Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns time for a 9mm

It's time to buy a 9mm pistol i had a taurus mod 92 that i loved but i needed the tractor that a friend of mine traded me for that pistol.Looking for opinions i'm thinking of a berrata mod 92 what do you think????plz include reasons for the different recomendations. I'm open on this gun i have the other calibers so this is soley 9mm

Plinking, formal target, self-defense, cool factor, or concealed carry?

PS: What kind of tractor?

well all my guns are for informal target shooting and defense and i carry variety of different pistols but none are for cool factor that is for city folk that have no need for owning a gun anyhow.This is to fill the 9mm gap in my collection of firearms that i once had is to teach the new shooters to pistols with and shooters that can't handle the heavier recoil of other guns

I own one revolver and one semi-auto for serious reasons. All the rest I own for the cool factor. A guy can only shoot two at a time...

So, if you're gonna force me to be serious about this...sigh...I'll recommend the M92. You've had one and liked it, it worked for your needs, why fight it? The M92 is a soft shooter and teaches new shooters to deal with slide controls.

By the way, city folk have considerable need for owning guns - they live in the city afterall.

After having two military M9 pistols fail (one catastrophic slide failure, broke in two at the lockup grooves. another barrel lug coming off the barrel) I would not put my own money in a M92.

With the AWB gone, a guy couldn't go too wrong with a nice Sig P226, or P228.

Mine is a Glock 17.

How about a Springfield XD series? I picked one of these up once and was very impressed with the feel and balance. I've never seen a bad write up on them either. Just a thought. I'm not a 9mm guy, though. I'd go with the 40 but I understand you want the 9 just to have one. Good enough reason since you're the one writing the check!

MontanaMarine,

I like your choices for most uses, but the Sig as a training tool with its funky manual of arms might not be the best. For more experienced shooters the Sig very well could be the best.

I prefer new shooters to have to use a safety. The Glock is a good choice if the new shooter is going to end up with a Glock, but if he/she ends up with a pistol with controls it's back to the drawing board training-wise. If the new shooter transitions from 'controls' to a Glock - no problem.

No doubt the M9/92 had its share of problems. Based on what I've read, not actual experience such as yours, the problems were cleared up around 1990. That said, if the M9/92 still has some problems I don't want one!

So, if I had to recommend something else for the entire list of uses I'd go with the Sig in spite of its controls. Close seconds would the CZ-75B and the S&W 5906.

I would go for, first, a S&W single stack such as the 39 series of pistols for smaller hands. Second, the Sig 226 for accuracy, dependability and quality.

My recommendation is the Browning Hi-Power. I have had at least one for the greater part of over forty years. I currently have more than one. Fit, feel and function are near perfection and the reliability is legendary.

My brother, the heretic, has both the Beretta 92 and the BHP. He says he prefers the Beretta but I believe he says that just to upset me.

I also have a Star BM small frame single-stack.

The Hi-Power would be my number one, taking the cool factor into account. However, cocked and locked single-actions ain't for new shooters.

The Beretta is a pretty big piece of gun for a 9mm. The Glock 17 is about right and nearly idiot proof once you get used to the lack of controls. Try one.

You might want to look at the Kahrs too. I've got a PM9 and a P9, but the K9 is nice too (better feeling grip but a little heavier). For some reason they just really feel "right" in my hand. Shoot reliably also and are gadget free, kind of like a Glock but with a better feeling grip angle to me.

tbear, Here are my thoughts on your search for a new 9MM. I own, or have owned, and shot all of the pistols discussed at least 2,000 rounds.
The Beretta 92 is an excellent pistol, totally reliable in my experience, but I would not teach anyone to shoot with it because of it's large size and weight. For the same reason, I would not carry it concealed.
The Sig 226 and 228 are extremely fine pistols(a 9MM 226 is what I keep by my bed). The 226 might be a bit big for some hands and I have seen the decocking lever rattle new shooters. Also, because I shoot with high thumbs, I will occasionally unintentionally depress the slide release so that I get a failure to lock back when the magazine is empty. This happens more often with the 228 but is something easily overcome with a minimal amount of range time. The 228 is a great choice for a concealed hi-cap 9MM.
The Glock 19(in fact, all of the Glock pistols) go bang every time, are very easy to learn to shoot but the grip angle and my hand are at odds.
I am very pleased and impressed with the Kahr 9MM pistols. The Kahr K9 is an excellent, all stainless steel, single stack pistol. The P9 is the same size but has a polymer frame. In my opinion, it is THE civilian concealed carry weapon available today. I would not teach anyone to shoot with one. That job would fall to the Kahr T9. As I have said on this forum before, the engineers at Kahr must have used my hand as a template when designing the T9 because it fits perfectly and is a complete pleasure to shoot. Extremely accurate, too.
In fact, the T9 feels a lot like the Browning Hi-Power. In my opinion, the Hi-Power needs a lot of work from someone like Novak or Cylinder&Slide before it's ready to be shot. And I would prefer to teach a beginner to shoot with a pistol without a safety so that they could master the basics first, then transition to a more complex system.
I recently purchased a Springfield XD9 and though I only have 500 rounds through it, I am totally impressed. This is the plastic pistol done right. The grip angle is perfect, recoil is not an issue, it is very compact, it has gone bang every time, and is unbelievably accurate. The trigger, at least on mine, is the best of any pistol of it's type that I have ever used. Simply brilliant. To me, this is the best buy in a hi-cap 9MM on the market.
Hope this helps, RS

In descending order:

Glock 34: Simple, reliable, good ergonomics, great sight radius. Very tolerant of less-than-circumspect care.

SigSauer: I just like the look and reputation. I've never fired one in 9mm, only .380 (P239?).

CZ75B: Accurate, reliable, well-made, reasonably priced.
DAL

RipSnort,

"Hi-Power needs a lot of work from someone like Novak or Cylinder&Slide before it's ready to be shot"

How so?

I own a beretta 92 and a sig 226. I also carried a glock 17 as a LEO. Of the three I would simply find the one that feels the best and is the most comfortable.

All three have good track records. In defense of the 92, there were only close to 1/2 million sold to the government. Could have been some lemons.

My hi-power is in a league all its own.

Montana Marine, did you guys get snow down there last nite? It has been trying to snow up hear in great falls.

JOG, At a minimum, a trigger job, an extended thumb safety and good sights(such as Novaks) would be where I would start. I have not been impressed with the accuracy or reliability of the three that have gone through my hands, either.Were I to carry a Hi-Power, I would also have a new barrel installed, the ejection port lowered and the extractor polished and tuned. While I was at it, I'd probably go with Wolff springs. Admittedly, because of these shortcomings, I have not shot one in a dozen years or more. Are the new production pistols a better deal? RS

Not at the house. Snowing up on the hills today though. I went in to Helena today, got a few flakes on the window, thats it. It was up in the 40s here today, but cloudy and windy.

Here's a pic from a couple days ago, looking east to the Belt Mtns. Same as today.

I have always liked the feel of the 92s but I have seen the same type of failures with this model. The two failures I observed happened during a basic academy class. Both occurred using +p ammo and both guns failed due to the locking lugs breaking off.

I have my own personal favorite (Glock) but also like Sigs, Kahr, and HK. I no longer care for S&W autos. We had several failures with smiths. (i.e. cracked alloy frames and gouges in the frame from the guide rod)

RipSnort,

Regarding your Hi-Power modifications - that sounds like my preferred mode: Buy a perfectly operational pistol and throw away all the parts. There's a lot of that going on at the Campfire with M700's...

That said, I'm a Hi-Power slut and feel the need to defend them 'til the end�so I will.

It�s important to view the Hi-Power for the purpose it was designed � as a combat pistol. The Hi-Power was never intended to be a target pistol, and unlike the M1911, its design doesn�t accommodate many changes. The Hi-Power is either design perfection for its intended use, or as close as any pistol has ever been.

The Hi-Power is designed for cocked and locked carry, and as you know it lacks the M1911�s grip safety. John Browning didn�t want a grip safety on the M1911 either, but the US military required it. The trigger pull of the Hi-Power is appropriate for a cocked and locked pistol, considering the wide range of conditions in which the pistol would be used � gloved, cold, wet, or exhausted hands in close quarter combat. Still, the Hi-Power is a single-action pistol and the intent of this design is a short return to enhance the speed and ease of fire, not to gain a light trigger pull. It should also be considered that the Hi-Power�s fantastic ergonomics make it one of easiest handguns to use regardless of the trigger.

The Hi-Power�s safety is frame-mounted, which provides for a narrow and slim slide, and a low bore line. The safety was extended and made ambidextrous on the MKII version introduced in 1982. IMO, the �super extended� aftermarket safeties are an answer to question that was never asked.

The Hi-Power�s sights � well, to each his own. The original (pre-war) sights are too small for my tastes, but the MKII and MKIII fixed sights are just fine. The modern adjustable sight version sucks � and I�m sure John Browning is turning in his grave. I like the fixed Novak sights too, and when I want adjustable sights I go with lowered Bo-Mars. If you�re going with Novak�s, consider using the sights meant for the M1911 � they�re a little larger and clearer.

There�s not much to be gained by replacing the barrel (unless the one you have is shot out). The Hi-Power doesn�t have a barrel bushing or barrel link like the M1911 � two fewer things to break or require tuning. The �handgun world� has stamped the seal of approval on the Hi-Power�s link and bushing-free design by making it the most copied idea since the removable magazine. Much of any pistol�s accuracy is determined by barrel to slide fit � the barrel returns to the same relationship with the sights after each shot. The Hi-Power�s design, and almost every pistol�s since, requires some play between the slide and the barrel. A �match grade barrel doesn�t change that. �Combat accuracy� is what the Hi-Power was designed for, and is what you get.

Early Hi-Powers were designed solely for ball ammo, and have a �hump� on the feed ramp for the purpose. The hump interferes with some (not all) hollow point ammo and can be removed by a gunsmith for less than $50. A modern barrel will accomplish this also, but at a much higher cost.

Bending the internal extractor sets the tension in a M1911, and occasionally the extractor will �flatten out� and need to be re-tuned. The Hi-Power�s external extractor tension is set by a spring. �Tuning� the Hi-Power�s extractor doesn�t really apply. Some modern M1911�s use a similar external extractor for just that reason. Lowering and flaring the ejection port is also a M1911 fix that doesn�t apply much to Hi-Powers. The geometry of the ejection system is quite a bit different on a Hi-Power.

As for springs, I would wear out the springs on a new Hi-Power before replacing them and replace the springs on a used pistol if I didn�t know its history. I agree Wolff springs are the best.

There�I feel better now.