Modern DA/SA Handguns You Need to Own
Some of the best pistols on the market now come with high capacity 9mm magazines and a double action/single action trigger mechanism. The best DA/SA pistols are a work of art now.
Maybe these guns were inspired by the Browning Hi-Power, maybe not, but it’s interesting to see what 100 years of development has achieved with the double stack 9mm concept.
The end result, then, are some seriously sexy firearms that keep getting better. So what are the best DA/SA pistols in 2023?
1. Beretta 92A3 / Beretta M9
- Price: $649.99
- Action: Double Action/Single Action pistol
- Barrel Length: 4.9 inch
- Weight: 2.12lb
- Capacity: 15+1
For the total package of performance, reliability, cost and just everything else, it is very hard to beat the classic Beretta 92, also known as the Beretta M9 in military service pistol circles.
The commercial Beretta M9 is slightly closer to the military sidearm that remains a US military approved and standard issue 9mm pistol after more than two decades of active service. Honestly, these are some of the best handguns in history.
You can spend more than $1,500 on a custom Beretta 92 these days, very easily. But the basic version is great for home defense and it’s often the only gun a lot of people own.
Military Flag Bearer Since 1985
The US Military adopted the Beretta 92, or Beretta M9 in soldier speak, in 1985. Law enforcement slowly followed suit and adopted the DA/SA pistols en masse.
The direct feed magazine and double stack magazine allowed for a high capacity, reliable handgun, and it has a manual safety. All these things make it user friendly, because it gives you options for your carry gun.
Of course the open slide design is an iconic and essential part of the Beretta experience. It is an alloy frame with a locking block barrel that was originally a Walther P38 innovation.
Technical Reasons to Buy a Beretta
The open slide basically eliminates stovepiping and makes the gun easier to clean. And a hard chromed barrel bore protects against corrosion and friction. A polymer recoil spring guide rod is fluted, too, and that helps save weight together with other polymer parts.
This still feels like a sturdy metal pistol and weighs in at a solid 2.12lb. That is less than the standard 1911 handguns, though, and this alloy 9mm pistol doesn’t weigh that much more than a Glock 19. That’s kind of impressive for all this engineering.
Aftermarket parts are readily available, too, so you can get an extended magazine release, a high capacity mag and other home defense mods for your full size 9mm handgun.
2. Sig Sauer P226 Legion
- Price: $1,361.99
- Action: DA/SA
- Barrel Length: 4.4 inch
- Weight: 2.1lb
- Capacity: 15+1
The Sig Sauer P226 Legion is arguably the finest pistol the company makes. And it makes some of the best handguns on the market.
It was always designed as a high price, high spec handgun. With touches from the custom 1911 world, and other things that might just be better.
The extended beavertail is just good business, helping eliminate slide bite on the Sig P226. The heavily textured G10 grips work well with the checkered front strap. And the cerakote matte grey finish is stunning in your hand.
It’s a clean trigger pull and near instant reset. Combined with excellent recoil control from the grip angle and the night sights up top that help keep you on target, follow up shots are so easy with this 9mm pistol.
The Sig P226 trigger pull is so good it will cast shade on every other gun you own every time you pull the double action and feel that single action trigger reset. It sets the standard in so many ways, that only the hefty price tag is keeping the Sig P226 off the top spot.
These are great DA/SA pistols.
3. Armscor MAPP MS
- Price: $387.99
- Action: DA/SA
- Barrel: 3.6 inch
- Weight: 1.7lb
- Capacity: 17+1
This polymer framed compact handgun is arguably the best gun here when it comes to the new arrivals and it might just be the best design overall.
You get more bullets, in a lightweight frame and we love this pistol that started as a Tanfoglio before RIA/Armscor bought the rights to mass produce it. We have described it as a Glock with a hammer, and we stand by that.
These are cheap DA/SA pistols, and they are good.
4. CZ 75B
- Price: $662.99
- Action: DA/SA
- Barrel: 4.6 inch
- Weight: 2.1lb
- Capacity: 15+1
The CZ 75 B is the most imitated pistol in the world and has been cloned more times than all of our credit cards, ever. Maybe.
You can see things you like here from a 1911 and a Glock 19. In many ways this all-metal 9mm pistol is the missing link in the handgun world between the 1911 and the modern day striker fired pistols. We love the manual safety, the grip and the hammer, with the ergonomic shape.
The CZ 75 is still a standard issue service pistol across much of Eastern Europe, Asia, lots of places really. For Law enforcement, as well as soldiers.
As Popular as the Beretta
It has seen as much action in the hands of military and LEOs as the Beretta and many people prefer the character and personality of this slightly offbeat full size 9mm pistol.
The magazine release and safety are chunky and obvious. While the grip panels are both great at their job and easy to upgrade.
Now the full size CZ 75 has a devoted following around the world and has evolved into a model line of its own.
The CZ Shadow competition shooter owes its existence to the CZ 75 B and you can get a full range of tactical pistols and range queens these days. See some of them in our list of the best CZ handguns.
These are the archetype DA/SA pistols and the benchmark against which we tend to measure them all. .
Smaller Variants Are Kind of Amazing
Almost all the gun reviews love the sub-compact CZ Rami carry gun, despite reliability concerns, and the compact 9mm CZ.
5. HK P30L
- Price: $751.99
- Action: Double Action/Single Action pistol
- Barrel: 4.45 inch
- Weight: 1.6lb
You might know the standard HK P30 as the HK police and military pistol. But the Long Slide means only one thing, to us anyway, John Wick…
This is the original John Wick gun. A simple, effective, semi-automatic pistol fitted with a compensator for other worldly proportions.
It was a masterpiece and honestly none of the true custom guns that have followed were quite as cool. This is one of the best handguns in recent pop culture, at least.
6. Taurus TH9
- Price: $294.99
- Barrel: 4.25 inch
- Weight: 1.76lb
- Capacity: 17+1
The Taurus TH9 is a cut price alternative to the more elite 9mm handguns here. But it largely does the same job. Of course the double action might not feel quite the same, or the single action….
This polymer frame pistol is compact, comes with a lot of bullets and the DA/SA action. It’s lighter than most here, too, thanks to the extensive use of polymer for just about everything.
7. Beretta PX4 Storm Compact
- Price: $649.99
- Barrel: 3.2 inch
- Weight: 1.5lb
- Capacity: 15+1
If you want the best DA/SA pistol for concealed carry, well the Beretta PX4 Storm Compact is certainly worth a look.
This line of Double Action/Single Action pistol never really made the kind of impact a few predicted. But it is a different, hammer-fired pistol with that intriguing DA/SA set-up.
We have other polymer frame concealed carry 9mm pistol options here and elsewhere. But if you’re specifically looking for a DA/SA handgun, then yeah this is a concealed carry handgun for you.
8. Smith & Wesson Model 986 Performance Center
- Price: $1,386.99
- Barrel: 2.5 inch
- Weight: 2lb
- Capacity: 7
Smith & Wesson are the original masters of the DA/SA with the old school revolvers. They even have a 9mm Luger version that slots in nicely as a curveball here.
Now a revolver and 9mm are like the odd couple, honestly. The Smith & Wesson is being quirky for its own sake.
Genuine Reasons For a 9mm Revolver
But then some people like the minimal recoil of the 9mm rounds and the terminal ballistics of this round vs 380 ACP or sledgehammers like 357 Magnum. A dead simple pocket pistol is another reason to carry a revolver. Everybody has reasons.
And you might need to refine them when a 9mm revolver is your pistol for concealed carry.
It’s kinda like wearing a monocle. You can, but people are gonna ask questions about why you didn’t opt for the standard polymer frames.
It is Fun to Shoot Though…
Get past the weirdness of the revolver/cartridge combo and the Smith & Wesson 986 Performance Center is a great little gun that is fun to shoot. It’s not just a lifesavingh device. The long double action trigger pull is slow and satisfying and the single action trigger pull is super crisp.
The S&W Performance Center is also beautifully engineered at every turn, from the cylinder release through to the fluted barrel.
You can get a traditional double action revolver, too, but then it wouldn’t belong here…
9. Walther P99
- Price: $918.99
- Barrel: 3.2 inch
- Weight: 1.2lb
A striker fired pistol with a DA/SA is a rare thing indeed, but here we are. The polymer frame Walther P99 is that pistol and it does work for concealed carry.
Honestly we think there are better options here than the Walther P99 for concealed carry pistols, but if you want this really specific set of qualities, then here you go. Also, it was kind of James Bond’s new gun a few years ago.
We’re not entirely sure about that anymore if we’re honest. Or that it matters. The little Walther striker-fired pistol is good enough on its own merit and is a real possibility as a concealed carry weapon.
The Walther PPQ Match is also a DA/SA pistol, and it’s a lot more fun. It also has one of the best OEM trigger sets in the world and the trigger pull on the top end Walthers is a thing of beauty.
Consider the Alternatives
There are some truly amazing striker-fired pistols on the market now and that is basically the modern DA/SA. And while we’re staunch defenders of the old DA/SA pistol for hobby shooting, we think their days as a main carry gun are numbered.
The 9mm micro compact Sig Sauer P365, Springfield Armory Hellcat and Glock 43x carry pistol will all slip effortlessly into your waistband. If you are looking for compact 9mm pistols instead then the Glock 19x, Springfield Armory XDM with red dot sights and HK VP9 are waiting for you, as well as the Smith & Wesson M&P line.
You can also go for the full size Glock 17, Springfield XDS and more. Many come with night sights and all kinds of nice things.
They are so easy to shoot that you might be tempted to finally give in and use a polymer framed striker fired carry pistol. A single stack Glock 43 is great for concealment too.
If you want a single stack, single action pistol, well you can still go for a 1911. A single stack 45 ACP or 9mm 1911 do have their charms, particularly as a carry pistol.
Gun Parts & Accessories
If you want the best red dot sights for a 9mm pistol, we can help. Maybe a fiber optic front sight?
Palmetto State Armory is one of the best in the gun parts & accessories business. Primary Arms, too, can hook you up with optics, sights, parts and much more.
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