The Hudson H9 handgun first appeared in 2017. A 9 mm Luger semi-automatic pistol, the H9’s eye-catching appearance came from its combination of an M1911-style grip with the low bore axis provided by a striker-fired mechanism. Inside, the pistol was also innovative with the placement of the barrel cam and recoil spring in its short-recoil action. Though Hudson Manufacturing met its demise in 2019, new for 2024, the H9 design has been revitalized by Daniel Defense, marking the company’s first foray into the conventional handgun market with the Daniel H9.
Daniel Defense takes the basics of the original H9 design and updates them. While the original H9 was made with a steel or alloy frame, the Daniel H9 uses an anodized 7075 aluminum alloy grip frame, with removable G10 grip panels and a multi-slot Picatinny rail machined into the dustcover. Like the original, a serialized steel chassis is inserted into the grip frame. Similar in profile to the original design, Daniel Defense has changed the aesthetics of the pistol slightly, while maintaining "the ergonomics, pointability and straight-pull trigger with the classic 1911."
While keeping the basics of the original H9, the Daniel H9 updates aesthetics and provides ambidextrous controls and a multi-slot Picatinny rail.
Controls are ambidextrous, with bilateral slide release levers and a reversible magazine release button. The pistol has no manual safety and uses a “bottom hinge” blade safety built into the trigger, in addition to internal trigger safety plunger, disconnector and striker block lever safeties. The slide is CNC machined from 4340 steel and given a black DLC finish. The result is what Daniel Defense calls “the thinnest profile and lowest bore axis in its class … designed and engineered to give shooters more control for faster, flatter shooting.”
The Daniel H9 uses a straight-pull M1911-style trigger with a built in bottom hinging trigger blade safety.
The Daniel H9 is sized just between compact and full-size dimensions, with an overall length of 7.69” and a height of 5.19”, with a 4.28” cold-hammer-forged stainless-steel barrel. It weighs 29.96 ozs. and uses a 15-round magazine. Three magazines are supplied with each pistol.
In addition to iron sights in SIG-compatible dovetails, the Daniel H9 has a slide cut for attaching optics through an adapter plate system.
Daniel Defense brings the H9 into the 2020s with a slide cut for mounting optics. The pistol uses a plate system to adapt to a variety of footprints, and each new Daniel H9 comes with a coupon code for the new owner to get one adapter plate for their chosen optic. The pistol’s iron sights are made of steel and fitted to dovetails compatible with SIG P-series handguns. They consist of a front post with fiber-optic insert and a U-notch with serrated face. The top of the slide is serrated between the iron sights to reduce glare.
Spare magazines are available through Daniel Defense with an MSRP of $25 each, in addition to a complete line of holsters tailored to the H9. The Daniel Defense H9 Daniel has an MSRP of $1,299. For more information, visit danieldefense.com.
