TP9 vs SD9ve

B

Blindstitch

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I'm in the market for an inexpensive/reliable pistol in 9mm. My budget is $350 tops. No save $200 and buy something better replies.

The goal is something I can shoot targets with when I go to the range with my rifles, cheap to feed, and possibly home protection.

Like all things in life one might lead to another, and another and another. My fishing poles and rifles all have many friends. So if it takes off I'll buy something more expensive later.

A local store I have a gift card to has both the TP9 and SD9ve for the same price. I haven't fondled them to much but hear a lot of inexpensive reliability from both.
 
I know someone that has the original TP9. It's kind of bulky for a 9mm and the decocker button on top is unnecessary IMO.

I had a SD9VE and only sold it to fund something else. I'll buy another one eventually. It was reliable, accurate with great ergonomics. It'll fit in a lot of holsters made for the G19 (which I also own) since it's about the same size. The DAO trigger is good and gets better with use. I tried an Apex spring kit, but took it out after realizing how weak the trigger return pressure was and felt it was unneeded anyway. It takes the same sights as an M&P (which I also own) so that's another plus.
 
It's interesting to hear you took out the Apex kit but most of the video reviews I have seen said that the trigger gets better with use or it could be polished in the right places.
 
OP, don't let the decocker on the TP-9 scare you away...you don't have to use it. Remember, this gun serves the Turkish paramilitary forces, which probably required the decocker. The gun shoots good enough and it's ergonomics are good, too. This gun also has second strike capability (it's a DA/SA striker-fired gun), which not many other striker guns can do.
 
The decocker doesn't bother me. It seems like it has it's own use. If it's good enough for a Walther I'm not going to fight it.
 
From my understanding, there are three different TP9 models in existence now:

TP9 - the original
TP9SA - single action variant with several significant improvements
TP9 v2 - improved version of the original (have not seen any reviews yet, so this might not be available to the US yet)

I was looking at getting a TP9 but went with the SA model instead. The SA retails for $399 I've seen them as low as $330 online...the idea was to get the TP9SA for not much more than a TP9. The SA is the better gun for just a few dollars more.

I also plan to get the TP9 v2, just because it should be cheap enough to where I can get away with having both.

I know the shop you're looking at only has the TP9. I just wanted to share with you that there's an improved model of TP9 out there that's quite a bit better than the original, for pretty much the same price. That's worth mentioning, IMO.

Good luck with your decision.
 
I have the SD9 been great so far, it will fit most M&P holsters. I put the Apex trigger kit on it. Being a revolver guy I didn't mind the longer trigger pull but wanted to see how much better it could get. It does lighten up the pull but it would be fine stock as well IMO.
 
I am not a fan of the trigger on the Smith... It's reliable and accurate though. Some shooters would have difficulty with the trigger.

I have held the TP9 and it was a nice pistol. The trigger was very good. The TP9 SA would be worth a look as well as I hear it is improved in many small but important ways.
 
Whirlwind06 said:
I have the SD9 been great so far, it will fit most M&P holsters.
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It also takes M&P sights, so there's another big category of aftermarket accessories you can utilize. (The older SW-series Smiths took proprietary sights and the factory units could not be removed non-destructively, but this is not the case with the newer SDs.)

I'm not sure what types of sights are available for the TP-series. One word of warning, however: although it is widely reported online that the TP-series is a clone of the Walther P99, this is NOT true- it's better characterized as a lookalike. It's a substantially different pistol, particularly once you start taking things apart. The guns are similar enough that P99 holsters work, but I'm simply not sure about the sights.
 
I can't provide input for the TP9, but my SD9VE has been a great pistol. I've put somewhere around 1500 rounds through it and seriously can't recall a single malfunction. The Apex trigger kit is fantastic but is not a necessary upgrade by any means. It's accurate and has a very natural point of aim, for me. Any holster for an M&P 9,40 will fit it perfectly.

It sounds like the TP9 is pretty decent though. Your best bet would be to find a range that rents both and put some rounds through em. It shouldn't take long to figure out which one suits you best.
 
I have no first-hand knowledge of the TP9, but I can say that the SD9 is a no-frills, very reliable pistol with great ergos and a not-so-great trigger. If you have any issues with it, S&W has some of the best customer service in the industry.
 
I just put an apex spring and trigger kit in a friend's sd9 pistol.

It definitely lowered the pull weight, and the trigger reduced overall travel by about 25%. I also polished the internals and that smoothed things out too.

Its still long but not bad. Similar to a DA revolver or DAO.


I did have a little issue, the tolerances stacked up and the trigger wouldn't reset. I had to sand off a little material on the front of the trigger where it contacted the frame to allow it to move forward enough for the trigger bar to engage the sear. I took it slow and tested often to make sure everything worked without going too far, but enough to offer a little margin of error for positive reset. I would rather have a little extra take up than the potential to have a dead trigger.
 
I don't know why but I haven't been able to find a range that has one or both to test. In fact I wish I could handle a Tp9sa but I haven't even been able to locate one. Bad enough i'm only finding the tp9 in titanium which looks cheap to me and tan. I'm hoping a few calls will find the black or green one.

I probably won't make my decision for another month but i'm hoping to find what i'm looking for. And on sale would be nice.
 
It's interesting to hear you took out the Apex kit but most of the video reviews I have seen said that the trigger gets better with use or it could be polished in the right places.
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The kit does reduce the pull weight, but the trigger faintly pushes back out for reset. It's like shooting a gun with an extremely worn trigger spring. I put the kit in after shooting about 500 rounds through it so by then it was already well broken in which is why I didn't feel it was necessary. Most people probably put the kit in as soon as they buy the pistol or after the first range session.

It's not hard to get used to the trigger pull. It's improved over the Sigma, SW and SD series. If someone says something negative about the SD9VE, make sure to ask them if they're actually talking about one of the previous versions. I got used to the trigger with-in less than a magazine, but I own and shoot SAO,DAO and DA/SA semi-autos on a regular basis.
 
I've been pretty satisfied with the SD40 VE. I've shot about 350 rounds through it with only three hiccups, and two were almost definitely my fault.

A couple of times the slide locked back with rounds still in the mag, but I'm pretty sure my thumb was hitting the slide release. Changed my grip and it never happened again.

I had one feeding issue with some cheaper ammo and I'm not sure exactly what happened with that one.

A lot of people complain about the trigger. It's definitely heavy but I actually sort of like that.
 
I know someone that has the original TP9. It's kind of bulky for a 9mm and the decocker button on top is unnecessary IMO.
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It's completely necessary on the TP9. Being a DA/SA pistol with no hammer, you need a way to safely decock the pistol.
 
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I have no trigger time with the SD aside from dry fire but it appears to have a better trigger than the TP9, TP9 is a somewhat decent service type pistol but not what I would call a target pistol. personally if it was me I would get neither of those and get the Ruger 9E instead, same general price range, but a pistol which I would feel confident with as a target pistol or as a night stand, truck gun, or service piece if it came to that.
 
It's completely on the TP9. Being a DA/SA pistol with no hammer, you need a way to safely decock the pistol.
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I should of worded my post differently. I understand why it has one, but after owning several other striker fired pistols the entire set-up requiring a decocker is unnecessary. They could of made it a consistent DAO or SAO pull, but turned it into something more complicated and unneeded on a striker fired handgun.

At least they improved this with the SA model, but they left the decocker up top which is even more unnecessary on that version.
 
I actually like the idea for the TP9 to have the decocker as it gives you the added safety of a heavy trigger since it has no manual safety selector switch but in the SA, the decocker would force you to reset the trigger. in either case I would much rather just have a safety switch and offer a way to disable the decocker or remove it completely.
 
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