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So I have an XD9 and i've been shopping for a new 9mm. In the runnings are a G17, an M&P 9, and a SP-01. I've shot the G17 many times and I shoot it well. Today I rented the M&P 9 and a CZ75 and shot it side by side with my XD9.
XD9
The only pistol I own. Feels good in the hand and i'm accurate with it, but it shoots high and I have to aim at a generous 6 o clock hold. The trigger pull is a little long, but I like it. I like the placement of the controls and I can activate everything easily. It's also worth noting that it's the slimmest feeling out of itself, the G17 and the M&P9 (with medium strap). I've put 1000 rounds through it with zero malfunctions of any kind. I trust it with my life, but would like something that I don't have to give such a generous 6 o clock POA.
VERDICT: Feels great in the hand, but I don't like how low I have to aim in order to hit my target. I am probably the least accurate with this gun than all the others compared here.
M&P 9
I know everybody raves about the ergonomics of this gun, but I just did not like how it felt in my hand. The palm swells felt weird to me. Granted, I was only able to shoot it and fondle it with just the medium palm swells, so maybe the large or small would feel better. But with the medium ... the gun felt awkward in my hands. I wanted to like how it felt, I really did, but I just didn't.
Accuracy-wise however, I was shooting it better than my XD9. My XD9 I always shoot high, and I have to shoot with a generous 6 o clock POA. The M&P however my POA was my POI. I was accurate with the gun, about as accurate as I am with a glock 17. The trigger felt fine and felt like it broke with less lbs/force than a glock. But the palm swells just felt weird in my hand, they felt like they bulged into them too much. I also don't like that the going rate for the mags seem to be +- $49. They also seem a little hard to come by.
VERDICT: Feels weird, but shoots well (better than my XD9), will give it another good fondling with the small and large straps next chance I get.
CZ75
It's true what you're all saying, CZs are just damn accurate. At 7 yards I could put them all in a quarter sized grouping, which is really good for me and far better than I was shooting the M&P and XD. The CZ both feels great in the hand, and shoots well. The controls are a little funky for me, as I can't comfortable action the slide release without modifying my grip (the safety gets in the way). I had 3 FTFs while shooting the rental gun, which was notably dirty.
VERDICT: Feels very comfortable in the hand, most accurate 9mm i've ever shot, controls aren't placed well for me, and i'm concerned about the FTFs but i'll cut it some slack on the account of it being a rental gun.
G17
I have always shot it well, I personally like the stock U-shaped rear sight, and it both feels good in the hand and shoots POA->POI. I like the placement of the controls and I can activate them easily. I like glock's track record and my girlfriend also shoots a glock 19, so I like that she'll be familiar with the G17 and she'll be able to use my mags if the need should arise. A lot of people prefer M&Ps ergonomics over the glock, but I guess i'm just not one of those people.
Verdict: I like the glock, it's ergos, it's availability of parts and mags, and I shoot it well.
So all things considered, I will probably be buying a glock 17. I really really wanted to love the M&P, and while I shot it well, it just didn't feel as ergo to me as it does everyone else. I'll give it a good fondling with the small strap and large strap next time, but considering that I think glocks feel more ergo, there's no reason for me to go M&P.
I'll be looking into an SP-01 in the future, because hot damn you guys aren't lying, they are sweet shooting and accurate. If I didn't have 3 FTFs, my next purchase might have been a CZ. Granted, it was a rental gun. But for now I just trust polymer pistols more as far as reliability.
XD9
The only pistol I own. Feels good in the hand and i'm accurate with it, but it shoots high and I have to aim at a generous 6 o clock hold. The trigger pull is a little long, but I like it. I like the placement of the controls and I can activate everything easily. It's also worth noting that it's the slimmest feeling out of itself, the G17 and the M&P9 (with medium strap). I've put 1000 rounds through it with zero malfunctions of any kind. I trust it with my life, but would like something that I don't have to give such a generous 6 o clock POA.
VERDICT: Feels great in the hand, but I don't like how low I have to aim in order to hit my target. I am probably the least accurate with this gun than all the others compared here.
M&P 9
I know everybody raves about the ergonomics of this gun, but I just did not like how it felt in my hand. The palm swells felt weird to me. Granted, I was only able to shoot it and fondle it with just the medium palm swells, so maybe the large or small would feel better. But with the medium ... the gun felt awkward in my hands. I wanted to like how it felt, I really did, but I just didn't.
Accuracy-wise however, I was shooting it better than my XD9. My XD9 I always shoot high, and I have to shoot with a generous 6 o clock POA. The M&P however my POA was my POI. I was accurate with the gun, about as accurate as I am with a glock 17. The trigger felt fine and felt like it broke with less lbs/force than a glock. But the palm swells just felt weird in my hand, they felt like they bulged into them too much. I also don't like that the going rate for the mags seem to be +- $49. They also seem a little hard to come by.
VERDICT: Feels weird, but shoots well (better than my XD9), will give it another good fondling with the small and large straps next chance I get.
CZ75
It's true what you're all saying, CZs are just damn accurate. At 7 yards I could put them all in a quarter sized grouping, which is really good for me and far better than I was shooting the M&P and XD. The CZ both feels great in the hand, and shoots well. The controls are a little funky for me, as I can't comfortable action the slide release without modifying my grip (the safety gets in the way). I had 3 FTFs while shooting the rental gun, which was notably dirty.
VERDICT: Feels very comfortable in the hand, most accurate 9mm i've ever shot, controls aren't placed well for me, and i'm concerned about the FTFs but i'll cut it some slack on the account of it being a rental gun.
G17
I have always shot it well, I personally like the stock U-shaped rear sight, and it both feels good in the hand and shoots POA->POI. I like the placement of the controls and I can activate them easily. I like glock's track record and my girlfriend also shoots a glock 19, so I like that she'll be familiar with the G17 and she'll be able to use my mags if the need should arise. A lot of people prefer M&Ps ergonomics over the glock, but I guess i'm just not one of those people.
Verdict: I like the glock, it's ergos, it's availability of parts and mags, and I shoot it well.
So all things considered, I will probably be buying a glock 17. I really really wanted to love the M&P, and while I shot it well, it just didn't feel as ergo to me as it does everyone else. I'll give it a good fondling with the small strap and large strap next time, but considering that I think glocks feel more ergo, there's no reason for me to go M&P.
I'll be looking into an SP-01 in the future, because hot damn you guys aren't lying, they are sweet shooting and accurate. If I didn't have 3 FTFs, my next purchase might have been a CZ. Granted, it was a rental gun. But for now I just trust polymer pistols more as far as reliability.
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