New 9mm suggestions wanted.

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ceetee

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I have my Officers' Model and Sig Carry 1911 for CCW duty. I've been keeping a Taurus 24/7 in the nightstand lockbox for HD duty, but because the .40 S&W bug just hasn't caught me as much as I thought it would, it just sits there. I've been thinking that I wouldn't mind selling the Taurus (not a bad pistol, just not... great) and replacing it with a 9mm of some sort. I want some specific features:

I prefer all steel construction
It must have a light rail
Night sights are preferred
Normal capacity should be in the high teens
Controls should operate similar to the 1911's
Cost should be in the $500-$700 range
Accessories and/or parts should be fairly easy to order

Way back in the mid-90's, I fired a friends 3rd Gen Smith and Wesson 9mm, and I wasn't really crazy about it. In the summer of 2011, I test-fired a number of 9mm pistols. I wasn't really crazy about the Glocks. They worked fine, they just felt... meh. I hated the reverse safety operation of the Berettas. After sweeping down with the thumb for so long, it just felt wrong to me to have to sweep forward and up. I got my best groups (singles, doubles, and Mozambiques) of the afternoon with the CZ 75 Compact. If it had a light rail and night sights, I'd be on it like anything. Does anyone know if the SP-01 has the same trigger group and frame shape? If so, I'll have to look around and see what I can find...

Anyway, all suggestions are welcome and thanks, everybody!
 
That's a pretty tough list of criteria.

All steel would suggest a Sig P22x, a High Power or a CZ-75. If you go with the 75 BD you don't have to worry about a safety and only one shot is double action.

The light rail narrows it down a lot for steel guns. The CZ-P01 has a rail, but it's aluminum. Some of the Sigs may have a rail in steel.

My CZ-75 has night sights and a CT laser grip. It makes a great range gun and nightstand gun. With a 4.7" barrel I don't bother with +p, but it's certainly one of the stronger designs.

Personally I'll take laser grips over a rail because of holster issues, plus I always have a hand held flashlight.
 
Taking into consideration everything you said, I would vote heavily towards the Beretta 92. I would get a 1911 before I got a 92, but since you already have that covered IMHO the 92 is a very close second. Ergonomic, comfortable, reliable, easy to shoot, and proven/tested accuracy. And, if you care about aesthetics, the stainless version is one very beautiful, sharp looking gun.

If you can, go to the range and shoot a box of 9mm through one, it's the only way to truly get the feel for it.
 
FNX-9 sounds right up your alley. In the right price range, controls are 1911-style (with cocked and locked and sweep up to disengage saftey), mags hold 17 rounds, light rail. Just found this link to spare parts: http://www.midwestgunworks.com/page/mgwi/ctgy/fn-fnx-pistol

My next gun needs to be a Glock 27 for a change of CCW, but if I could conceal an FNX I'd be REALLY tempted. I dry-fired an FNX-40 at the LGS and I really liked the trigger.

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Not sure if it has a rail (I believe it does) but what about the "Baby Eagle"? It's basically a CZ, good trigger and ergos, and reasonably priced. Made in both plastic and steel.

C
 
CZ SP-01
FNX-9
Taurus PT-92

While not of all steel construction, all of these pistols give you a high capacity mag, a rail, and M1911 type controls.

STI Eagle
STI Tactical

Now if price was no object, then these pistols would be fairly close to your specs.
 
Don't rule out Bersa. Mine has been nothing but flawless and i read about very (if any) issues. You can use the extra $ for accessories and ammo.
 
I'm not averse to aluminum, or even plastic, although I prefer steel. This isn't going to be my carry piece, so I'm not really worried about the weight. I'll just bolt the TLR onto it and stick it into the Gun Vault whenever it's not coming to the range with me. The reason I prefer steel is that I believe it to be more durable. I'll probably never shoot enough to wear out any pistol, but you never know. Besides, who knows how much my kids will shoot it once I'm gone? I'm really liking the looks of the P-01...

Thanks, all!
 
A couple come to mind. If you want to go used, there are Sig 226R out there that fit the bill. There is also the FNH FNP9. If you like the CZ, then the CZ SP-01 is probably the best model for you. You can even have it converted at the factory to straight SA, or leave it as it comes in DA/SA if the conversion stretches the budget too much. There are several 1911s in 9mm but I don't know of many, especially in your price range, that work with the reliability requried for a defensive gun.
 
Another vote for the all steel CZ SP-01. A friend has one and I've shot it a lot. I like it for range work better than my 75B. Accurate, reliable, and easy to shoot.
 
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