Favorite 9mm Handguns

Been a long time since I've been on here.  Lots have happened.  My agency was split in two and everything but the hearing division were moved under another agency.  We are now an armed agency and I tote a Glock 23 around full time.  I will update everyone on my personal and duty weapons on a later post.  Today I want to do just a short, fun post.

I've been watching lots of YouTube gun channels and it seems everyone is into their top 5 or top 10 favorites.  So I'm going to do a couple of Top 10's.  The first is my top ten favorite 9 mm's.  It isn't in any particular order, although I will say why I like the particular firearm.

1.  Glock 19.  I just like this gun.  It is easy to carry, nothing about it pokes IWB.  It is right.  It conceals easy, but is large enough to shoot without many issues.  It is a bit snappier than some longer barrelled or heavier handguns.  The factory sights are okay, nothing great, but useable.  It has all the Glock pluses:  reliability, durability, ability to use the full size weapon's (Glock 17) magazines.  I think the compact Glocks are less awkward looking than the full size too.  I carry a Glock 19 a lot, especially in the fall and winter.
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2.  Glock 26.  Much of what I said for the 19 applies here.  The shorter grip makes this weapon a bit harder to control and the shorter barrel makes it a little snappier, but it conceals really easy, doesn't poke at all IWB and I just use the same extra mags I have for my 19.

3.  Browning Hi-Power and clones.  I just think the Hi-power is a gorgeous gun.  It's sleek and sexy in a way you just don't see in new designed handguns.  It points great and feels great in the hand.  I don't like the factory trigger pull or the magazine safety.  I had one of these for awhile and wished I still had it.  I carried it for awhile, but the Glocks just carry better.

4.  1911.  I love the 1911.  You almost have to. It's true that .45 is my favorite flavor of 1911, but the 9's are nice too.   It's like the Hi Power is the lady in the slinky evening gown and the 1911 is the tomboy in the cut off's and tank top.  They're both sexy, but they're different.  I like the smaller officer model also.

5.  The CZ-75.  This handgun feels a lot like the Hi-Power in the hand, but it's a double action.  It offers the option of carrying cocked and locked or hammer down on a loaded chamber in double action.  It's pretty too.

6.  The Taurus PT-111 g2.  Long Name.  Interesting handgun.  It's like a Glock 19 and a Glock 26 got together one moonlit night.  It has a short barrel like the 26, but the grips are longer.  Where the 26 has a 10 round magazine, the Taurus has a 12.  The Taurus trigger is not as nice as a Glock trigger and you'll pay more for spare mags, but if you can't decide if you want a compact or a subcompact, maybe this is what you want.

7.  The Bersa BP9CC.  This is a very nice looking polymer gun and it shoots pretty nice.  The only real drawback is the trigger.  Not that it's a bad trigger, quite the opposite, it's a smooth short trigger, but on a striker fired self-defense gun with no safety, that's not necessarily a good thing.

8.  Springfield XDS.  I like the XD's.  I have had the opportunity over the summer shoot both the 9mm and .45 acp versions of the subcompact single stacks and they shoot nice.  Should be easy to conceal too.  I like the fiberoptic sites.

9.  Glock 17.  I really hate to list this one, but my very first 9mm was a Glock 17, second generation.  It was ugly, awkward looking, and felt odd at first.  It did not cement my love for Glocks and I ended up trading it later on, but man, once you were used to it, it ran like nobody's business.  Back then, it held more ammo than most of it's competition. It was tough and reliable and homely as hell.  But it earned a special place in my heart by teaching me about the 9 mm parabellum as a carry round.

10.  Sig Sauer P 226.  This was my introduction to the Sig Sauer line.  I have never owned one, but have had the pleasure of shooting a few.  This firearm has pretty much made the name Sig mean quality for me.

Some of you may wonder that I didn't mention either the Glock 43 or the S & W shield.  I tried to limit this list to firearms I have personal experience with.  I didn't mention the P-08 Luger or the Walther P-38 even though I find the interesting and attractive firearms.  I haven't had an opportunity to fire either the 43 or the shield despite a desire to do so.   Not sure I really need a 9 mm in that category, I did buy a Glock 42 convincing myself that it would be perfect for those muggy Tennessee summer weekends when I was in shorts and tshirt and couldn't hide anything bigger.  Truthfully it mostly gets carried when I decide I'm too lazy to carry anything bigger, or if I'm on my way to or from the dojo, otherwise I usually pack a bit larger weapon.