Read the Related: Hudson H9 Pistol, A Failure On Multiple Fronts – Review & VIDEO
Las Vegas, Nevada –-(Ammoland.com)- Hudson Manufacturing has developed a truly unique pistol that lives up to all the excitement preceding SHOT Show. The technology that was employed to transform the traditional 1911 frame and incorporate a striker fire design is revolutionary. The result is the Hudson H9 Pistol, and this is a very impressive firearm.
First off let’s address the purists, those guys who revere the 1911 style as the best pistol there is available. I am not going to argue that some classics are best left alone, and the 1911 is an American classic. But, what the Hudson H9 pistol has done may even have some 1911 purists turning their heads. I am guessing they would start by picking on the aesthetics of the gun, so I will start there as well.
This gun looks awesome. If you do not like it then I am going to guess you are older than me, and I might be wrong. There is no offense meant by that. Like I said the 1911 is a classic and an icon in the gun industry. The Hudson H9 pistol has been described by some fans and critics that it looks like a “Space Gun”. Maybe that is not for you, but for myself, I can dig it.
Looks obviously looks don’t matter too much with a gun, so let’s get to the important stuff. What really makes this pistol live up to all the hype is the internal design. Even the aesthetics of this gun are not just for show. The front end of the pistol allows the recoil spring and the barrel to be placed closer to the hand. The striker-fire design of the pistol in conjunction with the placement of the barrel and recoil spring create a very low bore axis.
The result of moving these toward the hand is that the gun’s recoil is far easier to control. Rather than the barrel flipping up, the recoil is driven back into the user’s hands. Obviously, this design is extremely helpful for staying on target and shooting accurate follow-up shots down range.
Again, following the success of the 1911 design, Hudson Mfg. choose to go with a 1911 style trigger. When I shot this gun at Industry Day at the Range, I really enjoyed this trigger design. The trigger travels only 0.115 inches and the pull is between 4.75 and 5 lbs. The Hudson H9 pistol also features ambidextrous controls including ambi-slide releases and reversible magazine releases.
Hudson Manufacturing has also developed a patent pending thumb safeties for those purists we discussed before. These safeties will be available in right, left or ambidextrous controls.
At Industry Day at the Range, this was the farthest booth down the line, but it was also a very popular stop for everyone there. When I got the chance to take a few shots I instantly wanted to load another magazine and fire away again.
The Hudson H9 pistol was not heavy although I had heard some people complain about that, I found the weight to be a non-issue. Unloaded and without a magazine the H9 weighs a little more than 2 pounds.
Hudson also pulled out the stops on the grips and sights.The grips on the H9 are G10 VZ Grips with a G10 Hogue Lower backstrap. The firearm comes standard with Trijicon HD front sights, making it easier to find that post even in the bright sun.
If you enjoy a 1911 steel frame and are a fan of striker fired pistols, then the Hudson H9 Pistol is honestly the best of both worlds. This was a great gun to get to see and shoot. It is also always a good thing to see a company that is willing to go out of the box to design a system because they believe it will change the way things are typically done.
The MSRP is currently listed at $1,147.00. If you have the cash and are looking for a new pistol, you may want to hold out until this one drops into the market.
About Brian D. Johnson:
Brian Duncan Johnson is a graduate of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. His focus of studies was on History and Government. Duncan is a regular contributor to AmmoLand and assists in the everyday gun-news publishing as an assistant editor.