Wonder Nine

The Browning Hi Power, considered by some to be the first "wonder nine."

The term Wonder Nine was coined in the 1980s as a rather derisive term used by firearms enthusiasts who had grown both weary and suspicious of the claims (some of them quite wild-sounding) being made for the new series of fully featured 9mm semi-automatic pistols that were being introduced by so many of the world's prominent firearm manufacturers at the time. It was later taken up by the proponents of these new systems who were either unaware of, or chose to ignore, the dripping, eyeball-rolling sarcasm inherent in the term.

The phrase was something of a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the description of the weapons under development by Germany towards the end of the Second World War. These new examples of modern technology were supposedly going to take war out of the dirt of the battlefield and put it in the hands of technicians, ending war as we knew it. They were known collectively as Wonder Weapons. We all know how that idea worked out.

To this day, many firearms enthusiasts will chucklingly refer to the wonder nine as "that 70-old high tech weapon system."

Characteristics

As a general (but not exclusive) rule, a wonder nine is a semi-automatic pistol, chambered for the 9mm Parabellum cartridge and offering a number of features considered to be valuable in combat. These are generally not considered to be of sufficiently high quality for use as target guns, although they are somewhat popular in the sports of practical shooting. They are designed with combat use in mind, with the emphasis being placed on firepower, safety, and readiness. The typical features identifying these guns are:

• A double column magazine, generally holding from 12-20 cartridges.
• Double action trigger system
• Polymer, stainless, or alloy construction for ease of maintenance.
• Some possible additional features for safety may include:
  • Hammer drop safety
  • Magazine safety
  • Double action only trigger

Origins

Most firearms enthusiasts trace the "birth" the wonder nine, and the whole series of military and police small arms conforming to the pattern, back to one of two pistols: the Browning High Power or the Walther P-38.

The Browning High Power is cited for its introduction of the double column magazine, and the use of a cam to tilt the barrel, replacing the moving toggle link of the older M1911 design.

Others point to the Walther P-38 as introducing Americans to the double action automatic, and the 9 mm cartridge. Though the 9 mm had been introduced decades earlier in the P-08 (commonly known as the Luger), both the P-08 and the P-38 were uncommon in the US before thousands of them were brought back as trophies and souvenirs by soldiers returning from the European Theatre of Operations.

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