Best 9mm CCW. What do you carry in 9?

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drf

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Looking for feedback on reliability, cost, weight, size, and function in 9mm.... for concealment..
I wont own a Glock because of the lack of a safety.So that is already out of the question. Thanks for any feedback and opinions for a carry gun....drf
 
drf,

My solution was the Kahr K9. The Kahr K9 may not meet your needs, because it does not have a safety.

I really like my K9. My K9 is my every day carry gun. I would have never dreamed I would end up carrying a 9mm, I am a die hard 45 ACP fan. I shot a friend’s K9 and I fell in love with the way the gun shot and handled. I had to have one.

I have a little over 4000 rounds through the gun, so I am very comfortable with it. I have shot a tactical handgun course and a night combat course with the K9. I am really impressed with the small guns controllability, accuracy and reliability. I will say that 1200 rounds in two days will leave you with a sore hand.

I have two primary holsters. The first is a Blade Tech IWB than I have a lot of experience with; I shot the tactical and night handgun course with it. I know I have at least 500 presentations with this holster. I am really impressed with its security, speed , concealability, and durability. I can generally get my first shot of from concealment in 1.9 to 2.1 seconds.

Recently I purchased a tuckable kydex holster it is made by Comp-Tac; the C-T.A.C. This holster is very concealable with the shirt tucked in. It is a little more comfortable than the Blade Tech, but it is not as fast.

This 9mm is not the cheapest, it is not the lightest, but is one of the smallest 9s available. The real deciding factors for me were, shoot ability, reliability, and concealability.

attachment.php


Not a great pic, but I really like the gun.

Charles
 
Personally, I would go with a Keltec P-11. I have three and they are all totally reliable, quite accurate, tiny, light, cheap, and hold 11 rounds of 9mm... Nothing else in the same category with that.
 
While certainly not the cheapest 9m/m; but one
that is most reliable is the SIG-Sauer P228.
Not exactly sure of the weight; but its a double
stack 9 with a very fine reputation! SIG's are
also known for their "out of the box" accuracy.
High capacity magazines hold a total of 13
rounds; and are available right now at a high
cost.

CDNN sometimes has used, law enforcement
trade-ins starting at around $479.95. I have
seen the P228's NIB from about $$599.00
to $700.00 depending on locale.

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
If I am wearing the right pants I ccw a Springy xd-9compact on a beltslide (still havent come up with a name for it yet:D ) and a P-11 in a pocket holster...

XD-9 compact shoots far better than I do and Hi-cap mags are easily found...

kel-tec is cheap and durable
 
azrael


I thought of some names for you.....how about these:

QAALAR>>>DEALER OF DOOM!!!!= nice ring to it....nah...too dark.

Daisy...the petal popper.....too light.

How about Bert. Manly, to the point not too serious not too menacing. haha:D
 
hehehahahahaaaaaa funnyyyyy


my girlfriend said that I should call it the "Golem"...Since I set around stroking my XD-9 compact and whispering "my precioussssssssssss":D
 
Well.......I carry a CZ PCR (Almost stock :D ) and my Arcus 94 as a sometimes carry.............both are 9mm's. There are more good guns out currently than NOT out currently. You can buy alot of nice guns that will more than suit your needs..............

Shoot well.
 
Kahr P9 Covert.. I can't shoot it even half as well as my H&K USP, but I'm banking on that being just a matter of practice. :) It better be, cuz I love the new one otherwise.
 
Need for a manual safety leaves out the Glock 26, Kahrs and Kel-Tec P-11... such a pity, that.

You might look for a Springfield LW Ultra Compact in 9mm, or an older S&W 3913... both have safeties, though they are not the best carry pistols in 9mm, IMO.
 
I carry what you said you didn't want...

A Glock 19. Yeah, it's ugly, it's boringly reliable, the trigger takes some getting used to, but it works quite well for me. Small enough to tote, big enough to shoot easily, dead pan reliable, combat accurate. Since my infatuation with 1911s has kicked up, the Glock's been relegated to the "so what" collection, but until I've established my NRM Commander's reliability, the Glock it is.

If cocked and locked doesn't really bother you, there's a handful of 9mm 1911s out there. The need for a manual safety unfortunately eliminates some nice options for you, like DAO H&Ks, Sigs, Glocks, Kahrs. I suppose you could look into a USP-C with the safety variant you like.
 
With the requirement of a manual safety about the only really small 9mm is the Taurus Millenium PT-111. Its "double action" sort of like a Glock or Kahr but also has a 1911 type safety lever that blocks trigger movement. 10+1 capacity.

--wally.
 
I wont own a Glock because of the lack of a safety

Thats your personal preference and I respect that. But as for the Glock, its a reliable, safe and effective platform.

I carried a Glock 19 for a couple of years but now have retired it and replaced it with a Kimber 1911.
 
And I wouldn't carry a pistol with a safety, for self defense... too dangerous to have a gun that won't shoot in a panic/pressure mode.

I had a pistol, with a safety, that I shot daily for years and purposely used the safety, off and on, each time I shot it. Then one day a gun jumped me and I happened to have it in my pocket (because I heard something and saw something and put the pistol in my pocket just in case). After the situation was over and I'd escourted him out of my house and called the police and he drove away instead of waiting for them... I found the safety still on the pistol, the pistol I'd been pointing at him and ready to shoot him with if need be, for several minutes... That safety would have cost me my life as he was big, mean, dangerous and armed with a big oak stick.

No safety is safe if you need to save a life fast. Personally, I just keep my finger off the trigger until ready to fire... Each of us has priorities and each of us makes decisions. Yours is every bit as valid as mine.
 
I currently own a SIG P-225 and a CZ-75BD. Both have proven to be accurate, reliable and trouble free. I also had a Browning High Power MKIII. It was an excellent gun as well but the time came that I had to sell one and it was the one that went. My brother also owns a Springfield Mil-Spec 1911 in 9mm and I have been trying to get it off of him for a couple years now. You might also check out one of the FEG high power knock offs. My brother also has one of them that cost him about $250 after shipping and taxes and it seems like a really good gun for the price.
If you are willing to look at a different 9mm, check out a Makarov. Not quite as powerful as the 9mm Parabellum but they still seem like really solid little guns to me. I want one. :D
 
drf, I also got rid of my Kahr because it lacks a safety. To meet your needs, I would recommend the Smith & Wesson 3913TSW ...
f01.jpg

... it is accurate & reliable and costs about six bills depending on what part of the country you are in (when I lived in Florida, they were going for just over $600 and now that I'm in PA, I see them for just under $600). They weigh about a pound and a half (give or take a few ounces), have a manual safety and are about 6¾" long. For CONCEALED carry, I think that this is the best COMPACT 9mm that one can buy. I feel so confident of it that I own three of them ...
f23.jpg
 
A Beretta 92G Centurian,police trade in,in a C-Tac IWB.
Low cost since it was used,concealable since it's a Centurian,and still have 15+1 of 147gr 9mm Winchester SXT.
 
I'm also not crazy about a safety on a carry gun.
(Unless it's a 1911-style. :D )

In 9mm, I like the Kahr PM9. You can drop it in a pocket and forget it.
If you really want a safety, you've got to got to belt carry, or IWB.
Then a S&W 1913 would work, or a CS9. Both are excellent guns, and do have a safety. Not cheap though.
Another choice for non-pocket carry would be the Taurus Pt-111.
 
If I lived in a 9mm-only world, I'd carry a Commander-size 1911 in 9mm. If there were no 1911's, I'd carry a P7M8, P-225, or a 3913LS.

Thankfully, I don't live in such a nightmare world. :)
 
Yep agree with Tamara on the Commander size 1911 9mm.

Might cheat and step it up to 9x23 mm though. :D

I have carried a BHP in 9mm , never felt undergunned , and would do again.

Actually prefer the SA trigger of these two platforms over everything else.

I kept the Keltec P-11 after T&E, it fits a niche, but I find myself "snicking" off a non-existent safety. Dang old muscle memory. ;)
 
i just traded for and have been carrying a sig p239 in 9mm that i love i baught some hogue rubber grips for the pistol and it makes a world of difference i also have been playing with a DAC in 9mm which i really like a lot :cool:
 
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