The Beretta M9 served as the standard sidearm of the U.S. military for over 30 years, owing to its reliability and ease of use. These are accurate handguns with strong ergonomics, and the size and weight make them easy to shoot and instill confidence in the user. Although the design is a bit dated at this point, many are still drawn in by the aesthetics, shootability, and reliability of the 92-series platform.
The Beretta CX4 Storm is one of the earlier entries into the world of modern pistol-caliber carbines. Its simple direct blowback system has helped cement its status as an extremely reliable gun. Solid ergonomics make the gun feel slick and easy to point, but the gun is almost 20 years old, and it is starting to show.
The S&W M&P Sport II was long considered the best budget starter AR-15, but those days are well behind us. These are well-built and reliable guns, but a lack of updates to the furniture, barrel twist rates, and gas system length has led to other guns in the same price bracket taking the place of the Sport II.
Smith and Wesson finally decided to revisit the 10mm cartridge and adapted their M&P 2.0 platform for it. Our test gun was reliable, shot well, and had the quality ergonomics the M&P line is known for. However, there have been some reported issues with the 4-inch models, and it should be noted that this is still a relatively new gun in Smith and Wesson’s lineup.
The Girsan MC P35 brings that classic look and feel of the Browning Hi-Power, but at a price that anyone can appreciate. It may not be as nice as the originals, but it definitely captures the essence of the Hi-Power while providing a reliable shooting experience.
“The PPK/s is an iconic pistol that has grown in popularity since its introduction in 1929. The Bond novels and films have certainly helped that, but all the positive publicity in the world wouldn’t matter if the gun itself wasn’t a well-built shooter.” – Mike Hardesty
