In 9mm have the Beretta 92, CZ 75B, CZ 85 Combat, and Browning Hi Power. I have a very hard time finding any interest in polymer guns, so I don't presently have any. (Some of us are mentioning the Hi Power (you can get 15 round mags for them) which is possibly out of your price range unless you get a pristine used one which would be at the upper end of your price range, or a slightly less than perfect used one in the $600-$700 range.) Of these, I'd recommend you be sure to check out the CZ 85 Combat or Browning Hi Power for your stated purposes. I love the HP but I'd probably give the CZ a tiny edge in pure utility, fit/feel, and shooting enjoyment. If I were to put a 9mm on duty as a HD handgun instead of a .357 (I'm not going to do that), it'd probably be the Hi Power because it's so intuitive somehow in the way it operates for me.
If you find that you hold some special appreciation for the HP after you fondle it, that might sway your choice. Ideally you should try to shoot both (all of your candidates, actually) and see which appealed to you most. For me and my guns, the Beretta would be my last choice because I just don't find it to be in the class with the others ergonomically. Perfectly fine gun, reliable, the smoothest slide action of any (but my least favorite trigger due to the slop), accurate enough and all, but compared to how the CZs and Hi Power fits me, the 92 feels like the box that a good-fitting gun might have came in.
But that's why it's important to test-fire the candidates before you buy, if possible. If you can't do that, at least you need to handle them.
This thread needs pitchurs!
