Have you ever had a difficult time trying to find a gift for someone? Whether it be that the person doesn’t ever want anything or won’t tell you what they want. Or could just be that they buy everything they want throughout the year, and there is nothing left to buy for those special occasions. I am here to tell you that I fall into one, if not all of those categories. Fortunately, Odin’s Workshop helped me change that with this SAR9.
Odin’s Workshop SAR9 to the Rescue
This year I had to try really hard to come up with something special for my wife to celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary. Thoughts went through my head about a vacation, a nice date night out, and even a new Bronco.
But then I got to thinking that I wanted to get her something that would make her think about our special anniversary every time she sees or uses it.
So, then I started to think about a new gun. Nope, not for me. My wife has only been shooting for a couple of years. It is not that she doesn’t like it. She just didn’t grow up with it like some of us.
Her first experience was with a .22 LR in the fifth grade. She didn’t shoot again until after we were married for about eight years. She fell immediately in love with it and especially loves shooting her CMMG Banshee.
One day while we were watching TV, she was checking emails on her phone. She had come across a banner ad for a SAR9 handgun. She asked if it was any good. I instantly replied, “Heck, yeah!”
She replied that she wanted one, and it was at that exact moment that I finalized what I was going to get her.
Combining Two Passions
It took a little patience, but my wife’s new SAR9 arrived at our FFL dealer. No doubt, the gun’s striker action, 4.4-inch barrel, and less than 1.5-inch width would make for a great carry gun. The 17+1 payload is a plus, too.
Buying the gun was only part one of this story. I wanted to make it a special anniversary gift. Immediately I thought to modify it and make it her own. Great, now how do I do that? After mulling it over for a few days, I finally figured it out.
As I mentioned earlier, my wife has only been familiar with the firearms industry for a couple of years. But she is an avid fisherman. She has been fishing since she could walk. She fishes as much as I shoot. So, I thought, why not combine the two?
Let’s Customize
I reached out to Odin’s Workshop in Keego Harbor, Michigan. They are no strangers to the gun build process. Seeing some of their previous work, I knew they were the ones for the job.
Odin’s Workshop has been featured in a few articles published by Athlon Outdoors. The business is family owned and operated, consisting of two employees—James (owner) and his brother Cole.
They are best known for their cerakoting and laser engraving. James specializes in design work and welding. He is also a certified gunsmith. Cole is the prep, design, and machining guy.
James and I sat down and talked about what I was thinking. After this, we were able to come up with a concept. But we all know that with concepts, that is all they are. There are always changes.
So, the only stipulation I had was that it had to have a largemouth bass on it. My wife loves to fish for largemouth and is always in search of that monster.
This brings me to the next reason why it has to be a largemouth bass. On our honeymoon, we rented a cabin on the lake, and all we did was fish for a week and a half. That is when she caught her biggest fish ever. It is hanging on the wall at the cabin up North.
Other than that, I left it up to him to be creative and do their thing.
Working the Odin’s Workshop Magic
One of the toughest things Odin’s Workshop had to do was figure out what to do with the SAR9 grip. The ergonomic grip that it already had was great. But remember, we wanted to make it her own.
Odin’s had never done a SAR before, and as far as I knew, they are the first to try. They first shaved the ergonomics out of the grip. Then, made the stippling that was already there as smooth as possible.
There were some concerns here. They were unsure if the polymer was still going to be thick enough to laser stipple again. But it worked out perfectly. They re-stippled the fore and aft of the grip.
Next was the incorporation of the theme. The frame was cerakoted to look like it was underwater, complete with vegetation and a largemouth. Likewise, the slide was cerakoted to look like the horizon. This is where our fisherman would be put.
But that is not all. The fisherman was made to be fishing from inside a boat. Odin’s also made the fishing line with a lure waving along the slide and down into the grip toward the fish’s mouth.
As a really nice touch, they even made a little tackle box for her masterpiece. One to fit the gun and other accessories. The brothers Odin really knocked it out of the pond!
The Reveal
When I gave it to her, she immediately fell in love with it. She asked, “When do I get to shoot it?”
I immediately replied, “Get your gear and let’s go.”
At the range, this firearm performed flawlessly. It didn’t matter if we were shooting FMJs (factory or reloads), Hornady Defense, or steel. The recoil was like no other that she or I have ever experienced.
My wife commented that it was more of a backward recoil than a muzzle flip. She said it felt like her body was absorbing more of the recoil and not having to fight to keep the gun on target. I absolutely agree with her on that.
She absolutely loves it. So much, in fact, I had to go buy a stock one. That way, she had a daily shooter. A special thanks goes out to Odin’s Workshop for making this anniversary special with this custom SAR9.
For more information, please visit SARUSA.com and OdinsWorkshop.com.
SAR9 Specs
Caliber: 9mm
Barrel: Forged steel, 4.4 inches
Overall Length: 7.5 inches
Weight: 27.8 ounces
Grips: Polymer
Sights: Three-dot, adjustable rear
Action: Striker-fired semi-auto
Finish: Matte black
Capacity: 17+1
MSRP: $422
This article was originally published in the Combat Handguns July/August 2022 issue. Subscription is available in print and digital editions at OutdoorGroupStore.com. Or call 1-800-284-5668, or email subscriptions@athlonmediagroup.com.
