Does anyone have any thoughts on the comparison of these two pistols, or info on either one in particular. Also looking at a Walther P88..

The P9S is one of my favorites. I collect fixed barrel or uniquely operated autos and the P7 and P9 fit right in. Isn't the P5 just a short barrel P-38?

P9 has a polygon rifled fixed barrel, delayed roller lock, internal hammer with a drop safety, cocking indicator on the back of the slide/frame, mag release in the heel. I'll post pics tonight. Mine is in 45acp.

Rich

Hi Rich

Thanks for the info on the P9S

Those .45s are really great...definitely rareer and more valuable than the 9mms. I don't know if the P5 is a shortened p38..its qualifications for purchase are that it is medium sized, unique and German...

I am also looking at the P88, which is a bit more, but a nice pistol. Really, until you handle and shoot one it is hard to say. This internet is a blessing and a curse- y ucan find about anything but you can't handle, see and compare before purchase.

Anyway thanks for the info-- cool pic!

I would refer the P9S to the Walther.

I had a P9S in 45ACP once. It worked and shot great.

I just prefer a 1911, but I really liked the P9.

I had a very early P7 once also. It was the most accurate out of the box 9mm I ever fired.

While the heel magazine release might not be the best for an ISPC match, I never found them to be that big a deal.

404,

I wish I would have seen this posted earlier. They had a Walther P88 in the shop around here for $650. I was out of pistol cash so I let it slip.

The P88 would be a great shooter. The grip is a bit fatter than the others you describe; however, the accuracy between the P7 and P88 is similar. In an old article I remember the P88 compared to the P7. The P88 won in accuracy by a little bit, but not much.

PS: I rarely see HK P9 45s and when I do they're around a grand.

Well, will wonders never cease! I finally found something to disagree with NE 450 No2 on. Sorry good buddy! Our Departments's law enforcement division selected and issued HK P9's to our law enforcement division in the early 80s. I was a police firearms instructor at the time so I got to see a lot of them used on the range. The problems of accuracy and jams was so prevalent that many of our officers wanted to go back to revolvers. We had to re shoot many many officers because they could not make the generous time limits of our qualification course. Their accuracy was also very poor. After a few years we traded them in on Glock 23's and immediately re shoots became rare and qualification score jumped up tremendously.

465H&H

Were your P9's in 9mm??

American 9mm was so light loaded it did not function in the P9, at least that is what I heard back then. Mine was in 45 ACP and worked great.

When we went to Glocks the 17's worked fine but we had problems with the 19's assigned to plainsclothed people.

Glock eventually replaced all to the 19's and the problems stopped.

NE 450 No2,

Ours were in 45 ACP. A few worked fine but most were jamomatics. I guess you got one that worked.

465H&H

I've literally never had a jam with 200 swc or 230ball. trigger pull is a bit weird, kinda pulls to one side.

Rich

I guess I was lucky, mine shot 230 Ball, all the different HP's out at the time, and even cast H&G 68's.

I had 3 SIG 220's in 45 ACP, the European mag release ones. They worked great as well.

Still they were not 1911's.

American 9mm definitely was loaded light back then.German guns were designed for much hotter ammo thus getting blamed for malfunctions that were really from poor ammo.German guns ,P 08, P 38 also had a long mag to chamber distance so they didn't like light bullets [short cartridge].Then came the P7 ! The shortest mag to chamber distance of any gun with other features making it a very reliable gun !! As to the mag release it is pushed forward not backward like the others. The most surprized look I ever saw on an RO's face was when he watched me reload at an IPSC match." How could he do that so fast ?" he asked others.