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Wonder Nine refers to any semi-automatic pistol that is chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum and has a staggered column magazine, as well as a double-action trigger for at least the first shot.
The term was coined by firearms author Robert Shimek, and became popular in American firearm-related magazines during the 1980s by those advocating their use by police forces. At the time most American police departments were still using revolvers, chambered in cartridges such as .38 Special and .357 Magnum.
The simplicity of being able to fire the first shot just by pulling the trigger, a feature of double-action revolvers, and the high ammunition capacity (13–19 rounds, more than twice that of a revolver), are the "wonderful" features of a wonder-nine.
Examples include the MAB PA-15 (1966), Heckler & Koch VP70 (1970), Smith & Wesson Model 59 (1971), Beretta 92 and CZ-75 (both 1975), Steyr GB (late 1970s/1981), Glock 17 (1982), and SIG Sauer P226 (1984).