To heat the discussion up...

[S.A. Boggs]

I am primarily a 44/45 guy, however I am looking into a 9mm. Would like to hear from those WHO NOW HAVE or recently owned a 9mm. I am leaning to the Sig M17 or the P226. Have shot many 9's up to and including sub guns...really had fun with the MP40! Looking for pro's and con's such as mag cost, weapon ease of total disassembly, reliability.
Sam

[gwp]

I only have three striker fired pistols, a Ruger LC9s Pro and two Kahrs a K9 and a PM9. I prefer the K9 probably because it is not plastic framed. I have not fired a SIG M17 but I do have a P250 that uses the same frame with a different slide and trigger pack. It is a hammer fired DAO and I find it pleasant to shoot. The M17 is still new to the Army and I think more improvement will be made before the Army fully implements the M17. If you like to change the size of the pistol, frame kits and caliber x-change kit are available.

My preference is metal framed hammer fired DA/SA. I have a few SIG P series in 9mm and 40S&W and they are some of my favorite firearms. Police trade-ins and CPOs (SIG factory rebuilds) are available at great prices. Often the police trade-ins have extra magazines and used factory magazines are available for as little as $15.

Another favorite of mine, is the metal framed CZs and their clones. The CZ provide reliability, accuracy and they are a little cheaper than the SIGs.

[gwp]

I you are thinking of purchasing a used SIG this article from Grayguns would be helpful.

https://grayguns.com/guide-to-sig-sauer-pistol-inspection/

[blackhawknj]

I have five.
1. Browning High Power -purchased in 1967-first handgun
2. Star Model B
3. Walther made P-38 (1943)
4. S&W M639
5. S&W M659
Plus a Marlin Camp Carbine in 9MM.
The 9MM is somewhat particular with regards to rate of twist, depth of lands and grooves, etc. You can get good accuracy with lead bullets but you will have to work at it. Reloading, main thing to remember it is a tapered case, headspaces on the case mouth.
As a Life Member of SNM-Sons of Neanderthal Man-I shoot only steel frames, prefer their recoil dampening qualities.

[bruce]

I am primarily a 44/45 guy, however I am looking into a 9mm. Would like to hear from those WHO NOW HAVE or recently owned a 9mm. I am leaning to the Sig M17 or the P226. Have shot many 9's up to and including sub guns...really had fun with the MP40! Looking for pro's and con's such as mag cost, weapon ease of total disassembly, reliability.
Sam

Bought a nice used Springfield 1911-A1 in 9mm. Simply faultless in every respect. Very easy pistol to shoot well. Very consistent on target results using anything from Tula steel cased 9mm to Federal, Winchester, Blazer ... either aluminum or brass cased. Have no idea at all how many rounds I fired through it. Let's just say it was lots and lots of 9mm's.

In March 2018 I was getting the bug for a new pistol. I knew I would be moving in June of that year to a new pastoral appointment. I got to looking at the Sig 226 9mm's. Then I saw the 226 Legion. Outstanding pistol. I've been shooting it for a little over a year. Maybe 12-1500 rounds so far. Faultless. Ideal for local police matches. If I smile just right, I can keep almost all my shots inside the 10 ring of a B-27. Very excellent trigger, sights, grips, etc. Much prefer the extended beavertail to the standard type on the stock P-226.

Pistol came with three magazines. I will buy maybe a couple more. Factory and aftermarket magazines are not hard to find. Factory magazines are maybe $40/each. Have noted that the aftermarket magazines by Metgar, etc. are in every way identical to the Sig factory product. Understand that Sig has their magazines made by Metgar. Have not tried the Checkmate brand.

Field stripping the pistol is about as simple as can be. One can figure it out w/o reading the instruction book. Just simple. Easy. If you want to detail strip the frame and slide down to the gun smith level ... have fun. It's about like someone detail stripping a S&W or Colt revolver. They will be busy for a while. HTH. Sincerely. bruce.

[S.A. Boggs]

Bought a nice used Springfield 1911-A1 in 9mm. Simply faultless in every respect. Very easy pistol to shoot well. Very consistent on target results using anything from Tula steel cased 9mm to Federal, Winchester, Blazer ... either aluminum or brass cased. Have no idea at all how many rounds I fired through it. Let's just say it was lots and lots of 9mm's.

In March 2018 I was getting the bug for a new pistol. I knew I would be moving in June of that year to a new pastoral appointment. I got to looking at the Sig 226 9mm's. Then I saw the 226 Legion. Outstanding pistol. I've been shooting it for a little over a year. Maybe 12-1500 rounds so far. Faultless. Ideal for local police matches. If I smile just right, I can keep almost all my shots inside the 10 ring of a B-27. Very excellent trigger, sights, grips, etc. Much prefer the extended beavertail to the standard type on the stock P-226.

Pistol came with three magazines. I will buy maybe a couple more. Factory and aftermarket magazines are not hard to find. Factory magazines are maybe $40/each. Have noted that the aftermarket magazines by Metgar, etc. are in every way identical to the Sig factory product. Understand that Sig has their magazines made by Metgar. Have not tried the Checkmate brand.

Field stripping the pistol is about as simple as can be. One can figure it out w/o reading the instruction book. Just simple. Easy. If you want to detail strip the frame and slide down to the gun smith level ... have fun. It's about like someone detail stripping a S&W or Colt revolver. They will be busy for a while. HTH. Sincerely. bruce.

I have or will get from Brownells the necessary tools to do my maintance. I dislike having to send any tool back to the factory for service, revolvers are easy short of a barrel change. Auto's are the easiest of all. Close to 50 years ago I picked up Maj. George Nonte's book on Pistolsmithing and was hooked. I knew George, quite a remarkable fellow and I was saddened by his departure back in 1979. Novak has his shop about 50 miles from me and when I can find the "time" I am going to be ordering a new set of sights for Sigmund.
I roll my own ammo/projectiles so working on my tools is not a big deal, just the right equipment-time-patience. The Glock pistols I do not like due to the need to have to replace the tube upon purchase and for me the soft action.
Sam

[p246]

I have a Glock 17Gen 5, older FN FNS, and newer FN 509 tactical. All have been good guns. The old FN has a lot of ammo through it. I did have to replace the extractor spring at 20,000 rds as it broke in the center. It’s also had the recoil spring replaced a few times. The Glock and 509 are too low round count for a longevity report but they both shoot well. I like the gen 5 much more than previous generations. I had a Sig 320 but didn’t like the trigger and sold it. It shot alright though and might have broken in better if I had kept it. I should mention this was the first trigger pre recall. A friend has a Sig Mk 25 and it shoots like a house of fire.

[Sunray]

"...mag cost, weapon ease of total disassembly, reliability..." All of that is pistol specific. The thing still has to fit your hand first. Some of 'em, like the CZ-75 and any of the 'Wonder Nine' DA's, may or may not.
The CZ is a bit bigger than a BHP. Trigger is in a different place so they don't fit my hand. sniff. Been crying about that since the first one came into the shop in the early 80's.
"...tools to do my maintenance..." Rarely that any tools are required that a .45 doesn't require.
My CF issue, 1944 vintage, Inglis, BHP works just fine. Isn't particularly accurate. Haven't ever bothered to work on that with it though. Sights are crappy and fixed. Took the idiot European Police inspired mag safety out and the trigger improved considerably.
I find Glock frames slippery myself. Easily and reasonably inexpensively fixed with a Pachmayr grip glove though.
"...really had fun with the MP40!..." SMG's are like that. Played with an M-16K at Second Chance long ago. Colt rep said we had to give it back.
"...Reloading, main thing..." Reloaded just like a .45 ACP.
And steel frames don't dampen anything by themselves. If they're not heavy they do nothing at all.

[Bill E]

Take a look at the Sig 229. It's available in 9mm and believe it can be converted to .40 & 357 Sig with a slide and barrel change.

[Tuna]

Third generation S&W 5906 is hard to beat. You can feed it fired cases and it will chamber them so anything will chamber in it. Reliable all stainless steel is comfortable to shoot and accurate too. Easy to field strip and maintain. Over a 10 year period I put a good 8,000 rounds through mine with 2000 rounds being +P+. Still wish I had it but it stayed with the department when I retired. I have fired the Sigs and Glock's but the 5906 still beat them all. Right now Classic in North Carolina has police trade ins for $300. I am waiting for one to come for myself.

[blackhawknj]

Get an M1911 in 38 Super, you can fire 9MMP by switching barrels and magazines.

[p246]

Third generation S&W 5906 is hard to beat. You can feed it fired cases and it will chamber them so anything will chamber in it. Reliable all stainless steel is comfortable to shoot and accurate too. Easy to field strip and maintain. Over a 10 year period I put a good 8,000 rounds through mine with 2000 rounds being +P+. Still wish I had it but it stayed with the department when I retired. I have fired the Sigs and Glock's but the 5906 still beat them all. Right now Classic in North Carolina has police trade ins for $300. I am waiting for one to come for myself.

Ah, I was issued a 5906 for a very short time, it was a great gun, but our armorers bitched about them, I can’t remember why, but they were high mileage guns by then (I don’t remember generation circa 1989), we moved to Beretta 92 FS guns within a few months, boss got bite by the Beretta bug.

[remus]

I've a s&w mod. 59, and a RIA 1911a1 in 9mm. Also two 9mm subguns. An M11/9 with a Lage conversion that is a real hoot to shoot, and Sten gun. Sten's fun but the M11 is funner. Don't laugh at the RIA, it's a dynamite pistol for shooting. Really good to shoot but for me heavy to carry. The 59 is ok but I just don't love it.kk

[barretcreek]

Had a Smith 39 nickel and 59, didn't like either because the frames were too slick. Now I have a Sig P290RS (four mags) which I really like but Sig has discontinued them. I also have a Para Expert, a Kimber GM stainless, and just picked up a RIA parts kit which I will put on a Foster frame. You like that RIA Remus? How do you find the metallurgy in the little bits? Art, how is your 38S holding up? I imagine the Philippines are not using any cast/MIM parts, so that was a deciding factor to get the RIA kit. The only thing I didn't like about my Kel-Tek was taking out the firing pin meant a trip back to the factory.
The tiny 9s can cycle improperly when using +P ammo.

[lyman]

I sometimes carry a SIG P6, it is hollow point picky, but I have found some that feed reliably,

I don't carry striker guns, not a thing wrong with them, I am just conditioned to DA\SA or SA only and don't want to mess that up,
I do have an early (88 vintage) Glock 17 that I can shoot well, it is a garage\range toy for me

I also have a couple Hi Powers, (fantastic pistols) and a STAR BKS in 9mm,

all shoot where I point them, and all have been very reliable,

my first wonder 9 was a Ruger P85,, could not hit the broad side of a barn from the inside with it and traded it off for a SA 1911,

[S.A. Boggs]

Since posting I have done a great deal of soul searching on my "needs" of a PDW and caliber. I have decided to stick with the .45 ACP after researching, looking at modern 9mm/40/10 loads and cost comparison. 500 rds of ammo per session is about average for me and I can/do this several times per week. I can do .45 TRC Lead for about .10 per rd. I don't have to say anything about the ability of the .45 ACP.
Currently I have a Sig P220 which I like for several features. It is easy to break down for basic cleaning, accurate and reliable. It points as well as any M1911 I have used which says a great deal. I like that I can keep it loaded and safe in my shoulder rig. I detest that I cannot carry it in condition one as the DA is atrocious and thumb cocking is slow compared to the M1911. My first pistol was a Single Action Colt and it is fast and accurate on the first shot, same for the M1911. The downsize is lowering the hammer on the M1911 and keeping a rd in the chamber. For me to clear the chamber each night is impractical, the Sig does not require this. Also for some reason Sig is withdrawing from the .22 Conversion kit and not supporting it for the P220.
I know for fact I can keep a human form "interested" out to 200 yards, after that I run out of slide. I have been able to do this for the last 50 years and continue today with this ability. I have decided to get a new Springfield Armory G.I. 45 with a .22 conversion kit for it. I would like to have a Colt, I refuse to pay the extra for the name value.
Back in 1984 during the Army trials the Army found the T/C projectile is a good one and better then the RN. With this I don't understand why the Army continues with the RN.
Another thing I like about old slab sides is that I can break the pistol down without the use of any tools. All the tools I need John Browning built into the pistol and this is a plus. I have broken my Rem-Rand down many times without any tools, save for what is built in. I cannot do this with my Sig and I find this bothersome.
Comments, concern?
Sam