CZ RAMI 9mm vs. SA XD Subcompact 9mm vs. Glock 26 9mm for CCW?

[hartzpad]

I'm taking my concealed carry class in one week and I'm trying to decide what I should get in the near future for carry. I currently own a Steyr M9 that will work for carry during the winter, but it is very wide and a little tall (about like a Glock 19). I've shot a G26 before and liked it, I don't mind the 3 finger grip when it's only a 9mm and easily concealable. I have only held the SA XD-SC and it felt great, but the backstrap safety was a little annoying. I've never seen a RAMI in person, but I'm very interested in it, looks to be the perfect size, all steel/alloy and very cool.

So I'm mostly trying to decide between the G26 (smallest, light, capacity - 12 rounds IRRC, and Glock reliability) and the RAMI 9mm (great size, not plastic, DA/SA w/ manual safety. I love my Steyr M9, but even the S9 compact model is too wide and still a little large. I'm a little worried about carrying a G26 IWB with no manual safety. The CZ RAMI seems to be very versitile - SA/DA, manual safety, no cock, half-cock, and full-cock modes, etc. Plus, all CZ models I have held in hand have been amazing in terms of ergonomics and quality, all the way down to the design of the slide release and safety.

I know that I need to somehow at least hold all of these pistols before I buy and I would really like to try them out, but all I can rent near me is G26.

CZ RAMI (.40 version shown)


Springfield Armory XD Sub Compact 9mm

Glock 26 9mm sub compact

 

[Flashpoint]

I would go with the CZ

The ergos are close to that of the Steyr and with a handgun that small a light SA pull would be a big help in maintaining shot accuracy. Plus the little extra weight of the CZ wouldn't hurt either.

 

[Doug S]

Sorry I can't remember the sources, but the CZ Rami has seen a lot of press lately in the gun rags. Overall it has been rated as a good pistol, but there seem to have been some reliability issues on some of these. In contrast both the SA & Glock seem to be known for very good reliability. If I were going based on looks though, I like the CZ.

 

[stormyone]

The only one I have is the Glock 26 and I love carrying it - its my summer carry.

 

[wally]

Of these three I'd go with the CZ RAMI. But if you like plastic guns, take a look at the Kahr PM9.

--wally.

 

[saddlebum]

kahr

 

[Zip06]

Looks like three excellent choices. The CZ has had pretty good press; the Glock clone also but the G26 is the one with the established reputation.

 

[armoredman]

Well, my wife has a CZ 2075 RAMI 9mm, and it is wonderful for her. Not one failure of any kind, an excellent pointer, and lightweight for continuous carry. Now she actually will carry her pistols more often, as opposed to the others she used to have, laying in the safe...
The XD has a good rep, and the Glock does have it's backers, but i firmly feel, (personal opinion, your results may vary) the Glock is less safe than the CZ, with one notable exception - decocking the CZ. Care must be taked to do so. I carry the CZ PO1 decocker, and love it. Slightly larger, 15 rounds as opposed to 11, and fits me better - the mag finger rest on the RAMI fits very poorly, which is why a gent is trying to get Peirce to make a new rest for it.
All in all, I think the CZ is the better choice, but shoot them all, if you can, before deciding.

 

[cratz2]

Well, I like CZs so I'm sure I'd like the RAMI but I haven't spent enough time with it to know for absolute sure. While I like the larger XDs, the SubCompact seems to have too much slide mass or something... like there's too much slide for the frame.

I daily carry a CZ, but if looking for a gun in this category, I'd look pretty hard at the Glock. Actually, I'd probably look at the Kahr TP9 even harder.

 

[pax]

I have handled and shot all three. The Glock 26 is my everyday carry gun, and has been for over four years now. My husband carries an XD-9 subcompact. We've had that gun since last December. This summer, I reviewed the CZ Rami for Women and Guns magazine.

Obviously, of the three, I personally prefer the G26. But looking at the differences between them:

• The CZ Rami is probably the least accurate in my hands, although the vote is pretty close. Considering I'm most familiar with the G26, it isn't surprising that it is the most accurate in my hands with the XD9 a close second.
  
• Overall dimensions of the three guns are roughly similar.
  
• The G26 feels least solid in the hand, the XD9 feels a little more solid, and the Rami feels most solid. Obviously the plastic guns weigh less than the Rami; that may be a positive or a negative depending whether you prefer solid in the hand, or lighter on the belt.
  
• The Rami's barrel is 3 inches long. The XD9 has a 3.01" barrel, and the G26 has a 3.46" barrel. Despite the variations in barrel length, sight radius on all three guns is approximately the same. Of course you can expect slightly more velocity out of the slightly longer barrel of the G26, but the shorter barrel on the other two certainly isn't a deal breaker.
  
• Comparing the XD9 to the G26, it is quickly apparent that the XD is basically a Glock for people who don't like Glocks. The XD has a Glockish trigger (though to be fair it is nicer than a stock Glock trigger) with a Glockish trigger safety. The grip safety on the XD9 is a plus for people who are unnerved by the lack of external safeties on the Glock; on the other hand, it is a minus for people who can envision accidentally getting a less than optimum grip under stress and being unable to fire the gun immediately. The grip safety makes it slightly more difficult for newbies to learn to manipulate the gun; weak handed people tend to shift their hands on the grip and deactivate XD's grip safety, making it impossible to rack the slide. The XD has a loaded-chamber indicator, which makes it more palatable to the trial lawyers in several states. It's got a very different grip angle than the G26, making it much more pleasant in the hand for people who are accustomed to 1911-type grip angles.
  
• In contrast, the Rami design is quite different from the other two guns mentioned. It has a DA/SA design, with a long first pull of the trigger and a shorter subsequent pull. It has no mechanical decocker; this is a plus for some folks and a negative for others (I'm in the "that's a negative" camp, myself). There's no loaded chamber indicator, no magazine disconnect, etc -- which may make it unavailable in the most restrictive states. The grip angle is reminiscent of a 1911, and the controls of the gun also seem to mimic the 1911 in a lot of ways.
  
• Triggers. The XD9 and G26 have very similar triggers, with the XD getting the nod for a cleaner break and less creepy feel. The Rami trigger weighed in at 15 pounds in DA mode, and at a hefty 9 1/2 pounds in SA. Worse than that, the Rami trigger wasn't consistent and there was some grittiness to it. If I went with the Rami, I'd probably insist on a trigger job right away.
  
• The safety lever on the Rami is very non-protrusive. I missed it a couple of times coming up to the target. Keeping in mind that I'm an old Glock shooter, that might have been just me. If so, you can take from that the cautionary lesson that if you're moving from a no-external-safety gun to a gun with levers, it is good to spend a bunch of practice time on disengaging the safety every time the gun comes up.
  
• Takedown and cleaning. Of the three, the Glock is the easiest to take down and clean, and the Rami the most complicated. However, none of the three could be called truly complex, and all come apart and go back together without much work. The Rami cannot be taken apart with bare hands, but the tool it requires is simply the edge of a shell casing or something else of that nature, so it's not like that's a big hairy deal.
  
• If ambidextrous matters, the Glock is the most ambi of the three, with the XD9 a close second and Rami in last place.
  
• Reliability. Here's where the Glock comes into its own. Glock reliability is legendary. I'd rank the XD9 just slightly behind it, if only because it seems to be slightly more sensitive to dirt and grit than the Glock. The Rami doesn't like to be dirty, though it is by no means a finicky gun. All three seem to happily digest almost any brand of ammo.

Nothing the matter with any of the three guns.

If you are more comfortable with a DA/SA gun than with the striker-fired operation of the other two guns, the Rami is by no means a poor choice for a weapon. For simplicity and reliability, I prefer the Glock. My husband went with the XD because he found the grip angle the most natural in his hands.

HTH.

pax

 

[wunderkind]

Haven't heard any major reasons NOT to Go Glock in the subcompact field. There are some great choices, chief among them the three you're considering...I'm a huge G27 fan.

Leather, kydex, and "goodie" selection will favor the Glock because of immense popularity. Don't let Glock-bashers convince you the Glock is overhyped, steeped in its own omnipresence, etc.

There's a reason Glock's market share is what it is. There's a reason why the Accord/Camry, Levi's Jeans, and Craftsman tools sell.

Sounds like you're leaning CZ based on your research-that's great. Just for fun, handle a SIG 239 and see if you like the slim-grip single stack approach!

 

[pax]

Forgot to mention: the light rail on the XD9 may be a decisive point for some folks.

Personally, I don't like lights hanging off the end of my gun, but some people love 'em. If you're one of those, go with the XD.

pax

 

[Sean85746]

Get The Glock

I own 7 Glocks right now. I used to say I'd never own one of "Them plastic sissy pistols".

Now, I am a convert. My daily carry gun is a Glock 23 with a rounded trigger guard (done by ROBAR) and a 3.5lb trigger. I still can't break my 1911 habit of customizing!

I carry a Glock 26 with a Pearce floorplate on it, and it is a SWEET shooter and utterly reliable.

Go with the Tactical Tupperware, you won't be disappointed!

 

[dairycreek]

I have a RAMI and a G26!!

Both are fine CCW pistols. Both are reliable and will do the job that you ask them to do. Can't/won't say anyting bad about either.

Preferences? Here, for me, it is the CZ hands down. I have just never been comfortable with the Glock Safe Action setup. I just prefer the RAMI and feel more comfortable with it. Good shooting

 

[orangeninja]

My personal fav is the Springfield Sub Compact. I absolutely LOVE the trigger and grip angle. It points kinda like a CZ 75. The XD is 20 oz. which is good, holds 13+1 I think....(haven't got new mags yet) and the idea of tucking a Glock IWB using a soft holster is just unnerving. I don't want an AD at an odd moment.

I've had a Kahr P9 and k40...the SA beats 'em both. The only gun I have liked this much was my PCR, which I shall always regret parting with.

 

[bsly2004]

I carry my subcompact as a backup weapon to a primary sidearm, so it had to be small enough to conceal in more places than one. Unless you have huge calf muscles, the only one of the three guns mentioned that is short enough in grip height for concealed carry on the ankle is the G27. While it is a fat little gun, it conceals quite well and has served as an ankle gun for me since 1996. It has taken a heck of beating on my ankle over the years... mud, snow, rain, you name it. The finish on the slide shows the abuse it has taken, with lots of shiny areas, but it works like a charm and it's quite easy to shoot. Recoil is brisk with the .40, but I don't mind it. I'm sure the G26 9mm shoots very nice.

As far as the other two, I have an XD-9 and love it, so I am sure i'd like the compact version also. The CZ looks like a great little gun if you prefer a convential hammer fired SA/DA, but I have no experience with it (yet). I think you would be quite happy with any of the three handguns!