A question for Military

[cody6766]

The grip and trigger pull are my main complaints. It shoots well enough and went bang every time I pulled the trigger...even on broke ass training pistols. The grip is just too fat for me. Maybe I have little girl hands. I'm a bigger fan of Glock grips, but I'd carry it and not ***** if they issued it to me.

 

[HMCS(FMF)Ret.]

Why do you have to post this??? I LOVE Sig pistols but I had to pick for SHTF & CCW...so since Glocks are the AK-47 of the pistol world, I had to go Glock...Sigs are nice but their owners don't realize they are a gun that likes to run wet and are like an AR-15 in a pistol...I stake my life on Glock even though I consider Sig pistols a piece of art...Sig rifles on the otherhand are the Glock of rifles LOL

Didn't say I'd rather CCW a Glock. I CCW a Sig. Big difference between civilian CCW and combat. I'd prefer a handgun without a safety/decocker or SA/DA for a combat handgun. The Sig 226 is my preferred gun for CCW because I LIKE the decocker and SA/DA for civilian application. I'd much prefer not to have those accessories in a combat handgun. As far as reliability, both are great.....but I've never had a Sig crap out on me....can't say the same about the Glock.

 

[WTJ]

Well, they do issue the M11 if yer special enough.

 

[murphy j]

Soldiers hate what they have and want something new or something that predates them. I enlisted in '88. Everybody hated the 1911 and wanted the M9. 20 years later everybody hates the M9 and wants the 1911...

Same thing applies to uniforms.

When I joined in 89/90, we hated the fact that the 1911s were worn out, but we loved them anyways. They needed arsenal rebuilds, but apparently it was cheaper to buy new 9mms. The vast majority of the guns we had in our inventory at my first unit hadn't been rebuilt since Korea. A few from Vietnam, but most of them were WWII/Korea era guns. The only reason we wanted the M9 was because we knew they'd work and be accurate since they were new. I have a fair amount of experience with both guns and me personally, I'll take .45 ACP ball ammo over 9mm ball ammo any day of the week so long as both guns work the way they're supposed to. I've carried the M9 into harms way since 9/11. The magazines that are issued are trash, the M9 is worn out, most Soldiers know next to nothing about pistols/pistol shooting(neither does the Army in general) and 'joe' being a knuckle dragger doesn't help. Special Forces has started to move to using the Glock 19 and they LOVE it. I have a personal preference for the 1911, but I know the gun better than the average shooter. The M9 is a fine pistol, but not for everybody.

 

[Koshinn]

Imo, having carried one in Afghanistan...
I have small hands, the gun is large
I dislike pistols with a hammer
I dislike da/sa
The safety is placed in a retarded area and constantly disengages
9mm FMJ sucks
Exposed barrel
Sharp edges
No rail for a light (but the Navy gets a rail...)
Heavy
Only 15 rds for a pistol that large

What I liked:
Low felt recoil due to weight
Accurate

 

[Lowlight]

Like most people have stated, it's not a bad pistol at all. Yes it is a bit bulky but it operates just fine. Of course it's fixed sights. You have a rifle as your primary and your pistol as a backup to everything or close quarters. It's not a $2k comp gun by any means. Was designed for field use and does that just fine. As far as ammo, that's a NATO deal there. State side the military can carry hollow points in the M9 but overseas it has to be ball ammo due to excessive maiming supposedly.

 

[pbaumei]

My experience with the m9 is extensive, in the safe - it looks sexy, clean and on the range - it runs pretty good. For collector purposes, it has nostalgia. It has a decent capacity. Not too hard to manipulate, and a good barrel legnth.

In the field, Most people that have trained with it in less than optimal situations, wet, dark, off hand lying in the sand shooting under a truck have had more than one snake bite (if you own one, you will understand), and may have scars to remind them of it eternally. However if you are embracing the suck in a wet, sandy, muddy, or otherwise unfavorable situation, most of us have had it jam. So, at the point you have had to go to the pistol, life is already sucking without adding to the suck by your secondary jamming cause it's RFD (really dirty). Muzzle snap and tot to 2nd shot seems longer than others. And double single just F's with your habit patterns.

I hate the safety, the first time you hear that dead mans click, it's the loudest sound in a gun fight, and most adrenalin evoking sound. Not to mention will cost you a lot of beers for anyone who's life it put in jeopardy, even if you are just training. I missed when the military would let us carry the sidearm of our choice gw1&2. Maybe that was just my community, and no I'm not old and crusty, still sub 40. Since then we have transitioned to the sig, better in IMHO, but I have to agree w/ HMCS and the other possibly mil/x-mil g21 fan. If I had to pick one to bet my life on, that would be it.

Been to ascrackistan, etc... And it's a S-hole. Everything is dirty, sandy, gritty, etc... Even after you clean it.

I got my first G21 gen 1 in the early 2000s. Put as many as 2500 rounds through it in a single weekend, total is somewhere in the well over 10k range, but it's still kickin. I've put brass, steel, nickel, Russian, reman, hand loads, and reloads with un-crimped edges that I found on the ground into it. Only unintentional FTF is due to primer failure (singular vocab is intentional), just one FTF on a round that I manually ejected with a dented primer. Amidst all those years of firing it, I have yet to clean it. I will one day. I've hit it with an air hose a few times, and wiped it off plenty, I have lubricated it at least 10 times with oil and/or frog lube, but one day I will get around to cleaning it. Maybe it's a mixture of curiosity and pride at this point.

Still my most accurate pistol (familiarity has got to be a factor as I am sure the barrel is getting worn). It is more accurate (in my hands) and shoots nicer that the g34&35. I know .45's can kick, but G21 is an exception. Markedly less perceived recoil than a 1911, and my 120lb princess with correspondingly small hands does just fine with the SF model (slim frame). Actually easier to shoot and handle than the 26 or 27. Maybe it's a size/mass thing. As for an example of accuracy and recoil. 4/4 rds in a 1" square from 10yds in 5ish sec. Not bragging, I'm by far not the best shooter I know, an my wife did it before I did (humility defined), but if the gun was either a recoil monster or inaccurate, I couldn't have made those shots. It's not sexy, not fancy, and has no bells or whistles, but gun go bang every time. Have yet to shoot the g41, just got back, but guessing it will be sweet.

Long winded as hell, but hope it helps.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Lurker66]

Your assessment helps. 18 months later but still relevant.

 

[Fyrtwuck]

When I started out in 75 we were issued S&W Model 15 .38's. (Air Force) in 85 we got the Beretta. I was happy about it. Semi-Auto, large capacity. Then a few years later I got my hands on a Glock 17. Had no use for the Beretta since.

 

[Lone Wolf '49]

Well, all is fine. Everyone has their favorites, 1911 for me and as far as Glocks they are great, but don't fit my hand. My point now is if they had an M14 they might not have to use a pistol instead of a 22 caliber piece of.....................