9mm suggestions please

"Sig P series pistols."
+1

If it's got to be a pistol, do check out a Hi-Power. Browning or otherwise. I have a Charles Daly that I like pretty well, and it's not as thick in the hand as most full size 9 mm double-stacks. (it's more like a 1.5 stack, as it only carries 13 rounds)

If you're just doing this because you're bored and want to try something new, how about a 9 mm carbine, like a Beretta CX4, Ruger or even the fold-up Kel-Tec? That would get you additional inherent accuracy, more velocity from the longer barrel, etc. Still small enough to use for a home defense gun. You could easily shoot it to 50 yards, as well.

I knew I was going home with my P226 Legion 9 as soon as I felt it in my hand. YMMV

<----------- either of the CZ75 models fullsize or compact. Both are super reliable and accurate. Steel frames offer great recoil reduction as well as muzzle flip reduction. Hard to go wrong with a CZ.

I'm partial to my SA Ronin EMP 4" (here at the gun club next to my SA Hellcat).

That is a tough call! If I were in the position of the OP, I would look at Classic Sigs (including the P210), CZ-75s, and maybe the SA-35. That is, all metal, all fairly robust -- I cannot imagine wearing any of those out -- and all fairly large but not "chunky" (as might be said of the big Beretta). And then there are the host of 1911's in 9mm -- that's a whole 'nother world. Rent a few of those and shoot them at the range!

CZ offerings are outstanding, very solid guns. As for me, I really like my 92FS but I find myself liking my wife’s 92 Compact a bit more.

Hi-power or the CZ. Case closed. Thanks this thread can now be closed.

I'm digging the new FN Hi Power and may pick one up.

The HP. Had mine for 55 years. Its long production run means new barrels, magazines, parts are readily available.
I also have an S&W M639, if I were to apply for a CCW, probably carry that. Mine has a smooth action and stainless finish more durable IMHO

Another fan of the Hi-Power here. I've never owned a Browning, but have "made" do with the clones and never really had any second thoughts about them.

Girsan MC P-35



FEG Hungarian Hi-Power. Really nice if you can find them. This one cleaned up nicely. A little Flitz, a little Ren Wax and elbow grease and the old girl looks a lot more presentable in polite company.



I'm also a fan of the Smith and Wesson Model 39-2. An elegant weapon for a more civilized time. This one is from 1970, and has been rode hard and put up wet, but still puts the rounds downrange.

Don't rule out the 1911. A 9mm 1911 is a real pleasure to shoot.

1. Sig P226 Legion (the grip cuts make it fit my medium sized hands better than standard P226)
2. Kahr K9 - The double action only pistol nearly feels like I'm shooting my S&W Combat Master Piece
3. Star Model B - Like a 1911 and not bad but sights aren't the best.

I'd love to have the Kahr 25th Anniversary K9. It is a great looking pistol. Otherwise, I'd like to have the Kahr T9 or T40. Those guns look great with the wood grips and stainless steel frame. The Kahr pistols have a very smooth DA revolver type trigger which is unlike other striker fired pistols. Anyhow, I'd like to add either of the above to compliment my Kahr S9.

Ralph

My favorite 9mm is the one that fits comfortably in MY hand.

Mark me down for one suggesting a 1911 in 9mm. Its my favorite shooter. Mine is in commander size which is more of a personal taste.

-Jeff

Sig P320 X5 Legion is what many, probably most competitive shooters have gone to. The CZ is always a solid option. HK USP Expert 9, P30 and P2000 great hammer fired choices. HK VP9 does nothing for me.

Shout out to the S&W 5906 too.

If I were looking to get a "non plastic" 9mm, I'd look real hard at Springfield Armory's new version of the classic Browning Hi-Power. The CZ pistols are a good design, but they don't fit my hand as well as the classic Browning. Likewise the SIGs - except for the P210. The new ones are mechanically different than the older ones that "MADE" the P210's reputation, but they still seem like good guns. The Beretta 92 . . . I don't know about. I've got a Beretta Elite that seems to fit me well and has been 100% reliable, but for some reason in my hands it's one of the least accurate pistols in my safe. It seems tight, nothing is broken or worn, shiny barrel with no dings at the muzzle or elsewhere - but I get patterns rather than groups. Let's see, what else . . . if it's done right, a 1911 in 9mm can be a good gun; not all of them run as well as they should. (Of course, not all 1911s in .45 run as well as they should either.)

If it matters to you, not all of these come from the factory in a version with the slide already machined for a red dot sight.

And before I forget, there's one late contender - S&W just introduced a version of their Military & Police 2.0 with a metal frame. It's the same basic design as their polymer frame M&Ps so it ought to run fine.

I think the Hi-Power or its clones are great guns.I have the SA-35 Springfield,and I'd probably have to say that it fits my hands and has a better feel than just about anything out there to me.When I bought it,I was on the lookout for either the SA-35 or the Sig P210,and I ran across the 35 first.The trigger could be better,but even considering that,it's the pistol that I tend to shoot the best.I'm going to get a Wilson Combat Sig P320 in a few days,but I doubt if it'll be as accurate in my hands as the SA-35.Even though it's not en vogue for a carry gun,I carry my 35 in a shoulder holster as soon as a jacket doesn't look out of place.As my favorite shooting buddy(who carries a P210)once said"if you're going to have to shoot someone,you owe it to them to shoot them with a nice pistol".When asked about the capacity of the P210 he simply said it holds more than enough to do what needs done.I like the 15+1 of the SA-35 just to be sure.I think it has a slightly more nimble feel than a 1911 plus more capacity.

I agree the Beretta 92 is a "fatty", but boy does mine feel good in the hand! The ergonomics are fantastic for my grip!

However, it's not my preferred carry because of it's chunkiness. I've carried it before, though I don't have a holster for it (never bought one because I never figured on carrying it), but I do have a leather fanny pack that I used years ago when bicycle riding.

I have a Walther CCP M2+, but I'm not yet convinced on it as a carry piece. Story for another time.

I'm considering buying a Walther PDP F-Series based on reviews. I really like the looks of it and some of the slimmer apsects it was purposefully designed for. However, I strongly suspect my "better half" will abscond with it, which may mean me buying another one. At any rate, I need to handle one of these first to be sure I like it's fit and feel.

Shadow 2. Imo hands down the next 9mm I own. And have owned to date.

trackskippy said:

Ive never really been a CZ fan.

The Berettas are good guns. If you favor them, I dont think you'll go wrong there. They really arent as big or chunky as they look and feel very natural in the hand. Shoot well and naturally too. I have a couple of them as well as a M9-22. They did a good job on those and unlike a lot of the other 22 copies, they feel very much like one of the 9mm guns in your hands. They shoot well too.

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I've never been much of a fan of the basic CZ 75/75B either. The upper end of CZ's product line is another story, though. Some great shooters and excellent values.

Also agreed on the comments regarding the "chunkiness" of the Beretta 92. A lot of these comments are a bit out of date with the ready availability of variants with the Vertec frame (and, if necessary, thinner grips). I've also known shooters who can handle even the 92FS or M9 just fine but who struggle with the very long DA trigger reach of the CZ 75.

I have to go against the grain on the Hi-Power here.

I love the BHP for its elegance and historical pedigree, but there's nothing special about them at all as shooters or from a build-quality standpoint. A lot of BHP love is based in nostalgia and on the JMB connection -- which isn't nearly as strong as most presume -- in my opinion. The triggers are bad to terrible (no, taking out the magazine safety doesn't make it anything close to good), the accuracy is generally nothing better than mediocre, and the older forged-frame guns in particular are made from butter-soft steel and are not very durable. What they do have going for them are superb ergonomics (for most people) and excellent reliability. Absent some expensive work from someone like Yost, Garthwaite (RIP), Burton, et al., they're pretty disappointing as range/target pistols, though, especially if you've had any experience with the finest modern 9mm pistols.

Actually, there is one exception to that -- the relatively uncommon Hi-Power GP Competition model produced from 1980 to 1987. It's pretty dated, the build quality is still nothing exceptional, and it gives up most of the regular Hi-Power's good looks, but it's a smooth, accurate shooter with a nice trigger.

Hard to beat the regular BHP for looks, though, and I've bought quite a few. Here's my unfired 1968 tangent-sight T-series from 1968 (with some Ren Wax globs/streaks):

My favorite 9mm to shoot is a Dan Wesson Guardian ..... Love it