which 9mm semi auto pistol is best?

Answer 1

it really depends on what you want to do with it. targeting, home defence, carry or concealed carry.

for all but concealed carry, go with what the military chose after some of the most rigorous testing for a sidearm ever...the M9, otherwise known in the civillian market as the Beretta 92. taurus is also licensed to manufacture them and have identical process and quality for a slightly lower price... haha, like buying some quality nikes with no nike swoosh on the side of the shoe.

the 92 is reliable as hell, will shoot in any environemnt, is not picky about what it shoots. as it is such a time-tested, commonly carried weapon, there are tons of accessories designed specifically for it like internal laser sights.

one of the few guns with an open slide design, a benefit as it lets the barrel cool more quickly (meaning you can shoot faster and shoot more often without barrel degredation).

It is easy to use, shoot, and disassemble, has high capacity, excellent safety features, good looking design (ha, and very scratch resistent to keep it looking good), and they have a patented process for tempering the steel that makes it one of the strongest materials any gun has ever been made of.

not one accidental discharge or failure to fire has EVER been attributed to design of the 92. it really is one of the finest handguns ever made.

they also have a newer version called the 90-Two with a more modern look that is more rounded (thus less likely to snag on anything) and has interchangeable hand grips that make it suitable for all hands small to large. some people with very large hands feel the original 92 is too small, so the 90-Two is a perfect option for guys who want the legendary performance of the 92 but have hands too large for the 92's frame.

for concealed carry, a really good option is the Taurus Millennium Pro (the 9mm model is the PT111). 12+1 rounds of 9mm in a VERY compact package (only 6 inches overall length!). the recoil is not as much as you'd expect with such a small gun (they also have a .45 that is very easy to shoot).

they will shoot every ammo type/manufacturer you put in it, and the design is very tough and reliable. they do very well in torture tests. stainless steel slide (with or without bluing) with a really tough polymer frame makes it durable and light...perfect for concealed carry where you need the lower weight and a gun that can handle perspiration all day long.

the mill pro also has great safety features including a firing pin block that is only moved out of the way when the trigger is fully pulled (no accidental firing or discharge from dropping the gun), manual safety, and a nifty external lock that prevents or allows firing with the turn of a provided key...very safe if you have it in the house and have kids around.

did i mention that the taurus has a LIFETIME WARRANTY!? and that's for the full life of the gun...you could die of old age and the warranty would still be good, haha. they are that confident in the quality of their guns. the design and manufacturing of the gun is so good you will very likely never have to use the warranty...a shame as it is the best warranty of any gun manufacturer in the world.

if you go with the mill pro or some other subcompact, choose an ammo designed for short barrels (less than 4") like the Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel. hollow points often do not expand from shorter barrels because of insufficient pressure on impact, but Speer's short barrel rounds are in the heavier 147 grain and have really deep serrations that cause it to expand with less impact pressure as well as expand uniformly as all gold dot rounds do. most law enforcement and pretty much every government agency with issued sidearms use gold dot...it's the best defensive ammo in existence.

Answer 2

Which is the best? It depends on what you want to do. For accuracy, get a CZ-75 or an EAA TZ-75. These deliver more accuracy than what you pay for and are very,very durable. For a convenient service style pistol I would get a Glock, S&W MP model, or Springfield XD variant. These guns are not as accurate as the "75"s, but they are very durable and easier to take care of in the end. And the Glock is out-of-this-world corrosion resistant. For plinking or the novelty of having a 9mm gun for a collection Ruger is a good choice. These are probably the most durable aluminum-framed 9mm pistols in existance. I am leaving out HK and Sig because of their high, alomost out-of-touch pricetags. And for the record, Glocks are not all that on accuracy. A lot of that nonsense in marketing. They give decent accuracy but it is nothing to write home about. Ultimately you must decide what feels right for you and what you can live wiuth in terms of handling, style, and task.

Answer 3

There are many excellent 9mm pistols you must decide on price, what type of action, and what fits your hand the best. This is my ranking of some of the best: 1. Sig Sauer 2. Walther 3. Para Ordinance 4. Glock 5.Spring Armory 6. Ruger any of these weapons will serve you very well pick the one that suits you best. The one that fits your hand the best.

Answer 4

The question actually is, Which one is best for YOU?.

You need to do some research and learn about each one and what they cost and what you want it for, etc. etc.

I like metal single action pistols. Browning Hi Power, and the ones inspired by it like the CZ75.

SIG Sauer make the current best pistols in the world right now. I will argue that with anyone.

HK are a very close second. Then you get into the rest of the pack, Springfield XD, Glock, Ruger and in my opinion way down the list Smith and Wesson, then the toys like Hi Points.

Answer 5

Everyone is an expert in this field!
As long as you go with a reputable manufacture you should be ok. Listen to a knowledgeable sales person and explain what you want the firearm to do, and what features you need or want. Rent firearms at your local range and see what fits your hand the best.
Everyone has different sized hands, and nothing is funnier than when a customer says he has done all his research on the Internet and he only wants a #$%@ or $#&% cal.. He refuses and dosn't want to talk about it, his friend or the guy on the internet says it the best. He buys it, takes it out on the range and his short little fingers cant reach the features on the gun and I get to buy it back on the same day for a third of the value.
Don't Be That Guy!

Rich,
Bulls Eye Marksman Gun Club, Ga.

Answer 6

I like my 9mm ported Springfield Armory XD. No recoil at all. Non ported model 9mm XDs have little recoil as well. I prefer them over Glock because of the added grip safety, striker indicator (indicates gun is ready to fire) and load indicator (round in chamber). The XD fits better in my hand as well. Looks better too. I also like my Beretta Px4 Storm in 9mm. Ruger P89 is not bad, just a little ugly, hell if it won't fire though. Really reliable. Really all the guns including Glock are work horses, less likely to jam or misfire, Glocks, and the XD are a lot easier to take down for cleaning than Rugers. The Beretta is fairly simple. Sig Sauer is good but expensive. Stay away for Smith & Wesson semi autos. They are crap. I have no 9mm expericence with Taurus but have heard ok things about the 24/7s.
What it comes down to is what gun feels better in your hands and is easier on your eyes sight wise. Go to a local gun shop and just ask to see as many guns as you can to see what fits your hand the best. If they let you rent firearms at a range, take the time to test a few out.

Answer 7

If I were You, I would go to a gun store or several if necessary and try out all the major brands of 9mm semi autos. See which one fit your hand the best and which ones controls are the easiest for you to operate. There are folks who love Glocks and other who hate them. The same is true with Rugers, SIG, S&Ws etc. What works for someone else may not work for you.

Answer 8

My wife carries a Taurus PT-145 (.45 ACP) and loves it. I carry it sometimes, as well. She's small at 5'2" and 110 pounds, but the .45 recoil doesn't seem excessive to her. She IS an experienced shooter, however, and shoots often. I believe there is something in the design of the gun that makes felt recoil easily managed. Other people who have fired the weapon agree that recoil is very light for the size of the gun and caliber. I would imagine that in 9mm, it would be even easier to handle. Another feature she enjoys is the relative small size of the grip as she finds Glocks and some of the other popular firearms too "fat" to fit well. The price of the PT series and lifetime warranty make it very attractive, as well. We're 20-30k rounds into the gun (if not more), and it's not failed to feed or fire with any of the ammo we've tried.

Answer 9

Buy a Sig. The "To Hell And Back Reliability" slogan is a well deserved one. I haven't owned many brands but have handled many. The Sigs feel best in my hand and are the simplest pistol to feild strip and clean of any I have worked with.

You don't say what it should be the best for, though. Any of the three will serve you well.

P226- full sized frame, full length barrel. Great for target shooting or duty carry.

P229- medium sized "concealed carry" frame, medium length barrel. Great for duty, target practice or concealed carry.

P239- compact sized "concealed carry" frame, shorter barrel. Great for a back up gun, target practice or concealed carry.

I have a P229 in 40S&W, but for target practice I swap the .40 S&W barrel with a Barsto 9mm conversion barrel. You can use the .40/.357 magazines with 9mm rounds but they occassionally fail to feed. I recommend getting 9mm magazines. Recoil is virtually none with this gun in 9mm.

My wife owns the P239 in 9mm. Very little difference in the feel, recoil and point of aim between it and mine with 9mm rounds.

Answer 10

I've only shot two 9mm's in my life. The Ruger P89 and the Springfield XD. Both are nice shooters. However, for me, the Ruger P89 with rubber grips is a better fill. I don't fill like the gun is going to fall out of my hand, after shooting it. The XD was a little small for me in the grips. I felt as if the gun was slipping out of my hand after firing the gun. Though I think the XD had better sights than the P89.