My experiences with the Browning Pro - 9
While browsing for Christmas presents on December 22nd I noticed a pistol at Sportsman’s Warehouse that I had not seen before. It was a Browning Pro – 9 chambered obviously, for the 9mm cartridge. I had been interested in a new 9mm and was handing the Salesman back a couple of SIG pistols when I saw the Browning resting on the pegs in their wall of handguns. I asked to see the pistol and the Salesman professed that they had just received the Brownings and knew nothing about them. Upon closer observation it was apparent that the pistol’s take-down level was copied straight off the SIG design. This is a traditional double action design and upon racking the slide and pressing the decocking lever I realized that the hammer came down in two stages, again, just like the SIG. The salesman then field stripped the pistol (it seemed only right to have him do it as I didn’t own the gun….yet) and it was obvious that the recoil spring was copied from Glock.
The pistol also features interchangeable backstraps, much like the Walther polymer pistols. The one installed, as pictured in figure 1, is arched while the supplied replacement gives the grip a straighter and more slender grip. It also appeared as if the pistol could be carried cocked and locked. After the slide has been retracted you push the safety-decocking level down to decock the pistol and then all the way up to place the weapon on safety. Although the manual does not address condition one carry, the safety seems to engage just fine by leaving the hammer cocked and pushing the safety lever into its upward, locked position.
Before making any decisions on the pistol I wanted to go home and do some internet research. I found no reviews. The Browning website itself is devoid of much information. Even my revered Arizona gun connection had no knowledge of this pistol either! This from the man that, whenever I am considering a gun, mentions he has several versions of them in his safe, which I envision as a kind of Noah’s Ark Arsenal with two of each species. All I could find in rummaging around cyberspace is that the PRO – 9 is the civilian version FH Herstal’s FNP – 9 which is made for the military/law enforcement market and is virtually the same as the PRO – 9 except that it sports a complete matte black finish as opposed to the matte stainless slide on the civilian pistol.
Based upon the lack of information I headed back to Sportsman’s Warehouse the next day to purchase the pistol. Why? Three reasons:
1. The price was right. Now while this is important we all know that sometimes you get what you pay for. However, there were two more reasons to validate this purchase.
2. The features which seemed copied from other pistols came from manufacturers which produce great firearms.
3. The Browning reputation. The Browning name usually means quality and I just didn’t see them putting their name on a pistol that didn’t work well.
Well, what did I get? A great pistol. Using a two-handed, standing hold at 21 feet, 9 out of 10 rounds went into a 1.5 inch group just to the left of center. The ammunition used was 100 rounds of Winchester white box 115 grain FMJ, and 100 rounds of Universal 115 grain FMJ, in all 200 rounds of flawless performance.
The pistol is very accurate, although there was one flyer per magazine which was the first double action pull that dumped the shot low. This is undoubtedly an operator problem as the double action pull is neither extremely heavy nor extremely long.
The single action pull is a thing of beauty. It is very light and I would actually consider it to be of target quality. I may need to drift the dovetailed rear sights over to the right but the combat accuracy of this pistol is just fine the way it comes from the factory.
The magazine holds ten rounds and the manual states that sixteen round magazines are available to law enforcement. I can only hope that the manual was printed prior to the sunset of the high capacity magazine ban and that the sixteen rounders will become available to civilians. There is also supposed to be a .40 caliber version of this pistol on the horizon. I will probably have to add that one to the collection as well. In the meantime…I got one up on the Arizona gun guy!
