Micro 9’s seem to be growing up

[TTv2]

After the initial gee-whiz, the majority of the gunsumers are realizing that the Micro 9mm pistol are not all that enjoyable to shoot, with the result that they shoot poorly with them - or not at all. I have had many clients - mostly beginners and of all genders - buy the small 9mm pistols because the gun shills on WhoTube told them to, and they develop bad habits and poor shooting ability.

That 9mm ammo is the least expensive CF round you can buy is also an unfortunate fact that leads to bad choices.

There is a size/power ratio of effectiveness with firearms, and in those size guns, .380 is basically Everyman's limit. The uninformed think they want a lipstick-sized .50 BMG, until they have to use it.

PS. CCI Blazer Brass recently introduced a reduced velocity 9mm 100 grain FMJ round, that essentially makes the ubiquitous "Micro 9" closer in recoil and effect to a .380.

People want smaller, but don't want to sacrifice power or money in ammo cost going away from 9mm, but still think they can shoot a gun half the size of a Glock 19 the same as they do a Glock 19.

It didn't help at all that Youtube and forums push the 9mm narrative because all it does is reinforce implicit bias with the preferred caliber because the preferred caliber is cheap.

.380 is a caliber I have a love/hate relationship with, I love that it's become more common in locked breech pistols and has more power than .32, but I hate that most of the pistols it's made for are LCP sized pistols where the .32 is more practical. Same goes for 9mm where people try to make it the size of a .380 where if it was a .380 it would shoot far better. Then at the opposite end where the pistol is a full size duty type, that's where .40 would shine, but because .40 costs more than 9mm the tune changes to .40 is the worst caliber ever, it's about to die, it's got Parkinson's, it just wants to rebuild the Soviet Union, it's literally Hitler.

At the LCP size I'm unconvinced either .32 or .380 is better than the other because both got issues with hollow points expanding and/or penetrating. My thesis is if both are questionable to the point FMJ or some other solid bullet is the best, then I'll go .32 because I'm just trying to get penetration and .32's with a solid bullet can do that. As the barrel length gets longer, .380 becomes more viable and due to nobody making a .32 bigger than the LCP with a locked breech, the locked breech .380's have very little recoil, so advantage .380.

The downside to any 9mm, regardless if CCI makes a 100gr .380-esque type load for it is the pistols all have to still be able to shoot 147 gr +P, so the size and weight of them will never be like .380 and if you're going to shoot a 9mm loaded like a .380, just go buy a .380. All I can see a 100gr 9mm load being useful in is a revolver as even in a snub 115gr stings.

 

[WYO]

It's easier to make a small gun bigger than to make a big gun smaller. Designing the small gun first gives the manufacturers some optionality.

.380 is a caliber I have a love/hate relationship with, I love that it's become more common in locked breech pistols and has more power than .32, but I hate that most of the pistols it's made for are LCP sized pistols where the .32 is more practical. Same goes for 9mm where people try to make it the size of a .380 where if it was a .380 it would shoot far better.

I hope that S&W decides to make its Bodyguard 2.0 .380 in a version with a 3.5 inch barrel. I like the original size but I see applications for a slightly elongated version.

 

[Jim Watson]

Seems the fashion. I went 'round and 'round with a guy about what I perceive as a proliferation of larger versions of Sig P365 as rumors against the P320 circulate. He said there are just as many oddball P320s.

 

[WYO]

There is a size/power ratio of effectiveness with firearms, and in those size guns, .380 is basically Everyman's limit.

I've never heard it expressed that way, but it is a better way of saying what I have been thinking. I'm going to borrow that concept from you. The micro 9mms can be accurate, but they are much slower than larger guns at any distance and require a lot of practice/training to stay in shape. Add some stress and things can get ugly very quickly. Most people I see at the range are marginal or accurate but very slow with their mini-guns without any stress.

 

[Targa]

All I know is that it is very nice to have all of these options available to us. There is something out there that will work for anyone.

 

[Ohen Cepel]

I have been a bit confused by it also. Buy a small pistol, put a dot on it (fine, do your thing) but then struggle to find the dot quickly under recoil so put a comp on the end of the barrel. Now, with the dot and comp on it the thing is approaching the footprint of a full sized pistol but with several compromises still made for the form factor.

Now, do what you like, it is America. But, once you beef it up things start to get lost on me.

I also find all the comps coming back a bit odd/funny as the "boomers" out there did that decades ago with 1911's and other things but then they fell out of fashion over the years.
Bit odd how somethings come back around, like bell bottom jeans which also seem to be coming back around. Maybe, one can then ankle carry one of the super sized "compacts" in their "new" bell bottoms

 

[Jim Watson]

Buy a small pistol, put a dot on it (fine, do your thing) but then struggle to find the dot quickly under recoil so put a comp on the end of the barrel. Now, with the dot and comp on it the thing is approaching the footprint of a full sized pistol but with several compromises still made for the form factor.

And the light, don't forget the many-lumen searchlight.
"Is that a Macro Comp with Holosun and TL300 in your pocket or are you REALLY glad to see me?"

 

[Ohen Cepel]

And the light, don't forget the many-lumen searchlight.
"Is that a Macro Comp with Holosun and TL300 in your pocket or are you REALLY glad to see me?"

Very true! I forgot the light...............

 

[Jim Watson]

Although I did once have a couple of short guns with compensators.
One was a GM cut down to just over Commander length and fitted with a Marvel single chamber compensator to fit the IPSC Box for the Modified Division. That got me 11th place (out of 41 Modifieds, out of over 3000 shooters in the American Handgunner Postal Match.)

The other was an OACP set up as a "carry comp". Compact but the darned thing weighed a ton.

I got all enthused over IDPA and had those and my IPSC guns' comps cut off.
How ironic, IDPA now allows compensators in ESP and CO divisions.

 

[Madcap_Magician]

I think the pendulum swung every which way and has now settled at a new equilibrium.

The major innovation was the ultra-thin double-stack magazine making it possible to have a 12-15 round capacity in the footprint size that would have given you 7 to 9 rounds before. Grip and barrel length are to taste, but the P365XL, Hellcat, and Shield Plus-size guns all give you the capacity and barrel length of a Glock 19 in a slimmer package. Personally I love the advantages of the slimmer, high-capacity compact pistol.

 

[argonn]

Oh, I do like the Rohrbaugh R9. I have a 380 patterned after it. The RM 380.
This one has been flawless through 500+ rounds.

 

[R Reed]

I edc a p365 with the 12rnd mag. I may get a p365 xl and ap365 fuse to my collection at some point. Just because i like them.

 

[armoredman]

That CZ-P10S does look good! How does it shoot?

It shoots like someone forgot to tell it that it isn't a much larger target pistol. They are flat out awesome.

 

[SterlingBullet]

I disagree. I consider the Diamondback DB9 to be a micro 9. I pocket carry one every day. Not only can I put it in my front pocket I can also get it out again if needed. Everything else, like the Hellcat and CM9 below, I consider to be subcompacts. I consider my Glock 27 a compact, not really a sub compact.
View attachment 1257948

View attachment 1257953
Personally I would rather have 7 rounds of 9mm +P than 11 rounds of 380.

There are other micro 9's, like the the Bond arms bullpup:
View attachment 1257949
but both my DB9's have been 100% reliable with the ammo I have tried, the Bond arms doesn't have the same reputation.

Of course this is just my opinion of gun size classification. Everything the OP posted is a subcompact or compact in my book.

Occasionally I will carry my original LCP but 90% of the time I carry my DB9.

It takes more training to get proficient with a micro 9mm than a subcompact, compact or full size pistol. But if you are willing to put in the range time these little beasts can be tamed... in competent hands.

I had a long conversation sometime ago with the Diamondback Fieatms engineer who designed the DB9. He was proud of the pistol. I got to handle the prototype. Considering its size at the time it sure was at the forefront of the micro movement years early. I don't think there will be any smaller 9 than the DB9.

 

[TTv2]

I have been a bit confused by it also. Buy a small pistol, put a dot on it (fine, do your thing) but then struggle to find the dot quickly under recoil so put a comp on the end of the barrel. Now, with the dot and comp on it the thing is approaching the footprint of a full sized pistol but with several compromises still made for the form factor.

Now, do what you like, it is America. But, once you beef it up things start to get lost on me.

I also find all the comps coming back a bit odd/funny as the "boomers" out there did that decades ago with 1911's and other things but then they fell out of fashion over the years.
Bit odd how somethings come back around, like bell bottom jeans which also seem to be coming back around. Maybe, one can then ankle carry one of the super sized "compacts" in their "new" bell bottoms

Yeah, I've felt since the micro dots came out that all they did was add size to a pistol, which for any sort of waist carry doesn't matter I guess, but it took pocket guns and made them too big. Comps, all it is is barrel length without the benefits of the longer barrel, however most carry ammo is built for short barrels, so there isn't much of a velocity gain or loss.

I'd rather have a .380 with a 4 inch barrel than a micro 9 with a comp.

 

[BlackHand1917]

I can't see myself getting a very small 9mm. My regular carry is a Ruger EC9S 9mm. If I have a desire to carry anything smaller than that, I go for a .380. I pop a Ruger LCP in my pocket if I take the garbage out or want to be very discreet in my carry. Correct me if i'm wrong, but I think a very small 9mm would be a tad snappy, reducing medium range accuracy.