9mm carry pistol

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SIG 225, Beretta 92 compact 'M', S&W 3913 fit your criteria, I think. All are single stack pistols, and fit well in small hands.
Try the double action trigger reach on the non-'cocked and locked' CZs before you buy one, they're nice pistols, but tooooooo far to the trigger if your fingers are short.
 
Lots of good options present themselves, many of which already have been mentioned. I'd toss in the Walther P99C and the Walther PPS; both are high-quality firearms. The P99C in particular has a long record of reliability.
 
gosh

gosh, no one even mentioned the ol lowly kahr pm9, the lightest, one of the smallest 9mm out there of super quality. My choice for sure.
 
CZ75D PCR Compact:
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Alum. alloy frame makes it lighter.
 
Thanks again for all the suggestions. Had a chance today to stop in one of the local shops and hold a Beretta PX4 storm. I'm not too thrilled with plastic grips but the ergonomics of it was great for my hand. I also picked up a Sig 226 and liked its fit too. Was a little fatter but my finger reached the trigger without having to stretch for it and it still felt very comfortable. The salesman was trying to push the SA XD but the front strap just felt blocky to me. No one in town has the CZ 75 D PCR or any Kahrs so I haven't had a chance to compare them. Unfortunately no one I know has the the Beretta or Sig to take for a test drive so I'm just going to look for the best deal I can find on one of the two and see how I like it. I can always sell it and try another. Been working enough OT here lately I may buy both, who knows. I really appreciate the input, I'll let you know what I end up taking home with me.

Jason
 
I carry a Kahr p9 , however you should shoot every pistol you can before you decide , and unless practice prices is a real issue dont get wedded to the 9mm .
 
First, welcome to the forum. Since I have small hands, I've been looking for a place to try out a CZ SP-01 also. Locally, they seem to disappear off the shelves faster than I can find one - but I'll keep trying. I would second one poster's recommendation for the Browning HiPower, provided you remove the magazine safety to improve trigger pull. I would also recommend that you check out the Sig P239, which in my experience is a great DA/SA pistol. I have used one in IDPA matches for a couple of years now, and have been pleased with its performance.
 
I just bought a new Kimber custom ll in 9mm, I'm very pleased with it overall, especially the accuracy. I had a minor problem on its first outting, had to tweak the extractor a little, but have had zero problems since.

9mmKimbergroup011.jpg

The one shot behind the grip was shot by a friend of mine shooting at the target next to mine.
 
My PCR is about perfect in terms of comfort and performance, and I highly recommend it. Hard to find holsters for, though. The very similar P01 has a few more options off-the-shelf. I also agree w/ one of the above posters about the M&P's grips being more of a fore/aft adjustment. I have a full size M&P .40, and I've yet to experience the perfect grip nirvana that most other M&P owners report. Last, while I don't have a Sig p239 it's very appealing and would be on my short list.
 
If you're gonna be carrying it concealed you're gonna want to go as light as possible and as thin as possible. With that being said, a lot of the suggestions here, while it may work for these individuals, is not what I would consider ideal, at least not in my opinion. The two guns mentioned by others which I would consider as a true ccw piece while retaining the 9mm are the Walther PPS and the Kahr PM9. While the CZ75D is a fine weapon, its more in the catagory of the Glock 19 than true daily CCW based carry.
 
The CZ75 is a much thicker gun than the Glock 19/23.

The Glock 19/23 and 26/27 are about the most efficient design for concealed carry with relatively high capacity magazines.

The width of the grip on a 1911 with the standard wood grips is actually wider at its thickest point than a G23 grip. However the grip on the1911 has a somewhat rounder shape which might make it slightly easier to conceal.

The Sig 239 is actually a little thicker than the G19 and it has half the capacity of the G19.

Why restrict yourself to DA/SA? A constant trigger pull is an advantage in a defensive weapon.

I find that for concealed carry it is best to have two weapons to choose from. I choose from a Glock 23 and an S&W 640 J frame depending on dress and how deep concealment I happen to need.

YMMV.

Bill
 
Just to clarify, I'm not looking for a full-time CC pistol, I just want something that I can conceal a little easier than a .357 with a 6" barrel when I have the need to. Really what I'm looking for in order of importance is a reliable, accurate, semi-auto, 9mm handgun that can be reasonably well concealed if I want it to be. Here in Arizona I can carry a pistol on my hip if I want to but I personally don't like drawing that kind of attention to myself in a normal public setting, so I'd like something that with the right holster I could carry under a light jacket or loose overshirt the general public wouldn't notice at first glance.

I want a semi-automatic simply because I don't own one yet and I've enjoyed shooting most of the ones I've had an opportunity to. I want a 9mm because I can afford the ammunition which = more practice. I know there's endless debate over the "best" personal protection caliber but the way I see it is I'd rather have a pistol I can afford to shoot and be able to put shots on target vs. one that may be more powerful but I don't handle as well because I shoot it less. Just my personal opinion and I'm sure there's another thread somewhere else all about it. Someday I'll have my dream 1911 but right now I'm looking for something I can afford and afford to become proficient with.

Appreciate all your comments and suggestions, hopefully as you educate me more I'll ask more educated questions.

Jason
 
Whether you carry full time or part time you still need equal proficiency with the carry weapon. If you are lucky the guns you choose to carry will also be the one you like to shoot so you will shoot them often.

Most people are limited in the amount of time and money they can devote to shooting. That means they will have to concentrate on a few guns to remain well trained with them.

If you are just going to shoot for pleasure than you can buy whatever suits your fancy and shoot a different gun each month. If you are going to carry for defense it completely changes the equation.

Bill
 
My PCR is about perfect in terms of comfort and performance, and I highly recommend it. Hard to find holsters for, though.
Click to expand...

Holsters designed for the Sig P228/P229 will fit the CZ PCR. I use a Bianchi Shadow II OWB and it works very well.
 
Why single action / double action? I mean, there's lots of good guns made in that configuration, I'm just curious about the reason for that choice. p.s. Check out Makarovs!
 
Dot, I use the G19 at work, and carry a CZ P01 off duty, there is no appreciable differance in width. I use the Bianchi M-100 IWB holster just fine.
One outfit that has very nice CZ holsters is High Noon Holsters - czech them out!
 
Armoredman,

According to CZ's website the P01 is 1.4" wide and I assume that is across the grips. The Glock is 1.18" wide. The polymer framed CZs are much thinner than the alloy ones. I have handled but not fired CZ's and they are quite a wide gun especially in comparison to the Glock or the M&P. It is possible that a person with a certain body shape can hide either one well but the Glock will be easier to conceal in my opinion.

Guns like the CZ and the Sig are better duty guns than concealed carry weapons. Take a caliper and measure the CZ across the grips and at the widest point on the frame which is probably the slide release and post the numbers. I collect statistics like those.

Bill
 
Buy a Kel-Tec P11. Lifetime warranty, American made, holds 11 (10+1) and is among the smallest 9mm's on the market. Very reliable and you can pick one up NIB for around $225-$250 and spend your other $350 on ammo. I have a P11 for warm weather carry and a S&W M&P40 for cooler days where jackets are needed. My P11 has been flawless. Check out ktog.org for all your answers.
 
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