Help me decide on a 9mm...

B

bokchoi

New member
Well, I'm a newbie here, but I'd like to extend my appreciation to everyone for these great forums :)

Anyways, I have a question that requires your expertise/bias:

I'm considering a new 9mm, either a Walther P99 or a Sig P220/226, CZ75 (ugly), or whatever else you might suggest...

Sadly, I'm trading in a Beretta 96G Elite II for this, but I found I'm not a huge fan of .40 S&W, and I'd rather spend more time on shot placement than relying on ballistics.

Thanks for whatever input you might have :)

Edit: Also, what is your take on the reliabilty or whatnot of these guns? I'm a "boring" kind of guy and I really like extremely durable/reliable guns (already have a USP9F). As for accuracy, I can probably assume that most guns listed will shoot more accurately than me :)
 
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I'll give you my standard "if money is a consideration, or even if not!" recommendations: Ruger P-series (P95 is a good one) or one of the CZ models.
Good luck.
 
No better 9 out there?
That's a loaded statement... lol... :( Okay... not funny.

Seriously, the 226 is nice. But big. Look at the 228 or 229. A little smaller. Or the 239, even smaller.

Other than SIGs, check out the classic Hi Power. Old design... but still a very good one.

The BEST 9mm? That title does go to a SIG. The P210.
 
Well here's what I know....

HK USP - Good gun... but HUGE!!! if you can hold it, it's good... I can't....

Beretta - I've only fired a 92F at the range - not bad. not spectacular either, but not bad by any means...

Glock 19 - if you like Glocks, with their trigger pull and simplicity, you'll love it.... I'm not the biggest fan...

Sig 226/229 - Both shoot incredibly well. IMHO these are the best. Controls are a little counterintuitive with the slide release behind the decocker, but man do they shoot well...


Of course, the sig costs the most...

Anyway, that's my 2 cents worth...
 
Another poster said he wasn't the biggest fan of the Glock series of pistols. Well, I am and I'll tell you unequivocably that Glocks are some of the best-made pistols on the market. Don't just take my word for it: the Eff Bee Eye (FBI) and something like 66% of Police Departments carry and effectively use some kind Glock pistol (some would say too effectively ;) ).

A Glock 17 should do the trick in your case.
 
Why not another Elite II?

I would find someone to trade that "sweet" Beretta 96G Elite II for a Beretta 92G Elite II. No fuss no muss. Same holster, same features, same feel. The Elite series are incredible 9mm's.

And not to flame "V's" opinion, but Glocks are in alot of Police holsters because they sell them to departments super cheap. Administrators care alot more about money, and the Glock is a great gun 'for the money'.



mlk18
 
Sigs

Here in the People's Republic of Canada, we can't have guns with less than 4" barrels, so any kind of "compact" is out, including Sigs. :(

The Sigs are starting to sound like a good idea, but question: I've heard some horror stories of the frame cracking (very rare), but more common are the issue of bad strikes... is this common / something I should worry about?

I'm really not that warm on Berettas... they're smooth and all, but for some reason something just doesn't click. I'll take a look, though; if I do get one again, I'll probably just get a garden-variety 92FS.
 
Sig's?

If you can't own the finest 9m/m handgun in the world,
then I suggest that you try the second best; the world
famous Browning Hi-Power.

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
I have the Sigs and the HiPowers and really love them. The best shooting 9mm that I have though is the STAR UltraStar. It's small, reliable, a joy to shoot and faster to get back on target than either my SiGs or HPs. Best of all, you can usually find a NIB one for about $200.00.

Here is the STAR and my 226.

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Other ones to consider are the SiG 225, the SiGPros (Polymer frame pistols) and the Springfield XD (used to be called the HS2000).

The 225 and the STAR.

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The SiGPro 2009 and the STAR.

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The Springfield XD (HS2000) and the SiGPro

standard.jpg
 
CZ 75 is an excellent choice. Nothing better for the price, quality is great, and have had no FTE or FTF in mine. All this for under $400. You can't beat them.

Regards,

agjrc02
 
CZ 75 or 85. If you think it's ugly, get one in Nickel or polished blue. I have a CZ 85 Combat in Nickel. It's as pretty as any 9 out there and better than 99% of them. It's really tight, machined perfectly inside and out and a tack driver. Great bargain for the $$$. For $450-$500, you're getting something better than most others charge $1,000 for. I have a Browning Hi Power in a configuration you can't touch for $1,200 now and I still like the CZ better.
 
Unquestionably....

If you are used to a Beretta, you are going to be sadly disappointed by most other pistols out there. The feel, handling and reliability of the Beretta are unquestionably the best available...


(Hey, I couldn't help but jump on the band wagon. You guys are so convincing that I thought I'd use your phases! :) )
 
Berettas

Sadly, I think it's the trigger of Berettas that I don't appreciate; I'm used to the "springyness" of guns like the USP or Sig, but not the stiff trigger of a Beretta. On the other hand, I can rest assured that a Beretta will likely outlive me in terms of durability.

One gun that I might consider at this point is a Jericho 941, which is somewhat of a hybrid Beretta AND CZ-75, but has a VERY nice trigger... only problem is that my friend has one, too :)

Does anyone have any experiences with a P220 in 9mm? The shop has one up for the same price as a CZ-75, but I've heard a few stories of bad hammer strikes... can anyone elaborate?

Another question: Which of these pistols are rated well for use with +P and +P+ 9mm ammo? I can get a steady supply of military surplus ammo, but I'd like to know which gun is rated well with hi pressure 9mm rounds.
 
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