Stoeger’s ThinLine 9mm Pistol: Thin Is In!

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	Stoeger STR-9 Thinline	Check Price

We tend to have an obsession with thin. Anorexic fashion models, “thin” cream in your coffee, tiny, thin houses… thin is definitely in. I remember the British model, Twiggy, in the 1960s… she helped start the craze back then, and it stuck. Slaves to fashion have been measuring their waists with micrometers ever since.

But fashion is a galaxy away from guns. What’s “thin” got to do with the pistol we’re looking at? Stoeger markets it as their ThinLine 9mm carry gun. Thin is good for a carry weapon. Single-stack pistols are naturally thin because there’s only one row of cartridges in their magazines. So, how thin is it, and does that affect capacity? Is it a single stack? Before we get to that, there’s something else I want to say.

In my reviews of polymer 9mm pistols (of which I have done dozens over the years), I tend to get comments like “we don’t need yet another plastic fantastic” or words to that effect. The market is fairly saturated with these types of guns, thanks to Gaston Glock and his wunderkind. They make a good point that I subscribe to.

We DO have a lot of cookie-cutter poly 9mms. However, if a gun comes out that does things a bit differently, is made in such a way that validates its existence, and has a good feature set, then I say “go for it”. This pistol fits that category, in my opinion. It is eminently carryable, if that’s a word. It also seems to me to be a good value for the dollar.

The ThinLine is an inch-wide, 21-ounce-empty pistol with three double-stack magazines. Right there, you get my attention. Plus, it’s compensated and has an optics cut. More of my attention… my head is up and I’m wanting to see this gun.

The capacities of these double-stack magazines are 14 (you get two of those), and one 16-rounder. So, no, it’s not a single-stack gun, and capacity is not affected. You get the best of both worlds here… a skinny, night-sighted, compensated 9mm with a decent round count that fits in your hand easily.

The gun fits my hand like some of my .380s, it’s that skinny. It might be too skinny (if that’s a bad thing) for some with larger hands. I’ll try it on my friend Ed, who can easily palm a basketball, and report back. I know that sometimes, I would like to be too skinny. Not happenin’. (Note: Ed said it fit fine and he liked it. He especially liked the three different types of grip texture, too. More on that later…)

Stoeger: The Company

Stoeger is a name that should be familiar to American shooters. Here’s a bit about the company.

Stoeger is part of the BenelliUSA family of brands and owned by the Beretta Holdings group. While the company is headquartered in Maryland, its firearms are manufactured in Turkey and Brazil. The ThinLine, for example, is made in Turkey.

History

Beretta acquired Stoeger in 2000, but before that, it was located in New Jersey. Prior to that, it existed as the largest gun store in New York City.  Wow… Can you imagine that today?

I remember when they commissioned a company in Germany to build a .22 replica of the famous Luger in the late ‘70s. I read about it in the gun rags of the era and wanted one, but alas… It wasn’t to be. They imported them and sold a bunch. Later, in the ‘90s, they sold an American-made version of the pistol, but it was all stainless, in 9mm, and came in either a 4- or 6-inch barrel. (Legalese trivia: Stoegeer has owned the name “Luger” in the U.S. since about 1924.) 

Now, moving up to more current times… Known primarily for shotguns and airguns, Stoeger opened eyes in 2019 with the introduction of the full-size STR-9. After branching out with variations on that theme, the latest version is what we have before us here, the ThinLine. It came out earlier this year (2025). 

Specifications

The Stoeger website is a bit sparse about specific details for the ThinLine, but here is what they have…

• Finish: Black Synthetic
• Barrel: Nitride-hardened Matte Black
• Grip: Standard
• MSRP: $529
• Frame Size: Crossover
• Hand: Right-Handed (mag release can be moved to the other side)
• Capacity: 16+1
• Magazines: 2 14-round, 1 16-round
• Sights: Tritium Night (Stoeger and Mepro sell replacements)
• Optics-Ready: Yes, RMSc Shield
• That was what they provided. Here are a few more details that I found or measured…
• Overall Length: 6.1”
• Height:   4.4”
• Width:   1”
• Weight: (empty mag) 21.2 oz.; (full 14-round mag) 26.1 oz.
• Trigger Pull Weight: 4 lbs. 10 oz., average

Features

Here we go, from what I can tell about this pistol. As I said, their website was not the best with details.

Forward Slide Serrations

The slide has four deep cuts, both fore and aft, to aid in grasping it.

Compensator

Speaking of the slide, Stoeger has done something unique, from my perspective. They have extended the slide about a half-inch from the end of the barrel and made two cuts in it that partially wrap around the sides and the top. The barrel was left untouched. This is one of the few times I’ve seen a compensator cut that doesn’t cut the barrel as well as the slide. Interesting. Plus – it works. Recoil came mostly straight back, and the muzzle didn’t rise much.

Magazines

I’m going to list the magazines as a feature, because you get three of them. That is how it should be done – kudos to Stoeger. You get one each, Small, Medium, and Large, in terms of baseplates. The two smaller ones house 14 rounds, while the largest one holds 16. They are made in Italy, presumably by Mec Gar. (If you need to order more, start here). 

Grip Texture

There are three different textures. The first is applied to the sides of the grip and is the most aggressive of the three, where you need to get a solid grip. The second, less-grippy texturing is in the front. The backstrap has a different kind of texturing, what I call “Glock Blocks” – symmetrical little raised squares. There are also two pads over the trigger guard to rest your trigger finger or off-hand thumb on. Each area of the grip has a texture that works for that particular zone. It’s been well thought-out.

Rail

You get a three-slot rail on the dust cover. That should house whatever goodie you choose to install.

Optics-Ready

The ThinLine is directly compatible with RMSc Shield red dot optics. Here’s one as an example… a Burris Fastfire C with an RMSc footprint. It works very well.

Night Sights

Tritium three-dot sights are standard. If you want to swap out your sights, here’s one possibility.

Trigger

The trigger has a flat face with the typical safety blade and breaks at . It has about a half-inch of take-up and very little creep. The reset is short. 

Summary: This is a small, 9mm carry gun with a decent capacity, a good trigger, night sights with optics cut, and a feature set that won’t break the bank to own. I will say that, for a pistol that typically sells for under $450, the features list is impressive.

Range Time

(Yeah, I know… rifle rest. It works for me.)

I waited for the rain to take a break and then headed to my backyard range. I placed targets at 15 yards, since this is a gun whose raison d’être is personal protection. A long-distance bullseye buster, it ain’t, although it did alright. The very decent trigger and compensator helped.

I shot several targets and chose three to post here. The ammo I shot included (all 115-grain FMJ) Fiocchi Range Dynamics, PMC, and Monarch. Here are the targets…

Range Dynamics

PMC

I mention an issue below that I had with the sights. They were regulated very low, about 6 inches below P.O.I. You will notice a red diamond below each target – that was my aiming point. I think that a quick and easy solution to this is to mount a red dot. That’ll fix it. Of course, there is a decent warranty with the pistol, so you could send it back or buy replacement sights. Anyway, it wouldn’t deter me from using the gun. These groups were fired from a bench… “hind-leg” shooting may show different results.

Cleaning

I won’t dwell on this, as hopefully, most know how to clean a semi-auto pistol. The gun comes apart like a Glock, so it’s easy. Remember to put a drop of oil on the frame rails and the top of the barrel hood when you put it back together. If you need help, here’s a link to the owner’s manual .pdf download.

I had trouble with the take lever. I always have trouble with Glock-style takedown levers. They are never long enough for my baloney fingers to grab, and when I tried to pull the slide off, it didn’t “take”, so I had to do it again. I figured I didn’t need to physically disassemble the pistol, as that type of takedown is pretty standard. Oh, how I wish manufacturers would all employ a rotating take-down lever!

Niggles

Is there anything I don’t like about the gun? Sure. I mentioned the short takedown levers above (well, they’re standard size, but I guess I need oversized ones…).

A more important nit to pick… the gun shot about six inches high. This is the second 9mm in a week that I’ve reviewed with that issue. I was shooting plain-jane factory 115-grain loads… the most common type of 9mm ammo. You would think the factory would regulate the height of the sights to hit the bullseye with a center hold.

My second point about things I didn’t like about the gun has to do with the recoil spring. I have no way of measuring how many pounds it takes to move the slide rearward against the spring, but it’s got to be many. I was not the only one to comment on it. My stronger son and Gorilla-grip friend Ed each made a face when they retracted the slide and commented on how strong the spring was. I would imagine someone with reduced hand strength would have problems retracting the slide. I’m not sure they need a 10mm-weight spring in a compact 9,

But, nitpicks aside, I liked the gun overall, and I’m not the only one. Here are four definite “hits”…

Width: I think my son’s reaction to the gun when he first got his hands on it sums it up… he immediately wondered how much it would cost to keep it. For everyday shooting and competition, he’s usually more of a 1911-and-that-size gun guy. In terms of concealed carry, he likes appendix carry – very popular for you shooters who can see your feet – and was intrigued at the TrimLine’s sveltness, its one-inch thickness. Of course, there are many other carry guns out there that are an inch or so wide, but this one not only accomplishes that but also has a nice feature set and capacity, at a good price. 

Grip Texturing: I appreciate its smaller grip, as well. Its grip girth reminds me, as I alluded to above, to that of a .380 pistol. It isn’t a whole lot bigger than my S&W Bodyguard 2.0, and that is a pocket pistol. The difference is, you get 14 – 16 9mms, not 10 – 12 .380s. The Stoeger is not a pocket pistol, unless you’re Captain Kangaroo (younger shooters, Google it). Even so, its light weight and small size surely make it a carry gun, no doubt. 

As for the grip texture, I mentioned how it is three zones, each done differently. That in itself shows that someone has put a lot of thought into how a hand grips a pistol. I don’t know how many guns I’ve reviewed that have one texture all over the grip. Of course, I’d rather have one texture that works over some types I’ve seen that are ineffective, but the ThinLine’s grip is done right.

Compensator. The clever way Stoeger has compensated this gun is very interesting, and it works…the recoil was straight back, and not too much.

Optics Cut. Add an RMSc red dot easily.

Magazines: You get three. What’s not to like about that?

Value: For a street price under $450, this gun will be hard to beat. Add a red dot to the mix, stick it in a decent holster with good ammo, and you are good to go. (Even if you use the included night sights with no red dot, you’re still GTG… I just mentioned it because it’s an option, unlike with some pistols. And, for many shooters, it is a definite plus.) The fact that it comes with three magazines doesn’t hurt, either.

Summing Up

If you are in the market for a micro 9 but want a little more capacity, night sights, extra magazines, and a sweet-shooting pistol, take a look at the ThinLine. For a pistol that only came out this year, Stoeger will probably not be able to build them fast enough for the polymer-frame, striker-9 crowd. Its tiny overall size and weight, plus its “big-boy” 9mm capacity, will make it a sure seller, once word gets around. 

I said above that I believe the polymer-framed, striker-9 market is a bit saturated, but when a company brings out something that breaks the mould, I pay attention. I think you might want to not only take a look at this gun, but put one in your hand – that will most likely make you a believer. For me, the gun just fits and ticks most of the right boxes. Why not check one out?

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