The Daniel Defense H9 Pistol: Balanced, Accurate, Reliable

The Daniel Defense H9 is an optic-ready, striker-fired 9mm pistol with a great sight picture, low bore axis, and superior ergonomics and shootability.

The H9 was released in 2024 and by early 2025 we had heard so much about the pistol, both positive and negative, that we had to get our hands on one to see for ourselves.

The quick verdict: The negative things we had heard, which centered on cycling and feeding issues, were nowhere to be found as we pumped 350-400 rounds through the H9. The positive things we had heard, which centered on the pistol’s accuracy and tendency to stay flatter then other similarly sized 9mms during recoil, proved to be absolutely true.

The H9’s trigger is bottom hinged, which is something that immediately jumps out as different the first time a shooter looks at the gun and puts his finger on the trigger. But when shooting the pistol, the trigger’s pull and performance are natural and smooth. We literally knocked the paint off steel target after steel target, shooting FMJ, Hollow Point ammo, and Hollow Point +P. (The grip angle is natural and the G-10 grip panels designed to lock the pistol in your hands.)

In short, the H9 was a hit at the range.

The H9 ships with three 15-round magazines and a fiber optic front sight. The slide is pre-cut for an optic and the H9 has a rail on the bottom side for accessories. We attached an Inforce WILD1 flashlight on the rail of our H9 and loved the resulting balance.

Numerous holster options for the H9 can be found at CrossBreed Holsters, C&G, TXC, and Urban Carry, among others.

Daniel Defense has long been known as a leader in AR-15 manufacturing, and with the H9 their foray into pistol making is on solid ground.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio, a member of Gun Owners of America, a Pulsar Night Vision pro-staffer, and the director of global marketing for Lone Star Hunts. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal in 2010 and has a Ph.D. in Military History. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly: awrhawkins@breitbart.com.