{"id":419596,"date":"2024-04-08T09:00:54","date_gmt":"2024-04-08T14:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/?p=419596"},"modified":"2025-10-09T15:20:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T20:20:08","slug":"the-best-metal-frame-pistols-a-quick-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/the-best-metal-frame-pistols-a-quick-list\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Metal Frame Pistols: A Quick List"},"content":{"rendered":"

Isn’t there just something special about a metal-framed handgun? I know that polymer has its place in the market and currently rules the roost. Polymer is great, but metal-frame handguns are like getting a good handshake. The grip design is almost always better with metal. CNC machines and the strength of metal can do a lot more for ergonomics than polymer and injection molding. While good polymer grips exist, the classic metal design is always just a bit better. <\/span><\/p>\n

Sure, they might be a little heavier, but the weight is worth the juice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The P226 Legion is at the top of the image, and the original P226 is at the bottom. (Photo credit: Kat Stevens)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Polymer-framed guns dominate the market, and for many of us, the all-metal market is somewhat small. It’s not super small, but it can be a little tricky if you want a modern, all-metal handgun. Luckily, people like me exist who obsess over metal-frame guns, keep a nice catalog of the latest and greatest metal-frame guns, and reject the world of polymer. How does a metal-framed firearm make it to this list?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Well, it’s got to be super modern, with all the features and trimming of a modern polymer frame gun, but you know, metal. It needs to be ergonomic, easy to handle, and a weapon that could still be at home in the heavy-use world. This includes competition, concealed carry, and duty use.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Digging Into All Metal Guns<\/span><\/h2>\n

The world of all metal guns is fairly broad. We’ve gathered five different models of handguns from around the world. We got a mix of everything, from the classics to metal frame models of the latest model handguns.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

CZ Shadow 2 Compact<\/span><\/h2>\n

The CZ Shadow is a great gun that dominates the competitive market. It’s been a contender for decades, but it’s always been fairly large and heavy for anything but competition. CZ took the Shadow 2 to the machine shop and started trimming and cutting where they could to produce the <\/span>Shadow 2 Compact<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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CZ has announced its newest 9mm pistol, the Shadow 2 Compact. Taking the popular Shadow 2 pistol and putting it in a smaller package, the Shadow 2 Compact has many of the same great features as the original. (Photo: CZ USA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The barrel is trimmed to 4 inches for an overall length of 7.4 inches. The gun weighs two pounds and is 1.4 inches wide at its widest. It isn’t super small, but it’s a lot smaller than the regular Shadow. The gun still brings all the awesome competition features to the carry market. This includes a super smooth DA\/SA trigger system that will make the biggest striker-fired fan convert.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tossing an optic on the Shadow 2 Compact isn’t a problem. It’s ready for a diverse set of optics, and a rail makes it easy to add a light, laser, or cup holder. The Shadow 2 Compact packs the genre-defining CZ 75 ergonomics, and it’s a welcome addition to the Shadow 2 lineup.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\t

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