Among the 9mm firearms we own, we have the Beretta CX-4, S&W FPC, CZ Scorpion, Sig MPX PCC, and B&T GHM9. All of these except the MPX are sub-$1k, so I won't mention the Sig.
S&W FPC - cheapest of the three, can be had for around $540-$560. Can easily mount a red dot sight, but the pic rail is too far forward for a regular scope (there are however aftermarket rails for this). Ours has proven to be 100% reliable with around 7-8 different types of 9mm FMJ and HP's. Accuracy seems to be just fine, but tbh I haven't benched it at 100 yards yet. Trigger is good, folding mechanism seems to work well. Takedown may seem to be a bit complicated at first, but once you do it once or twice you will find that it is actually pretty easy to do. I do like the on-board storage of extra magazines. Please note that this is for storage, and not really designed to enable a quick tactical reload.
CZ Scorpion - nothing really great about it, but certainly nothing bad. Mags are cheap. Lots of aftermarket support. I like shooting it, but it gets the least amount of shooting time. I don't think I have shot it since last Summer. But it has functioned 100% over the years we have had it.
Beretta CX-4 - I really like this one a lot. Works a lot like a regular semi-auto handgun in that mags insert into the grip, and there is a bolt release lever on the left side, and still has the charging handle too. Charging handle and ejection direction can be easily switched. I really like the build quality, accuracy, ease of disassembly, and its 100% reliability over thousands of rounds (I've had this one the longest). There are several downsides however. One is that you can't slide something onto the ends of the pic rail. Fortunately it does have built-in iron sights though. Unfortunately those iron sights can get in the way of the rds you might want to mount. It also does not have a threaded barrel, which these days is a big miss. This rifle was my wife's favorite, until the B&T came along.
GHM9 - this one is a pistol that has been SBR'd. We love this thing. Exceptional build quality (made in Switzerland) and reliability, whether shooting suppressed or un. Easy to shoot, so much so that it is now my wife's favorite centerfire firearm. Trigger is pretty good, enough so that I have no plans on changing it. B&T also makes several lowers that use other types of magazines too. I think they make a Glock lower, and a Sig lower. BTW, the upper is the serialized portion, so you can order and change lowers at will. I purchased ours new last Fall for just under $1k, but at the moment it might be hard to find one for that. Downside is that B&T mags are more expensive than many others, and to add insult to injury they don't have metal feed lips. However, there is one company that makes aftermarket mags that do have metal lips, and they work just fine. Other downside is that the right side safety lever is poorly positioned and digs into your finger when it is in fire position. If you get a GHM9, be prepared to buy an aftermarket safety lever. They are cheap, and can be installed in about 60 seconds once you watch a couple of youtube vids.
All of the above have proven to be exceptionally reliable, so I would have no problems with assigning any of them to personal defense use. IMO the CX-4, Scorpion, and GHM9 are all built good enough to be "duty-rated". IOW I would have no hesitation using them for military or police use if I were actually in that situation. In fact, there are militaries and police units that use all three of these. The FPC not so much, but for home defense use I think it is just fine. If you were to ask me which is the last one I would get rid of, it would definitely be the GHM9.
I haven't tried a Homesteader, and the reviews I've seen are keeping me from buying one. If you are willing to spend more than $1k, the Banshee or the B&T APC9 would also be worth considering. Another I haven't used, but would say is well worth your time to investigate is the Extar EP9 pistol w/brace. They seem to be somewhat cheaply made, but the reviews I've seen are quite complimentary. This might be just the one for you to get started in this realm.
Lastly, there is one other pistol that you should consider. Right now you can get a Beretta PMX pistol from Bereli for $1099 + free delivery. And IIRC, there is currently a rebate for this pistol too. This pistol is basically Beretta's copy of a B&T pistol, and even uses the same magazines. At this time, I do not know of a GHM9 that is cheaper than that. The full-auto version is used by European police agencies, so it does have a very good track record. Buy one of these and put a folding brace on it, and you are golden. Or SBR it and put a proper stock on it. If I didn't already have one of the above and were looking to buy some type of PDW-type 9mm weapon tomorrow, I would seriously consider this one. Just research stock/brace options before you buy one. I'm thinking about getting one just so my wife and I don't have to fight over the GHM9. :-)
hth,
C
p.s. (2nd lastly), you could always get a gen3 Glock 17 and an ENDO buffer tube adapter from Shockwavetechnologies (or something like that). Put a buffer tube and pistol brace on it, along with a red dot sight, and you will have what is essentially a very lightweight PDW. Of course you could also SBR the thing too, if you want a more substantial buttstock. The ENDO does not work w/Gen 4 or 5 Glocks. These things really bring out the accuracy inherent in a Glock pistol.
