Handguns – October-November 2019

heavier than some of the competi-

tion, it’s consistent and predictable,

and I grew to like the shorter take-

up. When the trigger becomes taut, a

simple press fires the gun, and while

the reset is longer than on some

competitors’ guns, there’s an audible

and tactile indication that the gun is

ready to fire again.

One area where the Stoeger

shines is accuracy. At 25 yards from

a rest, this gun shoots quite well,

printing groups that are on-par with

more expensive models. Hornady’s

Critical Defense and SIG Sauer’s

V-Crown averaged less than two

inches, but I was surprised at how

consistently this gun performed

with all five loads with average

groups ranging from 1.9 inches to 2.4

inches, as you can see in the accom-

panying chart.

That’s more accuracy than most

will require from this gun, but

compared to other four-inch striker-

fired guns, the Stoeger gives up

nothing in overall accuracy. Off the

bench this gun is great fun to shoot.

It performed well on shooting fail-

ure and hostage drills, and the tall

white-dot sights proved to be easy to

pick up quickly when transitioning

from target to target. The grip pro-

vides total control on the gun, and

this pistol stays planted even when

firing one-handed with powerful

defensive loads.

STOEGER THROWS A STRIKE

snagging. The tactical ledge is

large enough to function effectively,

too. If you simply can’t live with the

plain white dots there’s always the

option of upgrading to the tritium-

sight model.

Black nitride finishes are all the

rage because they’re durable and

won’t chip or flake, and the STR-9

has an evenly applied matte black

finish that will hold up well to re-

peated drawing/holstering and cor-

rosive perspiration. The lettering on

the left side of the slide did begin to

fade slightly after time, though.

The STR-9’s minimal controls

make it comfortable to carry, and

despite being a double-stack pistol,

it’s not difficult to conceal under

a cover garment. The grip angle

helps position the hand properly

for a consistent draw, and there’s

plenty of room in the oversized trig-

ger guard to fire this pistol while

wearing gloves. The trigger itself

has a rather tight, short take-up and

started the test rather heavy, but

after a couple hundred rounds, pull

averaged seven pounds, indicating

that after its initial break-in the

trigger lightened.

Despite the fact that the trigger is

< Stoeger gets high marks for the

STR-9’s comfortable grip design. It

sports finger grooves and great

texturing, along with a slight palm

swellthathelpsfillthehand.

54 HANDGUNS OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM

STOEGER

STR-9

TYPE: striker-fired semiauto centerfire

CALIBER: 9mm Luger

CAPACITY: 1 5+1

BARREL: 4.17 in.

OAL/HEIGHT/WIDTH: 7.4/5.25/1.3 in.

WEIGHT: 26.4 oz.

CONSTRUCTION: black nitride-finished steel

slide, textured polymer frame; 3 grip panels

(as tested)

TRIGGER: 7.6 lb. pull (initial measured

weight)

SIGHTS: dovetailed white three-dot

SAFETY: trigger lever

PRICE: $389 (as tested)

MANUFACTURER: Stoeger,

StoegerInduStrIeS.com

Ruger MK Pistols

Reassemble Correctly

Every Time

$15

HammerStrutSupport.com

256-527-3527

HSS

Remains in Pistol

Installs in minutes

One-Time Fix

Fits MK III, MK II, AMT

Fits most MK I* Not for 22/45

*MK I 1970-1975 fitting may be required

No Special Tools/Experience

Prevents Hammer Stut

lodging under cross-pin

Problem Installing HSS

HSS Installed

SPECIAL

NEWSSTAND-ONLY

SHOOTING PUBLICATIONS

NOW AVAILABLE AT OUR

ONLINE NEWSSTAND

OSGNEWSSTAND.COM