9 mm target/nightstand gun

[DMMikey]

I'm looking for a 9mm (cheap to shoot) for target/nightstand use. I already have a Sig p239. I like it a lot, but do have some difficulty with the da/sa switchover of the trigger pull. Part of that is due to my very serious inflammatory arthritis. The DA pull is pretty heavy some days. The relatively small slide is also difficult for me to grip and pull.
Most days, I can handle the recoil ok, but there are times when it is painful. I'm looking for something a little heavier to soak some of that up, and maybe be a little steadier when aiming. A nice light consistent trigger pull would be nice, as would a bigger slide.
I'm looking at a Hi Power, a CZ 75 single action. I considered the SA EMP, but the price on it is a little high. I'd like to keep my expenditure in the $5-600 range.
Are there any good 1911 type 9mm's out there in this price range?

Are there any other options out there I am missing?

I am concerned about how good the trigger will be on the Hi Power. I don't know anyone around here to do a good trigger job (one side effect of it being so difficult to get a pistol permit in NYS is that there really aren't a tremendous number of gunshops or gunsmiths around.) and I am afraid the cost of it might bring the total price to something prohibitive.
I haven't seen the CZ in real life yet. I am concerned that the slide edges being internal to the frame may make the area on the slide that you can grip small. Is this true?
Would a H&K P7 be an option? I see CDNN had some, but the catalog I downloaded doesn't have any prices. I also might want to reload, and I gather lead bullets in this gun are a no no.
I should also add that my hands are fairly small, I sometimes wear a men's small glove, sometimes a medium.

Thanks for any help.

Mike

 

[Mosin44az]

Both the Hi-Power and the CZ would be good choices. The Hi-Power standard trigger pull isn't bad, it is a single action after all.

The regular CZ 75 can be kept in cocked-and-locked single action mode; you don't have to buy a single-action CZ to get that feature. Just make sure you get one of the CZs that has the cocked-and-locked safety, not one of the decocker ones. Haven't thought about difficulty of racking the slide, never noticed a problem with the CZ's I've shot, and that's something you can of course try out in the store before buying. It is a military design, used for decades by many thousands; I've never heard of a problem with racking the slide.

The P7 requires you to squeeze the grip to get it into action, and hold it squeezed while you're shooting, which may be a problem if your arthritis is acting up. The other two choices are just as good or better for your purposes, and much less expensive.

Another choice is the Taurus PT92, which can be kept cocked and locked for shorter and lighter first trigger pull, and is one of the best Taurus models for quality, by reputation. May be less expensive than the CZ, definitely less than a Hi-Power.

 

[Officer's Match]

The CZ75 does have a rather small slide grasping area, but isn't that difficult to get hold of. Fine pistol.

Great suggestion on the PT92 - my favorite 9mm.

 

[Dogjaw]

My buddy just bought a 9mm Taurus 1911. It came with 2 mags and 2 sets of grip panels, wood and black. We tried it out just yesterday. It's nice shooting, and has a nice safety lever. He paid $580.

 

[Officer's Match]

First I've heard of the PT1911 being offered in 9mm. That would have to feel like shooting a pellet gun - I love the way my PT1911 45acp shoots.

 

[WESHOOT2]

actual 9mm on my nightstand

It's my blue EAA Witness (CZ75 clone) sitting inside a fanny-pack, with two extra mags.
It's sometimes cocked-n-locked; sometimes its hammer is down on an empty chamber.

But when it gets fired its first shot is always SA.
Just like my 1911s (and two other EAA Witnesses).

 

[Officer's Match]

That's one aspect of the PT92 I like: I can go with C&L ala 1911, or DA/SA ala 92F - my choice without having to change weapons. I would have chose it over others without the decock function on the safety lever - with it, choosing this one was a cinch for me.

 

[WESHOOT2]

one minor point

The 92/99 have HUGE butts; the OP said "not so big mitts".....

(I have a 9x19 1911, but by my bed is that Witness....)

 

[Officer's Match]

Actually, it's a very major point, and you're right. They do have large gripframes, and they feel very good to me. Very individual thing, and for what it's worth, I'd call my hands medium in size, but with a larger than medium thumbspan (I can palm a basketball, sometimes off the dribble).

 

[Charlie218]

I have a CZ75 BD 9mm (decocker) with CT laser sights that would fit your needs for $500.00. This is my night stand gun but I am going to the CZ RAMI for both night stand and daily carry.
I've had a couple of serious adrenaline rushes regarding life and death and I doubt your arthritis will be an issue at that time.....
PM me if you want any further details or have questions regarding the CZ, they are great handguns IMHO

 

[NGIB]

Like OM, I really like my pre-decock Taurus PT92 and I also really like the Sig Pro SP 2009 I got recently. Both are great shooters to be sure...

 

[Laserlips]

FWIW:

Just personal opinion, so take it with a grain of salt, but:

IF you can handle the "squeezecocker" aspect of the HK P7 I honestly don't believe you'll find a better all around 9mm pistol for double-duty as a target/bedside firearm.

I'm a senior citizen myself, altho thankfully, (so far) I haven't been hit with arthritis as you have. I have no trouble squeezing the cocker on my P7's, and once you have the cocker depressed it takes very little pressure to keep it depressed. I would suggest if you ever seriously consider buying a P7 you find one someplace to hold and see for yourself if the hand strength required to depress the cocker might be a bit much for you.

Now IF you find you can handle the "squeezing" part the rest of the HK P7 experience will bring a smile to your face.

The P7 is absolutely the most inherently accurate pistol I've ever owned or fired. (And that's a pretty good little pile). Everyone I have spoken to who has fired a P7 are amazed at what a great marksman he/she has been all along and just didn't realize it until firing the P7.

Betcha you will shoot better groups with the P7 than you have ever managed to do with any other pistol/revolver.. Hitting the target at any reasonable self defense distance is as simple as pointing your index finger at the target. (OK, the index finger associated with the hand holding the firearm)

The P7 is the perfect bedside pistol as it is as safe as a firearm can be. It won't fire if dropped, it won't fire unless you both depress the cocker and pull the trigger.. As with any firearm the key is keep your finger off the trigger until you plan to shoot something.

The P7 is of absolute top quality, and 100% (or as close to 100% as humanly possible) reliable. Reliability is a given in the HK P7 firearm.

IF you find the squeezecocker aspect of the HK P7 is a bit too heavy for you to use comfortably I would recommend the SW99.

The SW99 is the same pistol as the Walther P99/AS for all practical purposes except it has a SW barrel and slide, and a LIFETIME warranty. (Walther's is one year.)

Another amazingly accurate pistol, wonderful light trigger/striker and a pleasure to shoot.

CDNN is selling the HK P7 for $599.25 or $674.25 (A's or B's), and the SW99, test fired only, for less than $400.00. I think the SW99 is a steal at that price. Both are in the latest CDNN catalog.

I love my HK P7 "A" grade pistols, but I've never heard of a dissatisfied "B" grade P7 owner either .

FWIW, I have a P99/AS and my buddy has the SW99 and we have shot them head-to-head and there is, as far as he and I can determine, absolutely no difference in accuracy (great) or reliability (100%) between the two.

If there is a difference it's that the Walther has 100% German markings, and the Smith & Wesson has a lifetime warranty.. Warranty trumps markings imo.

Hope this helps.

Best Wishes,

Jesse

 

[Pilot]

My choices would be:

BHP
CZ-75 variant, but especially the 75D PCR
HK P7 series

 

[gc70]

DMMikey,

My wife has difficulty with both psitol weight and trigger pull following a serious injury to her right arm. Her arm tires quickly shooting heavy guns. She simply can't pull the DA trigger (10 pounds or more) of any of my traditional DA/SA guns. But she does fine with two guns - S&W M&P and SW99.

The M&P has a consistent 6.5 pound trigger pull, the slide has very good cocking serrations, and the gun comes with 3 backstraps so you can use the size that fits your hand.

The SW99 is a striker-fired DA/SA pistol. When you load the SW99, the trigger only requires a long, light pull (like a long SA). When the gun is decocked, the trigger requires a long, heavy DA pull, EXCEPT a very light 1/4-inch tug on the slide will recock the striker and reset the trigger to the long, light pull mode. The SW99 also has multiple backstraps.

The M&P and SW99 are both lighter than my P239, but both have substantially less felt recoil.

Bud's has the M&P for $439 (before a $50 rebate) and CDNN has the SW99 for $329.

 

[rellascout]

Sig P226 CPO can be had for that amount. $550 to $550

Beretta M9 NIB will cost you $450

I love the Hi-power but depending on who is using the gun a manual safety might not be the right call.

Hk P7 PSP also fits the bill. You have to get used to the squeeze cocker and I would not put this gun in the same category with the others as far as a range gun. It will get very hot after as few as 100 rounds.

I personally feel that the CZ 75B is too big for my small hands but your mileage may vary. PCR, Compact and P01 all fit me better.

 

[Dusty Rivers]

night stand options

I would recommend a used Sig P226. It is identical in function to the P239 so everything stays familiar in the dark.

Another option is to have a wheel gun in the night stand. It is easy to load and a Ruger GP100 is good to tame recoil and an excellent quality. You can practice with 38's or +p and slip some 357 rounds in if you feel the need.

I like the P226 option. It keeps the switch between guns and practice the same. If you have them in the same caliber, you have less rounds to buy.

Do you have Hogue grips on your P239. They help with the felt recoil. If you are efficient with your practice, reloading and cleaning you can minimize the number of times you need to rack the slide.

 

[El Paso Joe]

Mine is an old S&W 39 (or 639). Mostly because I am REALLY familiar with it.

My advice is to find one that "feels right" in your hand - the distal joint of the index finger falls on the trigger, your thumb finds the safety easily, and when you bring it up and point it, it is just like pointing your finger. Then go to a range and rent one on several occasions and see how it works for you.

 

[Laserlips]

DMMiikey:

Dusty Rivers has an excellent suggestion regarding a revolver for a nightstand gun.. It wouldn't be as good for target plinking as a quality pistol (P7/SW99 for e.g.) but it would do a wonderful job as a home defense firearm.

In fact my wife prefers an old Ruger Security-Six 357mag. we bought new decades ago for her "nightstand" choice.

The good think about the Security-Six is you can plink with cheap (relatively) 38cal. rounds, but you can load up for home defense with the 357 mag JHP's, and that's an "awesome" round for that purpose.

Excellent Security-Sixes, or Speed-Sixes are available on the various online auction sites at a very reasonable price. These Ruger revolvers are built like tanks and should, with reasonable care, last more than one person's lifetime.

I had forgotten to mention the gentleman is indeed accurate in saying the P7 will heat up pretty fast, and if duration plinking or target shooting is your primary interest you need to know that. My P7 gets warm after 4-6 mags. Not an issue for self defense, but a consideration in a target pistol.

I don't care about the heat issue as I love the HK P7 so well I'm willing to wait for it to cool down.

Better yet, just swap to P7 number two...

Just options.

Best Wishes,

Jesse

 

[Officer's Match]

I've got that exact Security Six only in stainless, and I frankly love it.

 

[Cloudpeak]

You may have trouble grasping the slide on a CZ. Also, the grip may be too big for you if you have small hands. You can buy aftermarket grips that are thinner for the CZ. I just bought a CZ75B Compact and I really like the pistol and it's been a lot of fun to shoot. If you have trouble racking the slide, you can try cocking the hammer back, first. You can use the CZ75 cocked and locked which gives a lighter trigger pull. Double action might give you some problems.

I have a M&P full size 9mm and, with the small back strap, this may fit your hand. My M&P has been bullet proof but it may be lighter than you're looking for. I does shoot soft though, IMO. I do prefer the CZ and will be selling the M&P when I get around to it.

You have specific requirements and will sure need to try before you buy.

Cloudpeak