Which 9mm to buy?

[sorny]

I am looking for advice on which 9mm pistol to purchse. I have narrowed it down to the Springfield XDM or XD, Ruger SR9,Taurus 917C and the CZ 75B. All of these guns are in my budget and appear to be decent guns. Looking for any pros and cons to help me make my decesion. Thanks, Sorny.

[Phil T]

The one that fits your hand best. You need to be able to comfortably reach the trigger, and with a double-action semi auto, that can be a long reach.
I have large hands with short fingers, so no large capacity semiauto fits my hand. Poor me, I have to make do with Model 1911's.

[tbomn]

The one that fits your hand best. You need to be able to comfortably reach the trigger, and with a double-action semi auto, that can be a long reach.
I have large hands with short fingers, so no large capacity semiauto fits my hand. Poor me, I have to make do with Model 1911's.

I agree with Phil on the size issue. I just went through that process and ended up with the Ruger P95. It has the 15 shot magazine so the grip is about 1/8th of an inch thicker than the standard. It seems to fit my hand perfect. The Springfield 1911 have a longer body and the distance to trigger was just not comfortable for me. I like the Taurus but it was a little more pricey than the Ruger. I did not get to handle the SR9 as it wasn't available at the time. The P95 ran me $329. and the Taurus that I liked was $469, so I went with the Ruger. Do some research on the Ruger P series, they are dependable, and fairly accurate for a 4 inch barrel semi-auto 9mm.

With all that said, I still like my Ruger MKIII 22/45 best.......fantastic machine.

[Airwave(OH)]

Also consider what your using it for, If for concealment then size will be a factor. The SR9 is real nice if you decide on that one.. I'm sure the others are decent too. I just personally know the SR9 is...

[Phil T]

When I mentioned fit, I should have described how to test if a handgun fits your hand. I have large hands with short fingers, so I may have more restrictions than you will if you have long fingers.
Place the gun's grip into your hand so the line of the barrel aligns with the bones in your forearm with your wrist rigid. Now check the distance to the front of the trigger and how easy it is to operate the trigger.
If your fingers are short like mine, handguns with thick grips won't be easy to control. If your heart is set on a large capacity 9mm, I think Armalite is marketing a CZ-made pistol (model 24?)with a deeper than normal cutout for the web between the thumb and index finger.

[AllenW]

Also make sure if you have other guns that the line of sight is the same, my 1911's point different that a Glock so I went with a H&K for a plastic gun.

I imagine there's a correct term for it, but when I hold a Glock it had a different grip to barrel angle than the 1911 style pistols I own, not a big thing for plinking, not so good for carry.

Al

[Brekk]

Do all of the above then buy a Springfield XDM. All said.

[tbomn]

Do all of the above then buy a Springfield XDM. All said.

I commented on the Ruger P series, and they are great gun..I own the P95. I also own the Springfield XD45, and love it, because it fits. It all comes down to what feels best. All the brands mentioned are great guns, just find the one that fits best and go for it.

[2Labs]

[quote=Phil T;1069604]When I mentioned fit, I should have described how to test if a handgun fits your hand. I have large hands with short fingers, so I may have more restrictions than you will if you have long fingers.
Place the gun's grip into your hand so the line of the barrel aligns with the bones in your forearm with your wrist rigid. Now check the distance to the front of the trigger and how easy it is to operate the trigger.
If your fingers are short like mine, handguns with thick grips won't be easy to control. quote]


YUP!!!! AND -- when the gun is in your hand, raise it to eye level with wrist and forearm in a straight line. The sights should be aligned without you having to slant or twist your wrist. If they are not, the grip strap (rearmost part of the grip) is shaped wrong for your hand. That is why some manufacturers are now making replaceable grip straps ... not everyone's palm is shaped the same.

Also, I have several comments regarding the Springfield models. I had an XD which I bought new about 3 years ago. Accuracy was fine, function was fine. But, the trigger pull was long and spongy with not much of a back wall. It was hard to get multiple shots off in a controlled and timed fashion with that awful trigger. You never knew when the gun was about to go off.

Further, the Springfield came without a loading aid to help depress the spring of the clips. Loading those clips without an aid was a really painful experience, thumbs-wise. I talked to the Springfield folks twice about which loading aids they recommended (so I could buy an after-market product) and got zero help and indifferent responses. They just didn't care. I finally did find a loading aid after purchasing and experimenting with several (like 4, I think) at about $10 a pop.

But by then I was so fed up with that pistol and Springfield customer support that I traded it in on a Glock. No more Springfields for me!

[PackerSmacker]

I am looking for advice on which 9mm pistol to purchse. I have narrowed it down to the Springfield XDM or XD, Ruger SR9,Taurus 917C and the CZ 75B. All of these guns are in my budget and appear to be decent guns. Looking for any pros and cons to help me make my decesion. Thanks, Sorny.

See if you can't rent a couple of them and try them out. We have a local range that will let you rent or try before you buy. Once you shoot them it becomes more obvious what is going to work for you.

[steve l]

I say do all of the above then look very closely at the Sig P226. You won't bother with the rest after that and the extra coin you'll shell out will be very worth it.

[StriperChaser2]

I am looking for advice on which 9mm pistol to purchse. I have narrowed it down to the Springfield XDM or XD, Ruger SR9,Taurus 917C and the CZ 75B. All of these guns are in my budget and appear to be decent guns. Looking for any pros and cons to help me make my decesion. Thanks, Sorny.

If you are not going to use it for concealed carry look at the full size Kimber 1911 steel (.45). You can get one of these used for about $600. For me they have less felt recoil than a Glock 9mm and they are more accurate than you can shoot.