Single stack 9mm pistols

[peacefulgary]

Wow! There are a lot more single stacks than I would have guessed.

Op what are you looking to do with this gun, will it be a carry piece or a range gun? A little more info would be helpful in listing guns that would fit your need.

It would be for carry during the day and a night stand pistol while I sleep.

I once was big on capacity (Glock 17), but I'm not so concerned about capacity these days.

 

[wild cat mccane]

Smallest 9mm currently made, Diamondback DB9.

 

[BigJimP]

Then a 5" 1911 in 9mm... ( 10 + 1 Rds in a full sized gun )...should be exactly what you want. Wilson Combat is my personal preference / but there are options out there from Colt, Springfield, etc.

 

[jimbob86]

Off the top of my head...

Glock 43
S&W Shield
SA XD-S
SA XD-E

What are some others?

Did you know that there are guns that are not made of plastic out there?

Almost all 1911's are single stack.

Many of them are chambered in 9mm, and almost every major manufacturer offers at least one or two or five .....

Then there are 1911 lookalikes that are not actually 1911's .... (Sig 938) ...

.... there's the Taurus 709Slim, if you want that sort of thing ..... DB9, LC9 .....

 

[wizzamen]

Did you know that there are guns that are not made of plastic out there?

Almost all 1911's are single stack.

I agree that not all guns are made of plastic, but the most popular ones are made from polymer

When you factor in cost, you can see why polymer frame pistols come first to mind when thinking about single stack 9mm's. I also see no advantage to a single stack 1911 in respect to reliability or durability over a polymer frame pistol. Now when it comes to the best trigger out there, 1911 reigns king.

 

[jimbob86]

When you factor in cost, you can see why polymer frame pistols come first to mind when thinking about single stack 9mm's.

You get what you pay for....

...and considering that if one actually, you know ..... shoots one's handguns on a regular basis, the cost of the gun is a minor consideration, over time.... I've only got a couple of handguns that I spent more money to buy than I did on feeding them ..... and I will probably remedy that in a couple of range trips ....

 

[wizzamen]

You get what you pay for....

While normally this is true, its not in the case of a 1911. A 1911 is simply more expensive to manufacture than a modern polymer pistol, you are not getting a better firearm with a 1911 just because it cost more.

...and considering that if one actually, you know ..... shoots one's handguns on a regular basis, the cost of the gun is a minor consideration, over time....

This I can agree with when you consider long term ownership.

 

[jimbob86]

This I can agree with when you consider long term ownership.

Guns are, at worst, "durable goods": they will last for generations, if properly maintained.

Even the plastic ones are holding up pretty well 40 years on .....

 

[BigJimP]

You absolutely get what you pay for in many well made 1911's ! The idea that you don't, just makes no sense to me.

Cost can be an indication of better parts, more features & options, better fit & finish, more skilled labor in terms of putting guns together, fine tuning the fit on triggers, etc....and in the case of Wilson Combat 1911's as an example...you get a much better gun & they stand behind it for the life of the gun...( whether its 15+ yrs or 500,000 rds...or much, much longer...)...and while I think they're worth every penny - I understand a gun starting at $3,000 - $4,000 is not what everyone wants. Wilson Combat flat out in my view makes some of the best 1911's out there.

There is value out there in other 1911's for less money than a Wilson...but they're not nearly as good as a Wilson....that's why I still think a gun like the TRP for around $ 1,500 is a good value, with desireable options on it and fairly good internal parts in it - even though its not a Wilson.

I have a Wilson Combat 5" Protector model, in 9mm, all stainless, ambi safeties, match grade barrel & hand fit bushing, a mag well...that I paid $2,100 for new about 11 yrs ago...its my primary range gun, as of about 2 yrs ago its my primary carry gun ...and to date, I have a little over 200,000 rds thru it. Yes, I have had some parts fail ( an extractor broke at about 80,000 rd -- and the shaft on thumb safety snapped at about 170,000 rds....in both cases, Wilson insisted I return gun to factory in Arkansas ...they paid freight both ways -- and in both cases, gun was repaired & returned to me within 10 days.

My backup range & carry gun ...is a Wilson 5" CQB model in .45acp...its about 18 yrs old and I retired it as my carry gun because my arthritis in my hands is getting worse ..not because its 18 yrs old.....I only have around 100,000 rds thru it & its never had to go back for service....and I think I paid about $ 1,650 for it new in 1999.

In my view, there's a lot of cheap, poorly made 1911's out there...with really low quality internal parts...price is not the only way to tell they probably cut some corners on those guns, but its a strong indication...and on many of them, they sure don't have much of a warranty.

 

[TruthTellers]

Guns are, at worst, "durable goods": they will last for generations, if properly maintained.

Even the plastic ones are holding up pretty well 40 years on .....

Huh, 40 years and still going for those plastic guns? Sounds like those people who bought them got what they paid for, didn't they?

Yeah, steel is great, but it's heavy and the main point of a single stack 9mm today is concealed carry and weight is not concealed carry's best friend.

 

[ROCK6]

I didn't see the Sig P290RS listed either; smaller double stack with a J-frame-type DAO trigger, but it does have excellent sights.

ROCK6

 

[wizzamen]

You absolutely get what you pay for in many well made 1911's ! The idea that you don't, just makes no sense to me.

Cost can be an indication of better parts, more features & options, better fit & finish, more skilled labor in terms of putting guns together, fine tuning the fit on triggers, etc....and in the case of Wilson Combat 1911's as an example...you get a much better gun & they stand behind it for the life of the gun...( whether its 15+ yrs or 500,000 rds...or much, much longer...)...and while I think they're worth every penny - I understand a gun starting at $3,000 - $4,000 is not what everyone wants. Wilson Combat flat out in my view makes some of the best 1911's out there.

In terms of durability, reliability, function a $3,000 - $4,000 1911 is not a better gun than a $500 - $600 polymer pistol.

Can a high end 1911 such as Wilson Combat perform better in a torture test than a polymer pistol, I doubt it. Even if the Wilson Combat performed just as well as a polymer pistol, you just paid $3,000 for a pistol to perform the same as a $500 pistol.

I hate to sound like a 1911 hater, John Browning was a genius and his designs influenced and inspired many modern firearms. The 1911 is deeply entrenched in our history and has a definite place in a firearm collection. As a combat/self-defense pistol, the design is outdated and has been surpassed in many ways by modern pistol designs.

For all the reasons mentioned above, I do not believe you get what you pay for with a 1911.

 

[Road_Clam]

I handled and shot a buddy's custom Wilson match 1911. I own a box stock SA 1911 RO in 9mm. I shot exactly the same (less than precise) between the 2. The WC 1911 no doubt feels a tad smoother and tighter, and the fit/finish is simply outstanding. My buddy who's a slightly better shot than me did shoot better than me (doesn't take much to out shoot me) but IMO he didn't shoot better than me to the tune of the extra $2500 he payed over the $750 price tag for my off the shelf RO 1911. Hey it's your money, if ya got uber-funds then pamper yourself with the best. I'm not worth custom firearms, my focus is proficient shooting with box stock (or simple upgraded mods) firearms.

 

[West Texas]

p-38
luger p-05

 

[jimbob86]

I was just wondering what single stack 9mm pistols are currently in production

WestTexas, didja miss that part?

It would be great if those were still being made, but I don't think they are....

 

[BigJimP]

I disagree Wizzamen....

The 1911 has not been surpassed by any modern design.../ it is, in fact, an extremely durable design - and in many ways superior to most any of the new designs - based on the trigger alone..let alone the ergonomics of the design - and slim nature of it making it easy to carry.

The Wilson Combat CQB ...was extensively tested by a number of authors - and notably by Patrick Sweeney in his gun digest books...frozen in ice, buried in dirt, mud, etc...and it performed extremely well.

The only thing the new designs give you is a capacity advantage/ and maybe light overall weight...and to me both are extremely overrated issues. A good holster and a good belt ...mean even a pound is pretty much irrelevent - although admittedly at 6'5" and 290 lbs maybe its more irrelevent to me than some. Experts say most defensive situations are within 3 Feet, over in 3 shots fired in less than 3 sec.../ so I don't see a need to carry 17 rounds or more in my carry gun ( 10 + 1 is plenty in a full sized 5" 1911 in 9mm) and a spare mag. The reason I carry an extra mag ...its my view that the mag is the weakest link in a semi-auto handgun...so having the ability, and training, "tap, rack, bang" drills and reload drills are critical issues for defense.

So 10 rds on my belt..and 11 in the gun...( even with a gun disigned in 1911, sure doesn't make me feel outgunned ). I will continue to carry my 5" Wilson, all stainless, in 9mm...over any of the wonderkind poly frame options - or in alloy for that matter / but debates like this will go on and on / and there is room for both of us in the debate / but like you probably, I'm not changing my mind. ... and I won't stop telling most anyone who asks that a well made, well tuned and well maintained 1911 is just a better handgun than most other semi-auto options.

 

[kramden]

Pretty tough to beat The Shield line. Best I have used so far.

 

[JJNA]

I have both a Wilson Combat Sentinel Compact in 9mm and a Glock 43. Obviously there is a significant difference in price. The WC is a tiny bit more accurate at 25 yards than my Glock... but not enough difference at 10-25 feet. I carry the Glock (well, I carry it sometimes - I usually carry an old Ruger SP101 in 357 mag, which is less accurate than either).

I didn’t buy the WC because it was a better self-defense gun. I bought it because it’s more of a man-jewelry... just like my vintage blue-dial Tag Heuer Monaco is (no one in his right mind would argue that it keeps time better or is more durable than a mid-priced plastic/rubber quartz watch).

And, yes, I enjoy shooting the WC more. That’s all the reason I need.

 

[1goodshot]

Sig P225

 

[Kemikos]

Smallest 9mm currently made, Diamondback DB9.

I'm pretty sure the Bond Bullpup is almost a half inch shorter than the DB9. I can fit the BP completely inside the front pocket of my jeans; the heel of the DB9 grip sticks out a little bit. The Bond feels a bit wider, though that may just be the (very comfy) rosewood grips vs. the DB's polymer frame.

Nothing against the Diamondback, it's a fine little gun. The Bond is so much nicer to shoot and holds an extra round, but also costs nearly three times as much. You pays your money and you takes your pick...