Arms Spectre, a .45 ACP-chambered design that combined elements of both striker-fired and 1911-style handguns of the time. In the mid-2010s, Hudson Mfg. introduced its Hudson H9, which built off this best-of-both-worlds idea, but it ran into obstacles. The design was purchased by Daniel Defense, which refined the concept and re-introduced it early in 2024.
“It is pretty standard size, slightly over 4-inch barrel. The weight is just under 30 ounces, pretty much,” Grazio said. “A little on the heavy side, but that’s because it’s all aluminum. You know, most of your polymer-frame guns are going to be much lighter, 1911s are going to be heavier. So right in the middle, a combination of both.”
Due to the unique profile of the Daniel Defense H9, finding an ideal holster fit can be a challenge. One great option is from ANR Designs, which produces its standard IWB model using a single sheet of Kydex, folded into a taco-style holster complete with a DCC monoblock clip and a wing that tucks it tight into the body for added concealment.
“One of the reasons we’ve gone with ANR Design, first and foremost, they make excellent holsters,” Grazio said. “They also have a very, very wide product selection. If you’re looking for a holster for a gun that’s not a Glock or Smith & Wesson or a SIG, ANR Design is a great place to look.”
Rounding out our EDC kit for today is the CRKT M16-02X, an updated version of one of the company’s long-running models. Equipped with a tanto-style folding blade measuring 3.1 inches long, the knife is made from D2 tool steel and weighs 3 ounces. CRKT’s trademarked Grivory thermoplastic material is used to craft the skeletonized grip.
“One of the things that I really, really like is they’re switching over from the liner lock or a frame lock to what they call the crossbar lock, which is a simple little sliding lever that releases the blade,” Grazio said. “It’s really nice. Means you don’t have to put your fingers in front of it to close the knife.”
For more information on the Daniel Defense H9, read the full American Rifleman review here. To see the ANR Designs holster we used in this video, check out the ANR Designs website here. And for more details on the CRKT M16-02X knife, visit the CRKT website here.
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