Good compact 9mm?
 

I'm finally going to stop bring lazy and get my concealed carry permit, in conjunction with that I'd like to pick up a good compact 9mm. I want 9mm because I'm tired of the expense associated with shooting my 1911, so let's not turn this into a stopping power debate.:) Criteria are a $500 price, decent capacity, reliable, and fun to shoot. I'm not a big fan of Glocks as they don't fit my hand, so that's out. I do like the several Springfield XDs that I've shot and I know you can't go wrong with a HK or Sig, though I'd need to find a used or refurb model to meet my price range. Any other good options?

I have no first hand experience with one, but I have heard good things about the Ruger LC9. I am very happy with my LCP now, but I would have surely considered the LC9 if it was available last year.

Just throwing that out there as another option to consider.

i say go to local gunshop and browse what's in the used gun selection hehe. even if u don't find one to buy, it's still a good trip :)

I would say that the Kahr PM-9 with CT laserguard is the top subcompact 9mm option in the world today.

http://www.tactical-life.com/online/...09/05/kahr.jpg

Were in in the market, that is definitely what i would buy.

But they're a heck of a lot more than $500.00

A Walther PPS is another top candidate, though a police trade in $550-600 HK P7 is just as small. The HK will be a good deal heavier though, due to it's all steel construction. Weight is not really a big deal when you have a quality holster though, so it's not that big a deal.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...s/p7ppsri5.jpg
Walther PPS with 7rd mag compared to 8rd HK P7.

Here's a pic of my custom P7 in my hand, you can see just how compact they really are, even with a laser and HUD attached:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...s/7ab76741.jpg

Taurus Millenium Pro 3rd gen. (1st gen had issues)

12+1. Single/Double. Heine Straight Eight sights. Visual chambered round indicator.

Weight 18.7 ounces, length: 6⅛ inches, width: 1.268 inches, height: 5.020 inches

$350 ish so cheap enough to lose and not think about it.

Put around 800 rounds of cheap Chinese crap thru it and not one misfeed or stovepipe.

Taurus International Manufacturing Inc

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1302641673.jpg

http://www.taurususa.com/images/imagesMain/111BP-12.jpg

H&K USP Compact, or a P7 as Sniper suggested. I am very happy with my USP and it's extremely accurate.

I'm very happy with my Ruger SR-9. Comes in 2 models... Full and Compact. I paid $325 out the door for mine in '08.

Check out the S&W M&P Compacts. I have one in .40. It shoots very nicely. I prefer the H&Ks, but this one was too good of a deal to pass up.

The Kahr PM9 is a lot smaller than anything else mentioned here. You'd really have to step up to a $1200 Rorbaugh R9 to get a smaller 9mm than the PM9.

You can probably get a used PM9 for about $700ish.

Here's a PM9 next to a tiny Ruger LCP .380 and a J frame .38spl:

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...ltVcRsaoAT&t=1

Any of the other pistols mentioned in this thread are significantly larger guns.

Here's another good comparison pic:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2483/...4b72a143_o.jpg
If you've got the money for one, they're the best available at this time, bar none. Very high quality, extremely compact, polygonal walther match grade barrel, and super lightweight.

Kahr's new CW9 is a lot more affordable than the PM9. Only difference from the PM9 is the rifling, and it makes no difference in performance.

Kahr CM9 9mm Pocket Pistol

I have an MK9 and it's one of my most favorite compacts.

CW9 is about .6" longer than the PM9 isn't it? (3.6 vs 3" barrel?)

If the CW9 is the one with the 3.6" barrel, it will carry about 70fps more muzzle velocity than the PM9. The CW9 is a good bit cheaper than the PM9.

I would happily own or carry either pistol.

EDIT: Nope, looks like they're both 3" barrels. :D Some say polygonal rifling gives more velocity, but others discount this claim.

I love my XD... I looked at the PPS, but it was too damned thin, I couldn't grip it right at all.
Come down and you can shoot my XD all you want. I've put several thousand rounds through it, and the only problems I've had have been with handloads.

FEG P-63. 9x18mm Makarov. Cheap (under $200.00) reliable, and plentiful. Don't look like a squirt gun, much more reliable than the Walther PP which it was cloned from.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1302650245.jpg

Nice, except that he's tired of paying to shoot his 1911. I suspect that 9x18 ammo runs a bit more than 45acp if you can find it.

I can't remember the last time I saw a box of Winchester white box 9x18 at Walmart for $20.

Cool though.

< edit >

I just checked ammunitiontogo.com, you can get FMJ for about the same price as the 9mm, but I think it's Russian ammo or something.

Still, I think I'd probably prefer to stick with 9x19.

Yeah I guess your right. But you could buy a hell of a lot of ammo for in with the difference in price. We have ammo at the shop so I guess I assumed it was common. I don't buy ammo at "The Walmart".

yep today(and the last 2 months) have been HK USPC robared 9mm days. its in a serpa carbon fiber holster(ooo-lala). 13+1 says i can feek anyone or thang up that decides to hurt me or wifey.


dont even know its there. pick whatever ammo but guntests likes (april 2011 mag) THE SPEER GOLD DOT 124 gr GDHP as their best buy. i also like federal hydra shoks and remington golden sabres. all McNASTYS!


but the best part of an hk.....................is when i come home, i slap my HK UTL light on it..............and its a night time multi-tool.


also in a stress situation only the most seasoned of us shootists, will be able to get all of their .45's on target. and me being me if i have to go ballistic..............i want all freeking 14 feeking them up so bad they dont want any more!



another (2) to look at are the HK P9S 9mm.


and


the WALTHER P-5 compact.


both no longer in production but both idiot proof simple take down and parts still easy to get. both dead nutz accurate. fixed barrels will kick a loose barrel constructions azz all over hell for accuracy.

There are lots of different levels of compactness in 9mm. You may want to try some. I haven't tried the really small ones, but if they are anything like Red-Beard's P3AT (super tiny .380), I wouldn't much care for them. The P3AT is great to carry and conceal, but not much fun to shoot.

I've got an XDM compact in 9mm. It's basically the same as Sydney's (crap, or is it Sidney) XD, except the barrel is a bit longer. It fits my hand great. I'm not sure how you'd like an XD compared to a Glock, the grips are very similarly sized.

My advise, get out and handle as many as you can. If possible, even shoot a few.

THen decide what you like.

The PM9 is much smaller than any XD or Glock. It WILL kick hard with hot +P ammo.

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...xRSp3k3kyS8v6g
PM9 in hand

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...oCvalMsoIolo2w
PM9 next to subcompact Glock 27

The only thing i don't like about the PM9 is the lack of an external hammer or protruding striker. Beyond that, the LCI/manual safety model PM9 is, to me, the ultimate CCW 9mm ever made.

I agree about shooting as many models as you can.

Interesting argument. I would think the bullet would be long gone by the time the barrel would have any movement.

This is solid advice.

yep hands on is best. anyway cdnn has as of 3 minutes ago a brand new hk uspc stainless(exactly what mine looks like after robar) variant 1 w/3-dot sights.



another 89 bucks and ya can get some trijicon night sites like mine.



the ONLY thang my uspc will not eat is cci alum cased snake rounds out of the mag. i have to single feed them. ask me how i know being in the vortex of rattlesnakes and owning a hk uspc since it was introduced years ago.


5 second tear down. 30 seconds wipe down and blow w/compressed air due to having it robared. 5 second put back together.


i have shot the SNOT out of mine.



go to hkparts.com and they have threaded barrels,UTL lights and all the crap you will ever need. they aint cheap but use them for the hard to find parts.



its a SYSTEM MAN! its TOTALLY IN- GENIUS MAN! its A FREEKING VEAPONS PLATFORM!

It is a widely held belief (if not a well known fact) that fixed barrel pistols are much more accurate.

The fixed barrel (and great trigger) is the key to both the P7 and P9's tremendous accuracy.

my CCW subcompact 9mm:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...s/a6c4d3d1.jpg

One advantage the HK P7 will have over all these other pistols of it's same size is a much longer barrel. The P7 has a full length 4.2" polygonal rifled barrel, which yields very high muzzle velocities. This, of course, greatly increases muzzle energy and "stopping power."

my hk p9s 45 combat will OUTSHOOT ANYONES 1911 .45 on this board. i dont care if its an STI super duper space gun costing $4000 bucks! stock out of the box. insane accurate and not a one of any 1911's mfgs can compete with its inherent fixed barrel accuracy. which holds true for the P9S in 9mm.



both of the above with quality high buck match ammo. i love my 1911's.................but when the POO HITS THE FAN.........................im grabbing the P9S .45 and heading out the door to my secret lair inside cheyenne mtn and be neighbors w/gogar. at least until the cesium's 1/2 life wears off!

Thanks guys. I totally agree about the hands on comment, that's how I picked my 1911. I need to go do some shopping. Selection at my range isn't great for rental guns, part of my motivation for soliciting feedback. Frankly I didn't expect this many suggestions, maybe it would be easier to eliminate the ones that suck?

you will only be accurate with what fits yer hand.

i have a small hand, a big head, lots of hair and a schlong that no one has complained about yet.


standard 1911 .45 grips too big. i go with hogues.


standard m-9 beretta grips fit well but i went with hogues.

on all smith and wesson revolvers -hogues w/finger grippy thingys

hk's all fit my hand perfect. no change there.


another to look for is the HK VP70Z. 19 rounds and its real slim once again w/a fixed barrel in 9mm. i have seen them used around $400 bucks. if the finish is crappy............send it off to robar and waaaa-laa new spoon overnight.

I'll chime in on the H&K bandwagon. I carry a P9S in 9mm daily. Someone laughed at me once at the range for having such a low capacity 9mm as my carry. Then he saw my shot groups. A few guys at my range have shot it for the first time and put down <2.5" groups at 7yds. My typical group there is one, fairly small, ragged hole. I've read stories of match prep'd P9S's putting down groups at 100yds.
I snagged mine essentially NIB after 30 some odd years for $650, well worn-in, but mechanically sound examples can be had for ~$500 pretty regularly. The mechanism is essentially a scaled down version of the roller delayed blowback from the G3 rifle. The cons: proper mags run 70-90 each (P38 mags fit, but won't lock the slide back on last round) and a lot of smiths are hesitant to mess with them much (not that they need much) other parts seem to be relatively easily sourced online with fair prices.

I'm a new 9x18 Makarov owner and it's a great bang for the buck. I had it with me when we met a few weeks ago, didn't want to play show and tell at Hooter's. Anyway, I just picked up three boxes of ammo for $40 and no sales tax a gun show on Saturday. If you know how to shop, you can find it very cheap. The only issue with the real cheap ammo is that a lot of indoor ranges won't let you shoot bi-metal jacketed ammo. It's fine outdoors, though. Although I stole my E. German Makarov for $250 and it's by far the cheapest handgun I own, it's almost too nice for carry duty. I kind of want a beater Polish or Bugarian one or maybe a Czech 82, since they're....ahem.....disposable.

http://fototime.com/447BAD556FEFCF4/standard.jpg

the hk P9S is STILL SUPPORTED BY HK-USA in georgia,u.s.a. ie. all parts available. ask me how i know?



i sent my HK P9S COMBAT .45 in for poos and grins. didnt care what it cost. had already installed brand new buffer(buy spares from numrich) and just wanted to see if everyting OTAY! since this is often carry, why rely on something that could have a problem.



anyway HK went thru the entire damn spoon. smoothed the trigger, added new springs, proof shot with (3) different flavors of ammo, sent me the freeking targets, free HK swag(stickers,pins etc) and........................a bill for NOTHING!



like FO FWEE(free)! holy poo what a warm fuzzy that was.




the most incredibly accurate spoon i got or have evar shot.



i want a HK P9S TARGET in 9mm so bad i can taste it. mucho dollares tho.

Used Sig P239 in 9mm go for less than $500 near me and that's what I carry. The Ruger LC9 is compact and chambered in 9mm, but it's new, so the $ will be higher. If you can find a S&W 3913, that's a very compact, nice shooting and easy carrying 9mm also.

And the SIG P239's in 9mm have higher capacity mags than the ones in .40 and .357SIG too. You can find them for $475ish if you really shop.

P250 compact for $359 at CDNN seems like a lot of gun for the money, but also not super compact. That's one I need to check out in person.

Heckler & Koch P7M13 (way over your budget)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1302662719.jpg

Oh, that P7M13 is so gorgeous. However, I hate carrying guns that expensive. I have one 1911 like that and I just can't bring myself to carry it.

Yes it's expensive but what I really like about the P7M13 is that you have a "proper" grip.
Most compacts have shortish grips that IMO would make them more difficult to hold and use when it really counts.

I love my FN/Browning High Power. Basically, a 1911 9mm. For CHL, I'd get one of the KHAR's, whatever I could afford. Nice little pistols.

If money is an issue, you might consider the Keltec. I love my P3AT, because it fits virtually anywhere. The PF9 is a flat thin, single stack 9mm, similar to the P3AT. The P11 has a double stack. They work for the money.

Good compact 9mm?
 

The Ruger is a shameless copy of the KelTec PF9 :). For the money, KelTec.http://tapa.tk/mu/47cb92a5-1b9d-1451.jpg

i've been lurking. the makarov sounds interesting to me. i found ammo for $9/box of 50.

AMM-398 - Ammo 9x18 Makarov Brown Bear Full Metal Jacket 94 Grain 1000 fps 50 Round Box Steel Case Lead Core

I'll take you up on that. In a rest or standing unsupported? 25 or 50 yards?

Quit it... I really can't afford another 9mm!

Don't be fooled. Brown Bear is bi-metal, not full metal. Indoor ranges will chase you away. Outdoors it's fine.