Metal-framed pistols have a reputation for being heavy and old-school, but the truth is plenty of modern designs keep steel and alloy frames alive without feeling stuck in the past. These guns balance durability with updated ergonomics, accessory support, and performance. If you’re the kind of shooter who prefers the solid feel of metal over polymer, you don’t have to settle for designs that feel dated. Here are pistols that prove metal frames still have a real place in today’s market.
SIG Sauer P226 Legion
The P226 Legion takes the legendary duty pistol and updates it for modern shooters. With an aluminum alloy frame and refinements in grip texture, controls, and trigger feel, it doesn’t feel like something left in the ’80s.
You get factory slide cuts for optics-ready models, front cocking serrations, and a tuned action that makes it fast to run. While it still carries the proven reliability of the standard P226, the Legion package ensures it feels fresh in today’s pistol world.
Beretta 92X Performance
The Beretta 92 series has been around for decades, but the 92X Performance is far from outdated. Built with a steel frame, improved trigger, and oversized controls, it was designed with competitive shooters in mind.
This pistol balances the weight of steel with modern upgrades like an optic-ready slide and aggressive checkering. It shoots flat, runs smooth, and proves that the 92 platform can be every bit as current as polymer competition guns. If you’ve written off the Beretta as dated, this model changes your mind.
CZ Shadow 2
The CZ Shadow 2 is built for speed and precision, and despite its all-steel construction, it feels entirely modern. Its low bore axis, extended beavertail, and aggressive grip texture give it a fast, controllable shooting experience.
Optic-ready versions bring it fully into today’s standards, and the tuned trigger is among the best you’ll find in a factory pistol. Whether for competition or serious range use, the Shadow 2 keeps the weight advantage of metal without feeling like a throwback.
SIG Sauer P229 Elite
The P229 Elite is another metal-framed SIG that shows staying power. Compact enough for carry but still full-featured, it uses an alloy frame to keep weight manageable while offering durability.
Modern touches include enhanced ergonomics, checkering on the front strap, and accessory rail support. It blends the classic SIG feel with the expectations of today’s shooters. If you want a pistol that doesn’t feel like an antique but still holds on to that solid frame, the P229 Elite is a strong choice.
Beretta APX A1 Full Size Tactical
While Beretta’s APX line is mostly known for polymer, the APX A1 Full Size Tactical includes hybrid features and the option for metal-framed builds. It’s optics-ready, threaded-barrel capable, and built with today’s shooter in mind.
The added heft of a metal frame makes it track smoothly, especially with a suppressor. With ambidextrous controls and accessory support, it doesn’t feel like a legacy design. Instead, it shows how Beretta is keeping up with current expectations for duty and defensive use.
Walther Q5 Match Steel Frame
The Walther Q5 Match Steel Frame is a perfect example of how a company can modernize metal construction. It uses a heavy steel frame for recoil control but pairs it with features like an optics-ready slide and adjustable trigger.
The result is a pistol that feels purpose-built for competition yet relevant for today’s shooters. It has the smooth cycling of a steel pistol with the adaptability of current platforms. If you want a handgun that shoots flat and doesn’t feel like a relic, the Q5 Match is one to check out.
SIG Sauer P320 AXG Pro
The P320 AXG Pro takes the modular P320 and gives it a metal frame, bringing the weight and feel of aluminum into a very modern platform. It’s optic-ready, has interchangeable grip panels, and comes with a tuned trigger.
This gun proves you can have a modern striker-fired pistol with the heft of a metal frame. It doesn’t feel outdated because it carries all the features you expect in today’s handguns while giving you the balance of an alloy build.
Beretta PX4 Storm Inox
The PX4 Storm Inox may not get as much attention, but it remains one of Beretta’s most modern metal-framed pistols. With its stainless construction, rotating barrel system, and accessory rail, it’s built for today, not yesterday.
Shooters appreciate that it shoots softer than many polymer competitors, thanks to the rotating barrel design. It keeps the durability of steel while offering a unique system that still feels relevant in modern defensive pistols.
FNX-45 Tactical
The FNX-45 Tactical is a metal-framed pistol designed with modern tactical use in mind. It’s threaded for suppressors, optics-ready, and built with ambidextrous controls for left- or right-handed shooters.
Despite being chambered in .45 ACP, it feels very current thanks to the modular features and accessory options. The frame gives you the durability of metal while still accommodating all the things shooters expect today. If you want heavy-hitting performance in a modern package, this pistol is hard to overlook.
CZ 75 SP-01 Tactical
The CZ 75 SP-01 Tactical is rooted in a classic design but updated with everything modern shooters demand. With its rail, night sights, and extended capacity magazines, it feels more like a duty-ready pistol than a legacy gun.
The full-steel frame helps it track smoothly and stay flat under recoil. It blends proven reliability with the features shooters want today, making it one of the best examples of a metal pistol that doesn’t feel outdated in the least.
*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.
