What's you favorite Wonder Nine?
- Thread starter pirate604
- Start date
Likewise on the USP, fits me just so goshdarn well
I have always loved the USP but I prefer it in a 45
Beretta 92fs, but it's still a work in progress....
I have drooled over this pistol for so long. One or two went up for sale during the panic but I couldn't justify 5k on one.
Phat Eagle
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Fraser Valley, BC
Polymer: LOVE my Walther PPQ
Older-school: gotta give my surplus Jericho 941 some love. First pistol I shot was Her Majesty's BHP. First one I bought was a Cold War CZ-75 (an improvement on the BHP). I bought a surplus 941 a few years back, and it is a refined CZ-75. Wondernine as it gets!
Older-school: gotta give my surplus Jericho 941 some love. First pistol I shot was Her Majesty's BHP. First one I bought was a Cold War CZ-75 (an improvement on the BHP). I bought a surplus 941 a few years back, and it is a refined CZ-75. Wondernine as it gets!
I also love my P35 Inglis Hi Power, it's like an extension of my hand when I'm shooting it.
I also like the post war Manhurin built Walther Hi Power, which was made in France, after WWII and is a mix of new and old parts. At first glance it looks like a regular P38 but has the commercial Walther banner on the slide.
The other 9x19 chambered pistols I like are the M39-2 Smith and Wesson, double action only and a very nice Spanish Star
I like the S42 P-08 Parabellum (Luger) as well but even though it's in 99% condition it doesn't shoot as well as the others, but it sure is sleek.
The Beretta offerings are very nice as well but just don't fit my hand as well as the others above, so I've never kept one.
I also like the post war Manhurin built Walther Hi Power, which was made in France, after WWII and is a mix of new and old parts. At first glance it looks like a regular P38 but has the commercial Walther banner on the slide.
The other 9x19 chambered pistols I like are the M39-2 Smith and Wesson, double action only and a very nice Spanish Star
I like the S42 P-08 Parabellum (Luger) as well but even though it's in 99% condition it doesn't shoot as well as the others, but it sure is sleek.
The Beretta offerings are very nice as well but just don't fit my hand as well as the others above, so I've never kept one.
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Those were probably the PPC9s. They have the 3 position adjustable rear sight and tall patridge front sight. This one has a fixed rear sight, but same fit n finish. Very tight everywhere with the Briley barrel bushing. It's marked as a 5906.
The 80's S&W pistols are underrated. Excellent build quality, ergonomics are very good.
I always thought that one of those, built with the normal DA/SA of the 3rd Generation series would be an ideal combat pistol is the 9mm bore diameter. I toyed with building one on my own 3904 frame by using two 3904 slides welded together but the Custom Shop guys were antsy about trying it. Also, aftermarket barrels for that series dried up around 2005 or so -- just when I was exploring the option. So I let it pass.
I just loved the gun, though. The 3904 I had -- Phil Maher got it for me -- worked all the time. Phil himself carried a 6906 as his "Consular" pistol in a Miami Vice Galco Classic. For an old guy who had been on Saipan and Iwo Jima, the Colonel was a man after my own heart. I took this photo of his 6906 and the 3904 he got for me on my couch the night be "requisitioned" it from the effects of a dead Gringo resident who had passed naturally of old age. Water under the bridge now.
These performance centre guns are a whole nother breed than the original 39/59 series back in the day.
Ive owned/shot S&W autos since about 1978ish. I remember the thought then was it didnt matter what make, you couldn't get 9mm to group anyway. These PC guns put any custom gun maker on notice. These things shoot.
- Location
- West Central Alberta
I only have one handgun left now and it's a Berreta 92fs
Absolutely. My comment was general in nature though. I had a chance to play with the 900 series "value" line pistol. For what is supposed to be a cheap low end firearm they are excellent.
That 952 is shooter as well. Model 52 lines but chambered in 9. Single stack. I havnt shot one but played with one and it's very nice. I dont think too many of them made it up here.
For factory ammo these things like Atlanta Arms 115gr stuff. They also use the HAP or XTP bullets.
Agree. I still have a 39-2, a 4046 and a 4516. All are good shooters, the 40 cal is a very accurate gun, and fits me amazingly well. S&W really stepped up their games when they introduced these. Would like to have tried some of their newer stuff, but not until we get a regime change I guess. - dan
I realized that if I built my own, with an aftermarket extended barrel and the front-end from a 639 so I would have a barrel bushing, that accuracy would not be PPC accuracy. I'd have taken it though and fussed with it until it was good enough. Or maybe not. But there was no other way I'd have gotten what I wanted. Any way, it didn't matter because I never went through with the idea.
Oh Man, where do I even begin?
Chronologically speaking, the BHP Mk 3 with "Safety Firing System" (SFS) that allows the Hammer to be pushed forward into a Drop-Safe mode with a round chambered, is one of my all-time favourites made even better. Pushing the cocked Hammer forwards activates the Safety Lever upwards onto the Safe position and the pistol is now safe to carry. When you draw and swipe the Safety Lever downwards the Hammer jumps back into Fire mode and is ready to fire the first round in single-action. The SFS is an awesome system that the South Koreans have adopted with their "Lionheart" series of service pistols. Who needs single/double action when you can safely carry Hammer-down, but immediately fire a single-action shot by swiping off the Safety:
I am also a big fan of the much lesser known Fabrique Nationale/Browning BDA-9, the only "official" effort to make the BHP a Single/Double-Action pistol. Equipped with a Decocker (vice Safety) this is actually a very capable "Wonder-Nine":
Next up would have to be the CZ-75 in all of its many, many iterations, clones and copies. This one is a personal favourite - an Armalite AR-24, which is a Turkish clone of the first-generation CZ-75 produced for the 1980s US Market when Czech firearms were still verboten in the USA. A really nice (and rare) CZ-75 variant:
The Steyr GB gas piston-operated pistol was destined to become the Austrian military sidearm until a previously unknown handgun designer named Gaston Glock upset the trials applecart with a win in the early 1980s. It eats just about any ammo you feed it:
Next up on my list of favorites is the Glock 17 in all of its variant models, clones and 3D-printed desgns. This particular example is the Shadow Systems DR17 - a full-size custom Glock 17. These handguns are renowned for their reliability, durability, simplicity and accuracy. A "no fail" handgun, the G17 is a definite "Wonder-Nine":
I will also give a nod to the 1st, 2nd and (here) the 3rd Gen Smith & Wesson 5904 double-stack single/double-action handguns:
Next up in my personal stable of favourite "Wonder-Nines" is the HK VP-9 series. A very slick single/double-action handgun that was the first (?) to offer replacement Grip Panels as well as Backstraps for the ultimate in ergonomic customization:
Of course, the SIG P226 series (as well as the compact P229) must receive high praise amongst all of the "Wonder Nines" as one of the most popular handguns of all time. This variant is the German Custom Shop SIG X5 All-Around, built on a stainless slide and frame with lock-up like a bank-vault:
Any list of favorite "Wonder-Nines" has to include the more modern Smith & Wesson M&P 9 as one of the pre-eminent designs of the current-day "Polymer, Striker-Fired, Wonder-Nine" generation:
Late on the list, but that's OK because it is not a "Best to Worst" list, but rather just my personal, favorite "Wonder-Nine" designs from the late 1970s to modern day. Anyhow, the Beretta 92F is to many folks, the OG "Wonder-Nine" due to its use in the Lethal Weapon franchise of the 1980's:
Any list of modern "wonder-nines" has to include the SIG P320 polymer, striker-fired design, which has been adopted by the US and (More recently) the Canadian militaries as their standard-issue handgun:
The Czech Republic CZ P10F Optic-Ready handgun is a really strong performer that you don't hear much about. Its combination of high capacity (19 non-neutered), excellent trigger and resultant accuracy in a polymer striker-fired configuaruation make it a winner in my view:
Perhaps my favorite design of the polymer, striker-fired genre is the Walther PDP. It's combination of excellent ergonomics, absolute reliability, crisp and light trigger and outstanding accuracy make it a particularly well-rounded handgun:
Next up would be FN's entry into the polymer, striker-fired genre with their excellent FN 509 Tactical pistol. Just an terrific handgun overall, with all of the modern bells and whistles:
Last but certainly not least, I will include the somewhat low-key and obscure Steyr L9A2, which is the enhanced, follow-on to their initial polymer, striker-fired effort, the L9A1. Equipped with swappable Grip Panels as well as backstraps, the ergonomics and low bore axis make this a strong performer:
Chronologically speaking, the BHP Mk 3 with "Safety Firing System" (SFS) that allows the Hammer to be pushed forward into a Drop-Safe mode with a round chambered, is one of my all-time favourites made even better. Pushing the cocked Hammer forwards activates the Safety Lever upwards onto the Safe position and the pistol is now safe to carry. When you draw and swipe the Safety Lever downwards the Hammer jumps back into Fire mode and is ready to fire the first round in single-action. The SFS is an awesome system that the South Koreans have adopted with their "Lionheart" series of service pistols. Who needs single/double action when you can safely carry Hammer-down, but immediately fire a single-action shot by swiping off the Safety:
I am also a big fan of the much lesser known Fabrique Nationale/Browning BDA-9, the only "official" effort to make the BHP a Single/Double-Action pistol. Equipped with a Decocker (vice Safety) this is actually a very capable "Wonder-Nine":
Next up would have to be the CZ-75 in all of its many, many iterations, clones and copies. This one is a personal favourite - an Armalite AR-24, which is a Turkish clone of the first-generation CZ-75 produced for the 1980s US Market when Czech firearms were still verboten in the USA. A really nice (and rare) CZ-75 variant:
The Steyr GB gas piston-operated pistol was destined to become the Austrian military sidearm until a previously unknown handgun designer named Gaston Glock upset the trials applecart with a win in the early 1980s. It eats just about any ammo you feed it:
Next up on my list of favorites is the Glock 17 in all of its variant models, clones and 3D-printed desgns. This particular example is the Shadow Systems DR17 - a full-size custom Glock 17. These handguns are renowned for their reliability, durability, simplicity and accuracy. A "no fail" handgun, the G17 is a definite "Wonder-Nine":
I will also give a nod to the 1st, 2nd and (here) the 3rd Gen Smith & Wesson 5904 double-stack single/double-action handguns:
Next up in my personal stable of favourite "Wonder-Nines" is the HK VP-9 series. A very slick single/double-action handgun that was the first (?) to offer replacement Grip Panels as well as Backstraps for the ultimate in ergonomic customization:
Of course, the SIG P226 series (as well as the compact P229) must receive high praise amongst all of the "Wonder Nines" as one of the most popular handguns of all time. This variant is the German Custom Shop SIG X5 All-Around, built on a stainless slide and frame with lock-up like a bank-vault:
Any list of favorite "Wonder-Nines" has to include the more modern Smith & Wesson M&P 9 as one of the pre-eminent designs of the current-day "Polymer, Striker-Fired, Wonder-Nine" generation:
Late on the list, but that's OK because it is not a "Best to Worst" list, but rather just my personal, favorite "Wonder-Nine" designs from the late 1970s to modern day. Anyhow, the Beretta 92F is to many folks, the OG "Wonder-Nine" due to its use in the Lethal Weapon franchise of the 1980's:
Any list of modern "wonder-nines" has to include the SIG P320 polymer, striker-fired design, which has been adopted by the US and (More recently) the Canadian militaries as their standard-issue handgun:
The Czech Republic CZ P10F Optic-Ready handgun is a really strong performer that you don't hear much about. Its combination of high capacity (19 non-neutered), excellent trigger and resultant accuracy in a polymer striker-fired configuaruation make it a winner in my view:
Perhaps my favorite design of the polymer, striker-fired genre is the Walther PDP. It's combination of excellent ergonomics, absolute reliability, crisp and light trigger and outstanding accuracy make it a particularly well-rounded handgun:
Next up would be FN's entry into the polymer, striker-fired genre with their excellent FN 509 Tactical pistol. Just an terrific handgun overall, with all of the modern bells and whistles:
Last but certainly not least, I will include the somewhat low-key and obscure Steyr L9A2, which is the enhanced, follow-on to their initial polymer, striker-fired effort, the L9A1. Equipped with swappable Grip Panels as well as backstraps, the ergonomics and low bore axis make this a strong performer:
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Any thread that begins by discussing the remarkable history - which continues to this day - of the Wonder 9s and does not immediately pay homage to the Browning Hi-Power or acknowledge the Hi-Power's continued pre-eminence: that is a thread that deserves to be shut down by the moderators.
Moderators? Anyone? anyone?
Anyway, here is a story with what for me at least was a completely unexpected plot twist.
New shooter. Lovely lady. Not small, slender very shapely somewhat tall. Little brand new shooting gloves on her hands. You can imagine her. A dime in fact.
She has in her hands a Glock 48, one that perhaps was even bought just specifically with an intention that she would use it given how perfectly it fits in her hand. Yes, it feels very good indeed in her hand. So small. Slender. So advanced, the polymer. The Glock 48 is obviously her natural pistol.
She fires the Glock 48. She fires it surprisingly well. She looks back in shock. She is not happy. She asks if she can put it down. She does not like the Glock 48. Nor the 17.
She asked if she could try the other one. By the other one she means the full size, fuller girth hand grip late model mark III Browning hi-power. There is no way that this is the pistol for her period it is objectively too large for her. She barely gets her fingers where they need to go.
So she fires the Browning hi-power. A smile returns to her face.
This is her pistol. This clearly is the superior firearm in every respect.
The Glock 48 was decommissioned and sold for polymer scrap, funds from this went to support the re-election of J. Trudeau.
End of story.
True story except the last part.
Dueodde
Moderators? Anyone? anyone?
Anyway, here is a story with what for me at least was a completely unexpected plot twist.
New shooter. Lovely lady. Not small, slender very shapely somewhat tall. Little brand new shooting gloves on her hands. You can imagine her. A dime in fact.
She has in her hands a Glock 48, one that perhaps was even bought just specifically with an intention that she would use it given how perfectly it fits in her hand. Yes, it feels very good indeed in her hand. So small. Slender. So advanced, the polymer. The Glock 48 is obviously her natural pistol.
She fires the Glock 48. She fires it surprisingly well. She looks back in shock. She is not happy. She asks if she can put it down. She does not like the Glock 48. Nor the 17.
She asked if she could try the other one. By the other one she means the full size, fuller girth hand grip late model mark III Browning hi-power. There is no way that this is the pistol for her period it is objectively too large for her. She barely gets her fingers where they need to go.
So she fires the Browning hi-power. A smile returns to her face.
This is her pistol. This clearly is the superior firearm in every respect.
The Glock 48 was decommissioned and sold for polymer scrap, funds from this went to support the re-election of J. Trudeau.
End of story.
True story except the last part.
Dueodde
