Instead of striker fired 9mm

SIG P226 or Beretta 92 would be a good start.

CZ75 and new FN High Power are out there too. P226 is the only one of the bunch without a thumb safety- except, I suppose a M92D (DAO), though Im not sure if those are still in production.

Berretta M92 gunna be the cheapest and most available. Inexpensive mags, lots of accessories for them as well.
I have a bunch of M92s and love 'em. Ive got one P226 as well, but its just a hair too thick for my hand, though functionally excellent.

All of that aside, and as much as I dont particularly like the trigger system, the SD9VE is a cheap, reliable gun. They arent worth much, so I would keep it as a backup/loaner/shower gun and just get something better in addition.

Beretta 96 if you like 40S&W

The CZ and 226 are available in .40 as well.

Take a look at the Ruger Security 9 and Security 9 Compact. The Compact is my EDC. I had an SD9VE. Did not like it. Love my Sec 9 compact. It’s has an unusual action. It is hammer fired, but the design is such that when the slide travels to the rear it half cocks the action. Then when you pull the trigger it completes the action and fires. So technically it is a double action but with a twist that makes it a smoother trigger pull. You get the hard wack of a hammer to ignite without the hard pull. And with the right ammo the 9mm will do the job as wells as 45ACP. I love the gun.

aaaaa said:

Just speculating but if the right semi-auto gun comes up I might just trade up for it. No revolvers, I already have a bunch of revolvers.

Suppose I want to get rid of my only striker fired pistol, a S&W SD9 VE, so as to purge my gun collection of striker fired guns. What then should I replace it with, presumably in 9mm. I also would prefer to avoid plastic and prefer without a manual thumb safety (except in 1911s).

Would a double stack 9mm 1911 in the smaller officer size be a good way to go?

What is the best caliber for 1911 besides .45 ACP, which I already have.

Do they make a 1911 type 9mm, double stack with double action? Would I want something like that?

What other options besides a 1911 are there for 9mm that are easy to come by?

Should I opt for 10mm, .40 S&W, or other caliber instead if 9mm?

Click to expand...

You kind of missed the most important piece of information... What are you going to use these guns for?

I love my metal frame range guns but there is no way I would carry that much weight! For me metal hammer guns are for the range / competition where plastic striker fired guns are for carrying.

Even for home defence I prefer plastic because I can easily slip it into my pocket when take out the garbage. But metal makes a nice nightstand gun.

If it’s double action it’s by definition, not a 1911.

And if you don’t like strikers or polymer there’s really not a whole lot of options. Sig 22x family, Beretta 92 family (and Taurus clones thereof), CZ-75 (and lots of clones thereof) Hi Power, new FN Hi Power, older Rugers or S&W that have metal frames…. There are plenty of guns that came with the option (or have aftermarket options) for decocker instead of actual safety. But it’s easier IMO to pick a platform and find a variant of this sort than try to list every decocker-only gun out there. Most single action guns (a la 1911) are going to have a safety, it’s the DA/SA types that will have the potential to forego that.

I’d say the caliber depends on what you’re gonna do with it. Arguably .40 is king of “I very seriously may use this gun in harm’s way.” The guns are usually pretty affordable too, especially used. Arguably .45 has even better stopping power, with a serious capacity penalty. Arguably 9mm is a very solid choice for self defense and has the best capacity, and is far and away the most available and affordable to shoot with the widest choice of loads, making it the hands down favorite of most.

Full size:
SIG-Sauer P226;
Beretta 92FS;
CZ 75BD;
Zastava CZ999;
Tisas Zigana various models.

Compact size:
SIG-Sauer P229;
Beretta 92FS Compact;
CZ P-01;
CZ PCR.

All my 1911's have light weight target triggers, too light for home defense. So I personally don't consider them good for home defense.

My Beretta 92 INOX is an excellent gun that is great for home defense. A lot of people don't like the slide mounted safety/decocker... I really like it though.

I had a CZ 75D compact. I hated it. It was much too small for my very long hands. My girlfriend loved it, so it is hers now. I.e. what works for me might not work for you.

A SIG 220 or 226 is hard to beat for quality and ergonomics. 45acp is a great home defence round if you are comfortable with it. But 9mm is also very potent. 40S&W is also a great round if that is what you find fits you well.

I learned on my 92 so I really like the da/sa trigger on all of these mentioned guns. Some people find da/sa triggers hard to master. It is just a matter of practice though. Having learned on da/sa I have no problem adapting to any other trigger. I think the other way around is harder to adapt to.

The best approach is probably to take a list of all the above recommendations and hold each one to see what feels best. If you can shoot them that would be even better. If you find something you really like that is not mentioned above don't be afraid of it but research it before you buy it. Above mentioned guns are all pretty fool proof choices.

P.s. back in the 80's someone sold what they called a DA 1911... it never gained much popularity. Maybe it was Springfield... But I don't really remember.

https://www.handgunsmag.com/editorial/turning-the-1911-into-a-double-action-pistol/137654

As already mentioned, the big three would be SIG P226, Beretta 92, CZ75

aaaaa said:

Well I certainly have a big list to go through. Thanks for all the input. No rush, but if I see the right one, may have to jump on it.


Fascinating, but kind of strange with two triggers.

Same Seacamp as who made the tiny LWS. 32 pistol?

Click to expand...

Ya, Paraordnance made a few DA 1911s back in the 90s too but they were kinda cheesey and didnt catch on.
Colt made the Double Eagle, also a rather half-arsed conversion. I think they sold 7 or 8 of them. They have quite a bit of collector cache now though.
The problem with all the DA 1911s was that there was no room inside the frame for the extra linkages and such, so they had to run them outside under large grip panels, resulting in poor ergos, fragile mechanisms, and sloppy triggers.

10mm.

You could look at a rex zero 1. Metal frame double stack. Double action can also be carried cocked and locked.

aaaaa said:

Well now my question is what is the difference 10mm vs .40 S&W.
My ammo supplier has .40 S&W for 1/3 the price of 10mm:

10 mm @ $46 a box of 50 FMJ and $47 JHP.

.40 S&W @ $16 a box of 50 in JHP or FMJ.

.40 S&W seems about the same size, just shorter than, the 10 mm. Pressure similar. Is this a case of the .40 is to the 10 mm as a .38 Special is to a .357 Magnum. That is, if I get a 10mm gun can I run .40 S&W in it?

Click to expand...

Can you run .40 in a 10mm?
The answer is, kinda sorta.... maybe.
It seems to be different for every gun, even among the same model. Some will feed and fire just fine, some dont- the bullet style and OAL play a part too.
IF your particular gun will feed 'em, then it is perfectly safe to shoot .40 in a 10 and ejection isnt usually a problem.
Worst case, such as an emergency survival situation, .40s can be single loaded into the chamber by hand, but for daily CCW carry, not a good idea.

Beretta M9A3?

aaaaa said:

Well I certainly have a big list to go through. Thanks for all the input. No rush, but if I see the right one, may have to jump on it.


Fascinating, but kind of strange with two triggers.

Same Seacamp as who made the tiny LWS. 32 pistol?

Click to expand...

Yep, same Seacamp guy. There were others that also did double action guns based on the 1911 design. I remember really wanting one back in the day.

Here we go, it was actually the Colt Double Eagle I was thinking of: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_Double_Eagle

I was thinking about something similar not long ago. I have a lot of handguns. Half of them I'm only marginally interested in.

Of duty pistols, the CZ75 variants, 1911 variants, and Sig P-series are easily the best for me. I have a bunch of others that mostly just sit in my safe. To me Berettas and High Powers are kinda meh. Polymers are kinda meh, too, except for maybe a little one to carry.

9mm and 40S&W and 45acp are all fine. They're all fun to shoot and they're all adequate for SD. 9mm is cheaper and easier to find right now, but I like to have some of each in case of shortages.

I had the S&W 40SDVE or whatever it was called. It went bang every time. The trigger was pretty terrible. I traded it towards a double-stack 1911 in 40 caliber. The double-stack 1911's are a matter of hand size. I have XXL hands, so they fit me very well. I'm fine with either double stack or single stack 1911's as range toys or for HD.

Full-sized metal duty pistols are fun to shoot. I really prefer SA or SA/DA to striker-fired. If you find a nice metal duty pistol you really like in one of the common calibers, you will have a friend for life.

The first two were surplus and the last was NiB. They were something like $400 OTD apiece.

Ruger 1911 CMD 9mm:
https://www.ruger.com/products/sr1911CommanderStyle/specSheets/6722.html

We have one and it is "soft shooting" - initial shooting session my wife was shooting it with +P and asked if she was going to shoot hot ammo next time.

The preceding was my recommendation for the pistol, now for a piece of related info:
Unlike me, my wife is an occasional shooter, like go to the range 2-3 times a year ....
So later when she draws the 1911 9mm and tries to shoot it without disengaging thumb safety (I let it happen on purpose, no reminder), we need to get something else.
My wife needs a handgun she can go 4-6 months without shooting, pick up (draw) and use without thinking, Glock 19.

aaaaa said:

Just speculating but if the right semi-auto gun comes up I might just trade up for it. No revolvers, I already have a bunch of revolvers.

Suppose I want to get rid of my only striker fired pistol, a S&W SD9 VE, so as to purge my gun collection of striker fired guns. What then should I replace it with, presumably in 9mm. I also would prefer to avoid plastic and prefer without a manual thumb safety (except in 1911s).

Would a double stack 9mm 1911 in the smaller officer size be a good way to go?

What is the best caliber for 1911 besides .45 ACP, which I already have.

Do they make a 1911 type 9mm, double stack with double action? Would I want something like that?

What other options besides a 1911 are there for 9mm that are easy to come by?

Should I opt for 10mm, .40 S&W, or other caliber instead if 9mm?

Click to expand...

What caliber is best in a 1911? You could argue that for days. Besides .45 Auto, .38 Super was originally designed for a 1911. 10mm works well also, I have a full-size 1911 in each chambering. If you go for a Commander-sized 1911, .40S&W is an excellent choice, and 9mm works well too. I own SA EMP4's in each caliber.
1911 is SAO, but there are 1911-style pistols that are double stack and SA/DA. I used to have a S&W M459 that was very nice, alloy frame, 14+1, SA/DA, with a decocker.
The best gun all around, in 9mm, IMO is a BHP. You can also find them in .40S&W, I have one and love it.

aaaaa said:

Well now my question is what is the difference 10mm vs .40 S&W.
My ammo supplier has .40 S&W for 1/3 the price of 10mm:

.40 S&W seems about the same size, just shorter than, the 10 mm. Pressure similar. Is this a case of the .40 is to the 10 mm as a .38 Special is to a .357 Magnum.. That is, if I get a 10mm gun can I run .40 S&W in it?

Click to expand...

.40S&W is hotter than .38 Spl. Think .38+P and you're closer, but overall, the .38/.357M comparison is fairly accurate. It is possible to chamber and fire a .40S&W in a 10mm, but I am not a proponent of using cartridges not designed for a particular action. In order for it to work, the .40S&W has to be held in place by the extractor, in a 10mm pistol.

Lots of choices and not a hint of plastic or strikers in any of them. Choose the size of the hole in the end you want and go for it.

bangswitch said:

What caliber is best in a 1911? You could argue that for days. Besides .45 Auto, .38 Super was originally designed for a 1911. 10mm works well also,

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Yes, the gun was designed around rounds the length of .45 Auto, so .38 Super, 10mm, .400 Corbon, and some others fit in the mag properly without any modifications.

Rounds such as 9mm, .40 S&W, .357 SIG are also chambered in the 1911, but those rounds are shorter, and need some kind of spacer in their magazines for proper function. Some work fine, some don't.

aaaaa said:

Well now my question is what is the difference 10mm vs .40 S&W.
My ammo supplier has .40 S&W for 1/3 the price of 10mm:

10 mm @ $46 a box of 50 FMJ and $47 JHP.

.40 S&W @ $16 a box of 50 in JHP or FMJ.

.40 S&W seems about the same size, just shorter than, the 10 mm. Pressure similar. Is this a case of the .40 is to the 10 mm as a .38 Special is to a .357 Magnum. That is, if I get a 10mm gun can I run .40 S&W in it?

Click to expand...

The proper answer is “no”. All manufacturers will tell you not to do it.

But I do. All 3 of my 10MM’s were/are striker fire guns. All three ran .40 fine. the 10MM makes the .40 a pussy cat to handle.

I’ve heard lots of back and forth all over the internet, but I never saw where anything bad actually was recorded.

https://www.google.com/search?q=iss...ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari#ip=1

BUT….your manufacturer will say no…