Which 9m/m to buy

[rmb721]

I am thinking about buying a 9m/m pistol. What are your opinions? Which of the following or something else? Pros an cons also. I don't want to buy any junk. Thank you for your replies.

Ruger P89 or P95

Smith & Wesson M&P or Sigma

Beretta 92FS

Springfield Armory XD

[Taylor]

Sig!! I normally don't care for the 9mil,but had dies and such for loading the round.So(after owning several others)my friend had a P226,I shot it and then bought it. Great pistol,shoots damn good,and likes a cast boolit.If you are going to buy one.buy a good one,and remember...Glock recently sent about 30,000 to Iran,of course they'll show up here in a few years.I vote for the Sig Sauer.However,if you go with a Beretta,I have laser grips for it.

[Lloyd Smale]

sigs are good guns. Ive shot the m&p smith and was impressed. Ive owned a ruger and it was dead reliable but a little lacking in accuracy but that may have been just my gun. Im no expert on black guns as im not a big fan. The only 9mm i have right now is a sti trojan and its probably the finest 1911 ive ever owned. I highly recomend it to anyone looking for a 9 on a 1911 platform. Its hands down better then the springfield, para, and colt that i had in 9mm. Its as reliable as ANY black gun ive shot and is a heck of alot more accurate to boot.

[Drifter]

rmb721,
I've had the Ruger's, S&W's, H&K's and some others and I guess they are OK as a self defense type pistol, but personally (and this is just my opinion) you can't beat a 1911. They easy to work on, trigger jobs are pretty easy, parts are plentiful for customizing and one of the most accurate pistols you can buy. Now here again you get what you pay for. If you're wanting it for self defense one of the less expensive models would work and if you want it for targets it'll cost you more money but you can't beat 'em. I was told once that if you buy anything other than a 1911 you've gone downhill and I'll have to agree.

Just my .02
:drinks: Drifter

[monadnock#5]

I'll put in a good word for the Browning Hi-Power. The one made in Belgium and assembled in Portugal. That's the model I have, and Gun Tests gave it a thumb's up in their magazine a number of years ago. It's reliable and accurate. And there's just something about a John Browning design.

Ken

[scrapcan]

I give a thumbs up to cz75, Springfield P(no longer available as new), or an eaa witness. I also have a glock 19. I have fed it quite a few cast boolits and it has functioned good, but I am careful when I load the 9x19. I check case length prior to loading and I am very careful to make sure the overall length is where I set it. It is too easy to get lube in your seating die and start seating deeper, then pressures start to rise.

I also like the Browning HP.

[txpete]

out of the 9mm's that I have and shoot cast in...

CZ75 pre-B (evil empire pistol) has to be the best 9mm out there today for the money.very accurate will eat everything.

springfield XD-9 not quite as accurate as the cz but close.very good pistol and used as my house gun.the wife is deadly with this one.

I just sold my sig 225 good pistol but not as accurate as the XD or the cz:???: and only a 8 rd mag.it was a w.german w/fac night sights.went to a collector.

browning hp. gone most fickel ammo sensitive pistol I have ever owned.no loss later.

if you decide to go 40 s&w.the CZ 40B is the ticket and only run around $300.00-350.00 bought one and love it.

pete

[454PB]

I have a Ruger P-85, P-89, and a Browning Hipower. The Rugers are tough as a boot, but not very accurate. They will feed just about anything you can fit into the magazine, but I've never been able to get much better than 3", 15 shot groups at 25 yards. My Browning is a Nazi military sidearm, and has a terrible trigger, but shoots very well.

[BustemAgain]

My 9mms are limited to a CZ-75 SP-01,a HK P-7M8 and a Kimber Stainless Target. Most accurate? Hands Down, the CZ( Largest 10 shot group ever was under 2.75"). The more I shoot this pistol the more I admire it. It is all steel and with its full length dust cover, quite heavy for a nine. But it has that can't miss hit ability that we all hope for in a pistol but rarely find. As a shooter I can't recommend it highly enough.
The P-7 is just about as accurate and has the odd ability to shoot every bullet weight I have tried in it to the same point of impact. The trigger is wonderful and its joy to carry, being about as thin as a deck of cards and the size of a medium framed .380. Problems are it is expensive and its gas retarded blowback operating system is not exactly cast friendly.
The Kimber is not as accurate with everything like the other two but with its favorites it can keep them in sight. Its a large beautiful pistol that never seems like it is working hard. I have Elk horn grips on her and I think I keep her around mainly because she looks so good.
I have never owned a Smith & Wesson or Beretta automatic in any caliber so I can't comment. I have Rugers,SIGs,HKs and XDs in other calibers and frankly I can take them or leave them. Except for my XD .45 which really has impressed me with its "Why didn't I think of that?" ergonomics and engineering solutions. Its consistently wonderful trigger and corresponding accuracy. 14shots of .45 ACP grunt all in a nearly 9mm auto size package. Plus the price is right. I imagine you would be nearly as happy with one in 9mm.

BustemAgain

[9.3X62AL]

There are a LOT of good 9-guns out there. My favorites are the Browning High Power--SIG P-226--and any good 1911A1 put up in 9 x 19. I haven't fired one, but if the CZ-75B in 9mm is anywhere near as good as my 40 S&W of that model, it would move to the head of my list. I have a Ruger P-89C that seems more accurate than the average example of this model--kind of unrefined, but so am I--so we get along well.

[dragonrider]

The nines you mentioned are all fine handguns, but I'd stay away from the sigma, JMHO. I have a P-85 and it is a solid reliable no nonsense handgun, eats anything I feed it, not the most accurate but close enough. I also have Browning HP and if the Ruger is a ford then the HP is a Cadilac. It is an older one, Belgian made and the fit and finish are terrific. It is more accurate that the Ruger but I'm sure it ain't the most accurate nine out there. I haven't owned a Sig but I know they get high marks.

[rmb721]

Thanks for all the responses so far. Keep 'em coming.

[MT Gianni]

The Ruger P-89 was with out a doubt the roughest trigger on any firearm I have ever owned. My first shot from it was double action and I went back and read the instructions as I was sure there was a safety I was missing. The pull was later measured at over 25 lbs. single action was comparable to a Smith 39 at double action. Shooting smoothed it some but the happiest day of my ownership with it was the day I sold it. I now own a CZ 85 and like it. I am looking at the smaller 3" guns for concealed carry, Kahrs, Springfield xd etc but I don't know if I will bite or not. Gianni.

[robertbank]

Here are my 9MM pistols listed in order of preference:

1.Tanfoglio Model "L" (EAA does not import this gun for you folks) in a tie with

1. CZ85 (Just a 75B with a few extras) - gun is accurate and eats everything in 9MM i have fed it. Both guns love cast boolits. Then Tanfoglio also has conversion kits for .22LR and .40S&W. Both kits perform as well as the caliber you bought the gun in.

3. STI Trojan 9MM great gun and performs well. If you go this route make sure you have a 10# recoil spring in the gun. The factory 14# springs I found were to heavy for the 9MM and slide lock back after the last round was iffy at best. Great gun for ESP if you are into IDPA.

4. FN Hi-Power (I own three). Very nice guns, great ergonomics and accurate. Trigger pull is the worst of the guns listed and it isn't helped much be removing the mag safety. In it's day was the best of the nines but that was a long time ago and there are better designs available now. In D/A S/A guns Sig226, CZ 75B and it's variants are but two.

Take Care

Bob

[Pat I.]

Take a look at the Stoeger Cougar for a knock about 9mm. Looked at one at Gander Mountain and it didn't look too bad plus the price is right.

[Lloyd Smale]

Got to agree with robert on all accounts. Ive never owned a hi power or a cz but every one i shot was a fine gun! His recomendation on the trojan is spot on too. Mine NEVER misses a beat but did need a lighter recoil spring. I now use a 9lb varibable rate wolf in mine. It functions a 100 percent and im using loads that are light enough that it feels like a 22 going off and i have to say that my trojan is hands down the most accurate 9mm ive ever shot. Its very easy to find loads that shoot into an inch at 25 yards with it using cast bullets even at low velocities. In my opinion anyone looking for a 1911 in 9mm should not spend one cent less on a gun and is wasting money to spend one cent more.
Here are my 9MM pistols listed in order of preference:

1.Tanfoglio Model "L" (EAA does not import this gun for you folks) in a tie with

1. CZ85 (Just a 75B with a few extras) - gun is accurate and eats everything in 9MM i have fed it. Both guns love cast boolits. Then Tanfoglio also has conversion kits for .22LR and .40S&W. Both kits perform as well as the caliber you bought the gun in.

3. STI Trojan 9MM great gun and performs well. If you go this route make sure you have a 10# recoil spring in the gun. The factory 14# springs I found were to heavy for the 9MM and slide lock back after the last round was iffy at best. Great gun for ESP if you are into IDPA.

4. FN Hi-Power (I own three). Very nice guns, great ergonomics and accurate. Trigger pull is the worst of the guns listed and it isn't helped much be removing the mag safety. In it's day was the best of the nines but that was a long time ago and there are better designs available now. In D/A S/A guns Sig226, CZ 75B and it's variants are but two.

Take Care

Bob

[RugerFan]

I'm on my second P95 9mm. I had the blued version and traded it in on a newer stainless model with the receiver rail. I use it for concealed carry and home defense. I love how it feels in my hand, how it shoots, and it functions flawlessly. Its also reasonably priced. You can't go wrong here.

[Char-Gar]

I like the 9mm and have owned a bunch and still own about half a dozen. Here are my choices but not in any order of preferance.

The Browning Hi-Power is a wonderful, elegant and accurate pistol. It is a true classic. If you want a SA pistol this is the one.

The SIG family is pistols is the best of the current design crop. Workmanship is first rate. They are accurate, reliable and long lived. They are pricy but worth every dollar.

If money is an issue, the the CZ family of pistols is the choice. These pistols are very well made, accurate and a tremendous value for the dollar. You get allot more for your money than with the other low end pistols.

[Crash_Corrigan]

My target 9 is a EAA Witness Match Grade full sized steel framed shooter with an outstanding trigger. I love it! It digests anything I put into it without a bobble. The Carry 9 is a Springfield XD. With a ported 4 inch bbl and carrying 14 rounds it loaded with the correct Powerball ammo is the ticket for when you want something more than a 5 shot revolver in your pocket. Of course for serious carry I depend on a Taurus 1911 in .45. Those two are different as apples and oranges but they both sell for about 4 to 5 hundred and will last forever.

[txpete]

if you want to think 40 s&w these are great.the fac 180 gr loads bark pretty good.
pete
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/txpete/40005.jpg

[pdawg_shooter]

Think I would pick on that chambered the 45ACP !

[BruceB]

721, pard;

You don't say exactly what sort of service you have in mind for a 9mm pistol. I note that you're posting from central Pennsylvania, which means that you could use your 9mm as a concealed-carry gun if so desired. If that's your intent, then I'd add a few comments to those already posted.

The 9mm is a SMALL cartridge in physical size. This allows two different scenarios...a big gun which holds a LOT of rounds, like 15 or 20 at a time, or a small gun which holds a "normal" number of rounds (7-to-10, let's say).

Most of the guns recommended so far are "service size", intended for open carry and usually as a uniform-belt gun. I don't see many compact ones on the list so far.

Allow me then to recommend the Star Firestar, unfortunately out of production and thus maybe problematical for spare parts. However, we have two of them and they haven't needed any spares over many years. Heavy as bricks in all-steel, they outweigh most of the "service" 9mms already recommended, but that makes them highly shootable.

Ours have been outstanding for reliability of function, and even though the barrels are only 3.25", they are sufficiently accurate for the purpose (they allow reliable hits on man-silhouette targets at 100 yards). My 9mm carry load is the Cor-Bon 115 HP, which chronographs at an average 1270 fps from the Firestar.

The guns are selling on the used market for around $300-400, and also come in .40 and .45....but you asked about 9mms. VERY nice little guns, with ambi safety, checkered straps, no-bite beavertail, flared mag well, etc. etc. Search at www.Gunsamerica.com and see what's available. I'd avoid the "Firestar Plus", which is a double-stack gun and loses much of the compactness of the standard Firestar.

[targetshootr]

My only 9mm is a T series Hi Power. At one time I had four or five HPs and the same amount of Berettas but slowly got into shooting other kinds of guns. Might could be talked out of it since it never goes to the range. The only reason I haven't put it up for sale is because it looks so nice. And it's a classic.

[Poohgyrr]

I always suggest shooting what you can to see how you do; some pistols do better for me than others do.


Otherwise, Hi Powers and S&Ws do pretty well for me in 9mm. The Smith 3913 series are very good single stacks and good used ones can be found for good prices. For standard service size and accuracy, the S&W 5906's can be found used and are a good deal. For really great accuracy, look at the S&W Performance Center 952's or the 5" 5906's.

In .40, I really like the Hi Power, A LOT.

Sig wise, the P220 does much better for me than the two P226's I've shot.

In the end, I'd say stay with any major brand name (new or used) and get what does best for you.

[rmb721]

I want to thank everyone that responded. I decided to get a CZ 75 stainless.

[txpete]

way to go!!nice pistol.
pete

[Linstrum]

Hey there, rmb721, great pistola! I have the CZ85 in blued steel and what they say is true that the 75 and 85 are basically the same. I think you will be satisfied if yours works as nice as mine. I use the Lee L356-124-TC 124 grain and a discontinued Lee 356/9mm 115 grain with Red Dot, Unique, Green Dot, and Blue Dot powders. I like the performance with Unique and Blue Dot the best, Unique for plinking and Blue Dot for more serious work.