What is the quintessential american 9mm pistol?

The quintessential American pistol isn't a 9mm; it would have to be the 1911 in .45 ACP.

I guess that the S&W Model 39 would take the cake if one had to choose a 9mm pistol, seeing as it was the first one to enter production in the US. Interestingly, the similar Model 59 was the first "wondernine", i.e. a 9mm pistol incorporating a double action trigger and double stack magazine.
 
i dont think 9mm is a very american caliber, to me it would go
single action revolver in .45LC
1911 in .45ACP
and double action revolver in .38 special (cause so many cops carried them)

and thats all i would list as quintessential american handguns
 
Hi Powers were never made in America. Having said that, a couple of clones were produced in very small quantities, the latest being Famco which is available as a frame and slide.
 
I can remember the howls of outrage when the americans decided to go with 9mm for the military. Every other month the gun mags had stories on how the 9mm was inferior to the 45 in every aspect. I don't think the 9mm REALLY took off until after it was adopted by the military. Back then the police were still using either revolvers or 1911's. 9mm may be the cartridge of choice nowdays (argueably), but it didn't come without a lot of kicking and screaming.
 
dogzilla said:
I can remember the howls of outrage when the americans decided to go with 9mm for the military. Every other month the gun mags had stories on how the 9mm was inferior to the 45 in every aspect. I don't think the 9mm REALLY took off until after it was adopted by the military. Back then the police were still using either revolvers or 1911's. 9mm may be the cartridge of choice nowdays (argueably), but it didn't come without a lot of kicking and screaming.
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Substantially more rounds in the magazine didn't hurt either.

I assume the follow up thread to this one will be titled "what's the quinessential european .45 pistol"
 
If you ask me it would be one of the domestically produced CCW intended subcompacts in 9x17mm.
 
9mm is not American never was and never should be, just ask mister Luger. The .45 in the right hands will best the 9mm. If the men of today can't handle a real fire arm , and require, large capacity mags, they should have .22 lr. Same goes for the mouse guns in .223.
 
well, my 1970 SEALS manual( the basic) lists the s&w 39 as issued kit- and i know that it was the seals request that it be provided with a double stack magazine after field trials, which evolved into the 59, way back when- i remember seeing an UNMARKED 59 in Borotto's sporting goods( too young to buy , just hanging out- and no money at that age) - i found out years after it was a trials gun - that's why there were no markings- and the 39 was the basis for the "hush puppy"
one of the first things a company operator was told to do was to "get rid of" the bhp- and get a 45- not so much as effectiveness, as more to "blend in"- the company thought issuing the bhp to its field ops was a good idea as the whole area used to be french, but in actuality, it marked the wearer as an operator- with the 45 you were just an ordinary joe
 
The US Army was impressed by the German P-38 in WWII, and asked Smith & Wesson to develop a 9mm self-loader with a double-action mechanism. They intimated that they would replace the Government Model 1911A1 with the new gun. The Model 39 was the eventual outcome in the mid-fifties. The military changed its institutional mind, and S&W was stuck with the pistol. They aggressively marketed the gun to police, and eventually it caught on. It took decades for Americans to accept the idea. There's still a big debate about the effectiveness of the cartridge, and it's hard to imagine Americans moving very far away from the home-grown .45ACP, even if the standard sidearm is in 9mm.
 
S&W 59 gets my vote. I bought one when they first were manufactured. Had to buy the nickel model because the blue one's were restricted to the police and military. It was a real big deal when they became "mainstream".
 
i would have to say the glock . The number sold in the US made it one of the most common gun and they have spawn a complete sub-industry
 
I thought I knew what quintessential meant, but I looked it up and I was incorrect. It means: 1) purest and most perfect form, manifestation or embodiment of quality etc. 2) highly refined extract. Thus, the quintessential American 9mm pistol must be a European import, probably a SIG, but my vote would be for a Browning Hi-Power which like the 1911 is difficult to improve upon.
 
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