Hudson Mfg made a huge wave at the 2017 SHOT Show with their H9 pistol. And surprising to some, they actually began shipping out product before the end of the year.

Recently they've been teasing a new model, the H9A. While we've heard some speculation that this would be yet another plastic fantastic, today we can confirm that it is not the case.

The ‘A' in H9A stands for aluminum.



If you just give the H9A a quick glance, you're unlikely to notice any significant changes compared to the H9. Until you pick it up. The aluminum frame of the H9A cuts the weight by half a pound–an insignificant number on a rifle but fairly aggressive on a pistol.

The H9A slide also has a slightly different geometry, and the G10 VZ Grips have been replaced with premium polymer panels. Exactly what sights will ship standard with the H9A is still being hammered out, but we're told a fiber optic front is currently leading the pack.

One of the points Hudson Mfg stressed about the H9 was that it was a chassis gun; like the Sig P320, the fire control group assembly is the receiver and the grip and slide are simply accessories. So let's talk parts interchange between the H9 and the new H9A. While we don't yet have a part-for-part breakdown, Hudson tells us it will be about 85% between the two. For sure we know the H9A shares the chassis and magazines with the H9.



Hudson has also been showing off some threaded barrel options for both models.

If you think this all adds up to a pistol with a more consumer-friendly price, you'd be right. The MSRP is under $1k at $947, so you can probably anticipate a street price of $800-and-change. We'll have hands-on with the H9A this coming Monday at the SHOT Show Industry Day at the Range–stay tuned.