I have a friend that is looking to buy a 9mm. I have no interest in them and therefore haven't kept up with what is on the market. I know there are many here that could give excellant advise. I know this is a little off topic but I know the answers to his questions reside here. He is looking for something reliable, reasonably accurate for plinking and possibly home defense. Any suggestions, comments, expected price range etc. would be greatly appreciated.

SIG P226

550.00 to 750.00

SIG 226 is a very good choice, but I am partial to the 9mm Browning Hi-Power. It goes for around $500 and has 60 years of pre-ban magazines out there for it.
[pistol]

Boris and ss109 said it.
sig 226.

Have a 220 and a 226.  Love them both.

The SIG 226 is a good choice. Hi-caps are a little pricey. The Beretta 92FS is always good and not quite as costly, $500 and 15 rd mags are easy to find. My current favorite is the Walther P99, around $600. 16 round mags can run $75+ though.

I second the recommendation for the Beretta.  Accurate, reliable and pre-ban mags are easier to find and less expensive than other 9mms.  I think the Hi-Power is the only other 9mm where pre-ban mags are easier to find and/or cheaper.

P226 + 20rd Sig factory mags

hell if i could buy one (under the counter) it would be a bareta 92 f/fs, any sellers?????????  [:D]

How about an HK USP9? Mine was the first gun I ever reloaded for and it sure made it easy to find an accurate never fail load.

Walther P88 or P99

I'm partial to the P88 Compact with 15 rd mag

My everyday carry Berreta 92FS w/ tritium night sites. Get this one and a ciener conversion so you can shoot 22lr all day long for nothing but pocket change. [img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1549184&a=11762180&p=45179264&Sequence=0&res=high[/img]

Sorry for the LARGE picture if someone would give me the code to post pictures smaller I would be happy to do it (send me it via email [email protected]). Once again sorry it is sooo big.

In order of decreasing quality, from best on down-

1. HK USP9F (fullsize)or HK USPC9 (compact)

2. After that, Sig 226, by a hair

3. Beretta 92F, CZ75, or Browning High Power

4. Glock 17Fullsize, 19(med), 27(subcompact), Croatian HS2000 or Taurus PT92

Ruger handguns are WAY down at 30 somewhare, you gotta be broke to buy a ruger semi-except for the MKII and the 22/45-them is different.

Everybody should have at least one 9mm. I have two so far, to keep my .45 and .22 handguns company.

9mm is the most widely used hangun caliber in the world it's NATO, and you can bet both our military and whatever invaders invade(Red Dawn and all of that) will probably be using it too.Anybody can shoot a nine, and the ammo is cheap. Most hi-caps were made for 9mm's.

Glocks are great tactical pistols but lack the exquisite trigger control other pistols may have. Glock 17's are $450. Can be accurate.

Beretta 92FS is reliable and accurate.  They run $450 in blue $500 in stainless (INOX). The trigger can be cleaned up nicely.

Ruger P95 is reliable but it suffers for accuracy with its short barrel. Good for close in home defense.  Trigger pull long & creepy; not adjustable.  They can be found for $270.

Kahr Arms is a nice pistol, reliability is unknown as I don't have enough experience with it.  Short barrel limits acuracy.  Price is ???

Browning BDM, HP's, or DA's are great pistols with good accuracy.  Can be extensively modified and can have a great trigger.  They can be expensive when in good shape. $500 for starters.

FWIW....Geno

browning hi power.

SIG Sauer P226.  I shoot it.  I love it.  Trijicon night sights, 15rd. Factory Sig or MecGar mags + 1 in the chamber.  Speer 124gr. Gold Dot +P for defense.  Now you're packin'

My sig 226 is an awesome pistol.  I really recommend it...  HKs are awesome also.
[pistol]

Glock 19 will do everything you ask.  You may have to clean it every couple years though...

I'd go sig P226, unless it is for CCW, then smaller P228,P225, or P239.
Beretta's are nice, as are glocks.  But neither of them feel as smooth and tight as a sig.

I haven't shot a browning hi-power, but have heard good things.

Also, consider the person's hand size, and strength.  A full-size heavy gun would not be good for a smaller person.  Polymer guns, i.e. glocks, sigpros, and walthers are lighter.  Single stack mag guns are better for people with smaller hands, like sig P225.

Above all, take your friend to a range and have them rent at least one model for each of the major brands to determine which fits them.  Sigs and Glocks have no external safteys.  If you pull the trigger, they will fire the round in the chamber.  Also, Glocks are DAO, while sigs and berettas are DA/SA, and can be converted to DAO.  Then after you choose a brand, narrow down size and specific model features: weight,mag capacity, etc..

Handguns are easier to shop than rifles, since most ranges have all of the major manufaturers for rent.

-gunman0

HK USP 9mm, High Cap 15 rounder, with Trijicon Night Sights... Around $600 used if you look hard...[beer]

Kinda supprised no one mentioned the Para Ordnance P18-9mm. 18+1 round of 9mm. WOW.

Also Kimber is now chambering, or soon to, some of there pistols in 9mm. I know they are currently for .40 S&W, and .45 ACP.

Apparently, awhile ago, and MANY emails to a Kimber Rep. about there site, as it was saying that some of there pistols are chambered in the .38 Super, by special order. Only to find out it was a "webster mistake". Hmmm......

-Green

I have a Beretta M9(military marked 92FS) and a Browning Hi-Power which is about 20 years old. The Beretta is a great gun-absolutely NO malfunctions. I'm partial to the Browning because I've been shooting it for 15 years and I just like Browning guns. Either one will be a fine choice but if you buy the Hi-Power make sure you buy a real Browning and not one of the many knock-offs you can buy today for around $300. Finnbear

AN HK compact would be my choice, but I would go with the .40 for better stopping power.

THEBEEKEEPER.... I think my wife would laugh if I ever told her it is SOOO BIG.. she would have to know I was talking about my GUNS. [sniper]

OK. The original post is about the guys friend who wants a 9MM.
I wish I could remember where I read about this, but, the gist of the stories were that the Beretta 92FS was in a test with a couple of other firearms and fed some kind of weird superammo.  Of all the firearms tested, only the Beretta pistol was able to digest it without any problems.  Sorry, I can't be more specific.
 
The other story concerned a query to a top 1911/.45 gunsmith about which one pistol would HE choose----The Beretta 92 because of its reliability "out of the box"(cleaned and lubed first, of course) and its accuracy.
When asked, "what handgun should I buy", I answer, "GETTA BERETTA."

Check into the Beretta-Forum.com for some surprisingly UN-biased opinions.

GLOCK

Anything else is just pretending to be as good as a Glock.

BERETTA 92FS all the way.  I personally own one, and I absolutely LOVE it.  Basically, I was looking for a 9mm as well, and after looking at the USP 9, SIG P226, Browning Hi-power, Walther P99, Baby Eagle, Glock 19, and of course the beretta, I narrowed it down to the Beretta and the SIG.  The two guns were the most robust and solid feeling, and have teriffic ergonomics.  The Beretta, with a hogue grip on it, fit my hand like a glove.  The Sig felt great too, not as nice, but still outstanding.  The reason I narrowed it down to these pistols is simple- When I racked the slides, they felt soooo smooth in comparison to the polymer framed guns it was amazing, and the metal frame just felt alot better than plastic.  Basically, I chose this gun on how it felt, and by its reputation.  SIG and beretta both have great reps, considering you dont use hot ammo in the beretta, so I chose it, because it felt best in my hand, had the best trigger pull, felt VERY solid and robust, and gave me a great psycological feeling when I had it, because It made me feel like I was holding a rock, plus it came with a 10 and a 15 rounder for like 575.  Considering you can unload genuine beretta 15's for around 100 bucks, I basically got the gun for 475, though I have yet to sell it.  Here is what I love about the gun.  It is frickin accurate, even with standard fixed 3 dots.  At 15 yards, I can with ease get every shot through a 2 inch circle, firing about 1 round about every half second through the 15 rounder.  DA pull is long, but very smooth, and the SA pull is short and crisp.  A little heavy for my likings, but then again, I used to shoot airguns, so I am used to very light pulls, which is why I love my Wilson .45, cause I can adjust the trigger very easily (in comparison) and the only way to do it on the beretta is to get a new set of springs, which I may do.  I absolutely love the gun, I shoot federal 9mm through it, have put maybe 2500 through it, cleaned it once after the initial break in, and have had absolutely NO jams/misfires, and very little wear on it, if any at all.  The finish on the gun is amazing, and I love the drop safety of it, if the barrel is moved back at all, the gun will not fire, so if its dropped on the barrel, you dont have to run like hell before it hits the ground.  I know alot of pistols are this way now, but hey, I had to point it out.

In other words, the 575 price tag was well worth every penny, if not more.  I do not regret this purchase one bit, and I think my next pistol is infact going to be the Border Marshall 96.  Then Ill move to the Elite series.  Then I plan to move on to HK, because they are my favorite polymer frame gun, and I think its nice to have one full set of metal and polymer ;-)

Oh, sorry for the rambling.  Its 1 AM and I just broke up wiht my girlfriend, so if that explains any of this post...

Marksman14,
I don't mean to sound callous, but, go get a nice voluptuous new girlfriend and tell the old one "size DOES matter".
Then, go get a new pistol and teach the new girl how to shoot!
OR, skip the girl and get a gun; guns are cheaper than girlfriends...they last longer, too.

I concur with the notion that Berettas & Hogue grips go together.  The fit in my hand to the Beretta was what gave me confidence in the gun before I even got it.  

GLOCK-CRACKED TWO SIG 226 FRAMES,HK? TRY FINDING MAGS

Essence of cool.

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=178263&a=11224817&p=39699649[/img]

Oslow, I got one just lite it too.  Don't forget also to get the 3v Tac Light.  

Try the "Beretta 92G Brigadier Elite II". I just got this one and it shoots fantastic! I put 15 rounds in a 2" spread at 25 yards! I traded my regular 92fs for it and am very pleased! Now I have a second favorite to go with my Springfield Armory loaded 45.

Depends..  Each has a pro/con.

IMO, if you have smaller hands, go with SIG/Glock/Browning/HK.

Sig pos:  reliability, quality, accuracy, DA
Sig Neg:  Price + parts price

Glock Pos: Reliablity, quality, accr, Safe Action, simple design,
GlockNeg: Unconventional gun, Safe Action, especially if you have a weak wrist.

Browning HP POS: reliability Quality, accuracy
Browning HP NEG: Single Action design

HK are similiar to Glocks, but not sure about the limp wrist factor.

Berettas 92s POS: parts cheap, reliable, not as accurate to Sigs
Berettas 92 NEG: big grip

For the $$, go with the Glock if you can get past the "plastic/molded polymer" portion.  If you're a traditionalist, and $ is not a issue, go with a Sig.

You might also want to check out the CZ-75, it is pretty good also.

Good Luck!

Forgot to post this earlier, but my friend has a 92 just like mine but with the Crimson trace grips. For the money this is an excellant laser combo. I just prefer not to use them. I thought about it when I saw the pic of the one above.

I think Davidsons is haveing a clearance sale on the Berretas so if anyone is interested give me a shout and I'll send ya one to your FFL or come by if your in the NM area. I could sell one local for around 500 I believe.

Glock 19 or 17.  I have both and love both.  Hi-caps are costly but available.  The Glock 19 was the first pistol I purchased and 8 pistols later it is still my favorite.

Lots of good advice here.
Jaggernaut says to ignore the Ruger, I dont agree. It is a fine pistol for the money, mine is accurate and reliable. The trigger is it`s weak point. After all Jagger`s taste run to the tacticle side of retail.[;)]
I would go for the Glock first becuase of it`s lightwieght. Berretta`s are very large and heavy.
Browning makes a fine pistol
HK is sharing the top of the heap with SIG
The Sig is also heavy compared to the HK.
Walthers 99 looks like a frog but people love them. I wasnt thrilled with the trigger.
Stay far away from anything made by S&W, gun dealers will try very hard to sell them. If you go into a gun store and start asking questions, expect to get wrong answers. If they try to bring out a S&W for your approval, politley tell him to sell that to someone less informed.  

I'll give another thumbs up to Ruger.  I have a P95 that I carry every day.  When I purchased it, it was the best I could afford.  Since then I have thought about buying a different 9mm, but I have not found one that shoots better for me or is more reliable.  I have about 5,000 rounds through it with no failures to feed or other malfunctions of any kind.  I have put many rounds through various sigs, glocks, and berettas, all are excellent firearms, and if you can afford it then look at all of them.  However don't feel shortchanged if all you can justify is a ruger.  The original 15rd Ruger mags are fairly easy to find and reasonably priced, and with a Hogue slip on grip it fits my hand very well.  Mine will print 2" at 15 yards all day firing pretty rapidly, and is very easy to control.  By the way my DA pull while fairly long is very smooth, equal too or better than the previous guns I mentioned.  By the way the 45cal version P97 is also very nice, and as an added bonus it fits the same holsters.

Have him try the guns too. When I was looking several years ago, a browning HP had a perfect feel in my hand, the sig very good too.  The glock just didn't do it(and I shot it like dog dodo too).  But the best advice came from an old aquaintance that happened to be walking by while I was checking some out at a gun show - "just get a 1911".  I did and I'm glad.  Note how the 9's are a glut on the market as the switch to .40 goes on.

For plinking get a .22!
For defense get a .40 or larger!
For prices etc. go to a gunshow or gunshop!

I'm glad someone finally said something nice about RUGERS! My P94 DAO with twin 15 round mags was feeling inadequate among all the Glock's, Beretta's, Sig's, etc.  Get the best you can afford...In my case it was the Ruger...American made, good shooter, never a misfire, great value....but sexy it is not.

I shot a boat load of 9mm's before buying one.

I followed the advise I got here and bought the one that felt the best in my hands and the one I shot the most accurate with.

It was a Ruger P89. $350 out the door brand new. I have shot about 250 rounds throught it so far without a single problem.

My second choice was the Glock 19.

Good luck with your search :-)

Sig P226 is a real work-of-art.  Feels just right in this dog's paws.  Craftmanship is excellent.  Never had problems with it. Like lay's potato chips, you can't just have one!   [:D]

-RoadDog

I prefer the Sig P226 or P228. I also have a Beretta 92FS and a Glock 19, but I don't like them as well. At any rate, I hope that you are happy with whichever 9mm you purchase. With the best loads, it will stop an attacker as good as any .40 or .45.

Tyler