Tallball
Member
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2014
- Messages
- 7,813
I bought both of these in the past couple of months. I think I posted about them before I shot them, or before I shot them much. Here are quick range reports, in case either handgun might be of interest to you:
Alfa Proj AL9 - I wanted an inexpensive medium-framed 9mm revolver to practice with. It was $443 OTD. It's made in the Czech Republic. RIA is importing them. It has a 3" barrel. The adjustable sights are a bit tall and narrow. The black rubbery grips seem medium-sized, but somehow I can cram my pinky onto them, which is rare for my XXL hands. I wasn't impressed by the finish or trigger. It fits in a S&W k-frame holster just fine.
I've shot about 150 rounds through it now, over the course of three range trips. My friend did some of the shooting. It went bang every time. The moonclips work fine. The empties come out easily, so I didn't use the moonclips much. I got used to the sights easily. The SA trigger is pretty decent. The DA trigger is awfully stiff, but my friend shot a couple of cylinders of nice DA groups with it, so I guess I need to practice harder. The finish isn't as bad as I originally thought. The barrel color doesn't match the frame color exactly, but I haven't managed to scratch it yet.
The AL9 seems okay. On the one hand, it's uglier and has a worse trigger than a medium-framed Taurus. On the other hand, the alternative is a S&W that would be about $1,100 OTD. It's already okay for SA practice. I'm going to experiment with mainsprings. If I can find a substitute mainspring that gives the AL9 a decent DA trigger, it will be fine for any kind of plinking or practice.
Springfield XD9 - It's a double-stack 9mm pistol, smaller than a "compact" but larger than a "micro". It's striker-fired, has a polymer frame, and a ten-round magazine. There's no manual safety; it has a grip safety. I got it used for $277 OTD.
I've shot about 150 rounds through it now, over the course of three range trips. My friend did some of the shooting. It went bang every time. The ergos are good for both of us. The sights are good for both of us. We both liked the trigger a LOT. It's light and crisp and excellent. We both shot it very well. Shooting them back-to-back, I didn't shoot my 9mm 1911 a lot better.
I'm extremely pleased with this pistol. They're also available as single stacks, and full-sized, in 9mm, 40, and 45acp (IIRC). I'm guessing that the used ones are super cheap right now because they seem a little outdated and may be replaced soon? If you want an inexpensive service pistol with a nice trigger, you might consider looking at one.
Alfa Proj AL9 - I wanted an inexpensive medium-framed 9mm revolver to practice with. It was $443 OTD. It's made in the Czech Republic. RIA is importing them. It has a 3" barrel. The adjustable sights are a bit tall and narrow. The black rubbery grips seem medium-sized, but somehow I can cram my pinky onto them, which is rare for my XXL hands. I wasn't impressed by the finish or trigger. It fits in a S&W k-frame holster just fine.
I've shot about 150 rounds through it now, over the course of three range trips. My friend did some of the shooting. It went bang every time. The moonclips work fine. The empties come out easily, so I didn't use the moonclips much. I got used to the sights easily. The SA trigger is pretty decent. The DA trigger is awfully stiff, but my friend shot a couple of cylinders of nice DA groups with it, so I guess I need to practice harder. The finish isn't as bad as I originally thought. The barrel color doesn't match the frame color exactly, but I haven't managed to scratch it yet.
The AL9 seems okay. On the one hand, it's uglier and has a worse trigger than a medium-framed Taurus. On the other hand, the alternative is a S&W that would be about $1,100 OTD. It's already okay for SA practice. I'm going to experiment with mainsprings. If I can find a substitute mainspring that gives the AL9 a decent DA trigger, it will be fine for any kind of plinking or practice.
Springfield XD9 - It's a double-stack 9mm pistol, smaller than a "compact" but larger than a "micro". It's striker-fired, has a polymer frame, and a ten-round magazine. There's no manual safety; it has a grip safety. I got it used for $277 OTD.
I've shot about 150 rounds through it now, over the course of three range trips. My friend did some of the shooting. It went bang every time. The ergos are good for both of us. The sights are good for both of us. We both liked the trigger a LOT. It's light and crisp and excellent. We both shot it very well. Shooting them back-to-back, I didn't shoot my 9mm 1911 a lot better.
I'm extremely pleased with this pistol. They're also available as single stacks, and full-sized, in 9mm, 40, and 45acp (IIRC). I'm guessing that the used ones are super cheap right now because they seem a little outdated and may be replaced soon? If you want an inexpensive service pistol with a nice trigger, you might consider looking at one.
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