NRA Gun Of The Week: Stoeger STR-9C Optic Ready

by
posted on September 2, 2022
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

The Stoeger Industries STR-9 line of striker-fired pistols offers a value-packed option for handgunners who want a well-built pistol for an affordable price. The compact model is sized appropriately for concealment while providing features that contribute to a positive user experience. Watch the video above to see Stoeger's optic-ready STR9C on the range with NRA staff.

Stoeger STR-9C pistol gun sights optic


Stoeger began showing up with its STR-9 pistol in 2019, and nearly every year since, the company has added updates to the increasingly popular lineup of striker-fired semi-automatic pistols.The line of imported guns is now fully featured with competition ready, full-size models to subcompact and optic-ready versions of each. The STR-9C, as seen here, is the company's compact version sporting a 3.8" barrel and comes with an optic-ready slide with recessed machining and adapter plates for many of today's top-performing red-dot optics.

right side str9c gun pistol black semi-automatic


The STR-9C Optic Ready is truly a compact gun. Its overall length measures at just over 6.5"-long and it weighs almost 24 ounces unloaded. With a fully loaded magazine and one in the chamber, you'll expect to squeeze 14 rounds of 9 mm Luger inside, and for those living in restricted areas Stoeger has compliant models, too.

Man outdoors cold winter gear shooting pistol stoeger str-9c


It’s important to note that the gun is best suited for right-handed shooting, with its left-side, fenced-in slide stop lever and magazine release button. For sighting the gun without optics, there is a dovetailed rear sight that contains a square-notch window cut between two white dots. A third white dot is found on the gun’s front sight post, which is also dovetailed into the carbon steel slide, near the muzzle.

Specifications:
Importer: Stoeger Industries
Action Type: recoil-operated, semi-automatic, centerfire pistol
Chambering: 9 mm Luger
Barrel: 3.8"
Slide: steel
Frame: compact; black polymer
Sights: drift-adjustable, three-dot
Magazine: 13-round detachable box
Overall Length: 6.9"
Weight: 23.9 ozs.
MSRP: $399

Latest

Taurus 66 Combat GOTW F
Taurus 66 Combat GOTW F

Gun of the Week: Taurus 66 Combat Revolver

Taurus USA recently expanded its revolver line with the 66 Combat, a larger, all-steel revolver chambered for the .357 Magnum cartridge. Watch our "Gun of the Week" video to see the 66 Combat in use on the range.

The Armed Citizen® March 6, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Armed Citizens Outperform the Police in Stopping Mass Murderers

A recent crime study indicates that armed citizens are better at stopping mass killers than the police.

Building A Legacy: One Hunter's Journey Toward a 338 ARC Bolt-Action

Hornady's 338 ARC cartridge was designed to pack plenty of subsonic power into an AR-sized platform. But how does it perform if you're looking to build something a bit more traditional?

Industry Manufacturers Pay $1.3 Billion Tax Bill

Last month, nearly $1.3 billion was delivered to state conservation and wildlife access programs as part of Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson excise taxes paid by manufacturers in the outdoor industry.

250 Years of the U.S. Army: Rifle Muskets, Trapdoors & Early Bolt-Actions

The U.S. Army would enter the 19th century equipped with a smoothbore flintlock musket that differed little from the designs of the past, and it would exit the century with a modern, bolt-action, repeating rifle that used smokeless powder ammunition.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.