Buffalo Cartridge Company entered the budget-friendly 9mm handgun game, revealing their new BRG9 Elite pistol in Las Vegas during range day at SHOT Show 2022. This 16+1 double-stack 9mm hails from Burgu Metal in Turkey and is imported under Buffalo Cartridge as the BRG9 Elite. We got to take it for a spin on the range and, so far, there’s a lot to like for a gun that’s marketed as both budget-friendly and filled with features more common to pricier options.

If you haven’t heard of guns from Buffalo Cartridge just yet, there’s a good reason. The Findlay, Ohio-based company got its start in 2013 as a small American ammunition remanufacturer producing range ammo for its sister organization, Buffalo Trading Company. It only recently moved to add imported ammo to its resume. But in 2022, they’ve made the leap into budget-friendly firearms that, from our short time with them, proved to be one of the highlights at the SHOT Show range day.

What the Heck is the BRG9?

Sometimes it’s the new gun guys on the block that get you excited, especially if they’re offering an everyman’s handgun at an affordable price. As long as low costs accompany shootability and reliability, what’s not to like? 

The entrance for the BRG9 into the American firearms market actually started with a visit to inspect one of Buffalo Cartridge’s ammo manufacturers. A quick side trip to check out a manufacturer, Burgu Metal, preparing to release its first handgun to the world set the stage.

“We visited with them, and we were blown away. The product they had to show us was the BRG9 Elite, and as soon as we saw it, especially as soon as we shot it, we said, ‘We have to get this into the states,’” explained Ken Cooper when we caught up with him to talk after visiting Buffalo Cartridge on range day. “The CEO and head engineer has a ton of experience in the defense industry … and is a supplier to multiple defense companies, but he knew he could develop a handgun that really blended a lot of the factors of handguns that he liked from around the industry, and he developed something that’s completely new.” 
 

With a look that at first glance reminded this shooter of his first Springfield XD but with a better trigger and sights, the BRG9 boasts a palm-grip safety and Glock-style trigger safety. From our time on the range, we can attest that the palm safety is barely – if at all – noticeable when shooting, but the stock high-visibility sights stood out nicely on the range. 

The BRG9 Elite is currently offered in tan, black, and two-tone color options, complete with two 16-round magazines, three backstrap options, and a hard plastic case with some additional extras like cleaning tools and a mag loader. The barrel and slide are made from dual heat-treated, 4340 forged steel and complemented by a polymer frame. The gun also boasts an ambidextrous magazine release, Picatinny accessory rail, and a loaded-chamber and cocked-striker indicator.

I’ve listed some other useful specs below:

Length: 7.36 inches
Barrel Length: 4 inches
Width: 1.4 inches
Height: 5.5 inches
Weight: 1.8 pounds
Trigger Pull: 5 pounds
 

Shooting Experience

Built to rival guns like the popular and also Turkish-made Canik line, the BRG9 Elite is clearly priced to move with an MSRP of $399 and a limited lifetime warranty to back it up. The gun features a flat-faced 5-pound trigger that was enjoyable and accurate to shoot, especially with the better-than-average stock sights. 

I will say I was somewhat more impressed by the single-action trigger on the post-Canik TP9 SA trigger – with early TP9s offering a noticeably gritty DA/SA trigger – but the BRG9 trigger was still no slouch and enjoyable to shoot. The trigger take-up was relatively smooth with a predictable wall, and breaking shots and resetting was easy. Plus, the TP9-series guns have risen in price over the years, a nod to their popularity, making the BRG9 a nice budget contender.
 

If that’s not enough for you to keep your eyes on Buffalo Cartridge’s new offering, they partnered up with Night Fision to bring some tritium night sights that will come directly with the BRG9 Elite down the road. We are anxious to get one in for more testing and to rack up a higher round count for you later this year.