910/915 range report

[dsk]

A couple of months ago I found a 915 for a really good price at a LGS and picked it up. I thought I was done buying more pistols for awhile, but then I spied a 910 in slightly newer condition for about the same price. I decided that I had a use for it as well so I bought that too. Today I finally had a chance to do a side-by-side comparison shoot between the two pistols. To be honest, aside from the Glock-like sight picture of the 910's squared-off slide, the two handled and shot virtually identical. Both had excellent DA triggers, were perfectly reliable, roughly the same regarding accuracy, and equally comfortable to shoot.

If I had to keep just one it would of course be the 915, since it has the metal guide rod and mag catch, and a better look with the more-rounded slide and frame contours. However the 910 held its own quite easily, despite the plastic parts and simplified design (note no locking lug on the barrel). It was more 3rd gen than I first thought, as aside from the obvious differences in slide and barrel it's still the same regarding the safety and the firing mechanism. And yes, mags and grips interchange. The plastic sights actually afforded a better sight picture than the steel ones on the 915, and despite being plastic they appear robust enough to last. The plastic guide rod is a bit flimsy however, and I have to wonder how long the plastic mag catch will last. I noticed it isn't retained in the frame the same way as the metal one is on the 915, so I have a feeling they might not be interchangeable.

 

[18DAI]

Good looking 910! Good report too, thanks!

I wouldn't worry about the mag catch or plastic guide rod in the 910. Mine were still original in my 910 when it cracked a frame rail after more than 31,000 rounds (alot of that being +P and +P+) and 14 years of use.

I got my moneys worth out of that 910 pistol. Enjoy yours! Regards 18DAI

 

[Tony S45]

At what distance did you compare accuracy of these two guns?

Are the two uppers completely interchangeable?

(Hmmmm! Never knew that some 910s had SS slides.)

 

[dsk]

Thanks, I was shooting offhand at distances between 7 and 15 yards, but I didn't have a chance to shoot them from a rest (indoor range). When the weather gets warmer I'll have to take them to the local outdoor range and actually try them out with some different loads to see if one is truly more accurate than the other. But from my limited range time it didn't appear there is any significant difference. The thing that amazed me most was that when shooting DA/SA transition pairs both shots hit next to each other, which in my experience is pretty hard to do with a conventional DA/SA auto.

 

[W.E.G.]

Tell us more about the plastic guide rod.

Is it a unitary piece, or is a spring contained in it?

I would be interested to see how it is retained differently in the frame.

Thanks for taking the time to do the comparison pics!

 

[dsk]

The plastic guide rod has a spring-loaded plunger that I assume snaps into the larger piece, and it installs in the pistol the same way as the metal one in the 915. I haven't gone trying to swap the parts back and forth, but I'll do so at the earliest opportunity and report back.

 

[dsk]

Okay, I just tried swapping parts. The guide rods swap just fine. I then tried swapping complete uppers, and the 915 slide went on the 910 frame and functioned alright. However the 910 slide didn't want to go all the way onto the 915 frame, and I didn't want to force it. Upon closer inspection I could see the 910 slide lacks the rail grooves up near the front relief cuts, preventing it from going any further. Therefore they're not really interchangeable without the services of a gunsmith. However it shows that the 910 is still technically a true 3rd gen semi-auto, only simplified by using less machining steps in its manufacture.

 

[faol]

I'm a big 915 fan! It's the one pistol that I'll never part with! I just love the feel of it and trust it implicitly. The 915 was my pistol that I used to qualify at my Reserve Academy.

 

[MR.G]

Sold my 915 and bought a 910 stainless which I still have. Both very reliable guns. The 910 does have some plastic parts, but nothing I worry about.

 

[lpscruggs]

Even though my single action Browning Hi Power is my "first love" when it comes to autoloading pistols my M915 is my go to firearm of choice. Being a lefty I wish it had a ambi safety on it. Otherwise I love it. I do have 3 dot night sights on it. Great gun !