I'm currently on the market for a new pistol ive narrowed it to 3
sig 226 HK usp or beretta 92fs brigadier

im leaning towards the USP but not sure. I'm a MP in the army national guard and leave for basic/ait august 2nd and the gun i will be using will be the M-9. but i never really have been a fan of beretta. what would you all suggest?

I've shot them all & own USP40. They are all good weapons, pick the one that's fits you best. In 9mm, I would go w/ the SIG226.

I haven't shot the USP, but I own a Beretta 96 and a Sig 226 (both in .40). They are both good guns, but I much prefer the Sig. It feels much more comfortable in my hand than the Beretta and the only malfunctions I have had were due to some bad ammo, not the pistol itself. The Sig was more expensive than the Beretta, but I definitely feel like I got what I paid for. Of course, if cost isn't a factor, buy all three!

of the 3 - sig sig and sig

Shot them all and owned them except in the case of the Beretta, because in several cases I opted for the Taurus because I like the safety system better. The H&K USP variant 1 uses the same system. Cocked and locked with decock capability. The best of everything in my oppinion. I think that the P-226 in 9mm is probably the best out of the box combat pistol in the world, but yet there are deficiencies with it and the USP: they use rebounding hammers that are slightly slower in lock time when you pull the trigger. Not an issue when you shoot groups from a rest, but it can effect handheld accuracy. This is splitting hairs because the reality is that all of these pistols are plenty accurate.

You mentioned carrying the 92 with no mention of it being large for your hand, so I'm guessing you get a comfortable grip on it. Works for me because of large hand size and that is part of the equation since a lot of shooters have subjective oppinions about the pistol that feels best in their hand. The 226 feels great in my hand but the trigger reach is actually a bit short for me. Few pistols feel better across the board of various hand sizes than a CZ 75. If the Beretta feels good in your hand there are some advantages. The hammer drops slightly faster and the longer barrel will give you slightly higher velocity and terminal ballistics. The extra weight of the Brigardier will enhance control. The weakness of the 92 is that some come with heavier than necessary triggers. That is easily aided by installing the trigger return spring used in the 92 DAO. Beretta does this with the Elite II. Another note on lock time: pistols with leaf springs propel the hammer faster than pistols with a coiled hammerspring. 1911s are very popular for a host of reasons, but the one usually discussed the least is the fact that you can more easily obtain a very good trigger. Your other leaf spring pistol choice that can have an excellent trigger with some work is the venerable Hi-Power. As far as DA autoloaders, the pistol that uses a coiled hammer spring that comes closest to achievable trigger quality is the CZ 75. Rugers are actually pretty good in that regard as well, but the Ruger pistol I would recommend is the P-345 in .45 ACP and it doesn't appear that you're looking at .45 ACP. I mention it because my stock 345 will shoot with 1911s costing twice as much or more. Ruger will probably offer other chamberings, but that's still down the road.

Other pistols worth consideration are the CZ 75 and variants like the P-01 based on preference for size and safety system. A new polymer frame CZ 75 is soon to hit the street that will have two safety options. One model will be the standard cocked and locked and the other will use the decocker of the BD and P-01. The Springfield Armory XD is worth a look and if size is not an issue, the 5" Tactical model is a very fine, easy to shoot and accurate pistol. I reload, so for me, Glocks are not an option: Been there, done that.

Taking all of these things under consideration, I'll throw you a bit of a curve since you are considering both metal and polymer framed guns. Beretta now has a pistol very competitive with the H&K USP and lower in price that has more features than your likely to find with any stock service/military pistol: The Storm. Interchangeable backstrap grip inserts will allow you to fit the pistol to YOUR hand. The low axis rotational barrel locking system dispels recoil linearly (rearward) and rotationally. The hammer is lightened for faster lock time than many DA pistols can achieve. Striker fired pistols like the XD and the Glock are even faster, but lack second strike capability with the exception of some DAOs, which I don't recommend personally. Military doctrine as well as a good number of leading LE agencies prefer second strike capability for good reason, i.e. primer failure on the first strike that will ignite a high factory installed primer on the second DA strike. The sights have luminescent dot inserts that glow in the dark for 30 minutes after subjected to a light source; that of course includes flashlights. Since I am reading magazine capacity into this with your consideration, the Storm has +3 floorplate available that will give you hi-capacity equal to anything out there 9mm or .40 S&W.

Apologies for the length of the thread, but this seemingly simple question does not come with a simple answer. Shooting all of the various pistols that you can get your hands on is always recommended, but it's not likely you'll shoot all of those under consideration. Rest assured, you will buy other pistols down the road as your preferences change, but it is possible to get it right the first time! I carry a pistol that does everything for me, but I've been looking for over 25 years. The best advice I could give anyone is to weigh everything you can into your choice, learn to shoot that pistol accurately and forgetaboutit! Few other combat pistols will do better for you if you have covered the bases. I love to shoot a good 1911, but for a carry pistol, I'll go with a DA every time!

Just looking in Handguns magazine, and Sig came out with a new model called P229 Equinox. I think its worth reading about or checking it out on internet.

I don't mean to add confusion to your list, but for the price of guns its best to check out all options.

if it isn't made by STI or Dave Dawson it is just second best.

I guess I'll just have to be satisfied with 2nd then!

My Dad has the Sig, I had a Beretta 92S and currently own and carry the H&K USP compact in 40 S&W. I've fired all 3 frequently and my choice would be 1. HK, 2. SIG 226 3. Beretta 92

I have small hands and the pointability (is there such a word?) of the H&K is best for me.

You've got to go w/ what works for you- go to a local gun range and tell others your thoughts. I'm sure you could shoot all 3 on a given weekend.

The M9s in the Arms rooms aren't the best to judge by. That's speeking from 23 years experience in the Army.

Thanks for Serving.

1SG RW Semerena