What is the best compact 9mm? And why?

I’m finding recently that my .40’s seem a bit too snappy to enjoy. Didn’t use to be a problem, maybe it’s my advancing years. Anyway, I’m definitely looking to go to a 9 for cc. Thought I’d ask for recommendations and justifications.
I’ve had several over the years. Found pretty poor accuracy with s&w. Pretty solid performance from ruger.

 

Like I said, a compact for concealed carry. The compact .40 I have is a Walther PPS single stack. Very comfortable for cc.

 

Glock 43x? How big are your hands? Lots of variables here.

 

Best= g19

I prefer the g26 with g19 magazine.


Staccato c2 is awful nice.

 

CZ P-01 feels like it was made from a mold of my hand. Very intuitive and natural pointer.

What kind of platform do you want? Striker, DA/SA, what?

 

Fairly average, medium size gloves

 

P365XL is the best CC of the group for us.

Used to be a Glock guy through and through.

 

Go check out the Glock 43X and 48. The only difference between these two is the slide length.

Let me back up for a second and say that the first Glock in this family of 9s is the 43. It is very small, a single stack grip with a short slide meant for concealment. Most people complain about the three-finger grip length. So people started putting +2 mags in them to give their pinky fingers something to grip. Glock paid attention to this and created the 43X. It's a 43 with the same grip length as the super popular Glock 19. The 43X is still a very slim single stack with a shorter slide.

Sometime later, Glock released the 48. It is a 43X with a longer slide. Remember the 19 mentioned above? This one, the 48, has the same grip length and slide length as the Glock 19, but it's still a much slimmer single stack gun. Think exact same dimensions and profile as a 19, but a single stack.

Both the 43X and the 48 can run the Shield Arms 15-rd mags no problem.

15+1 in a single stack platform that disappears under a T shirt with Glock reliability? Hard to beat.

Whatever anybody reading this thread gets, train, train, train until drawing, sight picture acquisition, and firing are muscle memory.

 

Springfield Arms XD sub compact, carries lots of rounds and if you have big paws it fits your hand.

 

I've got 2 that I really like for CC, the S&W shield performance and the Springfield Hellcat. I usually carry at 4 o'clock and they both tuck in nice

 

Da, preferably.

 

I’ve heard lots of good things about the s&w shield, how’s the accuracy?

 

Wasn't sold on it with the 10rd mags. Picked up some 12rd mags and it's my everyday carry now.

 

I used to carry a SW 3913. Still have it but now I mostly carry a Shield Plus - light weight, easily concealable, and available with 10, 13 and 15 rnd mags.

I shot my brother-in-law’s Sig P365 and liked it a lot, too.

 

Carried HK's forever USPC, P30SK, and eventually the P2000sk was my go to. The 365 took its place because its so easy to carry.

 

Hellcat is another good one from what I hear.

 

This is a loaded question.. There is no "best," just "best for you." It's hard to know what's best for you without additional information and experience on different platforms.

I prefer something hammer-fired with a decocker. I carry in condition 1 with the hammer decocked. My preference are CZ pistols based on the CZ75 platform (it's one of the most copied platforms on the planet).

Others prefer the ease of use and trigger pull of a decocker. Lots of controversy here around "what's best," but to me it's whatever fits your hand best, that you feel comfortable training with, and that you can reliable use under stress.

That all said, get a (or 10) CZs.

 

We just listed pretty much every single CC 9mil.

Man, that was faster than a tire recommendation thread.

 

I second this. I have a P-01, an SP-01, a CZ75, a CZ97, a RAMI.... You cannot go wrong with a CZ + decocker. The P-01 is my carry pistol except for in the hottest months when I carry a smaller Sig p938 Scorpion (small-frame 1911 style single stack 9mm) because you can hide it in swim trunks if you need to.

 

I have a P-01 decocker, Hellcat and Canik MC9. They are all great pocket pistols. The Hellcat is the snappiest (not a good thing) of the 3, but it is still great for its size. The P-01, being all steel is heavy, and has a bigger footprint. I don't carry it as much in the warm months. I tend to carry the MC9 the most, but all 3 are in the rotation. The P-01 takes over when I wear layers.

 

Really good, I love it. Very dependable too

 

From an engineering standpoint the CZ75 and clones are amazing pieces of machinery. How do they shoot? My wife carries the Sar 9mm with 13 rds and I carry the Tanfoglio Witness PS 9mm with 17 rds. In our CC class instructor blew off our unusual choice until we scored first and second at the range.

 

My experience is that they shoot very well at all levels. Alloy frames add weight, suck up recoil. Ergonomics are excellent. If sighted properly they shoot straight and true. Triggers are not as smooth as a striker fired pistol but with a little work or a kit can be about as good as you'd find on a hammer fired gun. CZ are a quality gun that have a huge and deserved following. I believe it's the most common military sidearm platform worldwide..

 

I think the type of safety mechanism also affects how people choose a pistol.

I usually go to a shooters' show so I can try different brands. Try a few that you like at a gun store with a range, and if you find one that fits and works well in your hand, is concealable, has the safety feature(s) you need to be comfortable with it, and didn't jam while putting a minimum of 50 rounds of ammo through it, that might be the best one.

If choosing between a few different pistols, consider how easily and safely they are to field strip.

 

DA first shot or DA only? P-01 is decocker, DA first shot and SA after. I really like my CZ's

 

Both, wife and I have the Glock G43X-MOS with Nightstick TSM-14G Tactical Mounted Light / Laser