I have room in my safe for only 1 hi-cap 9mm pistol. I therefore want the one I pick for this role to be the best I can find that suits my own preferences.
For me, I prefer steel / metal pistols. Nothing wrong with polymer; just my own preference for metal. It has to be reliable, and cannot be made by a company with spotty QC. I want the darned thing to go bang when I want it to, and I don't want to have to send it back to the factory to make it work.
It should have the option of extended magazines that work reliably. 18 rounds are good, 20 are even better.
I think I found the pistol that best fits ME: The Beretta 92FS. Got mine new, came with 3 15 round mags. It happens to have the straight dust cover and non-radiused back strap. I keep it loaded with 135 gr. Hornady Critical duty, with a MecGar 20 round magazine plus one in the chamber. I can carry it just fine in a DeSantis pancake thumbbreak holster.
What I like about it is the extensive documented testing this model has gone though. (Average 13,000 rounds before a single stoppage, some M9's have endured 100,000 rounds, 35,000 rounds average service life).
It's a big gun to be sure; but, that makes it easier to shoot fast and maximizes the 9mm velocity. It's just a smidgen longer than a Glock 17.
It may be a retro throw back these days, but for me, I like this pistol. Anyone else share my sentiments on this gun? Any personal experience (good or bad) with the 92FS?
Thanks.