Which One?

[Rugerman]

I want to buy a 9mm since I'm a handgun noob, plus I want more practice.

[apbrian112]

polymer? steel? i'd say go to a range and try out an assortment of 9mm's. most any range will have at least 5-10 different 9mm's from various companies to try out.
what works for me (beretta's, xd's, m&p's) may not work for you (glock, etc.)

[timmyb21]

P226! Awesome gun, I had one, but had to sell. I'll get another one soon...

[Rugerman]

polymer? steel? i'd say go to a range and try out an assortment of 9mm's. most any range will have at least 5-10 different 9mm's from various companies to try out.
what works for me (beretta's, xd's, m&p's) may not work for you (glock, etc.)

The top ones are the ones I have narrowed down to. I really don't care for build materials, but polymer has caught my attention because of light weight. Then again, I liked the Ruger SR9 that I fondled which my LEO friend showed me.


This will be used for practice, for camping, fun, and maybe some competition.

[apbrian112]

if by competition you mean USPSA/IPSC style shooting. the M&P is making a strong surge in the production class for USPSA. but still pales in comparison to Glock. i run a xd9 service in production class.

[Satex]

Get any pistol which fits your hand well.

[glockman19]

NONE OF THE ABOVE.

Don't you know Glock makes the best 9mm.

[savasyn]

Get any pistol which fits your hand well.

What he said.

That being said, the Sig 226 is rock solid right out of the box and will never let you down, with one exception. I hate the stock Sig "dot and bar" sights. I shoot horribly with them as I'm so used to three dots. YMMV depending on what you are used to.

As also mentioned above, the Glock 17 and 19 are fine choices. Because you can't get hi-cap mags for them, the 19 might be the better choice due to size.

You mentioned competition. I used to use my Sig for competition use, but have since switched to a highly modded Glock 35. I basically turned it into a G34 with a match grade KBB 9mm barrel and all the 9mm internals. Additionally, Randall (AR15barrels.com) did his super-trick trigger job on it so it almost feels like a 1911 trigger! A vast improvement for competition, though I will never use it for HD.

[Sydwaiz]

CZ

But with that said, I did just buy an M&P 40 and absolutely love it.

[Black Majik]

P226 if and only if it's a stamped slide German SIG. Otherwise on the list M&P. But, you also should take a look at the G17 for practicality, G34 for one heck of a range/competition pistol, the P2000 for a compact pistol capable of some great groups, and lets of course not forget the CZ75, which is still one of the most underrated pistols out there.

[SemiAutoSam]

You used the wrong smiley.
I fixed it for you at no charge.

NONE OF THE ABOVE.

Don't you know Glock makes the best 9mm.

[Gnome]

Sig Sauer is touted as one of the most accurate guns right out of the box. I've shot a couple at the range, they're pretty nice. And pricey.

[What Just Happened?]

I'd go with a Sig 226, M&P-9, GLOCK 17/19, or a CZ-75 variant. Tho' to be honest, I find that the cheap factory mags of the GLOCK's call to me. They usually run about $20 while the CZ-75 is typically +$35. But in the end, it's all about what you shoot best and feel most comfortable with.

[DWill]

I'm partial to the M&P having shot lots of rounds through both the compact and full-sized. Really you can't go wrong with any of them. With practice, you will shoot just as well with either of them. Get the one that fits your hand comfortably and practice, practice, practice.

[Rugerman]

Looks like the P226 is a hot gun.


Hmmmmmmm, as for hand fitting, all of them fit me well, as I have medium sized hands.

Nice to know that the M&P9 is a good USPSA/IPSC gun.

The GunsAndAmmo Magazine website review of the Ruger SR9 just hammering steel plates.




As for the Glock 17, need to check that one out.