Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Smallest reliable 9mm

M&P Shield single stack
I got the performance center version

Also not the smallest...

https://www.handgunhero.com/compare/smith-wesson-m-p-9-shield-vs-kahr-cm9

I picked up a sccy cuz the price was really good. Trigger is a complete piece of dog shidt but decided to go shoot my sig228 and 320 and compare with the sccy.

I was actually impressed for such a cheap gun. I've shot it quite a bit and comparared to the sigs, I'd say FTF's were about equivalent. The whole trigger thing will stop me from carrying it so just for popping paper.

If I need something small, I'll grab my 642

I used to have a Kahr PM9. It was reliable, but I didn't like the long trigger pull. I now carry a Sig P365 because for me it's much more shootable. I also have a Glock 26, which is certainly reliable, but is a bit larger than the P365 and slightly more difficult for me to shoot well.

I think the important question is: what is the smallest 9mm that you can shoot well? It doesn't matter if it's the smallest if you can't shoot it quickly and accurately under stress.

Full sized guns are much easier to shoot than little ones. I shoot IDPA and other gun games, and my IDPA scores with a Sig P320 X5 Legion are quite a bit better than my scores with a P365 on the same course of fire. This is true for most people, and that's why cops shoot duty sized guns.

Small guns are nice to carry, but you do pay some penalty in speed and accuracy.

Probably been said already, but worth repeating, small enough and reliable qualifies many pistols that will always go bang. That's easy to find. big enough to still handle reliably enough to hit accurately is much more important. the M&P Shield Plus! Glock 43x, Glock 48, Taurus G3, Sig 365, original Shield, etc. are also possible candidates, depending on individual hand size.

No argument there, bowmanh & Crash Pad. I can shoot the CM9 pretty good, probably because I have years of experience with the Kahr line. But I shoot the Shield Plus better, even though it's pretty new to me. And that's still a pretty small pistol.

Ruger Max 9
m&p shield 9 single stack
hellcat Pro

I can not criticize those guns, but is that a fanny pack? Nobody carries those anymore, new trend is crossover bag, chest sling bag,.... Pick something "Square Head" would carry: The North Face, L.L. Bean, Patagonia,..... these do not look suspicious even to police who pay attention to stuff like that.

lol no , mo fanny pack ... that's the range bag that came with the hellcat Pro value kit or whatever they called it.

The smallest reliable 9mm I ever owned was a PM9. Actually I've owned three over the years and each was 100% reliable. Now, the smallest reliable 9mms I own are Hellcats and P365s. I've owned multiple of each, still do, and they've all been 100% reliable. I would love to be able to put that Kahr trigger in every pistol I own.

I am always looking for a good sub-compact 9mm.

I carry a G19 most of the time but I shoot a HK VP9SK even better but I consider them compacts, not sub-compact. I have considered a 43X but am watching this to see what other’s experiences prove as the best sub-compact. The micro Kimbers are intriguing but don’t sound 💯 reliable.

When I first read your post (specifically that you shot the original P365 better) I really wondered about that. It is a such small handgun. Yesterday my brother in law and I took a few handguns to the range. I really thought the 43X was going to be the winner. I shot it ok. Then I shot a P365 and it was noticeably better.

Then my brother in law pulled out a P365XL and said try this. It did have a Romeo Zero on it. Wow. (Ok: disclaimer. I like shooting handguns but I don’t shoot them more than a few times a year). With the other two pistols I had an acceptable group, with the XL I pretty much had a ragged somewhat elongated hole.

I need a lot more practice, I know that but I really liked the XL. Pretty much what you said. I’ll keep my P365 for pocket carry and buy the XL for holster carry.

Nobody here cares what police notice. And waste packs are still common. You never fail to amuse.

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P365 and G43 are probably the two top sellers.
And I would equate that to the best two.
If you're in the market, best thing to do is to go to a range that rents and do a try out.
Don't buy based on the "gun store fondle".