whats the best 9mm handgun (in service ) ?

Answer 1

The one in your hand when you need it !

Answer 2

The PM, the Makarov, hands down. I carried a M1911 .45 in Vietnam, a 9mm M-9 in Gulf War I. The 1911 is boat anchor heavy and the sights abysmal. The recoil is such that anyone without adequate upper body strength will invariably get "smokestack" jams-- that's where the spent casing does not fully eject and is captured by the slide in the ejection port. Clearing a weapon in the middle of an afternoon at the two-way gun range can be a fatal disease. The M-9's we bought are junk. There have been more M-9's requiring depot level maintance in the decade and a half they've been issued than the total for the M1911 during its seventy years of service. The thing is also boat anchor heavy, the pull is too long for smaller hands, and it's simply too delicate and complex for field service. (The US adopted the Berretta after rigged trials; it is not coincidental that the Italian government was talking about not renewing the leases on US air bases in Italy. For anyone thinking the trials weren't rigged, consider that the 1911 was passed over as not being reliable enough.)
The Makarov, on the other hand, is the handgun equivalent of the SKS/AK school of design. I've owned and shot Maks from Russia, China, and half the Eastern Bloc countries, and other than a wildy varying standard of finishes, they all performed well. Please keep in mind in Western armies --ours being prototypical-- a handgun is more a badge of office than useful weapon. In the old Soviet sphere, it was considered a necessity. The average person the gun was designed for was a small statured asiatic person with limited technical skills. There are only three parts when it's field stripped and I have personally shot ammunition from eleven different manufacturers on the same day through a pair of Maks without a single weapon related malfunction. ((Truth in reporting: at least two Romanian made casings split and had to be pried out of the gun-- not the weapon's fault.)) Recoil is almost nonexistant; the slide can be worked by smaller hands. The cartridge itself isn't as powerful as the 9x19mm Nato, it's true-- maybe 10% less powerful, but then ANY handgun is underpowered compared to rifle ammo. I seriously doubt anyone being hit by a Mak or M-9 at combat range would be able to tell the difference-- and the PM because of its controlability has a better chance of actually hitting something. I have taught several of my lady friends to shoot using Maks because they don't have bad habits and are suprisingly cheap (>$150, at gun shows). I have one for personal carry.

Answer 3

By "in service" do you mean in use by the military? I like firearms but I'm nowhere near an authority. After hearing opinions from troops using them that they weren't that fond of the beretta (more difficult to field strip...required more maintenance) I began to look at Glock. Many law enforcement people like Glock. They are considered to be somewhat like tanks....take a lot of abuse and reliable. Then I went to the gun store and I was shown the Springfield Armory XD. The guy field stripped a Glock and XD side by side and you could see the XD had more solid components and better fit and finish. I bought one...not sorry. But as others have said...I'd still like to get a 1911. Springfield Armory makes a vg 1911 also.

If you are looking for a full service pistol (not concealed carry) I would give serious consideration to a good 1911. Sure the .45acp isn't as high a velocity cartridge as some others but it packs a hell of a punch. To my knowledge there is no design in an automatic pistol as rugged and reliable. I believe the whole process to replace the .45 began about 30 years ago when some forgetable General (or was it a politician?) made a widely publicized observation that "you couldn't hit a target in a crowded elevator with a .45" An opinion that caught on with those who'd never carried one. They ARE accurate within the normal range of use for combat pistols.

Answer 4

The U.S. Armed forces has been using the Beretta 92-F, or as the military designates it the M-9 pistol, since 1985. It replaced the venerable Colt 1911A1 .45cal. The trigger reach on the Beretta is long, and people with small hands and shorter fingers have difficulty shooting the gun. My choice would be the Glock Model 17. This gun is used worldwide by military and law enforcement. The Glock is one of the most durable and reliable sidearms in the world. It is the sidearm of the Austrian military.

Answer 5

Officially in service?

Browning Hi-Power. Not personal preference, but likely the best.

You can exclude 9x18 (Makarov) safely and just cast the net for 9x19 Parabellum, then it's the Browning Hi-Power. Beretta put out an excellent product for the trials but the proceeded to supply a quarter million examples of garbage upon winning the contract.

Glocks don't have enough a combat history to be validated as the best quite yet.

Answer 6

The best is probobly the Baretta M92. They have most of the kinks worked out and they seem to hold up better in U.S. service than they used to.

The best handgun by far and away is the M1911. It served for over 70 years and is still preferred to the 9mm in the U.S. armed forces.

45 ACP is still a superior round.

Answer 7

Beretta 92/ US M9 is a very fine pistol...As the Browning HP or the SiG series.

On the other hand, the M1911A1 .45ACP is a superior handgun but not in 9mm

Answer 8

It's really all personal preference. As long as you go with a "A" brand, meaning one that meets military standards you cannot go wrong. It also depends on the use, concealed carry, law enforcement sidearm, home/target, ect. Really your decision should be on what feels comfortable in your hand and of course price.

Answer 9

Jericho

Answer 10

Glock

Answer 11

MP 5 N (if that is a handgun!) if not the israeli uzi. Johan