9mm suggestions

[Alexandro Faria]

Hey all,

As is always the case, semester is coming to an end, exams approach and the only things I can really give my full attention to revolves entirely around shooting of one form or another.

As a result, I have a scenario and questions that shall follow.

So, first:
Lefty, 6' 3", not a fan of striker-fired pistols, in need of a pistol that will, for the time being, be my one and only carry unit and something I would like to compete with, be it not too seriously.

So, to sum up, I'm looking for a hammer fired unit that is relatively compact, something ambidextrous (grew up shooting a star and a few glocks and I would on occasion inadvertently catch the mag release by accident) and preferably in 9mm. Lastly, I have a limited budget, so H&K and such are out of the question. Lets say $650 ball park.

I am leaning toward an FNX-9, it seems to suit my needs quite nicely as far as I can see. I wanted to ask your opinions on the FN and see what other suggestion you might have, if any? Obviously fit is the most important consideration, but having a few options to try out makes things interesting and offers some nice variety.

As usual, thank you in advance.

 

[slam8031]

As a lefty I have two recommendations that I like to shoot that fit your budget.
1). Smith and Wesson shield in9 or 40. This is a striker fired pistol but it is compact for carry and does not have a great chance of posing left hand "issues."
2). S &W bodyguard has been a good carry pistol for me. It is not striker fired and is very compact, even with an integrated laser.
Both pistols can be found under $400.00.
3). I also think the FN you mentioned shoots well!
Good luck with your decision!

 

[Alexandro Faria]

@slam8031, thank a mill! If you had to choose 1 of the above, which would be choice and why? Always felt that polymer "feels" cheap, but it makes carrying a lot more comfortable and I'm sure it's just something that takes getting used to

 

[cpr0312]

S&W Shield is a good carry gun. I have it in 9mm. Shoots great, feels great.

 

[slam8031]

I personally carry the bodyguard. But if I could only have one...
Shied fits my hand and has more firepower than Bodyguard.(380 only).
I carry the bodyguard for size and convenience. I prefer to shoot the Shield.

 

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Are used guns out of the question? If not, then you might want to take a look at the S&W 3913. Based on the older S&W M39, the gun is an 8 shot, double action Stainless steel semiauto pistol. Not to much bigger than "standard" 380s, such as the Walther PP, it is quite accurate to shoot and comfortable to carry. Barrel length (IIRC) is 3.5", and an ambidextrous safety.

I have only one complaint and that is that the grip is just a tad short. Other than that, I think it is a great CC pistol. This is the same gun as the S&W "ladysmith" pistol, with exception of gray grips & the area on the frame below the slide is more angled. I think I payed somewhere in the neighborhood of $350 for the gun about 5 years ago; not sure what they are bringing now.
Good luck in your quest!

 

[Royal27]

Smith and Wesson shield in9 or 40. This is a striker fired pistol but it is compact for carry and does not have a great chance of posing left hand "issues."
2). S &W bodyguard has been a good carry pistol for me. It is not striker fired and is very compact, even with an integrated laser.

Agree here. I like the Shield and own the bodyguard to carry when it is hot out and I dont want a "fullsize."

grew up shooting a star and a few glocks and I would on occasion inadvertently catch the mag release by accident

Was the glock a Gen 4? Did you have the mag release configured for left hand? If not, don't discount. My other EDC is a Glock 17 with mag release changed to left hand. I have never caught the mag and I've trained with it extensively. It is the pistol I'd want if stuff went bad.

 

[Rob404]

CZ makes some great hammer fired pistols, I use a CZ75B in 9MM but they also have similar models in different calibers up to 45ACP (my favorite)I'll trade mag capacity for Knockdown power. Altho I carry a small Springfield Arms Plasti-gun only because it light and small(still 45ACP) my S&W 1911 is still my favorite

 

[spekieries]

My vote goes for CZ po7 duty mk2. Typically RSA, we like BRNO's, CZ 550's and CZ pistols.

 

[slam8031]

I have a 3913 also--another good shooting weapon!
And the Springfield Xd would fit the bill also.

 

[Mr. 16 gauge]

I am a fan of the CZ75B also; however, since the O.P. stated "relatively compact" and "ambidextrous", I didn't think a CZ75 would meet the requirements. I do carry mine, but not as often as the 3913......

I don't know much about them, but the CZ RAMI might fit the bill as well.......

 

[Alexandro Faria]

Thanks, everyone. @spekieries and @Mr. 16 gauge, I like what the FN allows in terms of the 1911ish carry option. Another suggestion I got was a p01 or, as stated, the p07. Any idea if there is an option for both a safety and a decocker?

 

[spekieries]

The Po7 comes with both a safety and a decocker. The owner can fit any one he wants.

 

[spike.t]

The Po7 comes with both a safety and a decocker. The owner can fit any one he wants.

got a po7 and its a nice size, and they seem reasonably priced in sa from what i have seen offered in magnum magazine

 

[Velo Dog]

Hello Sr. Faria,

Began carrying a handgun at age 16, due to a robbery in the all night restaurant where I worked during high school in California, back around 1970.
Then as young adult, I became a Police Officer and carried a sidearm for 28 years, as a basic tool of that profession.
Now retired from that and currently still carrying as an armed Security Guard.
Perhaps I will croak with one in my hand, like any decent Viking would do, in regards to a sword.
Therefore, I have some strong opinions about self defense type handguns, as well as methods of carry, types of holsters, specific calibers, types of ammunition, etc.
However, I do not expect others to necessarily agree with me (one man's favorite sidearm is another man's reviled fishing sinker).

Moving right along;
As for the 9mm in a self defense pistol, since the magazine release on a Browning P35 (so called "Hi-Power") is for right handers, I will not go on all day about how much I like this pistol (I also like it very much in .40 and .30 Luger as well but, your question is not about those two cartridges).
And, since you mentioned wanting a hammer fired 9mm, with left hand friendly magazine release, yet costing no more than about $650.US, there are not a huge amount of brands and models to choose from.
That being said, perhaps where you live, there might be a used Sig P226 in 9mm pop up on the market one of these days?
Here in the USA, these are being surplused from Police Departments, onto the retail market, usually for about the amount of money you plan to spend (hopefully there is or will be a similar situation where you live ? ).
The magazine release button is issued for right handers but it is designed to be easily reversed for other folks to use with their left thumb.

I am in agreement with you that some striker fired pistols leave something to be desired, when compared to some hammer fired designs.
As double action auto pistols in 9mm go, the Sig P226 is arguably as reliable and accurate as a mass produced semi-auto handgun can be.
Perhaps it is needless to say by now that this make and model is one of my very few favorites - albeit in either .40 or .357 Sig calibers for my preference.
Nonetheless, the 9mm can be very effective in the hands of an honest man who shoots straight under the pressure of street survival/armed confrontation.

And if I had a P226 in 9mm, instead of my old Browning P35, I would have nothing to complain about, because the Sig P226 is an extremely well made/rugged/reliable/accurate weapon.
If I could make any improvement on this model, I would definitely round off that stupid point on the front of the trigger guard ("holster hook" and / or "clothing snagger").
And, I would flatten out that big "Quasimodo" hump on the back of the grip.
However, at least since you are a large fellow an so at 6'-3" it is presumed that, the exaggerated humpback grip of the P226 will be no problem for your hands.

I am about 6' tall and with bare hands it is no problem for me but, with winter gloves on, it is a tad too bulbous for my preference.
The 1911's, P35's and such seem to have been designed around normal size hands but, the full size Sigs, Glocks and others, must've been designed to fit professional basketball player's hands just right.
Last but not least, if you decide to get a P226 in 9mm, I highly recommend trying to find an early one because they did not have that terrible set of "lugs" cast into the front of the frame (to install battery torch, lazer, cell phone, video game, fishing reel and who knows what all, that none of us will ever need in a fight for our lives.

"Bring what you've got, use what you brought, hit the right spot and hit it a lot".
Velo Dog.

 

[Saul]

Springfield and Colt are both making high quality 9mm 1911s in a good price range. You can also find some great deals on the Rock Island Armory 9mm 1911s.

If you want something polymer, the HK P30 is one of my absolute favorite 9mm pistols.

 

[Rob404]

My old carry Pistol was a S&W Mod 5906, in 9MM, an all metal gun that had a double stack capacity of up to 16rounds. The pistol could be carried by a Lefty as well as us Rightys, it was standard issue in many police depts and probably one of the safest firearms I ever owned, as can be seen the safety is on the left as well as the right The mag release is also convertible to the left as well

 

[rinehart0050]

I carry a 9mm Walther P99QA daily for work. I like the 14+1 capacity, its pretty accurate, and very easy to maintain. Also, the QA stands for quick action- so the gun can be decocked. To recock the gun, you jsut pull the slide back about 1/4" and you're ready to rock and roll.

 

[rookhawk]

When I carried a 9mm I recommended the Kahr PM9 and the Rohrbaugh as being the two most compact and thus most likely to be carried judiciously from the 9mm clan. I would maintain those comments today. I'd also suggest the LCP if that Ruger comes in 9mm these days? And if on a shoestring budget something from Kel-tec?

Things changed for me from the recommendations above though. I got to see how easy autos jam if you're not firing from a well controlled grasp of the gun. And then I saw the penetration results from a 9mm. And then I read the FBI crime statistics on shootings and how many bullets on average are used in such a conflict. (answer: 2) I sold off 15 of arguably the best handguns ever made from Kahr to H&K and all the other best names and models.

Today I own only two handguns, neither are 9mm. A very rare S&W airlite TI in .38spl valued at $1000 (the lightest version ever made of the classic J frame. A standard M&P would be close at $400) and I own a NAA Pug with a folding "pocket knife" grip in 22WMR. (~$350) With proper bullets the former is better than a 9mm. With the latter and good bullets its as good as a .380. They have a lot of benefits over the fancy autos of which I owned many of the best. These are the two most concealable, most reliable handguns I could find for my needs.

 

[rookhawk]

The answer to the question you didn't ask.