I have decided to buy a new pistol. Its primary purpose will be concealed carry. I have decided that I would like a 9mm. Although I prefer .45s I am after a nine primarily because of ammo cost. I will be able to shoot the 9mm more often. I am set up to hand load for 9mm and 9mm is the most plentiful brass I scrounge at the range. My line of reasoning is that the additional shooting including pistol courses will pay off more than the larger bullet.
I am after a smaller pistol. I need something fairly small for carry in the summer. Because I am looking to make another EBR purchase soon price is a significant factor. I am looking to spend $500 or less this time around. Any money I save will likely be used to purchase ammo or set a side for a pistol course I plan to take in the spring.
I have considered all of the following:
Kel tec pf9 or P11: I have concerns over the reliability and long term durability of these pistols. I know they have great warranties and a trip to the factory often gets them running great but a gun that is at the factory cannot be carried and is failing to fill its primary role. The price is attractive as is the size of the pf9.
Sig P6: I have only read positive reviews of these surplus pistols. I very very nearly bought one but didn’t because it came with only one mag. I could have picked it up for about 350 out the door. When I added two more mags at aprox $40 a pop it would run 430 or so. The P6 is not tiny and doesn’t have a huge mag capacity.
Glock 26: I am not a glock fan boy, nor a hater. I respect them for what they are. I am very impressed with the reliability of glocks. I keep coming back to the glock on that issue. For a defensive gun reliability is paramount for me. I like that I can go with the grip extension if desired and I like the mag capacity of the 26. I can get one for a bit under $500 out the door.
Khar cw9: I like the thin grip of this gun. It seems to conceal very well better than some of the wider pistols. The price on the cw9 is attractive I have a K9 which is not my favorite pistol but I am overall pleased with it. Why not just stick with the k9? Two reasons, it won’t chamber reloads and it is likely going to be used by another member of my family as a carry gun. What I don’t like about this gun is that is lacks night sights. I also worry that the polymer khars are not on par with the steel versions in terms of reliability.
Smith and Wesson M&P subcompact: Honestly I don’t know a ton about the M&Ps but the get great views which has sparked my interest. The ones I held didn’t feel great but I know the grip inserts can be changed.
XD subcompact: It is a bit bigger that the glock. I am curious as to reliability with high round counts, in excess of 5k or so, and hard use ie pistol classes and daily carry. I can get one for about $455 or so out the door.
Khar PM9: This one is a bit more expensive but if I decided I really wanted it I could afford it. I like the super small size but also worry that it may not be as enjoyable to shoot a lot. I have some of the same concerns over reliability as with the CW9. I know there will be people who say theres are flawless but there seem to be a fair number of reports of issues. One doesn’t see the split opinion on the glock.
Those are the pistol I am considering. Reliability and price are major factors. I plan to shoot this pistol regularly and after proving it reliable with my intended ammo and proven my self proficient with it I plan to carry it daily. The question is which small 9mm should I buy and why? I am open to suggestions not on the list as well.
I am after a smaller pistol. I need something fairly small for carry in the summer. Because I am looking to make another EBR purchase soon price is a significant factor. I am looking to spend $500 or less this time around. Any money I save will likely be used to purchase ammo or set a side for a pistol course I plan to take in the spring.
I have considered all of the following:
Kel tec pf9 or P11: I have concerns over the reliability and long term durability of these pistols. I know they have great warranties and a trip to the factory often gets them running great but a gun that is at the factory cannot be carried and is failing to fill its primary role. The price is attractive as is the size of the pf9.
Sig P6: I have only read positive reviews of these surplus pistols. I very very nearly bought one but didn’t because it came with only one mag. I could have picked it up for about 350 out the door. When I added two more mags at aprox $40 a pop it would run 430 or so. The P6 is not tiny and doesn’t have a huge mag capacity.
Glock 26: I am not a glock fan boy, nor a hater. I respect them for what they are. I am very impressed with the reliability of glocks. I keep coming back to the glock on that issue. For a defensive gun reliability is paramount for me. I like that I can go with the grip extension if desired and I like the mag capacity of the 26. I can get one for a bit under $500 out the door.
Khar cw9: I like the thin grip of this gun. It seems to conceal very well better than some of the wider pistols. The price on the cw9 is attractive I have a K9 which is not my favorite pistol but I am overall pleased with it. Why not just stick with the k9? Two reasons, it won’t chamber reloads and it is likely going to be used by another member of my family as a carry gun. What I don’t like about this gun is that is lacks night sights. I also worry that the polymer khars are not on par with the steel versions in terms of reliability.
Smith and Wesson M&P subcompact: Honestly I don’t know a ton about the M&Ps but the get great views which has sparked my interest. The ones I held didn’t feel great but I know the grip inserts can be changed.
XD subcompact: It is a bit bigger that the glock. I am curious as to reliability with high round counts, in excess of 5k or so, and hard use ie pistol classes and daily carry. I can get one for about $455 or so out the door.
Khar PM9: This one is a bit more expensive but if I decided I really wanted it I could afford it. I like the super small size but also worry that it may not be as enjoyable to shoot a lot. I have some of the same concerns over reliability as with the CW9. I know there will be people who say theres are flawless but there seem to be a fair number of reports of issues. One doesn’t see the split opinion on the glock.
Those are the pistol I am considering. Reliability and price are major factors. I plan to shoot this pistol regularly and after proving it reliable with my intended ammo and proven my self proficient with it I plan to carry it daily. The question is which small 9mm should I buy and why? I am open to suggestions not on the list as well.