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SHOT Show 2017 looks like it will be full of great new product releases, but thus far the H9 pistol from Hudson Mfg has piqued my interest the most. See below for more photographs and the full press release for this modern, striker-fired take on the classic 1911…

Hudson Mfg unveils innovative new pistol design; the Hudson H9.

Temple, TX – Hudson Mfg has finally launched the highly anticipated Hudson H9 pistol. The all new Hudson H9 is a firearm that was Engineered to Advance. This pistol combines a 1911 inspired trigger with striker fired reliability and a substantially lower bore axis, resulting in reduced felt recoil and unparalleled precision and accuracy. This new pistol was designed with a distinct focus on the needs of the shooter.

The H9 pistol is the flagship product from Hudson Mfg and is unlike anything else. Forging new ground, this start-up business from Texas is delivering a modern pistol that is inspired by the past and motivated by the future. This pistol has many distinct features with the most notable being the unique profile and incredibly low bore axis. The H9 is constructed of premium quality materials with a stainless-steel slide, insert chassis and barrel chambered in 9mm with a double stack magazine capacity of 15 + 1.

The H9 possesses a 1911-style, single axis, straight pull trigger with an integrated trigger safety. Shooters will be pleased to find that while the H9 by Hudson was inspired by the classic 1911, it shares characteristics with modern pistols with its striker fired design and does not have a grip or backstrap safety. Its unique collection of characteristics make the Hudson H9 practical in its delivery yet advanced in its design and accommodates any shooter.

This pistol delivers unrivaled modularity. With ambidextrous slide stop levers and a reversible magazine catch, the H9 is great for left or right-handed shooters. For the true 1911 purist, the trigger of the H9 can be replaced with a Hudson trigger that does not contain the integrated trigger safety. Additionally, Hudson external thumb safeties can be easily added to allow a user to run the pistol much more like a traditional 1911.

The H9 by Hudson contains premium features and components from some of the industry’s leading manufacturers. The front sight of the H9 is a Trijicon HD. The premium G10 grip panels have been designed and manufactured by VZ. The textured lower back strap is designed and manufactured by Hogue out of G10 material. The premium Blacknitride finishing will be provided by H&M Metal Processing.

By all accounts, the Hudson H9 will make its impact and presence felt in the firearms industry. Be sure to stop by and visit Hudson Mfg at Industry Day at the Range bay SR-36 as well as SHOT Show booth #1118 to check out the all new H9 pistol.

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Headquartered in Temple, TX, Hudson Mfg is a veteran and woman run small business producing the new and innovative Hudson H9 pistol. The flagship product, the Hudson H9, is a unique and original design combining the features and benefits of some of the most successful products in the firearms industry. Hudson Mfg is a company comprised of passionate and experienced subject matter experts from across the firearms industry. Be sure to check out www.HudsonMfg.com

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90 COMMENTS

  1. Too bad it can’t penetrate soft armor. Very nice looking gun but same ole cartridge from the age when bad guys almost never wore armor. No, I don’t know what percentage of the people we might have to shoot will be wearing armor, but I suspect that it is increasing.

      • I am not thinking that I know better than anyone else but rather just saying that I have started to consider armor penetration in my hand guns and rifle plate penetration in my rifles. For the last two years I have carried a Five Seven with a 6″ barrel and hand loaded hard pointy but tumbling bullets. I very much suspect that I give up over all effectiveness for effectiveness in a minority of situations. I got a my wife a 4.2″ SP101 in .327 Federal and then loaded up Lehigh 50gr extreme cavitators to move out at 2,100 fps. That has the advantage of being a lower recoiling but also soft armor penetrating. I suspect that that velocity also helps it to maybe function as Lehigh says they will. The new 5.25″ .357 I ordered may penetrate soft armor with 100gr Xtreme Defense bullets, not sure though. I am not yet convinced they will do more damage than a semi-wadcutter would though. For autos, I suppose 10mm and 9×25 are the armor penetrators until the unicorn Brno 7.5 comes out and with ammo legal and cheap enough to buy. Anyway, I am just expressing my concern rather than saying what anyone else should do.

        • The chances of you running into anyone wearing soft-body are far more remote than the ineffectiveness your loads will have in stopping a fight against any bad guy.

        • Paranoid much? I refer you, sir, to the “Rule of nines” used by trauma units to evaluate burns on human victims:

          http://www.emedicinehealth.com/burn_percentage_in_adults_rule_of_nines/article_em.htm

          Per their chart it can be seen that the area of an adult human male that would most likely be protected by soft body armor in a frontal shot is at best 10% to 12%. While we generally train to shoot Center of Mass, in most cases competent training will also include follow-up shots in case the CoM shots didn’t get the expected results. Most commonly the “Mozambique Drill”, or a third shot to the head.

          irregardless, worst case you have 88% of the human body remaining to take unprotected hits. If you suspect the BG is wearing body armor, STOP SHOOTING AT HIS BODY ARMOR.

        • I don’t think I have demonstrated any paranoia. I made it quite clear that I thought the chance of encountering an armored opponent was small. However, so is the chance of ever getting attacked in the first place Are you paranoid for having a gun at all? I also made it clear that I realize I was trading some bullet damage for armor piercing that I probably wouldn’t need. I have tested my rounds through barriers and into gel (scores of shots). They certainly meet the FBI penetration requirements even after passing through a IIIA panel and tumble consistently to 14″. They also only go to 17″ when they don’t encounter armor. The bullets are rather long and cause quite a bit of disruption as they tumble – certainly more than a .380 or .38. They are not effected by clothing at all, like your hollow points might be. When one does shoot at another one is almost always aiming for a part that would be covered by armor. So although much of the target is not armored I suspect that most of the likely hits and the ones that can really make a quick difference are. The shooting statistics I was able to find seem to support that notion. I don’t think it is much of a stretch to guesstimate that my 380ft-lb .75″ long tumbling bullets have at least as much effect as a 200ft-lb .380 or .38. If we then look at available stopping statistics it seems I may be giving up at most 10-20% (and maybe much less) extra chance of a one stop shot for the armor piercing. My bargain is not terribly irrational in the scheme of things. I also rather doubt that you would be able to deduce whether or not someone was wearing concealed armor in before the fight was resolved.

        • There is something you are not taking into consideration. If you shoot someone with home loaded ammo some anti gun lawyer is going to have a field day with you. You will be accused of loading extra deadly ammo so you can be assured of a kill. I use the same load my local police use. That will be part of my defense.

        • jimv – You think you’re are the only one to read Ayoob? Really? You almost sound like you are trying to pretend you thought that up yourself.

        • What holster do you carry the 6″ piece in? Is that your _every day_ carry, or just for traveling into a warzone like Chicago?!

        • So, when the person you might have to shoot isn’t wearing body armor are you prepared to defend from the lawsuits and/or criminal charges when the projectile passes through the target, and the person behind them, and the person behind them…?

          I get that we’re talking low probabilities here both from the potential for a DGU and the scenario I list above, but it was my first thought. For me, I guess I’ll just stick to my little non-body-armor-penetrating Parabellum and roll the dice.

        • Travis – I a Blackpoint OWB at 4 o’clock. Everyday for two years now. It is easy. The notion that you need a small gun for CC is just plain silliness, people don’t notice much at all. My wife didn’t even notice the change for three weeks. I drive as a medical courier for a living and it is the longest the barrel can be and still not get pushed out of the holster when I sit in the car.

        • You’d save yourself a lot of money by just going with 7.62×25 Tokarev. It will penetrate 3A armor with ease.

      • TStew, perhaps you missed the part where I said that I gel tested it many times and penetration was consistently 14 to 17″ depending on whether or not it went through armor first. That meets FBI standards and is less penetration than many rounds out there.

      • I would work on 357 Sig next; 40 S&W to go with it–common breach face and magazines / different barrels.
        As you go into longer frames / barrels, explore 10mm for the sake of its power. Your low bore axis / low recoil FLGR & spring should help 10mm recoil very much. Thanks for listening.

    • There are a couple/few 9×19 rounds that do penetrate up to IIIA armor.

      You want it in, what, 9×25 Dillon or something?

      …I am curious about the grip frame dimension front-to-rear and if it’s big enough in that regard to accept magazines for .45 ACP-length calibers, opening up the possibility for .45, 10mm, 9×25, etc. Given all those options I’d still probably buy one in 9mm, though, and were I in Hudson’s shoes it would be the first caliber I’d release, too…

    • The Los Angeles Bank Robbers (deceased) notwithstanding, odds of my needing armor-penetrating ability in a defensive hangun are slightly better than my odds of needing to stop a rampaging elephant on the streets of Houston. Exactly why would my handgun caliber choice have anything to do with such a remote possibility?

    • Well…….We’ll see how cheap it is.

      Since I never saw a Hammond in the flesh….it really doesn’t count.

      CADCAM of a pistol does not mean it is a pistol.

      And most pistols look like some other pistol.

      The market will decide who wins.

    • OK, my other two fellow commenters didn’t get the joke. The pistol being referenced is from the videogame Titanfall 2 (which is damn fun btw).

      Well played sir, well played.

    • You’re comparing a gun from a video game to a gun that is actually being produced. Not to mention a game that takes place in the not-so-soon future. And I don’t see the similarity, with the exception of the deepened area for the recoil spring.

      But I see where you’re coming from.

    • A) there’s nothing in the video to imply that the dude was a Neanderthal

      B) whether or not Neanderthals could have thrown spears is still a very open question in anthropology.

        • THANK YOU!!!! Finally, a comment based on common sense, and not EGO. It’s incredible, like little children
          who think they are impressing someone. It’s no wonder this country is as screwed up as it is. A group of people
          have gotten themselves together via a topic that all would agree is important to them, and to the future of the
          country, in general. And then they just bicker like spoiled little know-it-all children. It’s pathetic.

  2. Maybe it’s my inner-geek, but that pistol looks like it would be right at home in a near future dystopian sci-fi movie (is it too late to call the new Blade Runner production people?). This thing looks damn good, love the lines.

  3. Interesting…. but it is a boutique pistol, from a boutique manufacturer, chambered in a common cartridge with a now average magazine capacity since the 1980s Wonder Nine era, and it is of all things it weighs 34oz unloaded while the king is is trying to overthrow weighs in at 23.65oz unloaded.

    Hudson H9 specs
    Overall Height 5.225in
    Overall length 7.625in
    Overall Width 1.24in
    Barrel Length 4.28in
    Mag Capacity 15rds
    Weight Unloaded 34oz

    Glock 19 Specs (Undisputed King of the and Standard Bearer of the 21st Century Handgun Market)
    Overall Height 4.99in
    Overall length 7.36in
    Overall Width 1.18in
    Barrel Length 4.01in
    Mag Capacity 15rds
    Weight Unloaded 23.65oz

    Glock 17 Specs
    Overall Height 5.43in
    Overall length 8.03in
    Overall Width 1.18in
    Barrel Length 4.48in
    Mag Capacity 17rds
    Weight Unloaded 25.06oz

    Yeah, Glock killer this is not. It weighs more than a G17 and is more comparable in size to one than a G19.

    I applauded them for attempting to bring something slightly different to market. I really do. But sadly in this day and age, the era of differences is ever shrinking as the market becomes homogenized. I don’t see this doing very well. It will be a hipster gun and nothing more. It is the Walther P88 all over again.

    • At almost $1200 MSRP, it seems pretty clear to me that it’s not really aimed at the Glock 19’s market segment.

      Now the CZ P10, that’s obviously targeted squarely at the G19’s niche.

    • I highly doubt that this gun is meant to be a Glock killer. (CZ’s P10 may end up filling that role.) This gun is going to be interesting to the Sphinx or Grand Power buyer. If it passes muster through the first rounds of testing and evaluation, I’m interested.

    • “Yeah, Glock killer this is not.”

      Who is claiming that it was? Aside from the striker, the design has little that’s gonna make a Glocknard drool.

  4. Cool video. Cool gun. Although, I don’t like the look of the super large recoil spring housing but understand its functionality. Sort of wish they compromised and only lowered it about half way as low as they did for aesthetics reasons. But, it’s probably a nice shooter, though. MSRP of $1,147 is not cheap. Is this a metal or polymer frame? It sort of looks polymer but it could also be metal since it has no texture, I can’t tell for sure.

  5. I like it. If it passes muster with the first round of testing and evaluation, I am interested. I suspect two numbers are going to cause some handwringing around here, though.

    1,147 (dollars, MSRP)
    and
    34 (ounces, empty)

    I don’t see either one as a dealbreaker, but some will.

  6. It sure has a slick, modern-classic look, but that dust cover is huge. Seems to allow lots of room for activities, and forces the rail (glock rail? why?) down awfully low.

    • Yeah not sure why they did that, they could have brought it up and made it a normal looking dust cover with a rail. Now if you put a light on the rail the front of the gun becomes HUGE, and will affect how holsters are made for it

  7. Well my Ruger SR9C & 9E both have 17 rd mags, with the SR9C also taking shorter 10 rd mags to make CC easier. Can buy three 9Cs or four 9Es for the same price and I know the company.

  8. I wonder if street price will be any better, and the video is the shiz.

    Regardless of innovation, ergos, shootability, etc. at that price, at that weight, with 15 rounds people are going to think twice. And I guarantee at SHOT Hudson reps will get tired of answering the question of why there is so much room for something that only houses the recoil spring.

    Make it polymer framed, 17+1 and do something about that tumor under the barrel and it’d be a seller.

    • “Make it polymer framed, 17+1 and do something about that tumor under the barrel and it’d be a seller.” Just basically described a Ruger SR9C, 9E & American.

    • America is the world’s biggest private gun market and it’s also the most conservative. I agree that the barrel droop is going to put 80% of potential buyers off before they even begin think about the advantages that a lower recoil spring would offer. That’s too bad as it discourages innovation, but this gun is not priced for volume sales anyway.

    • “Make it polymer framed, 17+1 and do something about that tumor under the barrel and it’d be a seller.”

      More like it’d be yet another “me, too” polymer gun in a very crowded marketplace, and being a small startup company, would never gain any traction against all the full-size plastic guns sold by every major manufacturer. This gun is designed for a specific niche, which is a smart move for a company’s first product. You don’t come out of the gate as an unknown aiming to directly take on the big dogs in a market as conservative and averse to new ideas as the firearms world.

      • And “me too” guns sell

        Part of the problem with the recoil system being so large and bulky is Joe Blow is going to assume it’s a light and/or laser built in. That will turn off the Fudd already if being a double stack, 9mm, striker fired 1911 didn’t already. For others they will see it as an unnecessarily bulky pistol (But it’s better for recoil management! “My Glock/1911/M&P/XD/Jericho/Beretta/Sig/etc. is already good on recoil”)

        Of course some people will buy it BECAUSE of the looks, some people will buy it because it’s recoil system, some people will buy it cause it’s niche and they want something different. I’m just saying I see more reasons to NOT buy it, whether they are rational or not is not the point, than I see to buy it. Personally, I like the way it looks, and I do want to check one out. I don’t have a huge problem with weight in a pistol, personally (I will often carry a Gov’t steel framed 1911, that weighs more than a fully loaded 92FS). However in this day 15 rounds in a full size pistol is lacking, and that is a valid complaint, but the VP9/P30 can survive it, so it’s not too big. Also one nitpick I do see right away is while it has a rail, anything on that rail is going to be difficult to actuate than it is on any other pistol.

        Just my two cents.

  9. 1911 style trigger, except it has the Glock trigger blade (it isn’t a safety, no matter what you call it), replaceable at an extra cost. Also for you 1911 fans you can get a thumb safety at extra cost. Not to mention the under frame spring cover, outrageous price and no mention of replacement grips & backstrap to adjust for hand sizes. But they will point out the company is vet and woman owned, because that is more important to shooters.

    I’ll pass, thank you.

  10. “…designed with a distinct focus on the needs of the shooter.”
    so, my pistols were designed with a focus on the needs of the recipient? why doesn’t that upset me more than it does?

  11. Nice lines. Without specs couldn’t rightly say, but it looks like the new stuff (the recoil spring housing) is functional to lowering bore axis. Everything else looks to be combining highly desirable traits exclusive to certain designs (ie the 1911 trigger, simple striker fired triggger mexhanism) to Make an”ideal” pistol. It compares favourably to the Glock 17 except in weight, but are you worried about those puny 7 ounces for carry or for better shooting. But methinks pricing is way off for “existing art” (thinking patents), therfore the importance of marketing, an important lesson from Glock…. and this video is great. If it proves reliable, I’d jump all over one of these.

  12. Well it looks cool, but it’s not a Glock and it doesn’t use Glock mags or have the huge aftermarket parts selection.

    I’ll buy one if it costs under $300.

    • I enjoy how important aftermarket parts selection is to those who most firmly believe in “GLOCK perfection.” Apparently they’re so perfect that any other pistol is doomed to failure if the user doesn’t immediately want to replace the sights, upgrade the trigger, change the slide stop, sculpt and stipple the grip, etc etc etc 😛

  13. I agree that the dust cover seems larger than it needs to be. Be nice if you could switch it out with one that has a built in light or laser…or Blade Runner blaster. If you reduce the size of it you could almost have a BHP look. Now that would be cool. I’ll wait and see what it looks and feels – and shoots – like to judge. Gotta admit, I’m intrigued and I’ll give it a chance. Can’t wait to see Hickok with this one. But $1000+ …

    I think there’s an extended version of that video where the caveman gets a pair of H9s to take down a velociraptor. Very historically inaccurate.

  14. “Striker fired reliability” Can the striker be re-activated with a trigger pull, in case of a miss-fire? Or must the slide be pulled to the rear again?

  15. “Striker fired reliability”
    Does that mean that the striker can be fired again without activating the slide? If not, then in my opinion, it’s not reliable!

    • I’d like to like the gun. It’s just so darn ugly. 80% of why the f-35 was chosen over the being JSF was because f-35 looked a heck of a lot better, like a fighter plane and the boeing aircraft looked like a shark whale with it mouth open while eating plankton . To me, this gun is missing the aesthetics that I like and since there are so many good looking guns with similar performance, I’ll stick with more traditional designs.

  16. hmm. I’d prefer a full-sized version of the Kimber Solo. Not a fan of that dustcover. If they really wanted to sell me that gun they’d include a built in highpowered LED light in the front of that thing.

  17. I would just like to give the people who created the advertising video a compliment. Showing the evolution of the modern weapon was very artistic in the way it was done, like telling a story. I hardly noticed that it was an ad for a new handgun. The video made me click on the link to check out the gun even further. I guess the ad worked, in my case.

  18. I hope they were smart enough to use a magazine that is already in plentiful supply from other manufactures like Glock or Beretta 92. If I have a Glock or Beretta 92 I will be much more likely to buy a gun that uses the mags I already have.

  19. Steel frame = heavy and $1147 = insanity in these days of really great $5-600 and under polymer pistols, some with greater capacity. The only way this thing will fly is if they is if they give it an all polymer frame to lower the weight, put an integral light or laser in that dust cover and still somehow price match Glock, SIG, Walther, S&W MP, XDM, etc. Oh, and the trigger better be fantastic and the mags affordable.

  20. I am about to pull the trigger purchasing a q5 match when this came across my feed. If this was a 5″ barrel? The order would be on the way… Why is it not a 5″?

  21. RECOIL Magazine just did a very candid and somewhat up front review of the Hudson 9 pre production gun with serial number ending “06”, in issue 29 by author Iain Harrison. Hudson Mfg. told the group doing the review and shooting tests that at around 1000 rounds the barrel lugs would most likely break. This is NOT a hidden defect as engineers were aware and are redesigning the gun before production units start hitting shelves. All of the innovation and design aspects were covered and the gun is impressive. But I will most likely wait until proven units are out among the public with a long history of reliability before buying one as the barrel lugs fracturing at 1000 rounds if not corrected would be a clear reason to not own this firearm.

    What is amazing is that Hudson Mfg. allowed RECOIL to print that fault in the review. To me, that is a position of strength and integrity and shows that Hudson Mfg. does in fact care about it’s product and customers to allow known design flaws to be discussed, and admit that a redesign is in progress. This should result in a better product when the gun is launched.

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