Innovative Hudson H9 pistol requires informed decision

By R. K. Campbell | Contributing Editor

When you first see the Hudson HD9 the styling is definitely futuristic, yet the operating features are proven with a bit of innovation thrown in as well. This is a unique handgun in some ways. The Hudson H9 is advertised as a mix of the best features of the 1911 handgun and modern striker fired handguns. The single action trigger offers a clean break that isn’t found with double-action-only or safe-action pistols. Yet the pistol may be carried safety without a manual safety.

The pistol is Browning-like in many ways and I feel that it is more similar to the Browning High Power than the Colt 1911. The Hudson is a design that should be respected by Glock fans and the 1911 enthusiast alike, and at the same time it should stand on its own merits.

The Hudson H9 is a slim handgun.

The H9 is fairly slim and compact but has a bulbous nose that the casual observer might think housed a combat light or suppressor. The housing contains the recoil spring in a novel arrangement. By keeping the recoil spring under the slide in this manner the bore axis of the pistol is effectively lowered. This results in superior shooting qualities as demonstrated during the firing rests. This design effectively lowers the bore axis and the straight to the rear recoil spring motion also reduces felt recoil. The result is a monolithic dust cover.

The pistol features a light rail which few 1911 handguns and no High Power 9mm handguns do. While the bore axis is low and results in low felt recoil this same low bore axis also results in a low hanging combat light. It is different but useful for home defense. There is always a lag time for holster-makers to get up and running on making holsters for a new handgun. The Hudson I have personally tested is deployed in a PHLster holster. Designed to be used as an inside the waistband holster the PHLster features an anti-rollout attachment for use as an appendix holster. I would think this was a difficult piece to design a holster for but PHLster has done an admirable job.

The pistol is flat and concealable.

The balance of speed and retention is good. The Hudson H9 is flat enough and balanced well for concealed carry. The grip is thin enough for most hand sizes to obtain a good grip. The pistol is similar in feel and size to the Browning High Power and the grip accepts a 14-round 9mm magazine. The grips are recessed into the grip frame. The grip texture offers a good balance of adhesion and abrasion. The front strap is checkered in custom style but it is machine checkering.

Just behind the trigger guard is a depression that the finger slips into and further lowers the bore axis. The pistol features a beavertail grip tang. There is no grip safety. The mainspring housing is nicely checkered. The magazine well is slightly beveled. The magazine release is easily changed from right to left hand. The trigger action is clean and breaks at 4.5 pounds.

This handgun features a unique profile.

However, the trigger safety differs from most and may give some shooters trouble. Actuating the safety on the face of the trigger is a natural movement, but the trigger shoe that acts as a safety lever is hinged at the bottom. The safety isn’t a small lever inset in the trigger face but covers the entire trigger. As slack is taken up in the trigger shoe the trigger shoe closes on the trigger face and the trigger is pressed to the rear. By carefully working the trigger to the rear and attempting to manage the trigger safety without affecting trigger pull the shooter will be on target. Also, you should be certain to dig into the dip in the frontstrap to properly manage shot placement.

The rear sight is a serrated unit with a wide rear notch that allows the front Trijicon HD to come into focus quickly. The HD-type self-luminous iron sight features an orange dot that is highly visible in any type of light. When addressing dry fire scenarios in a darkened room I found the placement of the single front dot helped in working with both eyes open. That is an advantage over most systems.

The pistol is comfortable in offhand fire.

Field stripping the H9 is simple. Clear the magazine and lock the slide to the rear. Inspect the chamber to be certain it isn’t loaded. The take down lever is pressed inwards right to left and rotated. Then work the slide from the rear to the front and the slide is removed from the frame. (The trigger must be pulled to remove the slide.) The barrel is easily removed from the slide by pressing it downwards. The recoil spring stays in the frame.

The Hudson H9 isn’t for everyone. The pistol shoots low with most shooters. All who fired the pistol noted its straight to the rear recoil. This is a component of the recoil spring recoiling more toward the grip frame that the slide. The pistol shoots flat at long distances, perhaps due to limited muzzle rise. By applying the best technique possible to the pistol and concentration on the fundamentals I was able to affect a grip and sight picture that proved acceptable for accurate fire and with a better correlation between the point of aim and point of impact. The night sights are a great advantage in personal defense or home defense. By using the orange dot rather than the top of the sight for sighting I was able to keep on track and get the pistol to fire to the point of aim.

The PHLster holster made for the Hudson H9 is well designed and made of good material.

As for reliability the pistol has fired well over 1,500 rounds without a problem since the initial firing program. During the first box of ammunition the striker failed to reset. Past that there have been no malfunctions. I have used a good quantity of Black Hills Ammunition in this handgun, beginning with the 115-grain FMJ loading. This is a training load with good accuracy and a clean powder burn. The Black Hills Ammunition 124-grain JHP at 1,100 fps has given good results. This load offers a good balance of expansion and penetration and is pleasant to fire in any 9mm but especially the Hudson H9. For a duty load I would move to one of the Black Hills Ammunition +P loads, the 1,300 fps 115-grain or the 124-grain +P 1,200 fps loading. While it recoils a little more, the 35 ounce Hudson doesn’t exhibit much muzzle flip.

A tritium insert front sight is a big advantage.

As for absolute accuracy the Hudson is accurate enough for personal defense and most forms of action competition. Several five shot groups of 2.5 inches at 25 yards have been fired from the solid bench rest. Most have been larger. The pistol is service grade accurate which means most groups with quality ammunition will be under 4 inches at 25 yards. The Hudson is an interesting handgun and possesses good features. It is very interesting, it isn’t inexpensive, and the shooter must make an informed decision as to whether this is the handgun for their use.