Which 9mm?

[fattires]

I'm looking for a new 9mm, it will be used for a mix of concealed carry and range fun.
I currently have a Kel Tec p3at that I pocket carry but I have had enough problems with FTE that I don't have a lot of confidence in it. Also my line of work calls me out in the middle of the night from time to time and I'm looking for a little more firepower and capacity to carry at those times.
I have decided I want a full size pistol and will carry IWB.
Right now the top contenders are:
Ruger SR9
Walther PPQ M2
FNH FNS9
S&W MP 9
Looking for experiences with the above pistols, its likely to never see jacketed loads except for some defensive ammo occasionally.
Let me know which I should buy :grin:

[tazman]

I would find a gun shop with an attached range that rented guns for tryout. Usually there is one within driving distance.
Money spent trying out different pistols is always money well spent. Keeps you from buying the wrong one.

[RKJ]

I got one of the FN Hi Powers from Coles (gunbroker) and I absolutely love it. I realize it isn't on your list but they have a lot going for them.

[fattires]

I would find a gun shop with an attached range that rented guns for tryout. Usually there is one within driving distance.
Money spent trying out different pistols is always money well spent. Keeps you from buying the wrong one.

I have shot 2 of the 4, I am looking for owners experience with these particular pistols, I want to know about an issues or how easy they are to live with if you own one.

[fattires]

I got one of the FN Hi Powers from Coles (gunbroker) and I absolutely love it. I realize it isn't on your list but they have a lot going for them.

I would like to get a Hi Power eventually. Right now I don't think it is quite what I am looking for.

[shdwlkr]

go look at the xds in 9mm if you want a nice concealed carry pistol

[Jupiter7]

I'd add the CZ p07 to the list. I've shot a couple on the list, SR9 and m&p. Neither feels right to me. The Ruger felt cheap. The smith had the worst pistol trigger I've ever shot, long and mushy with long reset. The cz P07 is the best feeling doublestack poly nine I've shot. I've been in this boat for a bit, the hammer driven guns just seem to shoot better, but I'm a 1911 guy at heart. Really liked the FN FNx too. If I can get my hands on a new FNS to shoot, it may be a keeper, read a lot of good stuff.

[Bonz]

You should add the CZ 75bd to you review list. It is by far the best full size 9mm that I have ever shot. I shot the first one as a rental at a gun range and wanted one immediately.

97836

[bedbugbilly]

The only one on your list that I have experience with is the Ruger SR9. I've had one for about 5 hers and I love it. It is my "sometimes" CCW (when I'm not carrying my Smith Model 36). I find it to be very accurate and mine works without a flaw. i've shot a variety of factory ammo through it and as far as "reloads" - I use a Lee 356-120-TC (TL with Alox / Paste Wax) over 3.5 gr. of BE and it cycles great with that. I carry OTB. I carry with one in the tube - my holster covers the trigger - I use the safety but that would be up to the individual. If I had to get another 9mm - I wouldn't hesitate to get another SR9.

Other makes probably function just as well but I've never shot 'em.

[rking22]

I have never shot any of your listed canidates, but I think you owe it to yourself to take a look at the CZ75 platform. Nothing else in the way of a double stack 9mm fits my hand as well nor points as well for me. In all the posts I've read on many forums and several gunsmith friends, I have yet to hear a detracting statement about the CZ or the clones of the CZ75 for that matter. That says something. Wish I'd got mine decades ago.

[rintinglen]

I like the feel of the S&W, though I must qualify that by admitting I have only fired 5 rounds through one. I have fired the SR9 fairly extensively, and find no fault with it, either. My brother swears by his. The FNH is a rarity hereabouts and the Walther never made the list here in Kalifornia.

[Lloyd Smale]

i like Sigs, Glocks and M&Ps. but bang for the buck its tough to beat one of the rugers. They may not be pretty but then what black gun is. Bottom line is there very reliable and cheaper then the rest.

[btroj]

CZ 75 is hard to beat. Accurate, easy to run, and well made. They just feel right in my hand.

[fattires]

Thanks for the input.
I looked at a CZ75 the other day and its just not what i'm looking for right now. Just didnt feel right in my hand and seemed really heavy compared to the others I looked at.
I have not seen a P-07, Im going to have to check one of those out.

[robertbank]

Accurate.lighter than all steel, dependable with 14+1 capacity....CZ 75 D Compact. Shoot one and you will never turn back. I have to say you are the first person I have ever heard who didn't like the feel of the grip of a 75 but to each his own.

That said I shoot a M&P FS in IDPA and find it accurate enough and dependable. The new guns have a 1 - 10 twist which is much better than the original 1 - 18 twist if you prefer 147 gr bullets.

Take Care

Bob

[kweidner]

If I was gonna get the ultimate 9mm it would be a single stack 1911. Second the MP, third the Glock, Next Springfield, then Ruger. I have shot them all. Then again for carry I would consider the .40 over the nine unless a pocket pistol. JMHO.

[lka]

The ruger is nice, I got one for my wife, my Dailey carry gun is a ruger sr-40c. Neither have ever not gone bang I've shot a ton of cast in the 40 (200 just this am) but not the 9 I need to cast some 9s one of these days lol.

My carry gun,
97974

[double00]

I agree with that said above about the sr9. Got one a year ago and have shot around 1500 rounds with cast 124 gr with no problems.

[garym1a2]

Glocks have them all beat except maybe a good CZ.

[fattires]

I was hoping to get to a range and rent some of these this weekend then my wife informed me that we have a wedding to attend.[smilie=b:
Not really interested in a Glock this time. I have shot a 17 and 19 quite a bit and thought they were fine guns but I want something different.

[HeavyMetal]

go find a Star Firestar magazine capacity is not a substitute for marksmanship, no flame intended I just think way to many people think a lot of rounds solves a problem that doesn't exist.

[Piedmont]

I don't pretend to know what you should get. But I can tell you the two nines that are interesting me most these days. First is the M&P 9c, which is the short double stack with a 12 round magazine. I have the full sized version and like it. This would be a carry gun. The other one is the Steyr 9L. This has a 15 round magazine and is designed by Bubitz, the guy that did the Caracal and was involved with the Glock, too. Many years ago I handled an early Steyr 9 and loved the way it felt in the hand. The Steyr and Caracal both have an extremely low bore axis.

[cabezaverde]

I have a Kahr CM9 and have been very happy with it.

[Changeling]

I was hoping to get to a range and rent some of these this weekend then my wife informed me that we have a wedding to attend.[smilie=b:
Not really interested in a Glock this time. I have shot a 17 and 19 quite a bit and thought they were fine guns but I want something different.

I can feel your frustation! My advice is to get to a gun store and handle all of them and see what feels right and comfortable for your hand size. For instance my hands are small to medium and the Brownings felt the best! They hold 13 rounds of 9 mm! That will get the attention of any low life/crook/burgler/whatever !
Point being, you must handle the firearm you see to see if it feels natural to you, in your hand.

[fattires]

I stopped at a couple local stores today, handled an M&P 9, liked it quite a bit. That was about the only thing I could find to check out. I live in a small town and the local stores have a pretty poor selection.
Buds has police trade in M&P's for $389 which is fairly tempting but I think I'm going to hold out and spend plenty of time finding just the right gun.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

i like my XDm sc has a 13 rd magazine for CC and a 19 rd magazine for the house and a back up magazine
this is the best shooting pistol i own

[robertbank]

I stopped at a couple local stores today, handled an M&P 9, liked it quite a bit. That was about the only thing I could find to check out. I live in a small town and the local stores have a pretty poor selection.
Buds has police trade in M&P's for $389 which is fairly tempting but I think I'm going to hold out and spend plenty of time finding just the right gun.
$389 is a steal for a police trade in. Carried lots...shot little.

Take Care

Bob

[blackpowder man]

I've had a lot 9s. My CZ po1 is a keeper. Really accurate, bullet proof reliability, holds 14 rounds in a smaller package than comparable double stacks, and passed rigorous nato durability and parts interchangabilty testing. And I have had striker fired pistols and I just don't care for them. Give me a hammer please. Having said that it's hard to beat a glock when it comes down to hardcore reliability and resale potential.

[Petrol & Powder]

Many of the pistols mentioned are fine choices but for absolute reliability I would have to go with the Glock. I'll even go a bit farther and say Glock G19. The G19 is big enough to have plenty of capacity(15), plus a good sight radius and a decent sized grip but not too big to be a huge PITA to carry.
For a combat pistol, the Glock platform is very difficult to beat. Extremely reliable, simple to use under stress, very durable, fairly lightweight, not too expensive and more than accurate enough for the job.
The polymer framed/striker fired knock-offs made by everyone else are Ok but I've never seen a reason to buy something that looked like a Glock, was made like a Glock and worked like a Glock.....that wasn't a Glock.

This is by no means a royal edict, there are a LOT of good 9mm pistols out there and the right one is the one that is right for YOU!

I also like other 9mm semi autos, such as: H&K P7 (or PSP), SIG 225/228 models, Walther P5, Compact Beretta model 92 or maybe even the Beretta Type M (single stack compact Beretta) However, all of those pistols are generally more expensive and heavier than the G19. By the way, I don't subscribe to the theory that one must have 13+ rounds in the gun for it to be a serious SD pistol.

[monadnock#5]

...The polymer framed/striker fired knock-offs made by everyone else are Ok but I've never seen a reason to buy something that looked like a Glock, was made like a Glock and worked like a Glock.....that wasn't a Glock...

I agree with this 100%. However. The three grip inserts that come with the S&W M&P's put them in a league by themselves. I don't believe S&W gets nearly enough credit for this feature. Papa Bear, Momma Bear and Baby Bear can all get the same model with a mess of magazines, and be well prepared for when Goldilocks makes another appearance. Good, good stuff.

OTOH, If that Glock 19 fits your hand just right, well there really is no need to keep shopping.

[canyon-ghost]

There are lots of servicable 9's out there, almost every manufacturer makes one. I have a couple of single-action 9mms that are pretty nice (remember that 1911 action?).

The Walther and FN you mention are interesting, I'd love to shoot an FN.

[BCRider]

Of the bunch you mentioned some others and myself all preferred the Ruger and M&P over the Walther. No one liked the Walther trigger. At least not in stock form. Of course this is a personal thing.

For full sized but still slim, light, packable and smooth to avoid hanging up on clothing you really can't beat either the Ruger SR9 or the M&P. The Glock looks somewhat blockly and swollen by comparison. Can't say much about the XD other than the ones I've seen seemed fairly slim.

While I love my CZ's and I would have suggested one as well I can't say it's a gun I'd like to carry around on my hip all day in the real world. As it is I do so at matches and it feels like I've got a brick hung on my hip. I love the gun for shooting but for a carry often shoot seldom or never sort of deal it wouldn't be my first choice either.

Which suggests the plastic P-07. But the stylists got to that one and there's lots of sharp edges and nasty corners. When you want smooth and rounded so as to not print badly through clothing and you want something smooth and rounded to slip easily past that same clothing my first thought isn't a P-07.

We need a nice rounded gun that is slim and comes from the "half used bar of soap" school of design... :D

[MTtimberline]

I'd love to try out a Walther PPQ M1 but nobody around here seems to carry them.

[Petrol & Powder]

...........

We need a nice rounded gun that is slim and comes from the "half used bar of soap" school of design... :D

The new Remington R-51 might fit this need. I haven't been able to get my hands on one but it looks like an interesting concept.

And I'll second your thoughts on the CZ. It's a well executed old school design that performs as it should but the price is weight.

[fattires]

I was able to handle and dry fire quite a few guns this weekend.
In terms of fit in my hand 2 stood out as being great, those were the Walther PPQ and the FNH FNS-9.
The FNS-9 had texturing of the grip that was a little too aggressive but the shape was great.
The Walther PPQ fit like a glove, it has nice rounded corners on the slide. The trigger was amazing for a striker fired pistol, by far better than any I dry fired this weekend.
Now I just need to get the cash in hand for one.

[Petrol & Powder]

You don't have to buy a Glock if you don wish to...but, before you lay down your money - at least shoot a G19 or G17. If you decide it's not for you, that's fine. I never hated Glocks but it took me a long time to accept them. The more I played with them the more I appreciated the simplicity and reliability of that system. A lot of people will buy something that is basically a Glock incognito because they just don't want to have something with the word Glock stamped on it. It's kind of the Ford / Chevy thing at that point. At least make an informed decision and then do what you want. Just my $0.02.

[fattires]

You don't have to buy a Glock if you don wish to...but, before you lay down your money - at least shoot a G19 or G17. If you decide it's not for you, that's fine. I never hated Glocks but it took me a long time to accept them. The more I played with them the more I appreciated the simplicity and reliability of that system. A lot of people will buy something that is basically a Glock incognito because they just don't want to have something with the word Glock stamped on it. It's kind of the Ford / Chevy thing at that point. At least make an informed decision and then do what you want. Just my $0.02.

I have put several hundred rounds through a G19, its alright, just not quite what I'm looking for right now.

[Petrol & Powder]

Fair enough.

[clownbear69]

I have the PPQ M1 in .40 it feels like a 9mm when I shoot it. Plus without having to send away or doing the upgrading yourself it has the best stock trigger on the market

[Groo]

Groo here
The M&P is one of the best feeling of the bunch, a Walther PPS might work.
Double stack is a preference as I trained on revolvers so extra bullets don't matter as much.
My Duty gun for some 20 years was a Glock m-17 2#pin, the best of the bunch IMHO.
I dislike 9mm but had to carry it, and dislike glock in general,,, BUT,,, they have a rep for going bang when needed, and light in weight.
Mine failed in one of my last qualifiers due to the original no drop mags splitting [ I did say 20 years], new mags and good to go..

[monadnock#5]

I was watching one one of my programs on the Outdoor Channel last night. Midway's "Wednesday Night At The Range". I don't remember which show it was, but the Walther PPQ M2 was reviewed. Another striker fired "Son of Glock" in 9mm or .40S&W. What caught my eye was they make available sm, med and lg "backstraps" for customizing the grip. More choices for Papa, Momma and Baby Bear.

[Clay M]

I like the S&W M&P.It just fits my hand better.My son likes the Glock 19 best.

[Jupiter7]

Just a heads up... The 2014 CZ p07 has been updated with dehorning external surfaces, front cocking serrations and........replaceable backstraps. Just moved to the top of my list.

[fattires]

I wish I could find a 2014 CZ P-07 to check out, the shops I have been to have no idea what I'm talking about when I ask about it.

[357mags]

Glock Gen4 G17! That was easy!

[yoter]

The glock ot the M&P. See which one fits your hands best.

[revwitha9]

Started with a Glock 19 in a 9 mm. Then I found what I was truly looking for in a 9mm--CZ 75b.

[fattires]

Just to update the thread I started.
After lots of fondling guns and tons of reading online I ordered a gun tonight. I decided to go with the Walther PPQ, it was between the PPQ and the CZ P-07, both felt great and had excellent triggers. For me the PPQ felt a little better and had a better slide release.
Now just to be patient until next week. :-)