Choose from these four 9 mm autoloaders

[pblanc]

Choose one of the above. This is my short list for a striker-fired, polymer-frame 9mm carry pistol. I would especially like to hear opinions from those who have owned, or at least fired, one of the above, or preferably more than one of the above. Don't bother telling me to buy a Glock instead.

 

[LeonCarr]

Sig P320, because it is the one that is most like a Glock .

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[Jim Watson]

I have handled a P320 and shot Steyr M9A1 and PPQ.
Of those three, PPQ.
Never even touched a VP9.

 

[BYJO4]

I shot a Walther PPQ the other day and was impressed with it. While the trigger pull is long, the pull is much lighter than other guns in its class which gave me much better groups.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I bought a VP9 on Saturday. It's a great shooter. I took it out of the box, cleaned the factory goop out of the action, put the grip inserts into it that I wanted, and then put 300 rounds through it.

Hitting a pie plate sized target at 30 yards wasn't terribly difficult. 20 yard fast shots were easy to keep on target. 10 yard shots were not a challenge at all. It's my first full sized striker gun, and I like it.

FYI, with the night sights and third magazine, the LE model is worth the extra money.

 

[modifiedbrowning]

Walther PPQ.

 

[jjones45]

Ergonomics: vp9>ppq>p320
Trigger: ppq>p320>vp9
Accuracy: ppq>p320>vp9
Overall: ppq>p320>vp9 (but only by a little)
This is just my personal experience. I never shot the steyr. I'm capable of shooting 1 hole groups with the ppq, the only other guns I've ever done that with are the Cz75 and 1911 and those both being single action full size guns say a lot about the 4" ppq. Here's a video of a guy who shoots 4 out of 5 shots in the same exact hole at 25 yards with the ppq. You can skip to the ppq footage at the 13:50 mark. He later talks about it at the 17:25 mark.
http://youtu.be/L6VAkUySFe0

 

[pblanc]

Thanks jjones, and others for the feedback.

I recently bought a full-sized SIG P320 in .45 ACP but have only put around 150 rounds through it as yet. I also shot 50 rds through a full-size P320 in .40 cal earlier this year and I shot both pretty well (for me). The medium sized full-length P320 grip module seems to fit my hand perfectly.

I have shot 50 rds through a HK VP9 and one magazine load through a HK VP40. Both were very fine pistols. They did not seem to fit me quite as well as the P320, but one was a range rental and the other borrowed from a fellow shooting next to me at the range so I was not at liberty to swap back straps or side panels.

I have not been able to shoot a Walther PPQ 9 but hope to get the chance. I have pawed over a couple and it seemed to fit me a little better than the HK VPs.

I have also handled the Steyr but I don't really expect to get a chance to shoot one unless I buy it. It was very comfortable in my hand and I rather liked the trapezoidal sights. How they would work in practice is an unknown.

 

[jjones45]

Also don't count out the p99. It's what the ppq is based on. If you get the ppq and really like it, like most who buy it, you'll find yourself intrigued with the p99. I also think it's a little more safe or less likely to have a unintentional discharge because of the slightly more definitive trigger wall and da mode option. The same guy does a video on the p99 and explains this. It's a lot shorter and to the point than the ppq video. He also show the accuracy of the p99 as he puts shots right on top of each other. The p99 is on my short list of handguns I will be acquiring in the near future.
http://youtu.be/GRZPKd6R6Hw

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I have shot 50 rds through a HK VP9 and one magazine load through a HK VP40. Both were very fine pistols. They did not seem to fit me quite as well as the P320, but one was a range rental and the other borrowed from a fellow shooting next to me at the range so I was not at liberty to swap back straps or side panels.

Once you get the backstrap and side panels in that suit you, the ergos are pretty nice. I wear xl gloves and have thin fingers. So I put the largest backstrap and right side panel in to fill my palm, but left the smallest in the left side so my fingers can wrap around the grip adequately. Fits me like a glove now.

Be advised that the trigger trough may pinch your trigger finger if your digits are sausage like. Thin fingers work best for the VP9.

 

[pblanc]

Yes the VP9 did indeed pinch my finger. My fingers are not exactly sausages, but they are not the thinnest either.

I don't think I would rule out the pistol on this basis alone as I suspect an adjustment in trigger finger position might solve it and I don't shoot hundreds of rounds at a time. But it is a bit of a negative.

 

[CTGunner]

Vp9 because it is 100 percent reliable, incredibly accurate, and is built to a high quality standard. I have 4k rounds through the VP9 with zero malfunctions. Also, holster availability is now pretty solid. Good luck deciding.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Yes the VP9 did indeed pinch my finger. My fingers are not exactly sausages, but they are not the thinnest either.

I don't think I would rule out the pistol on this basis alone as I suspect an adjustment in trigger finger position might solve it and I don't shoot hundreds of rounds at a time. But it is a bit of a negative.

I think you're right.

When I first shot my HK45 my finger had a blister afterwards. It made me realize how sloppy I was with my trigger control despite hitting my target. My finger was sliding all over. I slowed down, learned the trigger break and reset, and then worked on my speed. No more pinching.

Not saying that's what was going on for you, just sharing my HK experience.

 

[Girodin]

I wonder how many of those responding have ever even held all four guns let alone used them enough to form meaningful opinions.

 

[thewillweeks]

I voted, but I wanna say I've not handled any of these before so I'm going on my research and readings about them. Just my .02 cents.

 

[Louca]

Be advised that the trigger trough may pinch your trigger finger if your digits are sausage like. Thin fingers work best for the VP9.

But the opposite is also true: my friend has fat fingers and the trigger does not hurt his fingers; I have thinner fingers and it pinches my trigger finger. For that reason, I got a PPQ for 9mm and love it. I have an HK45C that I love and I really wanted the VP9 to work, and I tried everything I could think of to make it not pinch, but nothing worked. So I bought the PPQ and have been VERY happy with it.

I wonder how many of those responding have ever even held all four guns let alone used them enough to form meaningful opinions.

That is a valid question to ask since any response to the poll sort of implies all of them were tested. But I am guessing many who answered the poll had not handled and fired all four. The reason I replied anyway is just to provide my input between the two I tested. So in full disclosure, I only tested the VP9 and the PPQ.

 

[Candyman87]

Own a PPQ M2, and have shot the VP9. Want to get my hands on a P320. Never even seen the Steyr in person.

That being said: the VP9 and the PPQ are both GREAT guns. If the VP9 came out first, I'd have one of those instead. They both have excellent ergonomics and shoot very well. But between the two, I greatly prefer the PPQ, mostly due to the trigger.

 

[LeonCarr]

I have handled all four, and to be completely honest the PPQ had the best trigger but better ergonomics for my hand and the 2nd place trigger pull is why I chose the P320 in this poll.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I wonder how many of those responding have ever even held all four guns let alone used them enough to form meaningful opinions.

That is a good point, and it illustrates the how biased these polls are.

I have handled all four guns. The VP9 felt best to me in the hand, so that's what I bought. I have not shot the other three guns. so naturally, I voted for the VP9.

These polls are biased by experience limitations.

 

[pblanc]

That is a good point, and it illustrates the how biased these polls are.

I have handled all four guns. The VP9 felt best to me in the hand, so that's what I bought. I have not shot the other three guns. so naturally, I voted for the VP9.

These polls are biased by experience limitations.

Yes, the point is well-taken. The VP9, PPQ, and P320 are all very high quality handguns and anyone who has shot only one of the three is bound to choose that pistol.

The Steyr has almost certainly been shot by fewer than the other three. It seems to have almost a cult following, and those who own it seem to really like it.

 

[rbernie]

The Steyr has almost certainly been shot by fewer than the other three. It seems to have almost a cult following, and those who own it seem to really like it.

Like me.

The Steyr is really the only competitor to the Glock in terms of ergos/grip angle. The other two are not - they sport more 'conventional' ergonomics. If you shoot Glocks well but don't want a Glock - get the Steyr. If you don't like the Glock grip angle so much, then y'all should probably take the Steyr off the list for consideration.

 

[bannockburn]

I didn't vote as while I have checked out three of the four the only one I have a lot of experience with is the Steyr M9. Liked the M9 at the time that I got it (and still do), for it's great ergonomics; the way my hand just sort of slid into the grip frame, much like a hand in glove sort of feeling. I found the trigger more to my liking than that of a Glock, was intrigued by the trapezoidal sights, and liked the option of having the trigger guard safety. Factory mags are still available for it (I believe they also work in the M9A1), and are quite reasonably priced (CDNN has them for $24.99). If I were looking for another 9mm. from the ones you have listed I would probably go with the HK VP9.

 

[Grunt]

I have 2 out of the 4 (VP9 and Steyr M9-A1) and the choice between those two I prefer the VP9. No other polymer combat handgun outside of HK is nearly as customizable combining replaceable backstraps as well as various size grip panels. Mine has also been reliable, and is a freakin' laser beam in the accuracy department!
The Steyr has had a few failures to extract/eject early on but I am inclined to believe that this can be attributed to a break in period as it became increasingly rare as round counts went on. Just for an added measure, I am adding a 1911 plunger spring to the extractor spring to add extra tension for more reliable extraction. It does have a very Glock/Luger type grip angle so keep that in mind when you make your choices as to weather or not that will work for you. Also, the sights are a love it or hate it affair but they are replaceable with traditional style night sights if you don't like them. I'm don't consider bore axis to be as big of a deal as many make it out to be but if low bore axis is a priority for you, the Steyr has one of the lowest out there.
A Walther PPQ (M1 variant of course) is next on my list of striker fired 9mm pistols to get. It's most often compared to the VP9 that I love and I am really interested in how well it performs in comparison. There is debate as to which has the better trigger and that's a personal preference but it is still considered to be one of the best in the striker fired triggers. I still think lacking the interchangeable panels that it's not as customizable as the VP9 but the ones I've handled still seemed to be very ergonomic.
As for the Sig P320, I've only handled one in the store. To be honest, it never really blew my skirt up. I'm not really sure what it is about it but the American made Sigs just never caught on with me.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

But the opposite is also true: my friend has fat fingers and the trigger does not hurt his fingers; I have thinner fingers and it pinches my trigger finger. For that reason, I got a PPQ for 9mm and love it. I have an HK45C that I love and I really wanted the VP9 to work, and I tried everything I could think of to make it not pinch, but nothing worked. So I bought the PPQ and have been VERY happy with it.

Odd. Well, perhaps I'm wrong and it has more to do with grip size and trigger control.