Hey there, Squat Squad! This one is a look back to April 2023, when I was on tour at Palmetto State Armory’s The Gathering event and got to put the first rounds through two new handguns from Stoeger: the full-size STR-9S Combat and the STR-9MC Micro Compact.
Quick note: this is a short first-shots clip from the range at The Gathering, a couple of magazines per gun. It’s not a full SlavGuns range test or review, so treat it as first impressions only.
TL;DR
- STR-9S Combat: Stoeger’s full-size, duty-style 9mm. It’s suppressor ready, optics ready, and still keeps adjustable sights on top. Stoeger lists it with a threaded barrel and 20+1 capacity.
- STR-9MC Micro Compact: Stoeger’s answer to the micro nine craze. If a Springfield Hellcat or Sig P365 isn’t your fancy, this is another one to look at. It felt really nice in the hand.
- My take on the day: two magazines in, both felt like a really incredible value. I came away fairly impressed.
The trend: duty pistols that are optics ready
One of the biggest trends of the last couple of years has been duty-size, duty-style handguns that come optics ready from the factory. And in my book, one of the best values in that space is the Stoeger STR-9S Combat.
What caught my eye right away is that Stoeger didn’t stop at a cut slide. The STR-9S Combat is optics ready and it keeps an adjustable sight on top. Stoeger calls them elevated sights, meant to give you a clear sight picture over a suppressor. So you’re not stuck waiting on a red dot before the gun is usable, and if you do mount one you still have a real set of irons.
STR-9S Combat: what Stoeger lists
We didn’t go through specs on camera, so here’s what Stoeger publishes for the STR-9S Combat:
- 9mm, striker fired
- 4.67″ threaded barrel, 7.94″ overall length, about 28 oz unloaded
- 20+1 capacity, three magazines in the box (10-round versions exist for restricted states)
- Adjustable fiber-optic sights, slide machined for pistol optics with four mounting plates and a cover
- Picatinny rail for a light or laser, beveled magwell, textured grip
- Three interchangeable backstraps (small, medium, large)
- Nitride-hardened matte black slide, plus a Combat+ package with a Tungsten Cerakote slide, holster and hard case
Why didn’t it lock back?
If you watch closely, the slide didn’t lock back on the last round of my first mag. That’s on me, not the gun. People ask me about this all the time: I run a very high grip, and my thumb rides the slide release. One more mag, and it was perfect.
The micro nine: STR-9MC
The other big space that year was micro nines. If a Springfield Hellcat or a Sig P365 isn’t your fancy, take a look at the Stoeger STR-9MC Micro Compact. It definitely felt really nice in the hand, and shooting it was a treat. “This is nice. It’s beautiful.”
Per Stoeger, the STR-9MC gives you:
- 9mm, striker fired, 6.1″ overall length, about 18.5 oz unloaded
- About a 3.3″ barrel
- 13+1 with the extended magazine; it ships with flush and extended magazines, and 10-round versions are available for states with limits
- Low-profile adjustable sights on the base model, tritium night sights on others
- Optics-ready versions with the slide cut for the Shield RMS/SMS footprint (the base model isn’t optics ready, so check the item number)
Where to find them
You can check the STR-9MC at Palmetto State Armory, and the STR-9S Combat at KYGUNCO. Stock, configurations and state shipping rules change, so check the listing for your area.
More handguns and more from The Gathering
Shopping for a carry gun? Compare the STR-9MC with my take on the Taurus GX4 micro compact and the Sig P365 Fuse. PSA had its own small pistols that year too. See the PSA Micro Dagger and Compact 5.7. And from the same Gathering trip, don’t miss Black Rambo’s gold Panzer AK12 shotgun, or go back a year to the Rugged Razor 556 at PSA Gathering 2022.
Bottom line
Stoeger built its name on shotguns, and with the STR-9S Combat and STR-9MC it went straight at two of the hottest handgun segments: optics-ready duty guns and micro nines. A couple of mags each isn’t a review, but both felt good, ran for me, and looked like a lot of gun for the money. The gear I actually run on the range is in my Amazon picks, and you can find precision rifle upgrades at Anarchy Outdoors.
Want more on-tour content and range days? Join the channel.
Keep squatting.
Full-size duty gun or micro nine: which Stoeger would you grab first? Tell me in the comments.
Some links are affiliates.
Comments