Saturday Movies: Five Legendary Metal Frame 9mm Pistols

This week, we’re focusing on five classic metal-framed pistols in 9mm. These five handguns are all of the highest quality and use the 9mm Luger (9x19mm). The majority have been used for sport-shooting, defense and by police and military forces. This Editor has owned three and shot all five types of pistols. I can recommend them all. Metal-framed pistols have a lower centre of gravity and are heavier than Glocks or other polymer-framed guns. They tend to have a lower muzzle flip and less recoil perceived than polymer-framed guns. SIG Sauer P226 SIG Sauer P226 has a Swiss/German heritage and is a high quality, ultra-reliable single-action/double-action handgun. It has an ergonomic grip that fits well in most hands. The P226 does not have a manual safe, but it has a decocking mechanism that safely drops the hammer. This Editor has taught new shooters using a Sig P226 or Glock 17. 80% of my students preferred the Sig P226 due to its superior grip design. This meant that trainees had a better sight picture and achieved better results using the P226 than the Glock 17 The P226 also has a high level of reliability. I’ve fired over 6000 rounds with my P226 without a single jam. That’s impressive. The first video reviewing the SIG P226 has over 1.4 millions YouTube views, which indicates it is popular among pistoleros. HK P7 Series: (PSP, P7m8, P7m13). This Editor has shot a P7m8 extensively. It is incredibly accurate. It has a much lower muzzle flip due to its low bore axis. With a fixed barrel the slide moves back straight during cycling. The HK P7 semi-automatic blowback pistol was designed by German gunmaker Heckler & Koch from 1978 to 2008, and was manufactured by them. It is thin and incredibly accurate with a trigger that rivals the Glock. The P7m8 has a unique gas-delayed system that uses gas from the cartridges to retard the rearward movement of the slide. This is done by a barrel port, and a piston in a cylinder underneath the barrel. The “squeeze-cocker” is a signature feature of the P7 Series. It is located on the front grip. The firing pin is cocked by pressing the cocking lever. The weapon is fully decocked when the front of grip is released. It is safe to use with a cartridge in the chamber. Browning Hi-Power This semi-automatic single-action handgun has a legendary history. This beautiful all-metal handgun was based on a John Moses Browning design and finished by Dieudonne Sive at Fabrique Nationale in Herstal, Belgium. J.M. Browning died in 1925, several years before this design was finalized. FN Herstal originally named the design “High Power”, a reference to the 13-round capacity magazine, which is almost twice as large as other designs like the Luger or Colt M1911. The name was shortened to “Hi Power”. The Browning Hi-Power is used by police and military forces in many countries around the world. It is a well-balanced gun with a nice crisp trigger. FN Herstal announced in 2018 that the Hi-Power would cease production after 82 years. FN will resume production of the Hi-Power in 2022, so this classic will live on. CZ 75 CZ-USA’s flagship pistol, the CZ 75, has been a favorite among 9x19mm enthusiasts for over 45 years. The CZ 75 was introduced in 1975 and has remained a viable defensive pistol. CZ claims that the CZ75 is “used more by governments, militaries and police agencies around the world than any other pistol”. The CZ 75 is a very reliable pistol that works well in both IDPA and defense competitions. The ergonomics, controls, and trigger are excellent. CZ has produced many variations of the CZ75 pistol over the years, but the original remains an excellent handgun. Beretta 92FS & Military M9 The Beretta 92 series pistols are best known to Americans as the official sidearms of the American military. The United States military switched from the.45 ACP M1911A1 to the Beretta M9 in 1985. The M9, and civilian models 92/92FS, have a distinctive feature that makes them easily recognizable: the cut-away slides that expose the majority of the 9mm barrel. The metal frame has a stylish grip design. The 92FS pistols that we have shot were accurate, and the reliability was good. Over the years, there have been many upgrades and modifications. The SIG Sauer P320 polymer-framed modular pistols, adopted by the military as M17/M18 modular guns in 2017, replaced the M9. This Hickok video review of the Beretta 922FS has been viewed over 2.5 million times: