What are the five best 9mm's ever made?

[Maximus]

1. Beretta 92fs
2. Beretta Centurion
3. Cougar 8000
4. Sig 229
5. Sig 226

[JWT]

Any of the CZ 9mm's

[ddc]

I'm a little surprised at how many lists don't contain the CZ75.

[captkirk9195]

Oldshooter:
Do you like the way the Radom fits in your hand? I just felt the one I inherited had a great feel, with the grip safety, etc. Trying to decide what to go that is more "modern" and "reliable" as the idea of using a 60+ yr old weapon for my main gun doesn't enthrall me.

I have a few other guns (.380, .22 pistol revolver, .38 revolver, etc)

Just trying to find something in 9MM or .40 with that same "feel"

Jason

[P99fan]

BHP
Walther P99
G17/19
Your fav Sig
Your fav HK

[divemedic]

It is hard to put "best" unless you establish criteria for what is "best"

Concealability? Capacity? How about this:

1 The P08, for being the most recognizable and one of the most prized 9mms ever.
2 The Hi Power, for being Browning's 9mm contribution
3 If you are going to include a Smith, I believe the first large capacity Smith 9mm is in order: The Model 59. (the 39 was S&W's first, but only held 8 rounds)
4 After that would be the Sig 226, as being a good example of beautiful design.
5 The Glock 17 makes the list, for being the first Glock, and for being the first polymer pistol (even though early movies called it porcelain, and even claimed it could evade magnetometers)

[Manedwolf]

I'd push the Taurus PT92 above the Beretta just because they gave it a proper paddle safety on the frame, not the slide, one you can easily thumb from a shooting grip.

[imthegrumpyone]

IMI Baby Eagle of course

[BillCA]

It is hard to put "best" unless you establish criteria for what is "best"

Agreed. My "best" is only my opinion based on MY needs. I may like large service pistols while you might like compact models for CCW.

1 The P08, for being the most recognizable and one of the most prized 9mms ever.

Firing a Luger is a treat as the grip angle is nearly perfect and the gun balances extraordinarily well. Plus they are usually very accurate. The downside is that such great precision work reduces the gun's reliability.

2 The Hi Power, for being Browning's 9mm contribution
3 If you are going to include a Smith, I believe the first large capacity Smith 9mm is in order: The Model 59. (the 39 was S&W's first, but only held 8 rounds)

As others have pointed out, it was a Belgian designer who tweaked JMB's original design into the P35 pistol after JMB's death.

I included the M39 instead of the M59 for two reasons. The M39/59 series owes it's heritage to the Walther P-38 and can be considered a refinement of that pistol's principle mechanism. The curved backstrap of the M39 meant it pointed extremely well for most people. Second, the M59 is a bulky pistol, especially by today's standards, and it had a bad reputation in the first years of production for reliability (feed) problems. The M39 is lighter, slimmer, better balanced and utterly reliable.

4 After that would be the Sig 226, as being a good example of beautiful design.

Ahh... okay. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess. This same design was marketed by Browning and at the time, many of us considered it big, blocky, ungainly and "cosmetically challenged". But it was the first pistol we'd ever seen with a pure "decocker" lever.

5 The Glock 17 makes the list, for being the first Glock, and for being the first polymer pistol (even though early movies called it porcelain, and even claimed it could evade magnetometers)

Actually, H&K's VP70 pistol was the first polymer pistol on the market in the 70's. It wasn't successful for two primary reasons - it was a really large pistol and it had one of the hardest triggers ever found with no way to really lighten it up. Had the trigger issue been resolved, it may have found a good market.

Let's put Glock here for two reasons - the first commercially successful polymer framed gun and it's "Safe Action" mechanism that does not require an external safety lever. It's reliable, durable, decently accurate and comfortable to shoot and carry. But it's also homely.

[The Body Bagger]

G17
92fs
226
Bhp
P89

[jhenry]

Well the Browning Highpower is nice, great lines and can be had in a caliber larger than the 9mm.

The Glock ticks along like a swiss watch-----and can be had in calibers larger than the 9mm.

I do like the XD----and-----

Aside from my somewhat tongue in cheek poke at the 9mm, I do wish I had a nice prewar Radom. And if someone left a forelorn P08 on my doorstep I would likely take it in and give it a good home.

['75Scout]

1. Sig 226/228/229
2. Glock 17/19
3. Browning HP
4. Sig 510
5. Rohrbaugh R9

[Atticus Thraxx]

All these Hi Powers. I don't know. I have one and have shot 1 or 2 others and I've never been impressed. Doesn't seem exceptional to me. Good reliablity, clever design, clean lines it's a good pistol no doubt. Maybe it's just me.
I like my Glock 17, but again other then light weight it doesn't blow me away. Had a CZ when I was in Germany.Now that's a pistol. Breaks my heart I couldn't bring it back to the States. Good trigger, accurate, mild recoil, and I could put the most messed up, no name European ammo thru it. Only two mis-feeds over two years and both on the same day, ended up being the magazine.
And the more I shoot it and screw around with it, the more I appreciate the Makarov as well.

[HankB]

I'd push the Taurus PT92 above the Beretta just because they gave it a proper paddle safety on the frame, not the slide, one you can easily thumb from a shooting grip.

This design feature is indeed superior to most Berettas (exceptions being the rare "Stock" and the rather odd "Billennium") but from what I've seen, the ordinary Beretta 92s are less likely to be troublesome than the Taurus versions.

[MTMilitiaman]

1. SIG P226/228
2. Glock 17/19
3. Browning High Power P35
4. CZ75
5. HK P7

I was tempted to put the Beretta at number five, but I just can't bring myself to do that. It may look good to John Woo and give Mel Gibson his blaze of glory, but it always reeked of mediocrity to me.

The others don't need much of an explanation.

[P5 Guy]

Glock 17
Glock 19
Glock 26
Glock 17L
Glock 17C

[texgunner]

1. Browning Hi-power
2. CZ-75b
3. Beretta M92
4. Walther P-38
5. Glock

[imp]

1. Sig P226
2. CZ75/SP01
3. Glock 17/19
4. S&W 5906TSW
5. Para-Ord. 9mm 1911

[2ndamd]

BHP???
I am with ya on the BHP. I think it gets alot more credit than what it is due. But, it was influencial.

Again are we talking most influential top 5?
Best through out history top 5?
Or best modern day service size 9mm top 5?
Or are we including target models like the x-five and p210?
And do we include compacts or do they have a seperate category?

[Spenser]

No particular order:

H&K p7
Glock 17
Glock 19
H&K USP
Browning Hi-Power

Legitimate arguments can be made for the Walther P99 and the Smith & Wesson Model 39 and 59's, and whatever they were called when the first generations came out. People say the Sig 210's greatness as well.

That's my take, for what it's worth.

[gandog56]

How the heck would I know? I've only owned 3.

[BlondieStomp]

BHP
Sig210
CZ75
Sig220/6-the original ejection port locking lug
HKp7

[f8lranger4x4]

Sig 239
glock 19
glock 17
kel-tech p11
Browning high power

[glockman19]

In Order:
1) Glock 17/19/26
2) Beretta 92
3) Sig 226, 229
4) H&K USP, P2000
5) S&W M&P, XD

[NoLight]

I'm with Gumpybutt!!!
1. Baby desert eagle.
2. Beretta 92FS
3. Browning HP
4. Para-Ord 1911
5. CZ-75