I’ve had my H9 for several weeks now and all of your comments reflect my experience. Inconsistent trigger pull, low POI, rear sight not centered and those take down tabs are the worst. I’ve had mine at the range and am starting to get pretty good accuracy out of it using the iron sights. I prefer a red dot and have ordered two plates - which were in stock when I placed the order, but now have been shown as processed for two weeks and from what I understand could take 4-5 weeks to ship. So in the meantime I have ordered a set of 3 dot Night Fision sights with a square rear notch. We’ll see how they perform compared to the stock sights. Considering that this gun costs Shadow 2 Compact and 226 Legion money you shouldn’t have to work so hard to get it to shoo halfway decent. And as far as the H9s unique selling point - low bore axis is concerned, my Gen 1 Archon Type B runs rings around it. If I find a red sot transforms this gun like I think it will then all good. If not, I’ll be taking advantage of DD’s satisfaction guarantee and buying a Gen 2 Archon Type B.
Thanks for the honest review Hammer Striker. You totally nailed it on the trigger especially with the high leverage point which is reversed and unnatural compared to where your finger tends to land when pressing the trigger on most striker fired guns that we are accustomed to today. I was so excited about this gun and merely handled one yesterday at a local gun store. The trigger press was so heavy.....it had to be at least 6-7 lbs and then you confirmed that it actually feels heavier in live fire. Not to be a trigger snob, but that is too much for me. I will stick with my tried and true M&P 2.0 with Apex forward set trigger
I found the trigger to be great in live fire actually but heavy in dry fire. Mine has been very fast accurate and smooth. A lot of people got some issues with theirs though which really hurt the launch. But that being said I was raised on 1911s and would carry one if it wasn't for the lack of capacity. This solved that for me. 2011s are nice but feel bulky like a glock 26. The dd conceals, carries like a smaller gun yet shoots like a much bigger gun. It's not perfect but once aftermarket starts coming in I think it has a lot of potential. Ps I have a 2.0 with the apex and that's one of the best striker triggers I have felt! Hard to beat lol
The original H9 used a military style zero of 25 meters. I think they were based of the Sig P226 sights. This results in the point of impact dropping low at closer ranges. Seems the sights are similar on this refreshed DD model. Look up a "Combat sight picture". Cover the target with front post with the setup you have. 6 o'clock hold, or center hold, is too low. I don't like a "Combat hold", just explaining why. Give it a try, hopes that helps. You mentioned the manual was confusing on dry fire. It's probably just for the lawyers and liability cover. The manufacturers "recommend" snap caps to try cover themselves. But almost all modern centerfire guns can be dry fired. Same for the springs, it is strange DD recommend such a short 5K service interval. Again, maybe to try cover themselves. Modern quality springs can last many thousands of rounds, even 20K+ before they fail. "If it's not broken don't fix it". Usually it's a quality control issue. A faulty or out of spec spring will bottom out very quickly. Doesn't necessarily mean the whole gun is bad. Just a bad batch of springs. It's happened to many major brand names as they often farm out parts. Regarding price it's in the 2011/1911 double stack category. Springfield Prodigy 1911 double stack starts at $1200; or Staccato P 2011 at $2200. RIA Tac Ultra 1911 DS is great value at $800, but may have to fix minor things. I'd like to see more shooting footage in general. Overall good review 👍
Although the original H9 shot low, it was not as low as this one. With the Daniel Defense at 25 yards, with the tip of the front side post at the top of the head of the target, with the target completely obscured, my shots were landing in the upper chest. This is completely unacceptable, and essentially limits the range of the pistol to under 15 yards.
Nice presentation Mr Hammer. But a big non no on that one.... odd that the maintenance cycle is so small and I was not happy that the P365 had a short maintenance cycle but it's at least 1500 rounds and only requires replacing recoil spring assembly. Daniel Defense should stick to making overpriced MSRs not pistols. Looking forward what you will show us next.
The H9 is a superb firearm platform. It should do amazing well in USPSA or IPSC Carry Optics division. Daniel Defense transformed this beast of a platform, love mine! Great video!
I have this gun and personally love it. I would agree on the sights seems to shoot low, but I think it's more cause the back sights are blk making a little difficult to line up, but it's a laser and recoil is very minimal in my opinion
Interesting what you said about the sights, as far as POA/POI. My original Hudson hit like 6” low with the sights that came in it. I put a shorter, I believe front sight on it and that fixed the problem. Strange that this new version would have similar problems. The bottom hinged trigger on the Hudson was kind of strange, too. The pull is light enough. The reset, although short is neither audible or tactile.
According to DD it's sighted in for 25y which would make it hit a little low at closer distance. I think that explains what might be going on and is a bit far for a defense gun but I have been mostly shooting at 30y and have been thinking it's very accurate and dead on aim lol
If price was not a factor, there's still a lot of other guns that are way more appealing. But, it is. And those guns are cheaper anyways. Use the extra savings on ammo!
Yes, definitely. Unexcusable to have this many problems with a new gun. One of the gunTubers had an H9 with an out of spec barrel. The gun was keyholing and the rifling wasn't even engaging the bullet. 🤣
@@matthewbaker5359 All of those issues were reported on the Hudson H9 when it came to market too. Looks like Daniel Defense never solved Cy Hudson's issues.
Wow, what a disappointment and for $1300. Seems the “cool” factor and the DD branding is the only thing you’re paying for. Really unacceptable. Thanks for the video HS
If the DD H9 were priced lower, at say $800-$900, then I would consider it. But at $1300, I'll pass. I've test fired this (100 rounds) and it it is easy to shoot, but I can also confirm that it shoots low unless you compensate for the sights-gotta use the "lollipop" sight alignment.
I mimic a lot of your complaints, with the addition of a few others. The sight height drives me crazy, and there's not really a good solution for it. I purchased replacement sights which featured a higher rear sight, but the matching higher front sight means that the problem is still present. I now need to purchase a custom-made lower front sight to try to account for Daniel Defense's failure. Additionally, my sights were also significantly off center, so it's not just you. Furthermore, I found sharp edges on the sides of the beaver tail section of the grip. This required me to hand file them in order to avoid cutting into my hand. Also completely unacceptable, especially given the price point of this pistol. I have found several other issues, and although I really like the pistol as a concept, this execution fell short in many aspects. Hopefully a second generation version comes out soon, along with replacement parts provided by Daniel Defense. I won't hold my breath.
Question: I do the hand wrap where my left index finger is on the trigger gaurd pulling the pistol back into my hand. Is there enough room for that on the H9?
I picked a Daniel H9 up a couple weeks ago, put about 250 rounds through it. The trigger pull on mine is about 7.5 lbs, which is just outrageous for a $1300 gun. All the other reviews mentioned they had a trigger pull of about 5.5 lbs which has got to be why your review looks so different. Daniel defense told me the trigger pull ranges between 5 and 1/2 and 6 and 3/4 lb. But since mine is above that, take that with a grain of salt.
Wondering just how long it will take to arrive? Why are they saying it’s for sale when it may take( by their own words) up to 3 months to arrive? They don’t have a holster listed anywhere. No one does. I ordered 4 extra mags so 100 rounds were available before I get to the range. Is this what takes 3 months to arrive? I’m not happy and may cancel the order.
Didn't hear him say how many pounds the trigger pull measured at? Heard him say it was heavy and not great but thats objective, why not tell us the numbers?
He said the manual was confusing. It's probably just for the lawyers and liability cover. The manufacturers "recommend" snap caps to try cover themselves. But most all modern centerfire guns can be dry fired.
Yeah the price really needs to be around $700-$800 with how it has no proven reliability track record, problems out the gate (people have reported keyhole'ing targets) so compared to other handguns in that price category its definitely overcharging.
Good video & review 👍 This Daniel Defense H9 seems no better than a typical Glock, and much worse than typical Canik. At $1300 , it is not twice the value of a Glock ($550)or three times the value of a Canik ($400).
Design wise it's nothing like anything glock or canik offers. It's a niche gun for certain people that like 1911s but don't want to carry a 1911 with limited capacity and a cocked hammer. It does shoot very flat and is very easy to control which is a plus for it. I personally love it but a lot of people just don't care for a 1911 in the first place especially if they started with a glock or glock clone with a completely different grip size and angle
I don't see the appeal, I've watched several videos having poor results between a mag failure, keyhole shots, and plus it looks pretty basic. I don't say this about many "new" releases but I just don't get it......oh yeah it's because of the name... Double D
Disappointing.. I had high hopes for the Hudson iteration and equally high hopes for the DD. Too quirky and high-maintenance for a modern pistol, especially for carry consideration.
It's a neat concept.. but needs some work.. it's like the dreaded first gens of other things like M&P 1.0 in 9mm, or even like the CZ Bren 805. It like how you never buy the first model year of a car. Personal choice though.
It may have been a cool gun in the 90s qhen there were few choices nowadays lol 😅lol to think whats in the same price is really funny id gladly take a prodigy over that .
This is the best review on RUclips. Nobody else mentioned a lot of these points.
This is probably the only review not paid for by Daniel Defense lol
Interesting, but not a $1300 gun. Thanks for the candid review.
$1300?
Smokin rocks
I’ve had my H9 for several weeks now and all of your comments reflect my experience. Inconsistent trigger pull, low POI, rear sight not centered and those take down tabs are the worst. I’ve had mine at the range and am starting to get pretty good accuracy out of it using the iron sights. I prefer a red dot and have ordered two plates - which were in stock when I placed the order, but now have been shown as processed for two weeks and from what I understand could take 4-5 weeks to ship. So in the meantime I have ordered a set of 3 dot Night Fision sights with a square rear notch. We’ll see how they perform compared to the stock sights. Considering that this gun costs Shadow 2 Compact and 226 Legion money you shouldn’t have to work so hard to get it to shoo halfway decent. And as far as the H9s unique selling point - low bore axis is concerned, my Gen 1 Archon Type B runs rings around it. If I find a red sot transforms this gun like I think it will then all good. If not, I’ll be taking advantage of DD’s satisfaction guarantee and buying a Gen 2 Archon Type B.
Thanks for the honest review Hammer Striker. You totally nailed it on the trigger especially with the high leverage point which is reversed and unnatural compared to where your finger tends to land when pressing the trigger on most striker fired guns that we are accustomed to today. I was so excited about this gun and merely handled one yesterday at a local gun store. The trigger press was so heavy.....it had to be at least 6-7 lbs and then you confirmed that it actually feels heavier in live fire. Not to be a trigger snob, but that is too much for me. I will stick with my tried and true M&P 2.0 with Apex forward set trigger
I found the trigger to be great in live fire actually but heavy in dry fire. Mine has been very fast accurate and smooth. A lot of people got some issues with theirs though which really hurt the launch. But that being said I was raised on 1911s and would carry one if it wasn't for the lack of capacity. This solved that for me. 2011s are nice but feel bulky like a glock 26. The dd conceals, carries like a smaller gun yet shoots like a much bigger gun. It's not perfect but once aftermarket starts coming in I think it has a lot of potential.
Ps I have a 2.0 with the apex and that's one of the best striker triggers I have felt! Hard to beat lol
The original H9 used a military style zero of 25 meters. I think they were based of the Sig P226 sights. This results in the point of impact dropping low at closer ranges. Seems the sights are similar on this refreshed DD model. Look up a "Combat sight picture". Cover the target with front post with the setup you have. 6 o'clock hold, or center hold, is too low. I don't like a "Combat hold", just explaining why. Give it a try, hopes that helps.
You mentioned the manual was confusing on dry fire. It's probably just for the lawyers and liability cover. The manufacturers "recommend" snap caps to try cover themselves. But almost all modern centerfire guns can be dry fired.
Same for the springs, it is strange DD recommend such a short 5K service interval. Again, maybe to try cover themselves. Modern quality springs can last many thousands of rounds, even 20K+ before they fail. "If it's not broken don't fix it". Usually it's a quality control issue. A faulty or out of spec spring will bottom out very quickly. Doesn't necessarily mean the whole gun is bad. Just a bad batch of springs. It's happened to many major brand names as they often farm out parts.
Regarding price it's in the 2011/1911 double stack category. Springfield Prodigy 1911 double stack starts at $1200; or Staccato P 2011 at $2200. RIA Tac Ultra 1911 DS is great value at $800, but may have to fix minor things.
I'd like to see more shooting footage in general. Overall good review 👍
Although the original H9 shot low, it was not as low as this one.
With the Daniel Defense at 25 yards, with the tip of the front side post at the top of the head of the target, with the target completely obscured, my shots were landing in the upper chest. This is completely unacceptable, and essentially limits the range of the pistol to under 15 yards.
Great review! Most of the popular RUclipsrs just gloss over this kind of stuff so it’s great to see someone pointing out the goods and bads.
Thanks for honest review 👍
I don't believe it's the gun for me and I will stay with my Springfield and Walthers and even my Taurus. Thank you
Thank you for the review, but I will stick with my Rugers.
Yuck
thanks for the great review on this ! Very glad you mention the dry fire and sear spring!
This is the first I’ve heard of these issues. I appreciate your honest review. Sorry that it cost you $1300, though. Thanks.
So far two other videos with similar reports. This is a big miss by Daniel Defense. They will need to rework some things.
Brave honest review!!❤
Mine came also with the posterior site drifted to the right. Mine, if there is a round in the chanber, on raquing the slide, it wont eject the round
Nice presentation Mr Hammer. But a big non no on that one.... odd that the maintenance cycle is so small and I was not happy that the P365 had a short maintenance cycle but it's at least 1500 rounds and only requires replacing recoil spring assembly. Daniel Defense should stick to making overpriced MSRs not pistols. Looking forward what you will show us next.
Extremely thorough and honest review. Thank you for going through all the key points on this new firearm. Stay safe. Peace
That trigger design is insane.
The H9 is a superb firearm platform. It should do amazing well in USPSA or IPSC Carry Optics division. Daniel Defense transformed this beast of a platform, love mine! Great video!
I have this gun and personally love it. I would agree on the sights seems to shoot low, but I think it's more cause the back sights are blk making a little difficult to line up, but it's a laser and recoil is very minimal in my opinion
Interesting what you said about the sights, as far as POA/POI. My original Hudson hit like 6” low with the sights that came in it. I put a shorter, I believe front sight on it and that fixed the problem. Strange that this new version would have similar problems. The bottom hinged trigger on the Hudson was kind of strange, too. The pull is light enough. The reset, although short is neither audible or tactile.
According to DD it's sighted in for 25y which would make it hit a little low at closer distance. I think that explains what might be going on and is a bit far for a defense gun but I have been mostly shooting at 30y and have been thinking it's very accurate and dead on aim lol
Nice looking pistol. Quite expensive as of 02-24
Thank you for sharing 🙏👌🙏
Hey Hammer, Can You Please do an indepth review of the Taurus TH45
If price was not a factor, there's still a lot of other guns that are way more appealing. But, it is. And those guns are cheaper anyways. Use the extra savings on ammo!
PASS on this one
Yes, definitely. Unexcusable to have this many problems with a new gun. One of the gunTubers had an H9 with an out of spec barrel. The gun was keyholing and the rifling wasn't even engaging the bullet. 🤣
@@matthewbaker5359 All of those issues were reported on the Hudson H9 when it came to market too. Looks like Daniel Defense never solved Cy Hudson's issues.
Asking too much $ for a striker fired pistol with possible issues on top of that
For the price of this striker fired pistol it should have adjustable sights.
Wow, what a disappointment and for $1300. Seems the “cool” factor and the DD branding is the only thing you’re paying for. Really unacceptable. Thanks for the video HS
If the DD H9 were priced lower, at say $800-$900, then I would consider it. But at $1300, I'll pass. I've test fired this (100 rounds) and it it is easy to shoot, but I can also confirm that it shoots low unless you compensate for the sights-gotta use the "lollipop" sight alignment.
People will buy it because it's made by Daniel Defense.....but there are much better alternatives.....
I mimic a lot of your complaints, with the addition of a few others. The sight height drives me crazy, and there's not really a good solution for it. I purchased replacement sights which featured a higher rear sight, but the matching higher front sight means that the problem is still present. I now need to purchase a custom-made lower front sight to try to account for Daniel Defense's failure.
Additionally, my sights were also significantly off center, so it's not just you.
Furthermore, I found sharp edges on the sides of the beaver tail section of the grip. This required me to hand file them in order to avoid cutting into my hand. Also completely unacceptable, especially given the price point of this pistol.
I have found several other issues, and although I really like the pistol as a concept, this execution fell short in many aspects. Hopefully a second generation version comes out soon, along with replacement parts provided by Daniel Defense. I won't hold my breath.
Does it have a cold hammer forged, chrome lined, 4150 cmv, lightweight profile barrel?
Question: I do the hand wrap where my left index finger is on the trigger gaurd pulling the pistol back into my hand. Is there enough room for that on the H9?
I’ll probably get one in the future but I’m definitely waiting for them to work the kinks out, which I hope they do so it’s not discontinued.
I picked a Daniel H9 up a couple weeks ago, put about 250 rounds through it. The trigger pull on mine is about 7.5 lbs, which is just outrageous for a $1300 gun. All the other reviews mentioned they had a trigger pull of about 5.5 lbs which has got to be why your review looks so different.
Daniel defense told me the trigger pull ranges between 5 and 1/2 and 6 and 3/4 lb. But since mine is above that, take that with a grain of salt.
Wondering just how long it will take to arrive? Why are they saying it’s for sale when it may take( by their own words) up to 3 months to arrive? They don’t have a holster listed anywhere. No one does. I ordered 4 extra mags so 100 rounds were available before I get to the range. Is this what takes 3 months to arrive? I’m not happy and may cancel the order.
Dam… after the honest review, I’d rather get a smith and Wesson 686 revolver lol
I love my CZ S2C 🥃🤦🏻♂️
Didn't hear him say how many pounds the trigger pull measured at?
Heard him say it was heavy and not great but thats objective, why not tell us the numbers?
The Humble marksman said it was about 6#. S/B 3- 3.5# for $1,300 way to high IMO
Why do you say it's not suitable for dry fire because it requires snap caps? Even Glock's website (FAQ section) recommends snap caps for dry fire.
He said the manual was confusing. It's probably just for the lawyers and liability cover. The manufacturers "recommend" snap caps to try cover themselves. But most all modern centerfire guns can be dry fired.
I’d rather buy an HK USP for what they’re charging. Insane price. For that price, you can get a Glock 19 and an ACRO P2… which I did!
Yeah the price really needs to be around $700-$800 with how it has no proven reliability track record, problems out the gate (people have reported keyhole'ing targets) so compared to other handguns in that price category its definitely overcharging.
Good video & review 👍
This Daniel Defense H9 seems no better than a typical Glock, and much worse than typical Canik. At $1300 , it is not twice the value of a Glock ($550)or three times the value of a Canik ($400).
Design wise it's nothing like anything glock or canik offers. It's a niche gun for certain people that like 1911s but don't want to carry a 1911 with limited capacity and a cocked hammer. It does shoot very flat and is very easy to control which is a plus for it. I personally love it but a lot of people just don't care for a 1911 in the first place especially if they started with a glock or glock clone with a completely different grip size and angle
Mine is the same way as yours but mine shoot right as well
I don't see the appeal, I've watched several videos having poor results between a mag failure, keyhole shots, and plus it looks pretty basic. I don't say this about many "new" releases but I just don't get it......oh yeah it's because of the name... Double D
1,300 Bucks and you get a piece of green plastic instead of night sights. What a ripoff.
At least you're wasn't keyholing.
Disappointing.. I had high hopes for the Hudson iteration and equally high hopes for the DD. Too quirky and high-maintenance for a modern pistol, especially for carry consideration.
It's a neat concept.. but needs some work.. it's like the dreaded first gens of other things like M&P 1.0 in 9mm, or even like the CZ Bren 805. It like how you never buy the first model year of a car. Personal choice though.
👍👍🇺🇸
What the hell? How is a center fire pistol not dryfire safe? That’s a complete and total dealbreaker!
The majority of reviews on this pistol have been negative.
Trigger should be flat. Guiding the trigger finger low makes no sense. A flat trigger would give the shooter placement options.
buy a q4 instead of an h9 i bought an h9 keyholed and wasnt reliable sold it and got a q4
Many good options at this price point, this would not be at the top of the list.
It may have been a cool gun in the 90s qhen there were few choices nowadays lol 😅lol to think whats in the same price is really funny id gladly take a prodigy over that .
Too many quirks for a $1300, or any, pistol. Hard pass.
Junk
Thanks, but this is not for me at 1300. There are better pistols for a lot less. Pass it on.
So my hype for a gun that kinda sucks
I have absolutely no interest in buying one of these.
I wouldn’t pay $130 for this much less $1300
Its already an outdated design. DD wouldve been better off coming out with their own glock clone