1. Smith & Wesson 5900/4500 Series
Smith & Wesson’s 5900 and 4500 handgun lines were chambered for 9mm and .45 ACP respectively. These pistols were a common sight inside police holsters, at the gun range, and on the silver screen. A S&W 4506 appears in the 1994 cult classic “Pulp Fiction,” and FBI agents Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) both wielded the 5906 for a time on the hit TV series “X-Files.”
These all-metal, hammer-fired, double-stack pistols were largely double-action/single-action guns with a few double-action-only models like the 4546 and 5946 sprinkled into the mix. They generated an army of variants in the 1990s that ranged from the compact 4513 and 5943 SSV to the full-size 4506 and 5906.
Related: Everlasting ‘Wondernine’ – Police Trade-In Smith & Wesson 5906
The 5900 series eventually offered a dozen variants while the 4500 line expanded to 18 offerings. Respected for their robust construction and reliability, many of these guns are still in service with such esteemed organizations as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The production of the 4500 and 9500 guns tapered off heading into the 2000s.
2. Heckler & Koch USP
Introduced in 1993, Heckler & Koch’s USP built a very loyal following among avid shooters and law enforcement alike. These German-made “universal self-loading pistols” (Universelle Selbstladepistole) offered extreme reliability while sporting double-stack magazines and lightweight polymer frames.
Chamberings included 9mm, .45 ACP, .357 SIG, and .40 S&W. The latter two chamberings were very fresh offerings in the 1990s. A 9mm USP offered a 15+1 capacity. Those chambered for .40 S&W and .45 ACP offered 13+1 and 12+1 respectively.
Related: This HK USP has 200K Rounds Through It
I’ve been surprised on several occasions to find out that the USP – particularly in .45 ACP – was an all-time favorite sidearm for numerous police officers I’ve spoken with over the years. That includes officers who were carrying the latest and greatest department-issued Glocks and SIG Sauers.
3. SIG Sauer P226 and P229
Let’s raise the roof for some legendary handguns. You couldn’t say Navy SEALs in the 1990s without conjuring up images of heavily armed frogmen emerging from a swamp with their SIG Sauer P226s ready for action.
Officially adopted by the SEALs as the P226 Mk25 in 1989, the full-size P226 and compact P229 emerged from SIG Sauer’s submission to the U.S. military’s pistol trials in the 1980s. While SIG’s offering performed with high marks in the trials, it was not adopted for general issue by the military.
Related: My 16-Year Journey with the SIG Sauer P229
However, the Navy SEALs, Secret Service, and FBI knew a good thing when they saw it and hopped on to the SIG bandwagon in the 1990s. The double-action/single-action P226 and P229 offered robust metal frames and double-stack magazines.
Beyond durable, these guns are iconic firearms with a Hollywood rap sheet that includes starring roles in “Predator 2” (1990), “Sniper” (1993), “Hackers” (1995), “Con Air” (1997), and “Fight Club” (1999).
4. Ruger P Series
Ruger’s P-series handguns exemplify the industry-wide shift to polymer frames that occurred after Glock pistols hit the US market in 1986.
The P series started off with the all-metal P85 (1985), which offered an aluminum frame. This was eventually replaced with a fiberglass-reinforced polyurethane frame in the P95 (1996) and later with a glass-filled poly frame in the P97 (1999).
Ruger positioned the P series as bargain yet modernized handguns in the 1980s and 90s. The double-action/single-action guns were well regarded for being reliable and robust, but they were somewhat chunky and slightly ergonomically challenged.
Related: Ruger P85 – Old Budget Steel Meets the Polymer Age
Originally designed to compete for the U.S. military’s new handgun contract in the 1980s, the P85 offered a generous 15+1 capacity and 20,000-round life expectancy. Ruger’s offering did not make the military’s cut, but the company doubled down on the P series for the civilian and law-enforcement market. This led to the P90, P91, P93, P94, P95, and P97.
The arrival of the P345 in 2004 marked the end of the P series as Ruger transitioned to its SR series of handguns. All P-series production ended in 2013.
5. Glock 22, 23, Etc.
Even if you don’t think Glocks are – as they used to say – “all that and a bag of chips,” there’s no denying the company’s lineup was a force to be reckoned with since the introduction of the Glock 17 in 1982. I think it’s worth focusing here on some 1990s-specific offerings from Glock, namely those chambered for the .40 S&W round introduced in 1990.
The .40 S&W cartridge came from a search for a more potent chambering for law enforcement after the FBI’s 1986 Miami shootout. Glock launched both the full-size Glock 22 and mid-sized Glock 23 in 1990 to accommodate a wave of popularity that surrounded the powerful .40 S&W.
Related: Glock 22 – Is .40 S&W a Dead Cartridge or Still Relevant?
While .40 S&W has waned in popularity, there’s still a lot to make guns chambered for the round attractive options. In fact, we see a lot of these trickle through Guns.com’s police trade-in program at bargain prices.
6. Beretta 92 Series
Sure, sure, the U.S. military adopted the M9/Beretta 92FS all the way back in 1985, and Bruce Willis’ character Detective John McClane made the Beretta 92F beyond iconic in the 1988 Christmas classic “Die Hard.”
Still, the all-metal, double-action/single-action Beretta 92 was everywhere in the 1990s. Between 1990 and 1999, the Beretta 92F and 92FS alone were featured in no less than 240 films. It was America’s go-to fighting pistol, and I remember seeing plenty of police holsters filled with the rugged and reliable Beretta.
Related: Beretta 92 History – The Pistol that Dethroned the 1911
Even though the U.S. military replaced the Beretta M9 in 2017 with the modular SIG Sauer M17/M18, the 92 line remains a key pillar in Beretta’s business. The company is so bullish about the gun that it still proudly markets its 92-series pistols with the below claims:
“U.S. military contract – check. Renewed U.S. military contract after demanding campaigns in the world's toughest environments – check. Find out what makes the 92FS the world's most reliable pistol...”
7. Colt Anaconda
I’ve been negligent in my mentions of revolvers for this list so far. I apologize to all the wheel-gun fanatics out there because the ‘90s offered some real classics. In particular, I just had to mention Colt’s monstrous Anaconda introduced in 1990.
Colt’s snake guns were already well-respected bling-bling for any die-hard revolver collector. That line kicked off all the way back in 1955 with the classic Colt Python, which is still in production today. But the Anaconda was a unique serpent chambered for .44 Magnum.
Related: Colt Reintroduces the .44 Magnum Anaconda Revolver
The large-frame Anacondas offered variants featuring 4, 6, and 8-inch barrels with the kind of fit and finish you’d expect from a classic Colt. Anaconda production ceased in 2003. Thankfully, Colt revived the line in 2021.
Honorable Mentions
I’m sure I’ve infuriated someone out there for not adding their favorite handgun to the list above. So, in the spirit of a generation that still remembers Blockbuster’s “be kind, rewind” slogan, here’s a bunch of guns that deserved to be on the list, too.
Sticking with the revolver theme for a second, there’s the Ruger Redhawk/Super Redhawk and S&W Model 686. Those guns were introduced before the 1990s, but they certainly had their share of fans.
Then there’s the often forgotten semi-autos like the Walther P88, Colt 1991, and short-lived compact 1911-style Star Firestar M43. The latter was named the handgun of the year by “Guns and Ammo” in 1991. It’s also worth mentioning the FN Five-seveN, which was developed throughout the 1990s and finally unveiled in 1998.
Collectors will remember the world of military handguns that started to arrive on the surplus market after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. That opened the doors to mil-surp pistols like the Czech CZ 82 , Polish P64, Russian/Bulgarian/East German Makarovs, Russian TT-33, Yugoslavian M57, Hungarian FEG PA-63, and many more.
