I'd like to buy a full-size 9mm with a threaded barrel for use with a suppressor (recos on that would also be welcome). I don't intend to carry the gun, just use it at the range and for home defense (and maybe for 3-gun at some point if I actually start doing that). I've looked at the Sig 226 and 229 (229 felt better in my hand) and the H&L P30 (this felt best of all in the "comfortable in the hand" department) but haven't really considered much else. I want something "nice," but if I can get something awesome for less than those three I'd be happy to spend less money.

Thanks.

I agree the 229 feels better in hand. But with a Suppressor threaded on, the 226 feels better.

My 226 is the TacOps model that has a much longer grip on it that may help control some of that weight.

Plus 20 round mags!

I know the guns you have listed there are hammer fired guns, but if you're open to striker fired I highly recommend the Springfield XDm 9mm threaded barrel version. It comes suppressor ready with a threaded barrel and raised sites, and will be less than the models you have mentioned.

Full disclosure, I have an XDm .45 and love it.

Glock. It may not be the best gun out there, but with a ZEV 3.5# connector it is a decent shooter and has the biggest aftermarket support. You can get a threaded barrel for about $100 too.

Give the Walther PPQ a look. It feels amazing in hand and shoots great.

I'll second the Walther PPQ. Most underrated full size out there in my opinion. Their triggers and ergos allow for tight groups. Mine has been 100% reliable.

For a suppressor, perhaps a new Beretta M9A3.



Supposedly using a non tilting barrel reduces wear and tear on the host since it isn't having to tilt a barrel with added weight. But us mere mortals are not likely to shoot enough for that to be a serious consideration

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Glock. It may not be the best gun out there, but with a ZEV 3.5# connector it is a decent shooter and has the biggest aftermarket support. You can get a threaded barrel for about $100 too.

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Mr Dubi, when did you decide to be a glock fan? weren't you pushing M&Ps hard a few years ago?

I kid of course but your response is very typical of the glock gang.

"Get glock it's the best, after you fix this and this and this."

Dan Wesson Discretion?

Walther PPQ M2 Navy

Amazing trigger

I've been very happy with mine.

I currently run a G19 with a suppressor.

While it's not what the OP was asking, they're not bad guns.

I'm going to suggest a different route, just for fun:

Have you considered a 9mm AR? If you're willing to go through the NFA stuff for a suppressor, it's just as easy to SBR a lower. It'll be easier to shoot than a heavy suppressed pistol, easy to mount a light and optic to, easy for women and kids to use to boot....the idea tempts me from time to time.

(not my pics, but to show you the possibilities)

That is awesome. No knowledge of sub machine gun type AR's. Realize they are not full auto. Wonder what the ballistics are like as compared to the round fired out of a 9mm pistol. Could you set that up in .45acp? Poor man's modern day Thompson. Now some BMA is going to rule 1 me with his actual Thompson and I'm going to be so jealous.

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Glock. It may not be the best gun out there, but with a ZEV 3.5# connector it is a decent shooter and has the biggest aftermarket support. You can get a threaded barrel for about $100 too.

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Mr Dubi, when did you decide to be a glock fan? weren't you pushing M&Ps hard a few years ago?

I kid of course but your response is very typical of the glock gang.

"Get glock it's the best, after you fix this and this and this."

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Not a simple answer. Not really a Glock fanboy, but I shot my son's G27 enough to think I could get used to a Glock. I won a Glock certificate last year, and I was wanting to get into USPSA Carry Optics. Putting the cert towards getting a Glock 34 MOS was the logical route, and it seemed, at the time, to be the most economical route to take.

I'm not certain there has been any economy to going this route, by the time I got spare magazines, a holster and tuning. I put in a Ghost connector and spring kit, but didn't care that much for the trigger weight, so I went with the ZEV connector and kept the Ghost springs, all-in-all only $50. But then I had to get cowitness sights to work with the RMR sight (the M&P CORE comes with tall sights), but they were cheap from Dawson Precision too.

I wanted a suppressor host as well, so I got a barrel on the cheap from Lone wolf Dist. Barrels for the M&P are much pricier as far as I can tell.

So getting a Glock to my liking is a lot of work, but for somebody starting from the ground up, it is a strong foundation.

Not all striker fired guns are the same I learned. The Glock is a double action only striker, so each time you pull the trigger, the trigger loads the striker. The M&P from the factory loads the striker when the slide goes into battery, with just a very small amount of additional striker loading when you pull the trigger. With an Apex or performance center sear, you eliminate almost all of that additional loading. Learning how to use the Glock trigger has been a chore, in addition to trying to figure out how to use a reciprocating red dot sight, and the very different ergonomics of the Glock.

I still carry a Shield or Model 60 as I do not at all like the G43. Dubi still uses her M&P too.

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That is awesome. No knowledge of sub machine gun type AR's. Realize they are not full auto. Wonder what the ballistics are like as compared to the round fired out of a 9mm pistol. Could you set that up in .45acp? Poor man's modern day Thompson. Now some BMA is going to rule 1 me with his actual Thompson and I'm going to be so jealous.

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If you go the short barrel rifle route with a 9mm carbine, you can do a 4"-5" barrel and get the same ballistics you'd get from a full sized pistol.

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That is awesome. No knowledge of sub machine gun type AR's. Realize they are not full auto. Wonder what the ballistics are like as compared to the round fired out of a 9mm pistol. Could you set that up in .45acp? Poor man's modern day Thompson. Now some BMA is going to rule 1 me with his actual Thompson and I'm going to be so jealous.

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This is what I am building for my first foray into NFA. I ordered a dedicated Glock lower from Runner Runner guns, which is a rebranded New Frontier Armory lower. You can build it for any of the small frame Glock calibers... 9, .40, .357. Quarter Corcle 10 makes a lower you can do .45 and 10mm on. I'll be keeping this one suppressed pretty much all the time. Because of that, I'll keep the barrel to 5.5" or less, so I can be sure the heavy 147gr rounds stay subsonic.

Thanks for the write up. I think it in a nutshell highlights what everyone goes through in competition shooting. Regardless of the brand there is always something you can improve on your gun to get an edge.

Apex for M&P
ZEV/Ghost for Glocks
Gray Guns for Sigs
CGW for CZs

and an unending list for 1911s.

Let us know how the RMR holds up on the slide ride.

I am partial to the P226 (I own 3) followed by H&K, but all the suggestions here are great. I would try to shoot a few different ones before making up you mind.

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That is awesome. No knowledge of sub machine gun type AR's. Realize they are not full auto. Wonder what the ballistics are like as compared to the round fired out of a 9mm pistol. Could you set that up in .45acp? Poor man's modern day Thompson. Now some BMA is going to rule 1 me with his actual Thompson and I'm going to be so jealous.

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Pistol round ballistics aren't going to improve much from a 10" barrel over a 5" one. Honestly if I was going to build one specifically to suppress I would go 4-6" max to make the thing as compact as possible.

Quarter Circle 10 does make large frame lowers so you could go .45 or 10mm. Don't know all the ins and outs of it since I've never built one, but a 10mm suppressed AR sounds like a lot of fun to me.

Thanks for all the replies! Sounds like I need to head to the range and get my hands on as many of these as I can.

If anyone else has any input, I'd love to hear it.

Look at the Sig P320. You can convert this pistol from full size to compact, from 9MM, 40 cal, Sig 357, and only pay half what a new pistol would cost. The serial number is actually on the trigger mechanism allowing you to easily change the frame, slide and barrel at a fraction of the cost.

I have one and I love it. Shoots great.

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TThanks for the write up. I think it in a nutshell highlights what everyone goes through in competition shooting. Regardless of the brand there is always something you can improve on your gun to get an edge.

Apex for M&P
ZEV/Ghost for Glocks
Gray Guns for Sigs
CGW for CZs

and an unending list for 1911s.

Let us know how the RMR holds up on the slide ride.

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There's an Apex trigger for Glock too now.

The RMR came off at a 3gun match. I had around 850 rounds through it prior to that. The mounting screws that came with the RMR were not long enough. Trijicon does make a mounting kit with longer screws, so I got that and it's held up about 200 rounds so far.

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Look at the Sig P320. You can convert this pistol from full size to compact, from 9MM, 40 cal, Sig 357, and only pay half what a new pistol would cost. The serial number is actually on the trigger mechanism allowing you to easily change the frame, slide and barrel at a fraction of the cost.

I have one and I love it. Shoots great.

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+1