One More Thread (Requesting Opinions on three pistols)

[Suave]

Based on availability, price, etc. I think I'm looking at buying either a Glock 17 (preferrably compensated if I can find it) or a Steyr M9A1 (leaning toward the Steyr at the moment), with a Beretta 92FS trailing in fairly distant third. If anyone knows of any particular faults any of these pistols has, please inform (I've checked as many professional reviews and such as I could find, and they seem to be solid, but you never know).

[The_Dunedan]

Don't worry about a compensator on a 9mm. The recoil is negligable, and the muzzle flare from a compensated barrel will spoil your low-light vision. It also increases the noise by a significant percentage; some indoor ranges won't even allow compensated pistols for this reason. I don't personally like the Glocks, and the .40S&W versions seem to have a problem with kB-ing, but otherwise they're very good.

The Beretta is rumored to have a problem with frames cracking under moderately heavy use, but whether this is persistant or has been fixed, I don't know.

The Steyr is an excellet pistol, my Mom carries one as her primary. The only difficulty is parts. Some people also have a hard time with the fairly extreme rake of the grip, but I actually like it. The Steyr also has, IMO, the best sights of the three you mentioned.

[Suave]

Thankee. Good points made on all weapons, particularly about the compensated Glock.

[longbough]

I'm a Glock advocate. My main defense pistols are my Glock 23 (.40S&W) and my 1911s (.45).

And for personal defense 9mm is just about bare minimum but I prefer .40S&W or .45. I will state as a physician who sees a lot of gunshot wounds that there's a vast difference between the tissue damage done by a 9mm and the .45 and .40 - The difference in damage to limbs and long bones is more dramatic. 9mm seems to pass through tissue poking a clean channel more than anything else. But the .45 rips through the body and creates ugly holes where the tissue is mangled and bones are shattered. The .357 also makes very ugly wounds. I don't see as many .40 wounds, probably because, most of my cases are gang members shot by other gang members. It seems the .40 is still mainly a cop-round. But the statistics for the .40 suggest it's very close to .45.

Forget all the muzzle energy calculations and balistic gelatin studies done with various ammunition ... look at the statistics for "one shot stops" for various calibers if you want to get an idea of what to get. That being said, there's no substitute for proper training and shot placement. There's no point in using a .45 if you miss with it all day. But, IMO, the .45 is far from unmanagable.

[Suave]

I should've mentioned that, as a Canadian, I have no intention of carrying for self-defence (aside from being unneccessary, it would be quite illegal). This is purely for target shooting, and possibly competitive shooting.

[ziadel]

I wo9uld personally go for the beretta out of those choices.

The glock is a glock, so that discounts it right there
the steyr, eh, doesnt do much for me.

[chewybaca96]

All three are good choices. I have fired thousands of rounds through two Beretta 92FS pistols and love them. I currently own a Glock 17 and also have shot several thousand rounds through it and never had any issues and love the pistol and its accuracy. I have fired The Steyr and it is a good gun, though I havent used it extensively. Its almost about your own preference with the choices you're looking at.

[kel]

Try before you buy. The most important thing is that you get the one that fits your hand. Failing that, get the glock for a variety of reasons.

The 92 is a fine pistol, no durability issues, it just has a lousy DA trigger (also a very long reach) and the grip is very large. Definitely try dry firing the DA pull on the 92 before buying it.

The Glock 17, what can I say wrong about it? Well it isn't the 17L. Tons of aftermarket accessories, adequate accuracy (you won't know the difference until you get years of practice) it has a great trigger for action shooting games (steel, pins, IDPA, IPSC), has a large capacity, the grip angle well you either love it or hate it or learn to work with it). The Glock also has a higher capacity which really counts in IPSC. Compensating won't hurt, probably won't help much, but it won't hurt. The trigger has a very short reset if you have good follow through and can be lightened reasonably well. Dave Sevigny has proved that Glocks and compete at any level.

Steyr doesn't sell as many guns here so their customer service is unkown to me. Good guns, but I would wonder how difficult warranty service would be.

All are reliable, accurate, and well made. I would go with the Glock 17 or 17L.

[m1943]

I've never held a Steyr M9A1 in my hands, I understand that departures from the original Steyr M9 are mainly cosmetic. I wouldn't compare the Beretta M9 to the Steyr M9; they are guns of a different class and purspose. Steyr is smaller, lighter, and is a sort of a single action/internal striker mechanism. It can be carried with a mechanical manual safety in the "on" position, sort of a "cocked and locked" type mode. Unlike a Glock, I repeat, it has a real, mechanical, manually operated safety, with both "on" and "off" positions. It is very convenient and adds to my piece of mind. I own both the Beretta FS92/M9 pistol as well as the original Steyr M9. They are both excellent. I tend to do better with the Steyr. It would be my choice for carry. Beretta is a full size military gun. I am currently in the process of adding a threaded bbl with a heavy full-profile compensator. I have 20 and 30 round mags to run it on, as well as the original 15 and 17 round. Basically, I look at it as a heavy artillery piece, while the Steyr is light, compact, effective hand gun. Very accurate and reliable one, too. I like it much more then the Glock, though Glocks are easier to find parts and accepsories for, no doubt. In other words, Steyr is one of those best-kept secrets in handgun world. Sorry for the long answer, just had a lot to say on this topic.

[Suave]

Thanks guys.

[kel]

Don't forget that you have a moral obligation to post pictures for us...

[Slims]

They are all solid pistols.

If you are not a particularly experienced shooter I would recommend against the exotic. I.e. stay away from the steyer. The angles, sights, etc. on that weapon are very different from most other pistols. While this is not necessarily a bad thing it will make it more difficult for you to shoot the more ubiquitous glocks, etc. You will also have a hard time finding replacement parts/magazines for the steyer. I can guarantee that any gun store in the country will have extra glock magazines/springs/holsters, etc.

I use a beretta for the military and while it works, there are certain things I absolutely cannot stand about it.
Bear in mind that this is personal preference:
I hate slide mounted safeties, and I hate having to decock the pistol in order to put the safety on. I don't like being forced to have a double action first round followed by single action. Also, the safety 'goes in the wrong direction' for most americans as you push it up to shoot. The frame is all metal and is bulky and heavy. Also, there are plenty of corners and edges to snag on your clothes as you draw.

I think glocks are ugly and have sloppy triggers, but they are reliable, relatively light (compared to non-polymer weapons), stupid simple w/ no safeties to mess up, have a higher capacity, and less jagged surfaces to snag on things. IIRC the glock is also slightly cheaper than the beretta. They are also by far the most ubiquitous of the threee in the civilian world.

I would stay away from a compensated pistol. They serve a limited purpose in competition but are generally not recommended for use in defensive pistols. If you shoot the weapon while it is tucked close to you the compensator can spit hot gasses, powder, and even lead at your face. Also, if you have tritium sights you will find yourself constantly cleaning off the carbon that the compensator spits onto the front sight, obscuring the vial.

Hope this helps some. Let us know what you decide.

[newtx]

No bad choice here. My pick would be the Glock.

[Suave]

Originally Posted by kel

Don't forget that you have a moral obligation to post pictures for us...

Haha alright. I have to get my PAL first, which means I probably won't be acquiring any sort of pistol of my own for another month at least.

By the way, I'm not incredibly experienced, but I've fired pistols a number of times over the course of a year or so (although it was primarily a .22, the layout was very "standard").