Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Smallest reliable 9mm

I tried a p238 for a spell with a laser bad ass 👍👍

Ethan Edwards packed a Colt's SAA 4 3/4". Not sure what caliber.

I love my P238. Carried it today, in fact (due to having a doctor's appointment), in my Alabama pocket holster. Shoots great for such a tiny gun. Much better than the Ruger LCP, and disappears in a front pants pocket.

LOL. Yep.

Again this! The P365.

My wife went through a few 9’s before she tried a 938…..that’s her go to carry handgun! memtb

Everybody thinks the P365 is all that and a bag of chips. I was underwhelmed by it and sold mine after a year of trying to love it. The Kahr CM9 is thinner, lighter, and shorter in both directions. And I could still shoot it as well or better than the P365xl. Both have been perfectly reliable for me. The only advantages to the little Sig is capacity and the ability to mount a dot sight.

Kinda hard to beat that CM9 for size and reliability. It's also smaller and lighter than the G43 and the Sig 938.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/19051253/1


I was carrying a Glock 48 last couple years until Makay started this post.....I shoot it well but realized that the ONLY reason I chose it was because it was 1/8" narrower than a 19..... you could make the "shield arms 15 rd mag" argument but the fact is that they will NEVER be as reliable as a factory Glock mag and also can't accept anything else like a 17, 24, or 33 rd mag.

I went back to a 19 3 months ago and have put about 1200 rounds through it and will never go back. My opinion on the pocket guns is that you just haven't found the right holster for your larger gun.... I just don't see the benefit of a pocket pistol anymore.

Had one of each and carried them for a while when they first came out. Both were reliable and accurate.

Now the smallest 9mm I carry is either my Sig P365 or my Springfield Hellcat.
I don’t mind giving up a little size for almost double the carry capacity. I shoot either of the above much better than I did either of the Kahr 9mm models mentioned above.
Not to mention being able to carry a spare 15 round mags as backup ammo, should the need arise.

I bought one when they first came out. The one I had was not reliable.
Given a choice, I’d choose my Ruger LCP 380 over one of those.

I’m very pleased with my Kahr PM 9 with Crimson trace laser it was my constant companion for over 10 years until things start getting weird and I decided I need to carry higher capacity firearms

Finally spending the money on Sparks holsters made that transition pretty easy

The p365 is a great little pistol, but I thought this thread was about the "smallest reliable 9mm"??? Sometimes I don't get these threads, as that Khar is smaller than the 365, it is also "reliable". WTF am I missing? Is this all about interpretation? Do we need to be more democrat thinking? I'm thinking literal, not liberal.. I'd have to agree with you FreeMe.

P365 I believe is the smallest 10 shot and Ruger EC9S may be one of the smallest single stacks. Or both use to be. I have one of each, both reliable and accurate.
Shield+ is a nice small higher capacity carry gun. Though I had to put talon tape on the grip because it is pretty ruff and I was getting a rash. Lol

I carry a glock 43, it just works, no drama. I have shot a Hellcat and it was not reliable with 11gr ammo. So it could have been the ammo.

Generally, I agree, but there are rare occasions when front pants pocket carry of a small .380 is preferable.

Capacity and the ability to mount an optic and weapon light are huge advantages over the CM9 in my opinion. However, you are correct of course that once you start adding optics and lights you no longer have a micro pocket gun.

Exactly.

Are there any models that are reliable with that 11 grain load?

I am leaning toward the Kahr CM9 or a used PM9. I've owned a 43 which was reliable but not exceptional in any way. I might be interested in a Sig 365 but I could basically buy two CM 9's for the same price. I haven't seen the Hellcat.

The single action sigs are great guns I am sure, but I don't favor single action for pocket carry. With a good holster fine but I don't feel as comfortable just dropping it in a coat pocket like I do with the Kahr. A light trigger Glock is about the same for needing a dedicated holster IMHO.

The EC9s is also bigger and heavier than the CM9. It's a half inch longer and a full inch taller, yet carries only one more round (which the CM9 can also do with the extended factory mag that is less than an inch longer).

I agree that the Shield Plus is a great higher capacity pistol, but nowhere near smallest.