Battle of the Plastic Pistol: Anderson vs. Glock vs. Savage

Plastic pistols are nothing new—the first was made by Heckler & Koch in the 1970s—and you’d be right to say there’s a glut of them on the market. Just because there are a lot of options doesn’t mean they’re all the same, though. It’s even become increasingly common for polymer pistols to be sub-$500 guns—new. Even among the wallet-friendly plastic fantastics all things aren’t equal, though. So which is best? We ran a few popular polymer pistols in a shoot-off to find out which might best suit your needs. It’s the battle of the plastics: the Anderson Kiger 9c versus the Glock 48 versus the Savage Stance. First, let’s check out the basics.

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The Anderson Kiger 9c is the pistol that marked the manufacturer’s foray into the handgun realm. It’s chambered in 9mm, compact, and—of course—has a polymer frame. The Kiger 9c is a striker-fired pistol Anderson bills as being designed for exceptional value, style, and accuracy. It comes in with an MSRP of $429.99.

This one you likely know, partly because the Glock 48’s the gun in this face-off that’s been around the longest. When people think plastic pistol, they tend to think Glock. The G48 is a Slimline, meaning it’s not a bulky double-stack like classic Glocks. As with all Glocks, it’s striker-fired, polymer-framed, and made for function over form. This is another 9mm. The G48’s MSRP is $538, so it’s well under $500 at your local gun store (or through your online retailer).

Continuing the theme of manufacturers and first-time handguns we have the Savage Stance. The Stance is the first handgun Savage put into production since 1907. It isn’t the company’s very first pistol, but it does qualify as being the first in more than a century (that and the first one wasn’t polymer). Yes, it’s striker-fired, and yes, it’s chambered in 9mm. The Stance has an MSRP of $548, putting it under $500 brand new, off the shelf.

Choosing an ideal concealed carry gun is subjective because it relies on so many personal details. However, let’s give it a shot choosing a winner, starting with size.

Despite being in the same class of firearms size-wise, the three pistols each have different dimensions. The barrel lengths range from 4.17-inches for the Glock 48 to 3.2-inches on the Stance and 3.91-inches on the Kiger 9c. That’s quite a difference when you consider concealment. Here’s a quick breakdown of specifications and dimensions:

*Savage lists overall width as 0.96-inches, however, the Stance’s slide width is visibly greater than that of the G48. While the Stance’s overall width might be slightly narrower, the slide is bulkier.

A quick comparison of dimensions gives some interesting results. The Savage Stance is technically smaller than the other guns—at least for dimensions—but it’s heavier. Thanks to the shorter barrel the Stance boasts its overall height is a full inch less than the Kiger 9c and G48, and that means it should be easier to conceal. However, the weight makes more of a difference than you’d think. The Stance feels markedly heavier in the hand compared to the other two guns, and that’s worth thinking about for carry. Even so, the Stance wins for overall dimensions—it’s the smallest.

Of course, there’s more to concealment than size. Holster availability is key, and there’s no debating which gun has more holsters out there: the G48. After that, it’s the Savage Stance that has greater holster options than the Anderson Kiger 9c, which is pretty limited. If you consider holsters and the fact that we all have different carry needs—meaning options matter—the G48 wins.

Comfort’s subjective, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be estimated. The blocky slide and deep, angled serrations on the Kiger 9c can cut into your skin during carry. Even with a good backplate on the holster that extra metal and the sharper edges can be noticeable. Both the Stance and the G48 have more rounded edges and curves that make them more comfortable for carry. The Stance’s more compact size is good for concealment, though, so it wins the battle of which pistol is likely most comfortable for concealed carry.

Does all this mean the Savage Stance wins for concealed carry? It’s certainly the most compact, although not the lightest. But yes, for sheer size, the Stance is the easiest to conceal. Choosing the best gun for concealed carry involves more than size, though, which brings us to our next point.

The simplest way to test reliability is by using the same ammunition in each plastic pistol. It’d be great if there was also an exact quantity match, but with the G48 being an older model it’s simply had more rounds fired through it. Ammunition used for reliability included Hornady American Handgunner 9mm 115 grain JHP, Winchester USA Ready 9mm 115 grain FMJ, Sellier & Bellot 9mm 124 grain FMJ, and Federal American Eagle 9mm 147 grain FMJ.

All three guns cycled ammo reliably—none experienced any failures of any kind during testing. I did take care to keep them all lubed and used different magazines as well. This one’s a draw because they’ve all been reliable so far (I admit it’s the G48 I trust the most).

Accuracy testing was done shooting offhand because although shooting from the bench is nice, it isn’t realistic. You’re not likely to find yourself fighting for your life while sitting comfortable at a table taking slow, measured shots. Running the playing card drill with 5 shots in 5 seconds at 5 yards, only one gun nailed it—the G48. At 10 yards, the G48 also delivered the tightest groups as well as the greatest repeatability.

Ignoring barrel and build quality, consider other features of these guns. The Stance’s significantly shorter barrel might make it easier to conceal, but it can also remove some accuracy—especially during rapid-fire. As for the Kiger 9c, the general fitment of parts isn’t quite as tight on the G48 or the Stance, and that also negatively impacts accuracy. However, all three guns are technically accurate enough for self-defense use. There aren’t any wild fliers or problems taking place.

Accuracy and precision are two different things. With that in mind, it’s easy to declare which pistol is most precise. The G48 delivers single-hole, five-shot groups on playing cards that are beautiful to see. Right behind it is the Stance, which manages good precision with more measured shots.

You likely knew the winner of this would be the Glock, not due to any bias but because it’s the brand that’s had more time to refine its polymer pistols. The G48 is a Gen 5 gun while the Kiger 9c is the first and the Stance is the first modern polymer pistol. Watching how guns perform over time and having the opportunity to tweak and adjust features as needed does matter. The Glock flat-out has more research backing it and that’s resulted in the G48 being an awesome carry gun.

All that said, here’s the thing about the battle of the plastics. You have to choose your own plastic pistol winner. All three guns delivered for reliability and all are generally accurate. The G48 and Stance have the most holsters on the market. For shootability, the G48 is the smoothest while the much smaller Stance comes second—yes, the Kiger 9c is a bit of a rougher shooter for felt recoil and muzzle rise. The Stance is the easiest to conceal.

What this comes down to is that we all have different hand sizes, skillsets, and body shapes. The gun that’s ideal for me might not work as well for you. Taking the time to try out different guns—even if all you can do is grip and dry fire at the gun counter—is always the right choice.

Which gun do you prefer, the Kiger 9c, Stance, or G48?

Take a look at the Glock 48 here, the Anderson Kiger 9c here, and the Savage Stance here.