9MM PISTOL BUYER'S GUIDE

One of the most difficult decisions to make when opting to get into handgun shooting is what gun to purchase. With a metric ton of options ranging from literally a couple hundred dollars right up to many thousands, it can be a daunting task for those unaccustomed to the pistol world; a market dominated by jargon and vague discussion about things like bore-axis', firing mechanisms, trigger pulls, and even ammo. 9mm ammo will fit a 9mm gun but not all brands are made equal. We will be focussing on the gun review in this article, an ammo review for 9mm handguns is something you can do at a later date.

We gathered up nine of the most popular and oft-discussed 9mm handguns, roughly 1,500 rounds of ammunition, and went to the range. In order to help dispense of all that excess lead, we brought a trio of shooters along of varying skill levels to try and obtain the most comprehensive overview of each gun, and what sort of person would be best served by each. The trio included Calibre's publisher Daniel Fritter, a thoroughly mediocre pistol shooter, Richard Van Leersum, a relative new-comer to the handgun world, and Rob Engh, Canada's #2 ranked IPSC production class shooter.

Each gun was shot by each member of the team, and notes were gathered after each rotation on each gun. Afterward, we discussed the specific standout features of each gun and what sort of market would best appreciate those features. These are our findings.

Sig Sauer P226 Combat - The Navy SEALs JTF2 Gun...

Few pistols carry the same cachet as the Sig Sauer P226. Most famously selected by the US Navy SEAL program as their chosen sidearm, the P226 is also the standard issue sidearm for the select members of Canada's own elite special operations unit, Joint Task Force 2. Those are some pretty decent references.

A hammer-fired double to single action (DA/SA) semi-automatic pistol, the P226 is an all-metal gun with an aluminium frame, with a steel slide and internal components. In the case of our P226 Combat, the frame has been anodized a bronzish tone that Sig calls Flat Dark Earth, which is complimented by a pair of actual Flat Dark Earth plastic grips (with the famous Sig and P226 logos embossed on each side, of course) and a stainless steel slide with a black Nitron finish. Up top, Siglite Night Sights with tritium ensure a decent sight picture in a dark environment which could prove handy if you're either A) an actual member of JTF2 or, B) dedicated enough to shoot at your unlit local range in the dead of winter when it gets dark at 6 pm. Slightly more useful to most will be the additional M1913 rail on the dust cover, while those that shoot in inclement weather will enjoy knowing that their P226 Combat has the exact same internal anti-corrosion coating as the Navy SEALs' and JTF2's guns. And everyone will like the short reset trigger.

In testing, the P226's shooting performance was precisely as you'd expect; with a reputation for exceedingly high levels of quality it proved one of the most accurate guns we had on hand. In the hands of our experience shooter, Rob, the Sig performed well and the short-reset trigger assembly earned praise for both the nature of its reset and it's smooth, snatch-free double action pull. And since it's designed to be a full-size, no compromise fighting handgun, there's plenty of mass to soak up recoil and tame the muzzle flip which will help intermediate or even beginner shooters.

We also quite like the layout of the controls as well, which again, is owed to the Sig's combat-oriented design. A relatively spartan gun, the Sig relies on a simple decocker to be safely carried, which drops the hammer against an internal stop approximately an eighth of an inch away from the firing pin. When the trigger is pulled, this stop moves, and the hammer is allowed to continue forward completely to strike the firing pin. As a result, there's no real need for a safety on this gun, which means you can work your hands as high as possible without worrying about snapping the safety on accidentally. Similarly, the slide stop is located in the middle of the grip, which prevents any wayward hand parts from getting atop of it by accident and allowing the slide to carry forward on an empty chamber. However, when you do want to get a hold of it to release the slide, it's in the perfect position to be manipulated by the strong hand thumb of a broken grip and its rearward position means you get lots of leverage to depress it.

Unfortunately for us, the test and evaluation gun provided suffered from a weak extractor spring, which in turn meant anything less than aggressive rapid fire left the fired round in the chamber. The extractor itself was fine. But this did hamper our impressions with the gun, as constantly clearing double-feed malfunctions meant it stayed on the shooting bench more than many others. However, a quick search online after our range test did demonstrate that parts are incredibly easy to come by and a factory Sig replacement part would cost all of $5. Furthermore, due to the popularity of the P226, there's no shortage of accessories such as grips, sights, magazines and holsters for these guns.

Norinco NP22 - The Cheap Copy for Canadians Only

They say that "if you build it, they will come." Well, in the case of products, that phrase should probably read "if you build it, China will copy it." And so we have the NP-22.

Essentially a clone of the Sig Sauer P226, the NP-22 mimics the design of the pre-1994 P226 in almost every way, but significantly undercuts the cost of the Sig product by roughly $1,000. In fact, since we couldn't source out a proper Norinco testing and evaluation gun, we simply went out to purchase this exact one for this review, and found a kit for $379 that included the gun, two magazines, and an Uncle Mike's Tactical holster and double magazine pouch. And while that already sounds like a screaming deal, consider this: bought separately, the cheapest aftermarket magazine we could find, that holster, and that magazine pouch would cost you somewhere in the neighbourhood of $90 or more. That makes the NP22 itself worth about $290 bucks!

So what do you get for that insubstantial sum? Well, basically a gun that runs and operates in an identical fashion to the Sig (in our case, more reliably due to the Sig's extractor spring issue!), but obviously lacks refinement. The aluminium frame is brushed and anodized for a unique finish that comes closest to emulating a terribly blued steel finish, the trigger feels like it's being lubricated by sand, and the decocker was fitted in such a manner that friction between it and the frame prevented it from springing back up if it was pressed with the slide locked open. The guide rod and barrel both had strange brass-coloured dings near the muzzle end of the gun, and the painted dots on the sights were distinctly yellowish, rather than white.

But, for all its flaws, the Norinco handled hundreds of rounds through it without a hiccup. It always loaded and chambered rounds well, it always went bang, and when it was done it always locked open. The only things that significantly impacted the way the Norinco could be shot were the generally crappy grips that flexed against one another on the rear of the pistol, and the trigger that was terrible for that double-action first shot, being both heavy and gritty. Single action was better, and the NP22's reset was surprisingly short with a decent amount of feedback. All in all it was significantly better to shoot that it was to look at.

The communist copy of a gun originally produced in West Germany, anything with Norinco crudely etched into its side will always be the unrivalled value leader in the Canadian market, and the NP22 is no different. Although crudely finished, the biggest deficiencies with the NP22 are its simple lack of finishing work, and with a few changes like better grips and some simple trigger work it can be a perfectly serviceable pistol. Furthermore, due to their ridiculously cheap prices, they're a great gun to buy as your first gun, especially if you're prone to tinkering. They'll teach you about gun assembly and mechanics as well as cleaning and lubrication, won't devalue with each errant scratch they get, and should you ever upgrade to the real deal you'll already have the manual of arms down and have probably accrued a few accessories that'll work with the real thing such as holsters and magazines. And when you outgrow it and want something nicer, they make a great loaner gun for those "never shot a gun before" friends that always seem to crop up whenever you mention you're going to the range! However, if you're not inclined to address the issues nor interested in ever making the leap to the real thing, there's some merit in saying you may be better off simply opting for something from a higher quality manufacturer on the used market.

Ruger SR9 - The Affordable One for Small Hands

Look down at the two hands holding this magazine. Chances are, they're your hands, and if they're relatively small this is quite simply the gun for you.

The first of the polymer framed, striker-fired entries, the Ruger SR9 is the prototypical Ruger product: logically thought out, and having been made to find the sweet spot between quality and price. Using a striker-fired mechanism that is similar to that found within the famous Glock pistols, the Ruger features a similarly conventional cam-block recoil-operated tilt-lock system, and fits it all within the thinnest polymer frame available on a full-size handgun.

But in grand Ruger fashion, they've managed to fit quite a few features into the SR9 that many users will undoubtedly appreciate. A prominent loaded chamber indicator is one such addition. Its completely ambidextrous low-profile thumb safeties and an ambidextrous magazine release are two others. The SR9 is also the only gun in its class to have a rear sight that adjusts for elevation, and the soft rubber insert along the backstrap of the pistol can be removed and reversed for either an arched or flat backstrap, and is quite comfortable. It also has a magazine safety that prevents firing without a magazine inserted, but Ruger has been kind enough to manufacture the gun in such a way that this magazine-operated striker block can be easily removed without a gunsmith, so dry-fire practice without a magazine inserted is easily accommodated.

With a magazine loaded, the SR9 is a relatively easy gun to shoot well, with a good sense of balance in the hand and one the best triggers you're liable to find on a striker-fired gun. Lighter, shorter, and to some shooters quite simply better than the double action pulls of either the 92A1 and Sig P226, it breaks perfectly every time and has a super short, super positive reset. It's not the most accurate gun ever, but it's not really designed for tack-driving either, so it's hard to begrudge it a slightly larger group. Especially when the incredibly high tang allows for a nice, high grip that makes follow up shots and rapid fire so easy.

What makes the trigger on the SR9 even more impressive is the fact that it's actually the result of an assembly process that's been thoroughly streamlined to reduce cost. Look inside an SR9 and you'll see that only those surfaces that absolutely must be machined have been; the rest are left with a very smooth cast finish. Stampings are used as much as possible, such as in the case of the ambidextrous thumb safety, slide stop, and even the take-down pin, which uses a stamped flange on one side for retention. Even the calibre, which is artfully engraved on the breech block on other affordable guns like the M&P9, is simply laser-etched into the cast finish. And the entire thing is assembled in components. The trigger group is assembled separately from the fire control group, and both distinct pieces are installed in the frame and connected up, rather than mated and installed as one piece.

But the Ruger isn't for everyone. Due to the extremely small nature of its grip, and the truly ambidextrous nature of its magazine release, it doesn't work all that well for people with big hands. Being located relative close to the trigger and being quite prominent, it's relatively easy to depress the magazine release during a shooting string with the strong hand, which in turn drops the magazine right there on the firing line. Few things make you feel like a bigger idiot.

For just shy of $500 for the pistol and two magazines, the Ruger isn't shy about its budget friendly aspirations. This isn't the sort of pistol that people aspire to own, nor is it likely to draw any longing and jealous glances when you uncase it at the range... but what it will do is pound out hundreds of rounds without any problem. Take it, drop it, beat on it, shoot the crap out of it, hose it down with brake cleaner, dab a little motor oil on the rails, and repeat. Simple, rugged, and utterly reliable these things just do not quit, so if high-volume shooting is something that may be in your future such as you may encounter on a lot of tactical pistol courses, this is a great low-cost alternative.

Beretta 92A1 - Big Battle-Tested Bertha

While the Sig P226 enjoys the fame that comes from serving with the world's best-known special operations unit (the Navy SEALs) and what we proudly regard the world's most effective (that'd be JTF2 in case you were curious), the Beretta M9 and M9A1 has quietly been serving on the hip of almost every US serviceman and woman since 1985, and has seen more combat than any other service pistol.

Known in civilian circles as the 92FS or 92A1 (the FS model having a conventional dust cover while the 92A1 model has a small accessory rail), the Beretta is a hammer-fired, DA/SA pistol pretty much designed expressly to fulfill military needs, and as such is the largest pistol we had on hand and one of the largest full-size pistols on the market. With an aluminium frame and a steel slide that's finished in Beretta's proprietary Teflon-laced Bruniton finish that provides easier cleaning and greater lubricity than parkerizing or bluing, the 92A1 definitely looks different than all the others, due to both its chunky stature and open topped slide. This design is beneficial in that it allows for the largest ejection port possible and makes clearing stoppages easier. It also allows for the ingress of more dust and dirt in sandy environs.

This design is made possible by one of the 92A1's other significant features: the oscillating locking block. Unlike most other modern pistols that use some variation on John Browning's tilting barrel method of lockup, most famously implemented in the 1911, the Beretta uses the same method as the old Walther P38. This relies on oscillating link pinned to the barrel with two posts that stick out horizontally on either side and engage internal recesses in the slide. During firing, these posts keep the slide and barrel locked together as they travel slightly rearward, and keeps the breech and barrel locked up just long enough to allow pressures within the barrel to reach a safe level. As the two components continue rearward and reach the limit of their travel, the internal recesses in the slide force the oscillating link to pivot downward, unlocking the slide from the barrel assembly and allowing the slide to continue rearward.

When it comes time to pull the trigger on the 92A1, that locking system, and the significantly reduced weight of the slide that it allows, means that the recoil impulse is both minimal and in-line. This, combined with the weighty nature of the relatively big gun made it a very easy gun to shoot quickly. Even the large grip, despised by many as too large, was relatively easy to get a good grip on. And the sights, a simple three-dot arrangement, were easy to acquire. The trigger, although having one seriously long and seriously heavy double action pull, is smooth throughout and comes to the rear without any discernible changes in weight. Single action's great, with a reasonably short reset and a passable amount of tactile feedback. All in all, it's easy to understand why this gun was chosen by the US military: it just works, and works well.

But there are some issues. First and foremost is the safety. Mounted on the rear of the slide the safety, which also decocks the hammer when operated, can be easily manipulated when racking the slide. More an issue for our southerly neighbours shopping for a self-defence handgun, this can be a problem for competitive shooters, and is only rectified by either judicious training or having the gun converted to a G-model by someone like Wilson Combat. This removes the snap-on, snap-off safety feature, and instead allows the safety to used as a simple spring-loaded decocker, not unlike that found on the Sig. Also, there are some disappointing plastic components too, such as the magazine release and trigger. Again, these can be replaced with a metal parts kit from various aftermarket companies, or Beretta themselves.

Walther PPX - The Smart Choice

If the Sig P226's procurement by the Navy SEALs has made it the choice of the Multicam clad, Walther's adoption by everyone's favourite spy has assured the brand's success with those that prefer cufflinks and bowties over velcro and shemaghs.

And the PPX is just the latest in a long line of pistols that could very easily be categorized as the thinking man's guns. Which is a damned good thing when it's this unappealing to the visual senses. It is a remarkably ugly gun. With a strange bent-grip polymer frame, an awkwardly high bore axis, and ridiculously large slide the PPX manages to marry inelegance with pudginess in a manner few guns ever could. But holy crap does it shoot.

Using a relatively unique system that Walther passes off in the grand German fashion of understatement as a double-action only, the PPX combines the strengths of both hammer fired and striker fired pistols to create what's probably best defined as a pre-loaded hammer fired pistol action. As the slide is racked to load the first round, the hammer is left partially cocked, and pulling the trigger completes the cocking action before tripping the sear and releasing the hammer. As the slide cycles during firing it again leaves the hammer partially cocked. This means the PPX benefits from the consistent trigger of a striker fired gun, the smooth pull and clean trigger break of a hammer fired gun, and a short trigger pull and lighter trigger weight than either.

So does it work? Well, given the first comment uttered by our resident expert was "this gun impresses the shit out of me," it's safe to say that yes... it works. In fact, the trigger on the PPX was so good, we all struggled to find much to say about the strange German plastic fantastic that didn't revolve around it's incredible bang switch. When we managed to finally to do so, we found that the oddly shaped grip fit all shapes and sizes of hands equally well, but made reloads difficult as the nearly vertical magazine well makes you think you should be inserting the magazine vertically as well. However, one it was loaded, the lack of external safeties and the design of the existing controls made it incredibly easy to operate. Although being somewhat low-profile both the take-down lever and slide stop are easy to use and well thought out. Take the take-down lever for example. Due to nothing more than it's slightly hooked shape, it naturally seems to disengage upon reassembly. That's just smart.

Which brings us to the price. Coming in a kit similar to the M&P9 and including three magazines, a holster, and a double magazine pouch all contained in the largest pistol case ever concocted by man, the PPX is actually Walther's budget gun and carries a retail price of just over $600. In order to reach this price point, Walther has devised a new method of barrel making that significantly reduces the machining time required by replacing the conventional one-piece design with a new three-piece barrel design. This design fits a round barrel into a metal-injection molded breech block, and then fits a separate steel feed ramp to the rear. Hardly a new innovation (Browning Hi-Power pistols have used two-piece barrels since 1961), the use of metal-injection molding reduces the manufacturing cost hugely without reducing reliability, if Walther's claims of 500,000 rounds of testing over three and a half years are to believed. All we know is, in our testing, it proved utterly reliable. And part of that may have been due to the barrel design: Since the barrels are obviously machined from round stock, Walther bevels all 360 degrees around the rear edge of the chamber, making the back of the barrel essentially a bullet-funnel. Again, that's just smart.

CZ75 SP01 Shadow - The Competitor's Gun

Few guns have captured the Canadian imagination like the CZ75 SP01 Shadow. Eschewed in the United States by many due to its gargantuan frame and seriously hefty weight, Americans consider the SP01 little more than a range toy of competition handgun, and have shown a preference for firearms like the Glock or M&P line that produce for competition-ready and concealed carry versions of similar firearms. But remember that Section 90 of the Criminal Code prohibits carrying a concealed weapon unless authorized for a lawful occupational purpose under the Firearms Act. In the U.S., however, you are allowed to carry a concealed weapon if you have a permit - click here to learn about concealed carry wi as an example. Up here in Canada, where the vast majority of handguns are little more than range toys or competition tools, the SP01 has become a legend.

And from the moment you pick one up you can understand why. Few things imbue a machine with the same sense of quality as raw unadulterated mass can and the CZ75 SP01 Shadow has that in spades thanks to its all-steel construction. But the investment cast steel frame does more than simply add heft, it also changes the balance of the gun, and with that chunky railed dustcover hanging underneath the muzzle the Shadow soaks up more recoil and muzzle flip than probably any other production handgun. Which isn't an accident.

See, the SP01 Shadow, although being based upon one of the most popular combat handguns in the world, pairs the natural benefits of the CZ75 platform with a few key differences intended to appeal to those participating in action shooting sports like IPSC. So what are these features? Well, the most prominent feature borrowed from the existing line of CZ75 pistols is the slide. Fitting into rails incised inside of the frame rather than outside, the Shadow's slide is not actually dramatically smaller than any other semi-automatic pistols, but does allow for a very high grip since the exposed portion of the slide is roughly half as tall. Also, this design allows for full-length rails to be employed, which makes the CZ75 an extremely long lived gun.

But to turn a CZ75 into a Shadow, CZ starts with an extremely heavy railed frame with cast-in checkering on the back and front straps, and a more heavily bevelled magazine well. Then they fit a slide with aggressive cocking serrations both fore and aft, install a finely tuned competition trigger assembly, a fiber optic front sight, and oversized controls. The result of all this work is a production gun, with a production gun price, that almost performs like one that's been worked over by a gunsmith.

So it makes perfect sense then that pulling the trigger on the SP01 is met with probably the best shooting experience you'll find in this herd of pistols. It has the lightest recoil, the best grip and grips (they're a soft, almost tacky rubber that you can really get a good hold on), the best sights, and the best trigger. It's also more accurate than probably you or I are, and will digest just about any variety of ammunition you care to feed it... it does have a design born under Soviet rule after all.

Obviously the SP01 Shadow is an excellent gun. Probably the best choice here for any aspiring IPSC competitors, the Shadow essentially gives you a leg up in the production class by coming right out of the factory with the most desirable features an IPSC competitor could want, but is probably overkill for those that intend to simply shoot for fun at a range. Also, thanks to its extreme weight and relatively light trigger, it may not be great for those looking for something to run on tactical courses where the burden of a rifle and numerous magazines can make for an already exhausting day.

Grand Power X-Calibur - The Easy One To Shoot

Although still a relative unknown on the Canadian market, Grand Power's unique design, appealing price tags, and captivating looks have seen the brand grow over the past few years, and nothing quite encapsulates those specific qualities like their top-of-the-line X-Calibur model.

The only other gun in this article specifically built for competition use, the X-Calibur's only similarities with the SP01 Shadow are that it's hammer fired and has a DA/SA trigger. Beyond that it is the antithesis of everything the SP01 is. With a lightweight polymer frame (with various interchangeable backstraps) and a cheese grater for a slide the X-Calibur is as light as it possibly can be. Even the barrel, which is oddly conical in shape, has been dramatically fluted to reduce its mass. This creates a gun that doesn't soak up recoil but instead creates less of it thanks to a significantly reduced reciprocating mass.

And it works. The Grand Power proved one of the softest shooting guns on hand (second only to the CZ), and if it weren't for a little bit of stacking near the end of the double action pull, it'd also have bested the Shadow for the best trigger pull here. It definitely has the shortest reset, and the single action break is a nice smooth rolling break; it doesn't snap like the glass rod everyone wants their rifle trigger to feel like but instead provides a ton of feedback so the break is always expected. This, combined with the excellent adjustable Ellison serrated rear sight and fiber optic front, makes it an incredibly easy gun to pick up and shoot well. It is also the only gun here that's completely ambidextrous, with massive safeties and slide releases on both sides (the magazine release can be swapped right to left).

It's mechanically brilliant too. The barrel, which has a huge circular locking lug that wraps partway around it, also has a helical ramp milled below the throat. When the gun is assembled, this helical ramp rides upon a steel pin in the lower portion of the frame, while the large circular locking lug engages the slide. As the slide is pulled to the rear, the helical ramp rides over the pin and rotates the barrel, which in turn rotates the locking lug out of its recess in the slide and unlocks the action. It's incredibly simple, and also makes for an action that has some of the largest load-bearing surfaces on the market, which should make it incredible reliable. Grand Power themselves, in an attempt to prove this, put 112,470 rounds through a basic K100 with no cleaning nor failures of any kind.

Sadly, we weren't as lucky, and had two stovepipes out of over 350 rounds. But that wasn't actually the biggest problem with the Grand Power X-Calibur. No, the biggest problem was with the safeties. Being very large, and taking very little effort to manipulate, they are prone to being accidentally moved by the shooter's thumbs. But that's not even the worst part. Accidentally nudging the safety into a particular position between fire and safe, you can end up in a situation in which the trigger will be unresponsive, but the gun will fire when the safety is pushed back down into the off position. This occurred a couple of times accidentally, and we managed to recreate it numerous times to confirm that the problem wasn't a one-off, nor something particular to one style of shooting.

And that's a big problem for some. Admittedly, in the constraints of a range-use scenario the gun should always be pointed in a safe direction, but it's still not a good thing when a gun goes bang without the trigger being pulled. But does it completely sink the X-Calibur's chances? Probably not for some. And admittedly, the light weight, light-recoiling nature of the X-Calibur made it one of the easiest gun to pick up and shoot well with. It could be driven onto a target quickly, pointed well, and was amongst the easiest to operate with either hand. But, it also cost as much as the Shadow and due to the manner in which it operates, simply doesn't feel as tight. So unless you're dedicated to shooting at a high level competitively, you may be better off opting for one of the lesser K100 models that'll save you money, while still offering that same awesome lockup system.

Smith & Wesson M&P9 - The Tinkerer's Gun

Does Smith & Wesson really need any introduction? Arguably the single most recognizable manufacturer of handguns on the planet, Smith & Wesson's effort in the arena of 9mm striker-fired pistols has been an unmitigated success, and finally gives would-be Glock owners many of the features they like about Glocks, in a package that looks decidedly un-Glock like.

Of course, the M&P9 is far more than a pretty face, and as it's "Military and Police" moniker would indicate, has a few additional features that are squarely aimed at ensuring this combat handgun gets as many procurement contracts as possible. For example, many procurement programs appreciate ambidextrous controls, so Smith & Wesson fitted the M&P with ambidextrous slide releases and a magazine release that can swapped from right to left. Similarly, many programs knew the gun would have to fit various hand shapes, so Smith & Wesson were among the first to adopt interchangeable backstraps. And although not a feature on the M&P9 range kit pictured here, some models can even be had with an external and ambidextrous thumb safety, just to meet the demands of those consumers that require such things.

But for the average consumer the main attraction of the M&P9 is, without a doubt, the price. Coming in a range kit that includes a holster and double magazine pouch from Bladetech, a MagLula UpLula magazine loader, and three magazines for just $650, you pretty much get a complete pistol starter kit, to say nothing of a gun that's rapidly becoming one of the most popular on the market. All in all, that stuff's worth well in excess of $150, and are all perfectly serviceable items, making it a wicked deal.

Sadly though, we cannot report that this is one case in which you can get both extreme value, and extreme quality. If you're trying to decide between an M&P9 or its chief competitor, the Glock 17, here's what you need to know: the M&P9 is not as good for one reason and one reason only: The trigger sucks. And we don't mean that in a "oh, compared to a well-tuned, well-run in Glock, it's not quite as good," we literally mean it sucks. It's unquestionably the worst one here. Why? Well first off its got a very long pull and it's far too heavy. Secondly, since the super high tang really lets you get your hands up on the gun, you can end up pulling on the top half of the trigger disproportionately. Normally this wouldn't be a problem but on the M&P9, the internal safety consists of a hinged trigger blade, in which a horn on the rear of the rear of the lower portion interferes with the frame if the bottom of the trigger is not depressed fully.

Otherwise, the M&P9 is utterly unremarkable, in much the same way that a Glock is. You pull that trigger, hope for the best through its ridiculous pull, and the gun will go bang. Interestingly, although it has some rattles inside the slide when you shake it, the thing feels quite well made. It has a good amount of weight to it for a polymer gun, and all the various machined surfaces are finished extremely well, such as the breech block and slide. And when you pull it apart is seems ever better, with a nice solid steel guide rod and well polished internals. Unfortunately the magazines are of the half-bodied 10 round variety rather than internally blocked, so loading them to capacity is a great way to murder your thumbs. Then again, why you would ever do that when you have an UpLula handy is beyond me!

With a frame that lends itself incredibly well to custom stippling, and a burgeoning aftermarket that's willing to provide everything from magazines to sights to (most importantly) very good trigger kits, the M&P9 comes across as a bit of a tinkerer's gun. And as more and more people adopt the M&P as their chosen platform, we expect it to see it continue to grow from the tactical market it was designed for, into a multi-faceted firearm that's equally as capable of handling a high-volume of fire tactical course as it is a competitive shooting match.

Glock 17 - The Appliance Gun

It's a Glock. What more to do you need to know?

Shaped like a brick and about as reliable, Glock pistols have set the benchmark for everything from combat handguns to competition pistols, and the fourth generation of the Glock 17 continues this trend. The founding father of the Glock brand and the most recognizable model in what is otherwise a confusing myriad of numbers and nomenclature, the Glock 17 is the brand's full-size but otherwise unadorned 9 millimetre pistol, and underpins the lineup as the closest thing to an entry level model Glock makes.

That also makes it amongst the popular Glock models, and when you're talking about one of the most popular guns from the most popular handgun manufacturer in the United States, you simply have to expect the latest model to favour evolution rather than revolution. And so the Glock 17 does. In fact, if you didn't look closely, you could easily pass it off as a slight change in the frame grip panels and nothing more. But you'd be wrong.

First and perhaps most importantly, the Gen 4 Glock 17 finally sees Glock recognize that not all hands are the same shape with the inclusion of a frame that incorporates interchangeable backstraps. Allowing customers to tailor the overall size of the grip and some of the shape, this will be a welcome change for those that found the factory Glock grip too small, while also retaining the aggressive grip angle that Glock is famous for. The other changes include similarly useful, but low-profile updates like the loaded chamber indicated (a small nub on the extractor that sits proud of the slab-sided slide when a round is chambered), a larger magazine release that's easily moved from one side to another, and a dual recoil spring assembly to increase reliability. Because you know, Glock 17s weren't already renowned for that.

Do these updates make it dramatically better? No. The Gen 3 was already an excellent gun and short of shooting laser beams it's night impossible to improve all that dramatically on it. What we found in our testing is that the Gen 4 is really just the next step in the Glock lineage. It probably won't convince many Gen 3 owners to trade up, but features like the interchangeable backstraps and wickedly grippy texturing will help lure new shooters into the fold.

Speaking of shooting, when it came time to pull the trigger on the Gen 4 the experience was, just as expected, completely predictable. Fitted with the 5.5 pound trigger connector, the striker-fired Glock trigger felt just like almost every Glock trigger before it; a consistent and short take-up followed by relatively soft but predictable break. And just like every other Glock before it, the Gen 4's ultra-short, ultra-positive reset reminded us of exactly how pronounced a reset should be, and made it incredibly easy to ride the trigger. And with a relatively low bore axis, a steep grip angle, and some pretty easy to find sights, it got pretty easy to feel good about shooting the Glock.

Which is precisely how it should be. A jack of all trades that's seemingly capable of mastering each and every one, the Glock's biggest strength is its ease of use; it's the very definition of point and shoot. Like the Honda Civic, the Toyota Corolla, the Ford F-150, the Glock 17 quite simply works when it comes to meeting the demands of its owners. Clean or dirty they can always be relied on to do what's asked of them, and for that reason alone they will continue to succeed. Perhaps the most well-rounded pistol here, Glock 17s excel in tactical course work, IPSC competition, IDPA, and 3 Gun alike. Of course, the flip side of that coin is that being such an excellent out-of-the box pistol, there's not that needs addressing on a Gen 4 Glock 17. And they aren't cheap. Costing roughly $750 at most retailers this plastic fantastic splits the difference between the M&P9 and SP01 Shadow. All in, that makes the Glock 17 something of an appliance; a tool that facilitates the experience of shooting a handgun, rather than one that dominates it.