Stoeger Industries, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Benelli which is owned by Beretta, is a manufacturer and importer of firearms into the U.S., with headquarters in Maryland. They are well known for their affordable tactical and hunting shotguns and rifles. Stoeger branded models are manufactured in Istanbul, Turkey. Stoeger entered the U.S. 9mm handgun market in 2019 by launching the STR-9 series of semi-automatic pistols. This review is for their recent STR-9 Compact model in 9mm. They offer a 5-Year Limited Warranty on their products.
SEE ALL Stoeger STR-9C DEALS
Stoeger STR-9 Pistol Earns NRA Gun of the Week
The Stoeger STR-9 9mm pistol was awarded the NRA Gun of the Week by the National Rifle Association’s AMERICAN RIFLEMAN and SHOOTING ILLUSTRATED magazines in 2019 after its introduction. This award honors excellence and innovation in firearms. 
Smooth and Consistent Trigger Press
The STR-9 Compact has a very nice and smooth trigger, especially for a value-priced handgun. I really like its consistent and smooth trigger press and was pleasantly and comfortably surprised when I first shot this 9mm. Although a longer press, it is smooth. While it is not as smooth as my 1911s, it is a very nice trigger.
Deep Front & Rear Slide Serrations
Reminiscent of the Beretta APX and its large serrations, this Stoeger STR-9 Compact 9mm has large and easy-to-use deep slide serrations to help slide manipulations and for doing a press or safety check. I like them. The large and deep slide serrations give you more surface area to grasp for manipulations, especially if you are in a confined space or awkward shooting position. And they work well for one-handed manipulations and press checks to check the chamber for a round. While these generally are a helpful addition to handguns, shooters must be cautious so as to not develop some bad habits using the serrations. Some regularly, if not solely, rely on the front serrations to charge their pistol, which is a slower method for this and might cause feeding malfunctions. Some who frequently do press checks might sometimes find their gun out of battery more easily. But overall, I like the large and deep slide serrations.
Proven Reliability
For me, this gun proved to be reliable for the about 240 rounds I shot through it. I had absolutely no malfunctions, stoppages, or cycling problems at all. But, I want to shoot about 300 more rounds through it before I make a final decision about carrying and using this gun for self-defense. Reliability is probably the most important factor for any handgun used for self-defense and personal protection… to prove to yourself the consistent reliability of the gun and that you can always count on it.
When I pressed the trigger, this gun consistently and efficiently completed its firing cycle, fired accurately, performed well, and did not misfire, have any failures to fire or eject or have any problems. But each shooter must shoot the gun themselves and fire sufficient rounds through any gun to be comfortable with relying on the gun to protect themselves and their family. I like to shoot at least 500 rounds through any gun to be confident and comfortable with a gun to use for personal protection. And shoot hollow points, which is what I will carry for self-defense. Of course, given our current ammo shortage, this is very difficult and costly to do now. But, you must “bite the bullet,” so to speak, to learn the gun’s reliability. The more rounds down range with any gun, the better data you have to make the carry and self-defense use decisions.
