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From: jkh@jade.UUCP
Newsgroups: mod.rec.guns
Subject: Re:  9mm Pistols
Message-ID: <2377@jade.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Fri, 30-Jan-87 20:09:01 EST
Article-I.D.: jade.2377
Posted: Fri Jan 30 20:09:01 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 31-Jan-87 20:09:05 EST
Organization: U.C. Berkeley
Lines: 28
Approved: jkh@ucbjade
Author: sdcsvax!gould9!joel@ucbvax.berkeley.edu (Joel West @ Western Software Technology)
Article: 1:54

If you're interested in buying any gun, you might just talk to
a local shooting range that rents its own guns.  I found it instructive.

The local owner (based on his sample of one gun each) said that most 9mm
don't hold up to the same use as the L-frame S&W revolvers or the SA Colt
in 9mm and .45.  He estimated his guns go perhaps 2,000 rounds a week, 
so that adds up after a while (even if he exagerrated, clearly they get 
more use than your gun or mine).

Anyway, his specific experiences were:
	Beretta 92F: Won't feed hollow-point bullets reliably
		Cracked 5 times in one year, finally ruined and
		not replaced.
	SIG-Sauer P226: After about a year, cracked the sidebar (?)
		In the shop and will be back out again.
	Browning Hi-Power: Held up well, until some jerk rented
		it and shot 3 boxes of 9mm machine gun ammo
		through it.  With 14 cracks in the frame, it ended
		up in the trash and won't be replaced.

He had the Steyr in his used gun case, and it was about the same size
as the Beretta, with a slightly thicker grip.  Like the SIG, it has
a decocking lever, no safety.

Finally, I was amused to note that the tiny .380 Walther PPK (stainless)
had held up just fine to this abuse.  Perhaps there's something to
be said for having an established, tested design (like the 1911 Colt) 
that has all the bugs out of it.