opinions on small 9mm pistols?

CW9! Best bang for your buck in 9mm carry.
P239 is a top heavy pig, but does carry well. I stopped looking for the perfect carry gun after buying my CW9

There are several good options. A number of factors can help narrow the field:

How much are you willing to spend

How small do you want to go? Is it a case of the smaller the better or are you willing to take more size for a gun you can shoot and run better?

Do you have a preference for a certain design, i.e. SA/DA, single action only, striker fired, etc.

Just of the top of my head there following are guns I would consider:

Kahr: K9, CW9, P9, CM9, PM9, MK9 etc (I really like the PM9/CM9 if small is a top priority)

Sig: P938, P239

S&W: Shield

Springfield: EMP, XDs,

Walther: PPS (I really like this one)

Ruger: LC9

I'm sure there are more I'm not thinking of


All of the above are viable options. Some are more proven than others. It is more a matter of personal tastes and which attributes one favors than one being per se better than another.

For a primary, belt carried gun, I really like the PPS and the EMP. The Walther is an underrated gun IMHO.

Just from reading, videos, handling, and the new one I'm getting Friday...

I suggest, if you can find it, a S&W Shield in 9x19.

JDGray said:

P239 is a top heavy pig, but does carry well.

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I use a P239 for CC and I see no reason to look for something else in 9mm Luger. It's extremely accurate, ergonomic and reliable, and as you say "it does carry well", but I can see why it's not for everyone ... nothing is.

I don't own one, but I like the looks of a Sig 938.

Another vote for the PM/CM series from Khar.
I have a PM9 that I won't part with......my wife had a CM9 that was stolen.

Great "pocket" 9's.

I too vote for the Kahr CM9 and CW9. I own both. They are very accurate and there isn't much felt recoil.

A P239 and PF-9 are two very different animals. The SIG is larger and heavier but much more comfortable to shoot and will last several lifetimes. The Kel-Tec carries like it isn't even there, but shooting it is like having firecrackers go off in your hand. It will wear out eventually, but Kel-Tecs are lifetime warranteed to the original owner, and they will make it good even if they have to replace the whole gun.

I know nothing about Kahrs, but a lot of people like them.

You might also consider the Beretta Nano.

Kahr or s&w shield. I have the lc9,and it is reliable but the trigger takes getting used too.

It would be a mistake to pick any one of them without shooting them first.

Rohrbaugh R9
Caliber:9mm
Barrel:2.9in
Length:5.2in
Height:3.7in
Weight:13.5oz
Capacity:6+1 Rounds

Boberg XR9-S (Shorty)
Caliber:9mm
Barrel:3.35in
Length:5.1in
Height:3.7in
Weight:17.5oz
Capacity:7+1 Rounds

Kahr PM9 / CM9
Caliber:9mm
Barrel:3.1in
Length: 5.42in
Height: 4.0in
Slide Width: .90in
Weight: Pistol 14 ounces, Magazine 1.9 ounces
Capacity: 6+1

Kahr MK9
Caliber:9mm
Barrel:3.0in
Length: 5.3in
Height: 4.0in
Slide Width: .90in
Weight: Pistol 22.1 ounces, Magazine 1.9 ounces
Capacity: 6+1

The MK9 is only slightly larger than the Boberg but since it's an all-steel pistol it's heavier than the Kahrs or Rohrbaugh. Some people consider a little too heavy for pocket carry.

The guns start to creep up in size after the Rohrbaugh, Boberg and Kahrs until you're all the way up to the 6.29" for the Glock 26

SIG SAUER P290
Caliber: 9mm
Barrel: 2.9in
Length: 5.5in
Height: 3.9in - magazine for P290 basically sits flush and doesn't add height to the pistol.
Width: 0.9in - 1.1in w/slide catch
Weight: 20.5 ounces w/magazine
Capacity: 6+1

Diamondback DB9
Caliber:9mm
Barrel:3.0in
Length:5.60in
Height: 4.0in
Width:0.80in
Weight:11oz
Capacity:6+1 Rounds

Kimber Solo
Caliber:9mm
Barrel:2.7in
Length:5.5in
Height:3.9in
Weight:17oz
Capacity:6+1 Rounds

Beretta Nano
Caliber:9mm
Barrel:3.07in
Length: 5.63in
Height: 4.17in
Width: .90in
Weight: 17.67 ounces
Capacity: 6+1

Ruger LC9
Caliber:9mm
Barrel:3.12in
Length: 6.0in
Height: 4.5in
Slide Width: .90in
Weight: 17.10 ounces
Capacity: 7+1

The smaller the gun, the more it needs testing, evalutation and a break-in period before going live for personal protection. The smaller guns also can be more ammunition and lubrication sensitive and less forgiving with form errors. The Glock 26/S&W Shield sized guns seem to be the smallest you can go without a lot of concern about these things.

I bought a Rorhbaugh and I really like the little pistol:




Here is my range report on my R9:


http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=692288&highlight=r9

The smaller the gun, the more it needs testing, evalutation and a break-in period before going live for personal protection. The smaller guns also can be more ammunition and lubrication sensitive and less forgiving with form errors. The Glock 26/S&W Shield sized guns seem to be the smallest you can go without a lot of concern about these things

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.

Please explain.

WYO said:

The smaller the gun, the more it needs testing, evalutation and a break-in period before going live for personal protection. The smaller guns also can be more ammunition and lubrication sensitive and less forgiving with form errors. The Glock 26/S&W Shield sized guns seem to be the smallest you can go without a lot of concern about these things.

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You talking about short cycling or what? I'm confused.

Since you did not specify 9mm luger, I would recommend a p-64.

The Smith and Wesson 3913 is popular and considered a timeless classic for single stack, 9mm. Even though they are no longer manufactured they can be found at a decent price.

Suprised and not suprised at the same time.

No ones mentioned the Ruger SR9C...

I have one, Its the first 9mm I've bought... Ever...Since then i got into collecting nines.. Still my favorite... and Ive gone through a lot of nines... probably 5 of which were pocket sized.

EDIT... Oh, single stack.. my bad.. Duh..

No ones mentioned the Ruger SR9C...

I have one, Its the first 9mm I've bought... Ever...Since then i got into collecting nines.. Still my favorite... and Ive gone through a lot of nines... probably 5 of which were pocket sized.

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Which other 5 did you like less?

Sebastian the Ibis said:

Since you did not specify 9mm luger, I would recommend a p-64.

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If that were the case, I'd recommend the CZ82.

Since you did not specify 9mm luger, I would recommend a p-64.

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Let's not forget then that the .380 is also a 9mm round.

You talking about short cycling or what? I'm confused.

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You can read the forums on any of the micro nines (ok, maybe not Rohrbaugh) and see all the horror stories. Failures to feed. Failures to eject. Double feeds. People think they can buy a 9mm micro gun and treat it like a Glock 17 right out of the box. It doesn’t work that way. It is a 35,000 psi round and the small guns operate at the extreme limits of firearms design. The nines can’t be designed like a pot metal .25 from back in the day and be expected to hold up. They have stiff recoil springs and tight tolerances. Try the slide to frame fit on a new Sig P938 or a Beretta Nano. They come out of the box as tight as a tuned 1911. They have a tendency to like heavier ammo at higher velocities. They need to rely on grip and body pressure to provide some resistance for correct operation to make up for the lack of gun mass. They really like lubrication. (I am not a Kahr guy because of a bad experience, but a buddy with a CM9 suggested I break in my P938 like he did his Kahr, with lube dripping out of the gun and down my arms.) It just takes a little bit of effort to break them in and learn their characteristics.

The sights on my P938 are awesome and make it a genuine 25+ yard gun even though I only can get 2 fingers on the grip. But, that doesn’t mean I should expect it to run through a 600 round pistol class without cleaning like a Glock. If I can get through 50 rounds of 124 grain Gold Dots without an issue, I am happy and don’t try to push it. I don’t have 50 rounds worth of magazines for it. Some people get upset because they expect it to function through the 600 round class without cleaning. The complaints seem to drop off noticeably with Glock 26/S&W Shield sized guns.

YMMV

S&W: Shield

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This.