9mm compacts that are not very compact

Status
Not open for further replies.
R

rajb123

member
Joined
Dec 22, 2010
Messages
892
My brother-in-law has asked me for some advice for a 9MM auto for his concealed carry in SC.

He has been looking at 9mm compact autos for a while and, frankly, he thinks most of what he has seen so far is not very compact at all. He is 5'6'' with a medium build.

Some of the guns he has tried (S&W M&P, Beretta PX4, Glock 26) do not conceal very well in the front pants pocket.

The Ruger LC9, a single stacker, seems like the smallest of this category, but he is not a fan of DA. Are there any other 9mm autos that he should consider? Should he be looking at the .38 instead? How about a small revolver?

His budget is around $500-$600 max...

Thx...
 
That's why they invented subcompacts. "Compact" doesn't mean pocket pistol. It means smaller than a service or full-size weapon. Try comparing the Glock 26 to a 19 or 17 and it will seem small. And IMO the only true pocket pistols are like the LCP or P3AT (.380 ACP) although I know some guys can pocket LC9's and other similar sized pistols comfortably.

I'd steer him toward a Kahr CM9 and see what he thinks. They were going for $450 last I checked. Unfortunately, most of the pistols in the subcompact category are are DAO. The Kel Tec PF-9 is also about as small as they come, but again a DAO (and have hit or miss reliability). Then again he could buy 2 for the price of a Kahr.
 
Subcompacts like the G26 and Shield are still big enough to be holster guns for most people.

A pocket pistol is even smaller. LCP, Kahr, etc.
 
I can pocket carry a XDm Compact, and its both bigger and heavier than the G26/M&P.

I honestly think your BIL has an unrealistic idea of what "compact" is, because a lot of those you've mentioned are sub-compacts. What I think he might be looking for is a single-stack. Try Shield, XDs, whatever the single-stack Glock is, or one of the pocket .380s and see if that works better.
 
His problem is he wants to pocket carry (and he isn't looking at pocket pistols), depending on his build and the kind of pants he wears his choices in guns are limited. And as others have noted, most true pocket pistols are DAO.

+1 to the suggestion of the new S&W Shield, though I have a feeling that may be too big as well.

A snubbie revolver is a good choice for a pocket pistol, but you did say he doesn't like DAO guns. I also like a few of the current .380s on the market, they're much more realistic pocket guns for the average guy.
 
He's really limiting his choices as most of the micro 9mm's are going to have the long SA style trigger pull. The pistols I can think of off hand that are not are single actions and going to be more money than his limit.

IMO, the Rohrbaugh is the best pocket 9mm I have ever owned, and I've owned almost all of them.

The KT PF9 is really nice for the money but it's got a pretty long stiff trigger pull.

What about the Beretta Nano? I know zero about them but it appears to be striker fired and I think I've seen them just south of $500. My only ding just looking at it as a pocket pistol would be the side mounted mag release, but I think I'm in the minority on that one ;)
 
No 9mm is truly a pocket gun unless you wear cargo pants to dinner buffets.
Click to expand...

I have comfortably carried my Rohrbaugh in everything from a suit at a wedding/funeral to gym shorts with an elastic waistband. I carry it regularly in casual "Docker style" slacks which is what I wear everyday for work. I've never even bothered to make a belt holster for it, pocket carry only.
 
Your title is a little misleading. You're looking for Compacts that are compact.
 
I agree with pretty much everything said so far. Sounds like his terminology is a little off though. It seems like he wont like many that fall under the "compact/subcompact" category. He'll be very limited finding even a 9mm that truly fits the "pocket pistol" category especially for a semiauto. Maybe a Taurus 709?? Other than that you're looking at .380s or smaller and I personally don't like something that weak for defense (JMPO). Also the pocket pistols will limit his capacity 7-8 rnds tops. Anyways good luck. I personally would try to talk him into something bigger yet easily concealable just not pocket :p.
 
Walther PPS. Compact, 9mm, will fit in your pocket if your pants are loose enough, accurate, great trigger.

If you're dead set against Polymer, Glock-style triggers, German manufacturing, the Walther name, or one of the other nonsensical objections against this gun, then I've heard good things about the Sig 938.
 
Diambodback in 9mm and 380 are as small as you can get but I hae read a lot of negative feedback on them. KelTec PF9 and 380 are good for pocket carry but the trigger is DAO.
 
Eliminating the DAO like triggers takes alot of good guns out of the running.
I would maybe try to get his hands on the Walther PPS, to see how that fits.
 
Kahr CM9 is a very small/concealable 9mm sub-compact. It is double action only but the trigger is very smooth and easy to shoot well. Well within his price range also.
 
The kahr cm9 comes to mind for a pocket carry 9mm. It conceals easy in the front pocket. You might want to reccomend it for your friend.
 
Compacts/sub compacts, and POCKET GUNS are entirely different. Of course compacts don't fit well in a pocket. They aren't pocket guns.

A good belt and IWB holster combo is hard to beat.
 
Try the Walther P99. Daniel Craig (as 007) manages to wear some pretty form fitting linen clothes, sprint like crazy, climb cranes, tussle with bad guys and still manage to pull out his P99 on cue!

Seriously though, your BIL really needs to spend some time around people who do carry and see what they are carrying and how they do it. You menitoned SC. If he is near Columbia then PM me.

As already said by someone else, based on the size person you described, you'll have to get down to a Kel-Tec P3AT, Ruger LCP, Taurus TCP or similar sized pistol to be able to reasonably pocket carry. I think the only thing that will come close to those dimensions in 9mm is the new Sig 938 but good luck finding one of those and it's outside, way outside his price range.
 
From personal experience, you CAN carry the PPS and the Shield in your pocket but it is full when you do. I prefer to carry my Shield OWB and it totally vanishes under any untucked shirt. For true pocket carry I revert to my LCP or Colt 1908 pocket lite. The .380 is the very bottom baseline for me when it comes to personal protection. The .25ACP just makes 'em mad but it sure beats a stick when you need it. Anything short of a govt. model 1911 is a compromise in one way or the other when it comes to carry guns and personal defense. If you want something small you have to give up something else to get there.
 
If you are looking for a pocket pistol in 9mm there are very few options. If you add that the gun needs to be a single action gun you are left with only the Sig P938 and Kimber Solo that I can think of that might be small enough. The P938 is not inexpensive, likely more than $600 and it is also a new gun, and thus somewhat unproven. The Solo is also outside the budget and from what I have seen online seems to have had a lot of issues. I do not know if the bugs are worked out by now.

The Sig P238 is single action, and a reasonable size and weight for a pocket pistol. It also is in the budget. It of course is a .380 and not a 9mm.

Personally I find pocket carry to be a real compromise (as are many of the guns that can be carried that way) and would humbly suggest he seriously consider IWB and the range of guns that opens up. Even if you stay with a small single stack 9mm it opens you to the Kahr P9 size guns, Walther PPS, etc.

From personal experience, you CAN carry the PPS and the Shield in your pocket but it is full when you do.
Click to expand...

In some pockets. I have some pockets where an LCP is a tight fit and much slower to extract than I prefer. I have others that a G26 can fit in.
 
Quote:
From personal experience, you CAN carry the PPS and the Shield in your pocket but it is full when you do.

In some pockets. I have some pockets where an LCP is a tight fit and much slower to extract than I prefer. I have others that a G26 can fit in.
Click to expand...

And I have some you can probably carry a G19 in. But I mainly wear cargo shorts.

Edit: In the cargo pocket, I can hold a 3.8" XDm with the full size grip, but that's going to be a slow, awkward draw and probably unsafe for anyone behind me (can't really see how a holster would work). It fit in the pocket slide down, muzzle rear.
 
Used Kahr PM9, Sheild, Nano (assuming it runs) or .380. Many are looking forward to the 9mm XDS.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

J
  • Locked
Compact 9mm options
2 3
Replies
74
Views
17K
cuteo100
C
G
  • Locked
Springfield Sub Compact 9MM
Replies
6
Views
325
ATAShooter
ATAShooter
S
  • Locked
Sub Compact 9mm
2
Replies
41
Views
2K
GlackAttack
G
M
  • Locked
  • Poll
which of the following (in 9mm) do you recommend and why?
2 3
Replies
63
Views
3K
everallm
E
J
  • Locked
SW99 compact in the real world
Replies
3
Views
894
Chip00
C
Back
Top