I figured the 80s thread is so popular it could use a companion.
Of course, Glock moved into the civvie market really hard in tbe 90s. I saw Glocks or 3rd gen Smiths in LE holsters. Glocks dominated the gun rags and shop shelves more and more.as the decade wore on.
But there were still other semis.....
Tanfoglios used to be much more common. Only .38 Super game in town, usually. FIrst 10mm I saw besides the Delta Elite was a Witness. I don't think I saw a CZ75 in the flesh until the lare 90s-early 2000s.
I think of the 90s as when all the other SIG guns besides the 220/226 got big. The 230 was sort of a thing.
.40 everything. The awesome sauce.
Many, many more Taurus alloy guns based on the pt92 in 9mm, .40, .45 (not sure if this was actually based on the 92) and even .357 sig for a bit. All sorts of options. Their line tried to fill all niches much like the Smith 3rd gen and Glock lines.
I put the Star Firestar in the 80s thread, but it was a very early 90s gun. I saw one in a store once. Civvie CCW wasn't big early 90s, but that shifted with the shift in laws. Firestar was probably a bit heavy to benefit from that, even later. Also, not a 1911.
1911 Custom awesomeness everywhere. Raceguns! How can we make major, let me count the ways.
Ruger P-series really was the civvie mainstay much of the 90s, IMO. They were in the magazines and the shops, that's for sure.
Glockified TDA guns.
3rd gen Smith kept rockin', but I don't think civilian interest was anything like the passion for Glock. Maybe the paucity of movie appearances hurt?
Odd attempts at boosting performance in new chamberings, with the .357 Sig as the only survivor (unless you are a hipster).
.40 Super/.400 CorBon --- I never understood how these made sense when 10mm exists.
The .440 CorBon---born from the most Walter Mitty caliber of all time, .50 AE!
Still crappy "Ring-of-fire" guns in the bottom of the market.