My experience with the guns you mentioned
Cheese,
I have owned and shot some of the guns you mentioned.
1. The KAHR CW9 was a very well made gun, but the light weight and slim grip made it something I had never experienced before. A 9m.m. that kicked too hard. It was accurate and reliable, but I found it so unpleasant to shoot, I sold it.
2. The BERETTA Cougar, now made by STOEGER (which is owned by BERETTA) was a good shooter and very reliable. My only complaint was that the police trade in gun I bought had a worn out magazine and the the grip was to long. The grip is more like the BROWNING Hi Power, than the BERETTA 92. It also holds 15 rounds. I thought that the more compact L model made more sense, as it was easier to conceal, yet still held 13 rounds. Now STOEGER has re introduced an L model in 9m.m. A shooting buddy who really likes the Cougar design has one in .40 S&W and another in .45ACP. He love them and will be picking up a 9m.m. L model when he finds one.
3. The SIG 226 is what I carried for about a year when I worked for the I&NS. It shot better than my GLOCK 19, but was noticeably heavier. The 226 is accurate, super reliable and very well made, but the grip is a bit chunky like most double stack guns.
I fell in love with the old SIG 225 because it has a single stack magazine that held only 8 rounds, but fit my hand perfectly. It has proven to be one of the most accurate handguns I own.
My wife liked it so much, she took it as her house gun. One word of warning on the SIG 225, older, police trade in models often will not feed hollow point ammo. I got around this by using COR BON Powerball for carry and full metal jacket ammo for practice.
4. Another gun that I bought and has been a complete winner for me is the WALTHER P99 AS. This is the P99 with the traditional double/single action trigger. I have also shot the P99 QA with the GLOCK like trigger and did not like it nearly as much.
The strong points are accuracy, fantastic double action trigger with a SIG like transition to single action after the first shot. The trigger is so good, I would be happy with a double action only version.
The WALTHER was the first pistol to offer interchangeable back straps on the grip. I found the medium size fit me so well, it made my GLOCK 19 feel club like and I really liked the GLOCK.
5. I have also owned and shot the SPRINGFIELD ARMORY XD. It is a fine pistol that has earned an excellent reputation. I have found it to be easy to shoot, reliable and accurate. If you like the GLOCK style of trigger, it offers a better shaped grip and the advantage of a grip safety that makes it even safer than a GLOCK. It also comes with some useful accessories in the box.
Just my experiences,
Jim