We recently tested four new or newish 9mm polymer-frame pistols that use mostly proven designs and come in at affordable prices. The first member of our new group is the Savage Stance, $408; followed by the SCCY-DVG-1, $255, a new optics-ready model that we covered on the Gun Tests YouTube page in January 2022; the very new Mossberg MC2c, $380; and the latest introduction, a SAR USA SAR9 Compact X, $631, which was announced in April 2022. How well do these affordable pistols work in an everyday-carry environment? Well, when we shot them head to head, we found some were more accurate than others, and even more important, some were more dependable.

Your eyes do not deceive you about the maker of the first pistol, the Savage Stance. Savage! Savage, you say! What does Savage, the maker of great rifles for more than 100 years know about pistols? Quite a lot, actually. Savage was one of the two finalists in the military trials that eventually accepted the Colt 1911 submission as the winner. A scaled-down version of that pistol was produced from 1907 until 1920. It featured a 10-round double-stack magazine almost 30 years before the famous Browning Hi-Power. Now, a mere century later, Savage is back in the pocket-handgun market with a fascinating entry.

SCCY (pronounced sky, as best we can determine) is out of Florida, and the company has a reputation for producing relatively simple, affordable, and effective firearms. We tried out their new optics-ready DVG-1 model to find out for ourselves. The DVG-1 departs from previous models in that it is striker fired, where previous versions were hammer fired. The required changes in leverage and springs can increase the effort needed to retract the slide, but ours did not show that to be a material factor. The other three pistols in this test averaged in the sub 19-pound category where the SCCY required 20.3 pounds of muscle to retract the slide. We did not feel the 7% increase was noticeable.

Next is Mossberg’s MC2c, a modern 9mm semi-auto with a 14-round magazine, which is a great compromise for most small or big hands. It is very similar in size to a Glock 48. There are many very good reasons why different firearms are shaped differently, primarily because people are as well. About the only assumption that can be made on the potential user of a new firearm is that five out of six will be right-handed. For example, one member of this group of testers has long, slim fingers. The rest of us tend to have bigger hands and shorter digits. That means that pistols of a size that work well for him don’t necessarily work for us at all. The Mossberg MC2c handgun seeks to strike a balance that most users will like.

SAR USA is the exclusive U.S. importer for all firearms and ammunition products produced by Sarsilmaz Silah Sanayi of Istanbul, Turkey. Sarsilmaz is one of the oldest firearms manufacturers in the world, being founded in 1880. It would appear that the “X” in the SAR USA SAR9 Compact X name stands for “extras.” Our sample included a nice hard case along with an inexpensive, but functional, mag pouch and holster. The package included a second 15-round magazine with weighted base pad perfect for those of us still practicing El Presidente–type reloads. Also included was a nice, Picatinny rail-mounted LED light. But intentionally, apparently, SAR did not include the battery. Curious. All told, a very nice collection of gear.

How We Tested

We shot the pistols at American Shooting Centers in Houston, firing accuracy groups at 15 yards. We posted multiple five-shot groups from a well-sandbagged Caldwell Pistolero shooting rest, assisted by a Mini DRC Fortune Cookie from Wiebad.com. We obtained velocities in one session using a LabRadar chronograph.

We tested using three different types of ammunition. First was 115-grain Remington Range ammo, along with Winchester White Box 115-grain FMJs. We also tried our standard match reload in the form of 147-grain FMJ bullets from Precision Delta, powered by Hodgdon Tite Group powder and CCI small pistol primers. On a pistol-by-pistol basis, here’s what we learned during our testing:

Gun Tests Grade: B

$408

This test group lives near the Texas Gulf Coast, where most of the year, describing the temperature as hot and humid is a ludicrous understatement. Harry Callahan may be able to carry a 6.5-inch 44 Magnum in a shoulder holster, underneath the coat he always wears, but we can’t. Size and concealability are important factors in whether or not we will carry a pistol. We think Savage got those elements right with this design. Overall length is just over 6 inches, height is less than 4.5 inches, and width is barely an inch, making this pistol a great specimen for pocket carry, if so desired. The nose of the slide is beveled, and all the edges on the slide are rounded, also making it easier to conceal and carry. The slide has five lightening cuts on each side, once again making it easier to carry and lessening the muzzle flip a bit. The rear sight has the squared-off front edge now de rigueur for one-handed slide manipulation. The two-dot rear blade has an opening wide enough to easily find the front sight and uses a rounded bottom. The fairly wide front sight has a single large, orange dot. We would vote for a simple black rear sight blade. Grasping grooves are angled slightly forward and are located on both sides of the slide at the front and the rear.

The grip frame is just wide enough to contain a magazine that is not quite single or double stack. Carrying seven or eight rounds (depending on the base pad) in more of a staggered configuration, the magazines are trim, easy to eject, and have a scallop on the base pad, allowing a bit more purchase in the case that it needs to be forcibly removed from the magwell. We commonly comment that texture on polymer frames is too slick or not aggressive enough. We think that Savage got it just right. The pistol stayed securely in our firing grip without causing discomfort. The back of the grip can be changed to fit the shooter’s hand via removal of a single pin. Flat and medium swell panels are included.

The polymer trigger does not utilize a Glock-style blade safety, and we were fine with that. Trigger profile was somewhat rounded, with smooth edges leaving the Stance very comfortable to shoot. Required trigger compression broke cleanly right at 5.5 pounds. The Stance has a molded-in overtravel stop just behind the trigger, limiting the amount of trigger movement remaining after trigger break. The checkered magazine release is ambidextrous and easily reached from either side. The slide stop — not so much. It is also ambidextrous, but it is recessed to the point where activation with the thumbs is problematic. The simple solution is to grab the top of the slide with the support hand and execute a “grab the rear and reach for your ear” movement. Takedown is simple. Make sure the pistol is empty. Lock the slide to the rear, roll the takedown lever 90 degrees clockwise, pull back on the slide, and ease the slide forward.

The feel, looks, and size of the Stance remind us of the S&W Shield, which is great company to be in. We found it comfortable to shoot with no sharp edges that bit us. Reliability was 100%, but accuracy was not. The 147-grain reloads (our customary match load) worked well, posting a 2.6-inch average. Both of the 115-grain offerings averaged more than 4 inches for five shots at 15 yards.

Our Team Said: This pistol offered many nice features in a small package at a great price. We knocked it down a grade for its just-fair accuracy.

9mm Luger Range Data

Drill Data (5x5x5)

Drill Data (5x8)

Value Guide: Smaller 9mm Luger Handgun Rankings