the sea of 9mm choices

M

meat

New member
The 9mm round seems to be a good choice for a "all around" shooters gun. It offers decent personal/home protection, is inexpensive to shoot, and it makes a significant enough "bang!" when the trigger is pulled to provide the evil smile of enjoyment. I have been shooting 9mm for awhile through various guns: glocks, cz, browning, ruger, etc. I'm finally ready to get my own. Since I don't have the large bank account to just go buy one of each brand, I was looking for advice and recommendations as to which one to get. My main criteria is that I want a durable gun that will be able to withstand lots of range shooting and have a long service life since it will probably be the only gun that I will be shooting for some time. I have no brand preference (glock, Sig, etc.) or trigger type preference (DA, SA, OR DAO) since I have tried so many 9mm handguns. I'm pretty much comfortable w/ most of the action/trigger types. I just want a gun that would pretty much provide a good, long service life, that is easy to maintain, one that is more accurate than I could ever be, and that it is easy to get parts for if it should break.
The only brands I tend to dislike (no offense here to fans of these guns) are the Ruger 9mm handguns (many failures to fire), CZ's (which i didn't like the way they felt at all - this was a disappointment because the price was good), and the Browning Hi- Power (similar reasons as to the CZ). Thanks in advance.
 
I swear that is the first time I have heard/read anyone say/write that the HP didn't feel good. The CZ didn't feel great to me at first but then I slapped some Hogue's on her and it's very nice.

Anyway, I'd say Glock 19 or Walther P99 as an all around 9mm.
 
considering the fact that i'm unbiased over which gun to recommend. i've gone thru a few number of guns in the past. i would suggest the Glock for
simplicity and ease of maintenance.though i for
one am also amazed that you consider the BHP and
CZ to be inferior. but to each his own. the glock
17 or 19 would suit a person that wants a firearm that is reliable,durable and accurate enough for defense and plinking.you may also consider the
walther p99 which has great ergonomics. but for simplicity i would think you may like the glock
19 or 17 .good luck :)
 
Do they have rental ranges in PRM? Maybe you could shoot a bunch and see which you like (as long as it is on your approved list). If not, can you borrow some buddies' guns?

The magic sword myth (if you have a _______, you are invincible) is very strong, but the one you like is what you will shoot well. Later on after you seek knowledge you will be able to re-evaluate and see if this choice is still the right one.

You will find that the weapon matters very little, but you matter a whole bunch. Part of the fun is doing a lot of shooting.

When you do decide, get multiple copies of the same weapon and lots of mags. Next look for a back-up gun.
 
I'd suggest a Beretta Elite II...but that may be more money than you want to spend.

Absolute realibility, easy to maintain, good looking, and funt so shoot...plus easy availibility of high-cap mags...And nothing is more fun than sending a dozen rounds down range in quick succession...:)

My .02
 
Interesting about your statement concerning Ruger 9mm pistols. I have a P95 and have not experienced any problems in over 2500 rounds. Therefore, because of your dislike for them and the CZ line, I would suggest a Glock.
 
How could you talk about Emily (P95) that way. I've got her sister and she's always been faithful to me. All seriousness aside, i've not had a problem in about 2000 rounds (as long as you give her a bath once in a while). Which ever one works well for you.
 
If you have the money I would say that Beretta, Sig, and H&K offer great, reliable, and accurate handguns.

The Beretta is large, but in Maryland I guess concealed carry is not in the books. Mine is certainly reiable and durable. It will eat anything I feed it. Those with small hands may not like the size of the grip.

SIG has various offerings in 9mm. It is DA/SA with a decocker and no safety. Very accurate, and people rave about them. You can get them in different sizes to meet your needs.

H&K is a polymer framed DA/SA. They safety is frame mounted, and in its most common configuration can be cocked and locked. The grip of a full sized USP is huge, but there is also the compact configuration, which is much better for medium and small hands.

The great thing about 9mm is that there are so many great choises. Most of the real fun designs are designed in 9mm.
 
As you stated your on a budget I would look used, but thats me.

I'm partial to the Beretta 92 series. Lots of non-neutered mags available to boot. I prefer the Compact but won't give up my 92F either. They are a breeze to clean and maintain, and if you can find a police turn in quite reasonable.
Factory reconditioned Glock 17 & 19's are pretty easy to find. Most usually come with at least 1 non-neutered mag. These factory recons IMO are amoung the best values out there.
The Sig 226 in 9mm is showing up used in several of the shops I visit as more people are trading for .40 S&W. These are great pistols as well. Mags are plentiful as well.
If you plan on using it as a CCW then the Glock 19 would be my first recommendation.
Take Care
 
The BHP and CZ are two of the finest 9MM pistols available. Its ashame that you are not considering them as choices, but to each there own. Good luck.
 
It would seem to me that you would already have an opinion considering the number of 9mm makes you have already used.
I was going to suggest a Ruger P series but you have eliminated it as a choice. Mine has operated flawlessly for several years.
I also agree with the rest of our group about the BHP and the CZ.
Jim Hall
 
I like the P99

I have both a Glock 19 and a Walther P99 9mm. I have had the Glock for many years and always really liked it. The P99 is fairly new and only has a few hundred rounds through it so far. I'm really delighted by the P99!! It's very accurate and a lot of fun to shoot.

I'm also really impressed by the design of the P99. Striker fired, cocking indicator, loaded chamber indicator, decocker fits flush to the slide, and no external safeties. All this, yet it is nearly as simple in design as a Glock.

I don't know what the word on durability is for the P99, but it is a fairly popular gun so I imagine that parts won't be a problem (but you might have to go through S&W to get service :(
 
Ruger, CZ, and Browning users; please don't be so offended. I know that all of you love your firearms. By saying that I have ruled them out does not mean that I think that they are junk. I acually had my eyes set on a cz-75. I was totally convinced that it was the perfect gun. It has a great price, a great rep, and seems to have most of the requirements that I'm looking for in a handgun. I just tried it out (like the Ruger, and the Browning) and just didn't like the way it felt. I am just as leary about buying a Glock. (This isn't meant to anger those glock fans either!!!!) I know that Glocks meet many of the requirements I am looking for in a handgun, but many of the gun shop owners that I have talked to say that Glocks really aren't as accurate as some other 9mm handguns because of their loose slide to frame fitting. Plus, the Glock has such a different trigger mechanism compared to most handguns that most people love or hate. I don't know if these are true reports or just sales tactics, but when I look at their shelves, I see lots of Glocks. I guess he must be somewhat honest if he's not trying to push a hot seller like the Glock on me. Actually, he was pushing the CZ-75 more than anything else, and he too was surprised that I didn't like it. I guess it goes to show that guns preference is really subjective. ;)
 
I'm guessing that since you said that you had several failures to fire with the Rugers you shot that they were range guns. Around here you cannot use the range guns for anything but to judge feel, and certainly not to judge reliability. All autos need occasional maintanence (for instance, some springs, including the firing pin spring, need frequent replacement) and the indoor ranges around here almost never even bother cleaning their range guns.

Generally, if you ask around to the Ruger owners out there (in addition to here check out the Ruger forum) you will find that the P-series pistols (especially the alloy guns like the P89) are among the most reliable guns on the market. I had one (a P89) that had probably 2000-3000 rounds through it (certainly well over 1000) and I NEVER had any failures of any kind with mine. A buddy had a P90 (the .45 version of the P89) for about 2 years with no problems. It would be a shame if you were afraid of Ruger's reliability based on experiences with range guns.

I am a huge CZ fan and you can't beat the qualilty and price. You haven't really said what you dislike about the feel. You may want to check out the compact or PCR versions (the Gun Rack in Burtonsville has the PCR currently, I almost bought it yesterday instead of the snubby I bought- I actually flipped a coin to decide) as they have a different feel.

You want something inexpensive, accurate, reliable and durable? CZ and Ruger are off limits?

Try the STEEL FRAMED (ONLY!!!) Taurus autos. The polymer Taurus autos have had major problems but from all the current and previous owners I've heard from the steel framed autos sound like some of the best bargains out there. The PT 92 is similar to the Beretta for about $500 (just under). The PT 911 is a little smaller (to me it feels better in the hand than just about anything I've tried) and runs about $430. Very accurate, durable, reliable and great deals besides. They also have an innovative safety which allows cocked and locked (condition one) carry AND it works as a decocker.

Kel Tec is a bit small and QC isn't always the best but most of the guns they put out sound good and if you get a bad one their customer service is top notch. They are very inexpensive (going for around $300 in this area).

If you want to stay cheap and want quality most of my other suggestions are in .380 or 9X18 Makarov. A Makarov pistol can be had for under $200 (buy on the internet and have it sent to a MD FFL), they are high quality pistols. The FEG PA-63 in 9X18 Mak is supposed to be a great gun but the trigger is horrible- this can be had for just over $100 online. The Bersa in .380 is a very high quality and accurate DA/SA gun with a decent trigger.

If you don't want the CZs, Rugers, Taurus, Kel Tecs, .380s or 9X18s used may be a good way to go. You can get good used guns for cheap sometimes. On Target is selling a stainless Beretta 92 range gun for $500, it was there on Thursday when I was there (I would replace some springs in a range gun but that shouldn't cost much). On Target usually has a few used guns and the Gun Rack usually has a great selection.

If you are willing to go to about $600 you are getting into Glock, Kahr and SIG territory and will have many good guns to choose from.
 
Glocks are popular but for another $100 or so you can buy a SIG. They are fairly light, come with good sights, and are extremely accurate. Most people prefer the trigger feel - the Glock trigger makes sense for cops, but you're not a cop.
 
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