The new Hudson H9 pistol was the darling of the 2017 SHOT Show, and for good reason. It’s not just a rehash of the same old things we’ve seen at past SHOT Shows, it was a totally new pistol. Just from looking at it you can tell what it has going for it, it has the amazing 1911 grip angle and trigger but with a double stack frame and striker fired slide. Hudson Manufacturing took the best features of the 1911 and polymer pistols and brought them together.
Their new Hudson H9 pistol features a straight 1911 style pull trigger and super low bore axis. This was achieved by placing the recoil spring down in front of the trigger guard. The benefit of a low bore axis like this is that when the barrel sits right above your grip (as it does with the H9), the recoil is going into the palm of your hand where you’re griping the pistol. A lower bore axis lets the pistol sit lower and deeper into your grip. This leads to less muzzle rise and felt recoil because the gun is going straight back as opposed to flipping up. Think the linear recoil of an AR-15 versus the recoil impulse of an AK-47 which has more muzzle rise.
To better illustrate this check out the handy picture below.
On the left is the Hudson H9, on the right is the Sig Sauer P320. The blue line indicates roughly where your hand will be on the pistol while the red line is the middle of the barrel. Notice the difference? Most Sigs have what’s considered a high bore axis. Now that doesn’t make the Sig a bad pistol, it will just feel different in the users hand while shooting. I personally prefer a lower bore axis. Another positive feature of a lower bore axis is how quickly you can get on target. I feel that there’s a significant advantage when it comes to target acquisition with a lower bore axis, especially when drawing from a holster and bringing the pistol up to your line of sight.
The Hudson H9 also has an ambidextrous slide release and mag release as well as an accessory rail for lasers and weapons lights.
Hudson Mfg claims their H9 has a trigger with a short take-up and a crisp release with no overtravel and a short reset. The claimed trigger pull weight is 4.5 to 5lbs. Those are all features we’re looking for in a trigger. I got to shoot the H9 at the Media Range Day at the SHOT Show and it did feel good, was it the best trigger on the market? No, but this isn’t a review of the H9. Just a fact finding mission. We’ll try and fully review the H9 eventually.
The H9 features all steel construction and weights in at 34oz unloaded, for reference a standard USGI 1911 is around 40oz unloaded. It has a healthy sight radius of 6.26″. For comparison the Glock 17 has a sight radius of 6.49″ and the Glock 19 is 6.02″. So the H9 falls somewhere in between. I think with all the hype and great marketing these will sell like hotcakes. I can’t wait to get my hands on one and put it through its paces.
The Hudson H9 will retail for $1,147. Check out the full specs below. Check out hudsonmfg.com for more info.
OVERALL LENGTH: 7.625in
OVERALL HEIGHT: 5.225in
OVERALL WIDTH: 1.24in
BARREL LENGTH: 4.28in
WEIGHT UNLOADED: 34oz
TRIGGER PULL WEIGHT: 4.5-5 lbs
TRIGGER TRAVEL: .115in
MAG CAPACITY: 15
SIGHT RADIUS: 6.26in
G10 VZ GRIPS
TRIJICON HD FRONT SIGHT
G10 HOGUE LOWER BACKSTRAP”
Really looking forward to this pistol
Two questions: Wouldn’t the shorter recoil spring compression range require a stiffer spring (harder to rack the slide)? And, why the extended beavertail since there is no hammer or way for the web of the hand to get in the way of the slide?
All steel? I think they need to get on the polymer or at least aluminum bandwagon and get the price down along with the weight if they want to compete in the mass market.
Go to their website and watch the video for it, very cool.