Have you considered DA/SA pistols for everyday-carry? (Photo: Eagle/Facebook)
The handgun market for everyday-carry duty and self-defense is dominated by striker-fired polymer pistols. The reason is obvious, they are simpler to shoot. Striker-fired handguns have one type of trigger pull and most rely only on passive safeties, so if a user can draw the pistol and pull the trigger it will predictably go bang.
Striker-fired triggers occupy a limbo between single-action and double-action. On the one hand, they’re shorter and most break more predictably than double-action triggers. On the other hand, they are long and heavy compared to just about any single-action trigger.
Trigger control is important even in high-stress situations, and because of this, gun manufacturers are transitioning to lighter, crisper triggers, especially with the new crop of striker-fired guns including the FN FNS, Heckler & Koch VP, SIG P320 and Walther PPQ.
Newer striker-fired guns feel a lot more like they have single-action triggers (and some are, technically speaking) but with an added amount of takeup to help prevent accidental or negligent discharges by increasing the length of the trigger pull. These combine the better features of both double-action and single-action triggers. They have a long pull for safety then hit a predictable, short wall before they break and fire.
The new crop of strikers is a huge improvement over older-generation pistols that, realistically, functioned more like shorter, lighter double-action-only triggers. But they’re still no match for a good single-action trigger.
Because a safety of some sort must be overcome–whether it’s a double-action trigger or manual safety–single-action triggers only have practical constraints on pull weight, pretravel, overtravel and reset. That is to say, they’re better.
See Also: Everyday-Carry and the Get Home Gun
Thanks to a renewed interest in good factory triggers, a lot of shooters are coming around–or back around–to double-action/single-action pistols. Not only does the single-action trigger reset lock in place, these guns are capable of restrike or second strike in cases of stubborn primers.
For striker-fired pistols, if a user pulls the trigger and encounters a failure to fire, the remedial action is a malfunction drill–tap, rack, target. Bash the magazine in place, cycle the slide manually and aim and fire again. This doctrine is valid for all semi-automatic pistols, but with double-action-capable handguns, a quick pull of the trigger in DA mode can resolve the problem in a fraction of a second.
With all of this in consideration it’s no surprise that double-action/single-action pistols are regaining relevance, even while company after company puts out another striker-fired model. The effect good trigger control has downrange, for some shooters, is worth the extra effort required to master a double-action/single-action handgun.
The one advantage that striker-fired guns have over DA/SA pistols is weight. Strikers are almost universally polymer-framed, where hammer-fired pistols, given the older designs, are usually metal-framed. There’s no way around it, polymer-framed guns are lighter and easier to carry all day, every day.
That doesn’t mean you’re out of options. Here are six polymer-framed DA/SA pistols that should be on your shortlist if you’re looking for a solid everyday-carry handgun that will go toe-to-toe with just about any striker-fired on the market.
SIG SP2022
Based on its low price and high value alone, the SP2022 should be on everyone’s list for every kind of handgun. It’s a true do-all pistol that is at home on the hip or in a drawer, and it has a lot of support when it comes to accessories like holsters and sights. Night sights are also available on factory models, further increasing the gun’s cost benefit.
The SP2022 has excellent ergonomics including interchangeable grip shells to fit different hand sizes. At first blush, the controls are for righties, but any experienced SIG shooter will tell you they are very lefty-friendly, particularly the slide stop and magazine release, and with some practice, the decocker lever.
With a standard capacity of 15+1 in 9mm Luger, it’s also offered not just in .40 S&W but also in .357 SIG, both 12+1, so it brings a decent spread of cartridge options to the table, too.
The SP2022 is a SIG you can feel not only fine with but great about using and abusing. While all SIG pistols are duty guns, with a street price of between $450 and $500 the SP2022 is a real bargain.
Buy SIG firearms on GunsAmerica.com: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=sig
Heckler & Koch P30 and HK45
The Heckler and Koch P30, and by extension the HK45, represent some of the most advanced polymer-frame DA/SA guns on the market. With several different trigger options including optional traditional safeties and/or decockers, these guns have been available for long enough to promote a solid aftermarket for accessories.
The P30 is a small-frame pistol offered in 9mm and .40 S&W, with a 15+1- and 12+1-round capacity, standard. The HK45 is the large-frame version, offered in .45 ACP with a standard 10+1-round capacity.
The P30 is available in fully-ambidextrous configurations and not only sports interchangeable backstraps, it also has interchangeable grip panels for a fully-customizable grip. The HK45 has similar controls and interchangeable backstraps, too.
These are some of the more expensive options on the market with the P30 models running between $600 and $700 and the HK45 often closer to $900. The P30 is available in subcompact for concealed carry as well as extended models for home defense and competition, where the HK45 has both compact options and extended, threaded models available for shooting suppressed.
One thing to keep in mind is that Heckler & Koch offers some models with the LEM trigger system. A preset hammer, the LEM trigger functions more like a striker-fired trigger than a traditional DA/SA trigger, which negates the advantages DA/SA shooters are looking for.
Buy H&K firearms on GunsAmerica.com: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=h%26k
FN FNX
The FNX is another all-purpose handgun. A little bigger than the SP2022, the FNX is slender and makes good use of its size and weight as one of the most compact full-size service pistols on the market.
It has an above-average 17+1 capacity in 9mm and holds a solid 14+1 rounds in .40 S&W. Most importantly, the FNX has true, fully-ambidextrous controls including the safety/decocker. Ambidexterity isn’t just nice for lefties; being able to shoot a pistol one-handed, even weak-sided, is a real pro for lefties and righties.
Then there’s the FNX-45. Although it’s realistically too big for most people for concealed-carry, the FNX-45 is still an impressively efficient design with an outstanding capacity of 15+1 rounds of .45 ACP.
The FNX-45 has a standard 4.5-inch barrel and at 33 ounces unloaded and with its good controls, ergonomics and capacity will give even the best 1911s a run for their money. The .45 is available in a Tactical model with an extended, threaded barrel, raised suppressor sights and a machined, red-dot-ready slide.
There is one like-it-or-leave it element that comes with the FNX design, and that’s the grip texture. These guns use an interchangeable backstrap system for different hand sizes but the texture is spiked and rough. While the grip texture provides unparalleled control, some people find it unpleasant, especially for concealed-carry.
Buy FN-America firearms on GunsAmerica.com: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=fn
CZ P-07 and P-09
The P-07 has been on the market for a while as CZ’s budget pistol and it has pretty good market support, especially with the backing of companies like CZ-USA and Cajun Gun Works.
Recently CZ updated the design with interchangeable backstraps and introduced a new full-size model, the P-09. The P-07 is a compact, holding 15+1 in 9mm and 12+1 in .40 S&W, whereas the P-09 has a near-unapproachable 15+1-round capacity in .40 S&W and 19+1 in 9mm. Extended baseplates are available for even greater capacities for both models.
And while the P-09 is comically-large for concealed-carry it’s a top-flight pistol for home defense and open carry. The P-07 is more suited for concealed-carry and even though it’s wide on paper, CZ measures these guns across the safety levers. In a holster, the P-07 will conceal with the best of the double-stacks.
CZ’s polymer P-series uses their Omega trigger system, which gives users the choice of either a traditional manual safety for carrying cocked-and-locked or a simpler decocker lever that decocks to half-cocked for a shorter, lighter trigger even in double-action. Switching between controls is fast and the safety and decocker levers are ambidextrous where the magazine release is reversible.
CZ is working hard to offer these guns in compelling configurations including suppressor-ready versions, but the real appeal for all these guns is their value, with prices starting at around $400.
Buy CZ firearms on GunsAmerica.com: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=cz
Beretta PX4
The PX4 Storm is a very modern pistol design that is too often caught behind the Beretta 92’s long shadow. The Beretta 92, thanks its success as the military’s M9 and its other variants, is practically synonymous with the Beretta brand.
The 92 in all its forms has its drawbacks, in this case, it has a bulky, heavy frame (even for an alloy-framed pistol) and an open slide design. The uncommon barrel locking system makes it a low-recoil system, which is nice, but it’s not the strongest and is a known point of failure.
The PX4 Storm, on the other hand, has a light polymer frame, a closed slide and a beefier recoil-mitigating locking system. The PX4 series uses a rotating one-piece barrel and it’s no gimmick; the felt recoil is noticeably lower even when shooting snappy .40 S&W loads.
The PX4 is produced in 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP and has average to above-average capacity across the board. The Compact model takes compactness seriously, and is small enough for concealed carry in almost any weather.
The Full Size is still small and light enough for everyday carry, holding 17+1 in 9mm and 14+1 in .40, two more rounds in each caliber compared to the Compact. The Full-size has a standard 4-inch barrel where the Compact is short at 3.3 inches. In .45 they hold 10+1 rounds.
A couple things to mention include that the Sub-Compact does not use a rotating barrel system; it uses a conventional tilting barrel. And there are a few different trigger systems to be aware of; even though these guns are mostly DA/SA there are double-action-only and preset hammer variants.
The DA/SA model is also produced with a decocker safety or a decocker-only lever. The decocker-only lever is probably the best option for concealed-carry, which is why it’s standard on the PX4 Carry model. PX4 pistols are all pretty affordable, too, with prices starting around $450.
Buy Beretta firearms on GunsAmerica.com: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=beretta
Grand Power 
It’s not uncommon to see CZ show up in roundups as the sleeper brand but when it comes to DA/SA pistols the new company to watch out for is Grand Power. Imported under their own brand and sold as others Grand Power handguns are positioned to make a big impact in the polymer service pistol market on all fronts.
Grand Power makes pistols specialized for service and duty, competition, self-defense and concealed-carry. Because they have been available off and on in the U.S. there is a budding accessory market including holsters and night sights for home defense and everyday-carry.
Like the FNX they are fully-ambidextrous pistols out of the box, and they stand out for their factory-polished triggers. These guns are big in the European competition scene with good reason.
Not only do they have excellent controls and ergos including interchangeable grip shells, they also implement a rotating barrel system for greatly reduced felt recoil. This will be especially appreciated when they bring their 10mm Auto pistol to the States. In the meanwhile keep a lookout for Grand Power firearms; while so many other companies are focused on striker-fired designs, Grand Power is taking the DA/SA pistol to new heights.
Grand Power pistols are offered in full-size, compact and subcompact sizes in 9mm, .40 S&W, .380 and .45 ACP. These guns are starting to get noticed and prices have gone up by $100 or more across the board in just a year or so; still, starting in the $550 range they’re approachably-priced and packed with features.
Buy Grand Power firearms on GunsAmerica.com: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=grand%20power
SIG SP2022 is an awesome product.
The Austrian Glock 20 puts it down!
SIG SP2022 is my favorite one.
I have a CZ P09 .40cal and an AlienGear holster, and with a very substantial steel reinforced belt, I carry this gun and a second magazine daily[30 rounds]. Is it kind of bulky? Sure, but not so you can’t cover it.
I love the fnx 45 because its high magazine capacity compared to other 45s and its reliability.I like double/single action pistols because if you aim at the bad guy you get to cock it to let him know you are serious you will shoot him.About a year ago I had someone break into my house and when I came down I found an armed burglar so I told him to take out his weapon with two fingers and very slowly he just said no way so I cocked it and he freaked out and got down on the floor without me asking LOL
Is there a da/sa striker fired guns with manual safety?
Yes, I have one. Glock makes them as well, but mine is a Taurus PT 24/7 G2. The non-manual equipped pistols are DAO. The DA/SA DS type has a thumb switch as a manual safety. The same switch operates as a toggle between the two firing modes when pressed downward instead of up.
HK p30sk
Sorry…p30sk is hammer fired. I read the question wrong.
Someone who blogs, finally gave the FN FNX 9 a chance. Awesome. Grandpa has the FN Browning, Dad has the FNP 9, and I got the FNX 9 (all are extremely close to each other). I would put this pistol up against any for accuracy… to everyone who is complaining that Glock, S&W M&P, and Springfield XD isn’t on the list, those are the WORST DA/SA pistols I have ever shot. They would make great DAs though…. LMAO.
Because the Glocks, will never be in the same league as sig sauer, H & K, Walther, or
F.N. When you hold a gun level in should point that way. Not at an angle upwards.
Nice article, but always remember that some of us are really new gun owners, and you breeze through terms like “decocker lever” as if everyone knows what it is. Now before I get flamed, yes I can, and will look all this stuff up. Please let me know if you have done an article or video on DA/SA/striker/etc/etc. The market is getting more complicated and it harder and harder to get it all figured out. I’ve tried at two local gun stores, but they only carry certain brands, and then only certain models.
I am a leftie, looking for a compact 9mm carry with an active safety. (PLEASE don’t tell me why I don’t want a safety, I’ve read it all, its my choice.)
One of the benefits and points to DA/SA is to remove an active safety. If you want an active safety might as well get a SAO like a compact 1911 sig makes a 238 and 938 1911. the DA first pull is removed and a safety takes its place. If you want an easy to shoot gun with an active safety and wont be doing a lot of training get a striker. Its like driving an automatic compared to 5 speed.
a decocking level brings the hammer down and the trigger goes back to DO
Also a lefty and new to firearms in the last six months.. The Ruger LC9s works pretty well for me. Unfortunately both the safety and magazine release are for righties. I’ve pretty well convinced myself that just as we do with scissors, school desks, etc. We are just going to have to adapt.
My Glock 19 allows for a magazine release on the right but has no safety so I am not comfortable carrying it. Love it for the nightstand though.
I am seriously looking for a 9mm double action to carry. I am concerned about inadvertent or accidental discharge and I think double action would be helpful in that area.
Check out Springfield Armory’s new XD-E. Hammer, DA/SA, ambidextrous controls/safety. What more could a lefty want or need for concealed carry? Perhaps a .45 ACP version!
Just bought one in July for GF. She loves it. she can pull the slide back and control it very nicely. i am old school and like the decocker part, lowering the hammer on my Sig 1911 with one in the tube always makes me nervous.
Rusty, you should NOT be carrying a 1911 with the hammer down on a live round! That’s very unsafe. If you bump the hammer, the gun can fire. You’re better off to cock the hammer and turn on the safety.
This is for the guy making false statements about the 1911 firing a chambered round with the hammer down. FYI the 1911s of today have much better technology then the 6 shooters of the old west. You should look up “inertia safety” and then apologize to Rusty and correct your statement. 1911s can not fire on a chambered round in the manner you suggest.
Personally, I like the Smith &Wesson M&P line of handguns much better than a Glock.
To me, just as dependable,US made, and love the grip and the grip angle, unlike the German Glock. And you can get it with a safety if you are so inclined.
Austrian Glock. Germans wouldn’t get something as fundamental as grip angle wrong.
I bought a Beretta PX4 Storm Compact 9mm a few months ago. As both a fellow lefty and relative gum newbie, I can tell you that it’s a GREAT pistol. Very accurate, great size excellent capacity and the safety features that you mentioned. It is ambidextrous with a safety/decocker and shoots very smoothly. I have a buddy who has a Sig .40 and he is now in the market for my gun after two trips to the range.
I must have a 9mm PX4 that is different from all the ones others test. The reason being is the recoil doesn’t seem moderate or reduced thanks to the rotating barrel system. Perhaps I am becoming recoil sensitive in my old age. But, I took out my Glock 19 this morning and it recoils less than the larger and heavier Beretta PX4.
Great article. But it seems to me that the author is trying to categorize hammer fired and DA/SA in a same group, which is not necessarily accurate IMO. While most of the hammer fired out there are DA/SA, it is worth to mention a new wave of DA/SA striker fired pistols, such as Canik TP9 (V2), Grand Power Q100 (will be available in US market anytime soon), and some other names that have already been in the market for awhile. Unlike the traditional striker fired pistols, these DA/SA striker fired offer the same second strike capability and real Double and Single trigger pull as their hammer fired counterparts. It would be nice to see 1 or 2 pistols in this category added to the list. This is just an opinion based on my limited firearms knowledge. Please correct me if I am wrong. Thanks
I didn’t see ANYTHING mentioning GLOCKS???? Or Derringers? Not a single mention of any lever actions either. WTF???
Oh wait, this article was on SA/DA!!!!!!!!
Do you people read at all? Can you read? Did you read the owners manual that came with your gun? Did you pay attention in your CCW class?
SA/DA. That is the topic of this article.
It’s mind boggling, the many people that leave comments here and they’re unable to READ what the article is actually about.
your crazy!!! kahr is better than most you have and equal to therest. get your head out!!! man you say some dumb things!!! i guess thats why so many people own glocks!!! and kahrs!!
Kahr does make some great guns, but this article was about da/sa poly framed guns. To my understanding all Kahr’s are striker fired. Before attacking someone’s hard work make sure your criticism is accurate.
I love the Beretta 92 models and never had any trouble with them. I purchased a Beretta PX4 Storm, 9mm for my wife. I liked it so well I purchased one for myself. It’s a good shooting gun, accurate and with not much recoil. I’d recommend this pistol for a first gun purchase for anyone. And 9mm ammo is cheaper than other loads.
I’ve long thought DA/SA was a good choice for a CCW. Years ago I trained with a Ruger P89DC. Great gun with Houge grips and I still own it. Ruger’s last offering in the P series was the P345 a polymer framed 4.25 inch barreled .45. I waited until I found a straight DC ( as opposed to the DC/safety ) and I find it quite comfortable to carry everyday. These things are built like tanks, reliable and will eat everything I feed it. I carry it all day in a IWB or until something else calls out to be carried.
The problem for ME(subjectively speaking), is that MY DA/SA pistols are alloy framed S&W 9mm pistols that I’ve had and used near daily for umpteen years now. I don’t mind being an old-ER dog at all at this point in my life, but a good shooting buddy swears by and not at his FNX 9mm and having fired it a lot, I agree with him. Good pistol, perfect? Nope, nothing ever is.
Go with what works for YOU, and don’t ever look back…I’ve zero plans to change from my S&W numbered series until their weight starts to bear down on me a bit, THEN, I’ll reconsider.
I have and carry all Taurus pistols, PT24/7 Pro in 9mm (17+1), PT24/7 G2 .45ACP (12+1), both have decockers and are single/double action. I also carry a PT-111 Pro in 9mm (12+1) and my new PT-709 Slim single stack 9mm (7+1). The are all stainless steel slides and polymer frames. I have no complaints whatsoever with any of these fine pistols. Great prices, lifetime warranties, excellent performance too, what more can you ask for?
I bought a Taurus 709 Slim based on an article I read in a gun magazine, that is the last time I do that. The 709 is pure junk. I can’t get a decent group and the bullets go all over the target when they hit the target. The empties look like they are ready to burst at the base and that is with all types from mild to somewhat hot. The so called adjustable sight is a plastic joke which the supplied screw driver to adjust them with does not fit the screw heads. I have a Springfield XD 45, Beretta PX4 .40, Kimber ultra compact 45 and a Walther PPK. All my other guns shoot very good groups and stay on the target. The Kimber with a 3″ barrel is accurate enough that I shoot the caps off bottles at 25 yd. The 709 Slim is lucky to hit a tree at 15 yd.
I bought a Taurus 738, a 709 and their version of the 1911. Everyone of them had too light a strike the primer causing failures to fire. This is unacceptable in a carry pistol. I had to send them back to the factory to be repaired. After that I don’t trust any Taurus product. Carry whatever you want but I hope it doesn’t fail when you need it. The quality control at Taurus can’t be very good.
I have a Kel-Tek P-11, first generation.. cheap..shoots straight, and M-59 mags fit. Is it the Best? I go to gun stores and gun shows, to see what might be better for everyday carry that is not a .380 and feel glad for my purchase of my good ol’ P-11 ( under $300 when I bought it so many years ago) weighs 14oz. holds 11 rounds 9mm hollow-points and spare mag has 18 (M-18) >> beat that. ( Honestly, if you can show me better I’ll buy it ))
I really dislike top or best list. This certainly comes down to personnel opinion. The FACT that the G17 and or 19 is not on this list is down right shameful. But then again” it’s someone’s Top List crap”
Mike – when did Glock start making DA/SA action guns? That is what this list includes (see the title).
Mike, this list is for pistolas with hammers only!
Last Year I watched a couple of guys torture test a Glock Pistol and an out of the Box Armscor 1911.
They were testing these pistols to the point of destruction
The Glock did not survive the first round.
The first test was dipping them in lake water and shooting them if I recall and muddy water and mud both worked.
they then used tannerite explosives, during he first round of the torture test, the Armscor 1911, not only survived but still functioned flawlessly, the only thing they found of the Glock was its slide assembly.
So the continued on torture testing the Armscor 1911, they shot the pistil with a 12 gage shot gun and it still worked, they sunck it in concrete and was allowed to hardin and the blew it up a second time with tannerrite explosive and an old marine vet took it out and shot it , everyone else was scared.
My Beretta Storm sub compact in 40 caliber fits in my pants pocket inside a pocket sleeve. I can even carry it concealed in shorts & a t shirt in summer with no problems. 10 & 1 capacity in a fine shooting small hand gun means I don’t leave home without it.
Polymer-framed traditional double-action pistols have been around for quite some time. I’ve been carrying a Beretta 9000S in .40cal for 12-15 years, and haven’t yet run across anything better, though I suppose the short-barreled PX4 is about the same. At least for me, it’s the best compromise I could find between being small enough to conceal, big enough to shoot well, power, capacity (10 + 1), etc. — and with a single-action trigger light enough to shoot accurately.
Personal favorite, Springfield DX40 3.8″ 15+1. I’m a big guy and it fit so well. And accurate as hell!
I’m glad someone spoke up for the Springfields. I own a 45 XD(M) and that bad boy is a little heavy but accurate as hell and a 9mm sub that’s quite comfortable and never fails to fire any ammo I feed it.
KevinO, Read the title……..double action / single action pistols!!!! NOT striker fired pistols!
“The decocker-only lever is probably the best option for concealed-carry, which is why it’s standard on the PX4 Carry model.”
I have never seen a “Carry” model of the PX4. You may be referring to the Type G? If you know of a Carry Model of the PX4 can you provide a link?
My sub compact Storm in 40 caliber fits that description. Check it out at Beretta USA. I’ve carried it for five years now. Great gun.
You might think that the CZ P-09 is a laughable CC gun, but as a big man I carry it daily in a Alien Gear Cloak Tuck III with no noticeable printing (and with 16 rounds of .40 S&W).
Where is the Glock? I am also a big fan of the new American Ruger autos
Glocks are great reliable guns if you do not mind shooting yourself in the leg once in a while.
keep ur finger off the trigger dumbass. I don’t think i’d trust u with a gun
As the article title said..best DA/SA or SAO polymer frame pistol. The Glock is not.
As a gift to my wife after she passed her NRA Course and got her CT CCP, I bought her the PX4 Storm compact in 9mm. That is one of the finest guns I have ever fired (except for my HK45CT). It is light, extremely accurate, and with the DA/SA it is perfect for self-defense. Extremely easy to conceal. I often take it with me on early morning (before dawn) walks with my GSD, in case we run into a pack of coyotes. He can easily take on 1 or 2 but if it is more than 2 – I will definitely get involved!
I was interested in the H&K P30SK, the article states 15+1 rounds standard. Doing an internet search and also looking on Guns America they all state 10 round capacity only. Was this a mis-print? I’m looking to purchase a new carry gun in the next 6 months, so far I’m leaning towards the Springfield MOD2 in 9MM and so far have not seen too many other handguns that out due the MOD2 in price, capacity and looks.
The text describes the P30 not the P30SK which is pictured. The price described (“. . . running between $600 and $700 . . .”) is *definitely* not for the P30, but for the P30SK. Wrong on several fronts. The P30SK is a nice option to look for though. In the same price range as the P30SK with a capacity similar to the larger big brother P30 is the striker fired HK VP9, which arguably has a better trigger.
P30sk is a great gun. Unlike some DA/SA guns you can put the safety on without the hammer cocked.
the decocking lever sits next to the hammer which I consider superior to being on the thumb safety.
I love my XD Mod 2 9mm sub-compact, and it’s my primary cold weather CC choice. It shoots well, has great ergonomics and excellent capacity. I actually shoot it better than some of my full-sized 9mm pistols! But don’t kid yourself, it’s a brick riding on your hip all day, especially when compared to any of the popular single-stack options out there. Then again, I’m sure it’s weight is one of the reasons for it’s accuracy. It’s also enjoyable to pump 100’s of rounds through it at the range as it doesn’t punish your hands like some smaller, lighter polymer framed pistols tend to. In the end, it fits the role I’ve chosen for it perfectly – a winter weather CC piece that offers me the increased capacity of a double-stack yet is still reasonably concealable and fun to shoot.
The only polymer pistol to pass the NATO abuse test, the Springfield XD / XDM, deserves to be on that list. IMO
The Springfields are striker fired and therefore do not belong on a list of DA/SA guns.
The Springfield XD-E line is DA/SA. Never fired one though, so I can’t comment as to whether or not they deserved a mention.
1911 is not DA pistol.
What? No Bersa Thunder 9 Ultra Compact? Bersa makes a very fine firearm, and I love mine. It’s a sweet shooter. The DA/SA configuration of it, coupled with its small (and easily concealed) size is what attracted me to it initially. I’ve since found out that Bersa owners don’t part with their guns very often, due to the quality and its reliability. The full size Bersa Thunder 9 is also the official sidearm of the Argentine military. I find the Ultra Compact version of this pistol to be extremely well balanced (even with my larger hands), has very manageable recoil, its capacity is 13+1, and it comes with two magazines.
The article is about polymer frame guns.
I carry the H&K P30. I’ve carried the VP9SK, the Sig 938 & the Springfield XD mod2. The P30 is by far My favorite. I like having a hammer fired weapon with a de- cocker.
The Grand Power by any name or importer is still recovering from a total product recall of its predecessor firearms, they blowup and to a lesser degree ate firing pins). I have no problem with them taking another shot at the market. I do take issue with pushing them for EDC when they have been “back” (redesigned) one the market less then a year. Where exactly are Grand Powers in use by a “Service” or issued as a “Duty” handgun? A handgun needs a good reputation before it gets a good recomendation as a option for EDC. IMHO
Thank you for making an intelligent fact-based point. Any article talking about “The top 6 polymer” pistols which then tries to limit the selection by only including DA/SA and leaves off the Glock and SA XD /M/S is obviously pushing some sort of an agenda. Grand Power; what a maroon! Must not pay much to be a writer for GA.
Some comments about this article are just stupid. Complaints about no glock, the article starting with its title is plainly talking about polmer framed da/sa pistols. No agenda here attacking glock they just fo not fit into the subject.
No American offerings listed ? I see Polymer frame and just go ugh! Nothing beats a steel frame pistol. None of these come close to a good old fashion COLT 1911.
The FN is made in America.
FN (FNH) produces most of it’s guns right here and America, including all U.S. military production rifles and consumer handguns.
FNX is a fine, well engineered weapon. I have a FNX-9 and have put aprox 1500 rounds of multiple brands of ammo down the barrel with never one FTF / FTE or any other malfunction, and in the right hands it’s dead accurate. I find the grip very comfortable and secure, and I don’t have huge hands. 3 mags with gun is bonus few other provide.
Apples and Oranges. No one likes 1911’s. NO ONE! Not even you!
Love all forms of the 1911, carried one in Vietnam & the Gulf – and still today.
No one likes Hillary, the Evil, either (including you) but still lots of folks will vote for this vile person come November!
Thank God, not enough folks did.